Beside Myself is the 4th studio album from Basement. The English band's first for Fueled by Ramen, the 12-tracker opens with "Disconnect," on which the vocalist Andrew Fisher sings: "can I go back to where I started / have I been away too long to stop this? / feel like I'm sinking, I…" Sad, for sure, but the song feels very uplifting, a straight-forward rock number with sprawling energy and catchy melodies. "Be Here Now" is similar in that despite the song's fun first impression, a closer look at the lyrics reveals someone struggling to find happiness. This is Basement's strength: full of pop sensibilities, all the while offering something a little deeper, which a lot of times happens to be an honest, passionate, and/or intense look at darker sides of the human emotion. Very solid songwriting, some songs are outright anthemic, highlights include: "Keepsake," "Stigmata," "Reason for Breathing," and the two aforementioned tracks.

• transparent red vinyl
• includes digital download code
• music label: Fueled By Ramen 2018

reviewed by singing in japanese 11/18

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