smrtdeath kept us waiting for his new album we’ll be alright, and after listening, we don’t blame him. With no features and nine tracks all produced by Toronto based audioopera, sethany showcases what two years of content and a growing image can cultivate. Arguably his best body of work to date, this album represents who smrtdeath is as an artist, while simultaneously delivering some of the most memorable songs of the year.
First song of the album, “better off” prepares listeners for the upbeat, heartbreaking project as a whole. Audioopera’s beat effortlessly compliments smrtdeath’s classic drawn out harmonies. “I watch the smoke of your cigarette twirl around your fingers, like the way that you have me, and it disappears like I do,” is one of the harder hitting lines setting the stage for the moody, on brand tracks to follow.
Chances are, sethany’s second track will be added to your playlist within the first 20 seconds. “gave you my heart said don’t fuck around with it” is one of the most unique songs on the album, with a beat that could virtually stand alone. Starting off as a sort of twangy, folky guitar production riddled with whips cracking and horses neighing, the drums come in and transforms the entire sound into a backdrop for one of the more lyrically packed pieces in the project.
Fourth on the album but the first single released, “ice out my bones” is not only one of the catchier songs on the album, but also has a killer accompanying music video. Directed by mouthsore, sethany continues to present himself as one of the most lovable in the underground. With a Ferrari to match his bright red locks, smrtdeath visually represents his track with attitude and pure humor that is thoroughly appreciated.
An immediate favorite, “yung disaster” was the second single to drop before the release of the full album. With a classic rock type beat and and the some of the single most relatable lines, with no better way to describe it, this song is a whole mood. This is the track that embodies the title of the album “we’ll be alright” and a good portion of sethany’s personality. “Lately I don’t know about this path that I been walkin, and I must be doin’ somethin’ right ‘cuz I can hear them talkin,” is a hook that will hit close to home to many of those newly finding their success.
“moonlight” is the somber addition this album needed to give us a full taste of what smrtdeath is capable of. A distinctly different beat than what we’ve heard so far from audioopera, the deep and resonating tones transform sethany’s vocals into the haunting but familiar voice we’ve heard from him in the past.
The seventh song on the album, “tempo,” one could go so far as to say could really be a part 2 for “broken record for my broken heart.” The beat clearly isn’t identical, but with an evidently similar sound the track has a more impatient and confident tone and a much faster pace, “Baby I know I could tell you anything, but sometimes I gotta keep it to myself.” The doubtfulness expressed in the lyrics of the third song get nearly resolved in the seventh.
With some of the guitar twang we heard in the second song, “ghost” is a quirky addition to the project. “I been a ghost yeah, I been away, I been so lost yeah, I been afraid, think I might just run away yeah, hide behind another name… I need to get out of this place ‘cuz I’m stuck in the middle of fucking nowhere.” The authenticity of his struggle is immediately relatable to anyone producing art relatively remotely from a fanbase. His honesty throughout the track is worth a listen.
A superb closing track, “hold me down” elaborates on the theme of escape mentioned in the previous song, “Yeah imma get the fuck out of this town” with the added “My baby right there, yeah she hold me down.” Sounding like some of the best early smrtdeath, the last song will convince you listening through the entire project is worth it.
smrtdeath has time and time again delivered amazing content in the past few years. It’s very easy to argue that we’ll be alright is the best we’ve heard from sethany so far, so at the very least we highly recommend listening all the way through. If this album is setting the tone for what’s to come in 2019, we can’t wait to see what this year brings. Check out our interview with smrtdeath from this past September, and stream we’ll be alright down below .