Write This Down made quite the splash onto the Christian Rock scene in 2010 with their rocking self-titled debut. Now with a few radio hits under their belt, the band returns with their sophomore album, Lost Weekend.

 

The album immediately proves itself to be an intense one, opening with some screams in "The Older I Get, The Better I Was." The band does well mixing in the screamo with some catchy melodies. This formula works for them and seems pretty consistent throughout most of the album, with only a select few deviations. The band definitely knows how to rock. The guitar work throughout was pretty impressive.

 

The title track is one of the few that minimizes the screams in favor of a rock melody throughout. This track could easily achieve popularity on the airwaves. The band also has two very stripped-down slower tracks, "Cheap Affairs" and "Minnesota Interlude." Both are enjoyable enough calms amidst the rough chaos that dominates the album from start to finish.

 

Lyrically, the album is among the strongest released so far this year. The brutally honest portrayal of the deteriorating condition of our society is pretty striking, yet it doesn't come off as too "in your face" as to become gimmicky. It's a delicate, but impressive balance for such a young band to achieve. 

 

"I'll Make You Famous" had some of the more memorable lyrics for me, such as: "Show time the party scene is filing in looking for a hideaway from all the deadbeats' clones. And I know how every single night goes crash out on the balcony, tearing up the front lawn. And its a bore, it's a rerun, I've seen before every weekend and they're scraping from the bottom of the barrel for a new improved original that no ones heard before." 

 

There are several other examples of the hard-hitting portrayal of a downward spiraling youth in need of the love of Christ. "May God have mercy on you and I for the sins that we shared tonight Be still and pray for the peace that passes all understanding" sings "Red 7" and "We can quote, we can quote you any of the hymnals while seated in the back pew / But we are terrified of what we've said and done tonight" resounds "Lost Weekend."

 

The album's brutal honesty helps it stand out from the typical fare you might hear on the radio.

 

It'd be fair to mention that personally, I am not much of a fan of screamo music. Therefore, I can see how the screams in the majority of the tracks could limit its appeal. Still, the music is well-crafted and catchy and those who enjoy a little scream with their guitars should feel right at home in Lost Weekend.

 

The album is less accessible than many others on the Tooth and Nail roster due to its heavy usage of screams. Still, the songwriting and music are solid, and fans of the first album should be more than satisfied with this second outing. It's likely not going to catch the attention of anybody who wasn't paying attention before, but it should solidify their place as a heavy hitter on the harder side of Christian Rock.