Photo by: Wolfe Eliot
The Word Alive is preparing us for a new era with their latest single “Slow Burn.” The song’s powerful melodies, delicate instrumentation, and emotional lyrics thrust listeners into a world that they’ve not experienced with this band yet.
It’s no secret that Telle Smith has a way of grabbing our attention with his strong vocals accompanied by the band’s signature rock melodies. This time around, we are still greeted with his iconic vocals but they are mingled in with an acoustic melody, making the song feel extremely intimate right off the bat. Contrary to the previous singles that feature a more heavy and fast-paced tempo, “Slow Burn” puts the brakes on as if asking us to “Stop, listen, and reflect” for the next 3 minutes and 16 seconds.
The song features intimate lyrics that do an incredible job of allowing listeners to relate them to actions they may have seen or taken in their own personal lives. Lyrics like “I’m killing us slowly / Catch Me ’cause I know I’m falling” and “I’d burn if it meant you’d love me” make us instantly reminisce about times in our lives where we’ve felt these same emotions, hence elevating the song to a whole new level.
The song brilliantly blends emotion with its instrumentals throughout. By the time we get to the bridge, emotions are running high. But as soon as the bridge ends, we are once again brought back down to earth with just an acoustic guitar as the chorus repeats. It feels as if we are pleading to whomever we are singing to – “No matter what, no matter our mistakes, I’d do anything for you.” By the time the song ends, we are left with repeating lyrics “you’d know that I’d burn,” perfectly ending the song and leaving listeners wanting more.
If this single is any indication of what the newest album will sound like, we are in for quite a “Hard Reset.”
“Slow Burn” can be found on the band’s newest album, “Hard Reset”, which is due out August 25, 2023 via Thriller Records and can also be found here:
