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Ohio hardcore punk/screamo act For Your Health have been gaining a steady amount of hype from their inception in 2018, with their debut 7 inch Nosebleeds in 2019 as well as their excellent split with Shin Guard the same year. With each new release, the band has evolved their sound, and that is certainly the case with their first full length album In Spite Of, which keeps several of their core elements intact while also moving forward from straightforward screamo into new sonic territory by injecting influences from several different genres and eras of emo, hardcore and punk into their sound.
(Photo Credit: Alice Hirsch)
Clocking in at a brisk 17 minutes, it's almost overwhelming how many elements of punk sub genres the band pulls from to craft this album, but even more surprising is how well it all works together in tandem. Opening track "Birthday Candles For The Effigy" is an excellent example of the multiple musical shifts the band employs to great effect: The chaotic opening section sounds like it could have come straight from Daughters now classic LP Canada Songs, then transitions into a blistering hardcore punk section that sounds as urgent and anthemic as anything in the genre, only to transtion again and finish off with a soaring melodic ending coupled with clean vocals and melodies that could have been pulled from a classic Thursday song. All these shifts happen within the span of just over 2 minutes, and despite the dynamic range that could easily come from three wholly separate bands, it flows together perfectly. These dynamics continue throughout the rest of the album, with several unexpected twists and turns. While certainly not the first band to employ several different sounds on their record, it's hard to think of many current artists that do it this effectively, with no songwriting sacrifices made for the sake of including multiple shifts in sound.
Overall, For Your Health have put out one hell of a debut album, one of the more exciting hardcore/punk releases recently, a record that showcases a myriad of influences without sacrificing killer songs in the process. It's a record that will undoubtfully turn the heads of older punks and those just scratching the surface of the genre as well, and I can't help but feel like the band is poised to do very big things in the future, once eternal lockdown hell ends. In the meantime, definitely check out In Spite Of and get hyped for when the band (and bands in general) can become more active again.
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