Letlive - The Blackest Beautiful

Letlive, a post-hardcore band from L.A., released The Blackest Beautiful in July of 2013. Unlike peers in the post hardcore realm, Letlive shoots for big choruses, writes lyrics about major social issues, and most poignantly, dole out their sound with such intensity that it’s borderline suffocating (listen to “Casino Columbus” and “We, The Pros of Con”, you’ll get it). Its clear that Letlive wrote with the intention of “saying something”, and Jason Butler’s nuanced performance does just that.


A lot of “message” oriented bands let the music itself take a backseat, acting simply as vehicles for a cause to travel on. The Blackest Beautiful is nothing like that. The tracks feel complete, and require several listens to really absorb. In my opinion this lack of immediacy is good indicator of this record’s longevity. People will pick up this record ten years down the road and still be able to relate and connect to it in a way that fits the times, so to speak.

Okay, so I realize that I said this record lacks immediacy, but that’s not to say that tracks like “The Priest and Used Cars” and “Pheromone Cvlt” don’t hit hard right out the gate. The former riffs intensely, but plows its way through to a stunningly restrained chorus with my favorite vocals performance of the record. The latter is ALL restraint, and the most personal song on the album. Butler’s lyrics are for a moment painfully intimate (in a good way), acting as a counterpoint to the almost selfishly constant vocalization (he even finds time to rap) that is his hallmark.


In terms of production, other critics have slammed this record for being underproduced, or at least poorly mastered. I’d venture to say that this opinion is based in the poor quality leak of the album that has since spread across torrent platforms. My (purchased) copy sounds great. If anything, I think it’s too clean, and too produced. Letlive is the type of band that might benefit from a raw production perspective. Too clean means that Butler’s ad-lib vocals feel deliberate and planned, which doesn’t vibe well with the self-awareness that he reveals in his lyrics.


The overarching theme for The Blackest Beautiful is best described by Butler’s cheeky remark about his band being “an example, an exhibition” on the album closer. We know that our entertainment often spurs the most change in society than anything we read in the news. We know that people use music and art to shape their actions and belief. Letlive combine a relevant message and good intention to use music and art for good, providing listeners with a positive influence to draw from. Below is a great example, “Banshee (Ghost Fame)”. Enjoy!