What alt rock does to feel new is interesting. The Arctic Monkeys went lounge act last year. Fall Out Boy are deciding between mediocre pop and mediocre rock (old man yells at clouds). Lonely the Brave, in comparison, refuse to settle for laurel-lolling or middling music. On their fourth album, What We Do To Feel, the Cambridge five-piece pull their new vocalist Jack Bennett deeper into the fold and hone their sound further.
Lonely the Brave identify Springsteen, Deftones, and Pearl Jam as a few of their influences. Disparate sources, to be sure, but welcome ones. This record continues to pull from all three of those artists, as well as a few implicit sources. One source Jack Bennett seems to pull from is evident from the first song, ‘Long Way’. Bennett replaced original vocalist Dave Jakes in time for their 2021 album, and he brings some Chris Carrabba heart. Bennett’s gritty, emotive vocals, like chalk for the hands, keep the song from slipping into the background. Throughout the remaining nine tracks, he provides the anthemic vocals the band need to challenge the hefty guitars. The grunge influence is evident in Bennett’s delivery. He seems to dig the Vedder style, sometimes a little too much – he indulges in a little mumbling on tracks like ‘Victim’, but these instances are few. The quiet moments he has, like those on ‘Unseen’, are exquisitely tender. Bennett sounds more at home here among his bandmates than on the last album, his first with them.
Most of the tracklist feels intentional, so the album speeds by with little effort. ‘The Lens’ is a big track and surefire favorite. The fourth song, ‘Victim’, feels like a comforting weighted blanket. ‘Colour Me Sad’, track five, lives up to its title with a poignant opening riff. It’s an elegant track that ends with piercing strings in a lovely outro. A perfectly placed album interlude lets the listener space out for a moment.
“This is music for the soul. ”
The last few songs don’t change the pace significantly, but for a relatively sonically similar album, What We Do To Feel never drags nor bores. Chiming guitar steps in at the right times. Delicate melodies soar with a stadium heart. Strings, already providing a lovely backdrop, know when to pop in for a quick spotlight. Brave drums keep the vocals going when the lonely singer seems ready to give up.
Most of the way through the album, the album makes its only misstep: “Eventide”. Thanks to its instrumental break and slow build, the ears want a huge climax (which would be all the more welcome as the album comes to a close), but it simply drifts away, leaving the listener dissatisfied. The dissatisfaction only lasts for a moment: the expansive tenth track, “The Bear”, closes the album beautifully.
The band find their strength in each other: every instrument serves the song. Nearly every song is a certified road-trip banger or a comforting hug. Lonely the Brave demand attention with When We Do To Feel. Their fourth record is not just another alt rock record and will not be dismissed as such. No wallpaper music or awkward electropop here; this is music for the soul.