Mayday Parade - 12 Through 15

*Shout out to my sister for showing me this song*.

For the longest while, I've been a Mayday Parade fan - from the middle school rebel/emo/punk days, through the high school roller coaster of having too many emotions, to the current exploration of what the real world holds. This band has been there for me through thick and thin. However, I managed to miss the fact that they recently released an album (by "recently" I mean last damn October), Monsters in the Closet. Now, while I am not overwhelmingly impressed by this album (the transitions are awkward and it lacks the common sound that I've become accustomed to with Mayday's previous albums, which throws me off), there are a couple worthwhile songs that stand out to me, "12 Through 15" being one of them. Lyrically, this tune cuts deep, using Biblical scripture of Lucifer's exile to the depths of hell to allude to the common feeling of losing hope in something (or someone). I've always been a fan of Mayday's vocals and "12 Through 15" leaves little to be desired. From the second verse, there's an ongoing use of echo which adds another dimension to the vocals. Stylistically, that introduces a coarse quality that contrasts the beginning of the song; vocally, Sanders' voice becomes more raw and more emotional while the lyrics remain vague. Some of the echoing retains an emptiness through unidentifiable words, possibly in an effort to enhance that haziness. Furthermore, the vague lyrics of the hook and chorus hold a heavier weight than the more explicit lyrics of the verses, omitting detail that a listener may typically expect from a song about heartbreak. It's one of those songs that makes me simply want to belt every time I play it. Give a listen below, and let your heart hurt a little; I promise it's worth it.





And if you enjoy that, I'd recommend Mayday Parade's earlier albums, for sure, as well as "Angels" and "Even Robots Need Blankets" off of Monsters in the Closet.