Fragile Future

This morning, I found Hawthorne Heights' new album, "Fragile Future", that's meant to be out August 5th and finally leaked. I only had one listen to it but one thing is evident right at the start - I miss Casey Calvert.

I started liking Hawthorne Heights after Casey died. The first time I heard them, they were too loud for me. When Casey died, I gave them another chance and started really liking them. Maybe it also connected with my state of mind at the time that allowed me to obsess over music that is balantly emo. Add to that the fact this band's lead guitarist and screamer, Casey Calvert, had just passed away. And how much he reminds me of Dougie Poynter. And how would I feel if something like that happened to Dougie (shitty. To put it lightly) and it all led to an obsession.

It was right around the time I was doing my psychometric that I got into this band. The different albums in my iPod would always take me back to the time I really got into them whenever I listen to them. So when I listen to Hawthorne Heights, I think about the psychometric.

I'm better, mentally, now. But I still love listening to the HH albums on occasion. And this new album has really made me miss Casey. For one, there's no one to scream anymore, and the screaming were noticable in their absence. And then, different songs talked about Casey, like the heart-tearing "Four Become One" which tells of how Casey made them laugh, and how after he passed away, the four of them have become even closer, and into one tight group. The end of "Sugar In The Engine" made me tear up as they tell the story of the last time they saw Casey, and if they would've known it was the last time, they'd say "Goodbye", "Goodnight" and "I love you". And the song "Coming Back Home" borrows lyrics from "This Is Who We Are" (off the "If Only You Were Lonely" album) that are screamed by Casey in the original song, and spoken softly by (I think) lead singer JT in this new song. The addition of this verse was done after Casey had passed away.

I'm far from writing a review on this album. I might do eventually.... but there's no doubt this is a good album. It would've been better if Casey had been alive still....