Set It Off is a band that's still a huge staple in my music collection. I have always been aware of them because of lead vocalist, Cody Carson. Being a fan of the Pop-Punk / Pop Rock genre, his name is very well-known, especially his YouTube channel where he did loads of covers (from Blink-182 to Mayday Parade and from Taylor Swift to Jason Derulo). It wasn’t until I found out Set It Off would be at Vans Warped Tour 2013 that I decided to get acquainted with them.
Set It Off is known for being very theatrical with their musical and vocal arrangements... And I fell in love with them with that fact alone because I'm also a Theatre nerd. This fact about them was grandly displayed with their 2012 debut full-length release, "Cinematics." Two years later, the boys released their sophomore full-length, "Duality," on October 14, and they were definitely not missing out on the theatrics with this one.
Before looking at the tracks, check out their spoken word video first! Cody's words make this the perfect introduction to this record... Even though it didn't actually make it as the introduction to the album, but it should've!
The album opens with the track “The Haunting,” and you will welcome it like an old friend. It is easily recognizable as a Set It Off song. It has a creepy, dark feel to it, which suits the track that is all about telling an ex that they will never find anyone better than you. The song is very cocky, but not in a bad way, more like a sucks-to-be-you way.
The second song “N.M.E." (which stands for “No More Excuses”) was the second song the band released to the public. When I heard it by itself, it was alright, but I wasn't very impressed. It just wasn’t a song I was itching to listen to a million times over. But when I heard it with the rest of the album, I gained a new appreciation for it. It is one of the strongest tracks on the album. One thing I noticed with “The Haunting” and “N.M.E.,” as well as one or two other tracks, is sort of a theme of male empowerment, and that is a little refreshing to me. The theme is more of a boys rule and girls drool manner. It's about friends trying to get another friend to end his relationship with a girl who seems to be not so good for him.
Songs that have always appealed to me are ones that are about not being sorry for being young, and “Forever Stuck in Our Youth” is one of those songs. The thing that really stands out for me is the contrast between the verses and chorus. The verses are harsh and point out a person’s flaws, while the chorus has a light, carefree feeling. It’s a song that gives you permission to be "young and dumb."
“Why Worry” is the fourth track on the album and was the first song released, as well as being the song they used to first promote the album. “Why Worry” really coincides well with “Forever Stuck In Our Youth” with the message of not stressing too much in life. The whole track is so positive and confident, which is in line with many songs by Set It Off in the past, along with three singles we have from their upcoming album, "Upside Down" ("Uncontainable," "Something New," and their new single... "Life Afraid").
My favorite track is “Ancient History.” It gives off a bit of an 80s vibe right from the beginning. This song also features some of the most genuinely passionate vocals I have ever heard from Cody Carson. The song itself is about a "friends with benefits" relationship that has run its course and how difficult it is to end such a destructive relationship with someone you are super compatible with. When you combine all of that with group vocals and drummer, Maxx Danziger, absolutely killing it on drums, you get one stunning track.
The next two songs are very reminiscent of a late 90s-early 2000s boy band’s take on an R&B song, but with Set It Off’s personality added on. “Bleak December," in which the music was inspired by an Acapella demo of "Beat It" by Michael Jackson, is about finding out that the person you care about (no matter if it's a friend, a significant other, or just someone that you know) is not the person you used to know, and the song is another cocky tune, but in a hate-you-because-you're-cold-and-cruel scenario. The words that were in the spoken video come back around with the song, "Duality.” Also, this song truly feels like it was ripped straight from an *NSYNC album, and that is backed by the 90s Timberlake-like vocals that Carson emulates throughout the track.
Duality features two tracks with guest vocals. The first of which is "Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing,” and features William Beckett (formerly from The Academy Is...). The track is a dark twist on a nursery rhyme with multiple references to childhood stories. The second track, “Tomorrow,” features Jason Lancaster (formerly from Mayday Parade and Go Radio) and is another positive, confidence boosting song. It’s about not letting anyone crush your spirit or dreams because you always have tomorrow to be great. The one thing these two tracks taught me was Set It Off not only knows how to perfectly pick guest vocalists but also to create more hope for fans and others around them. Sometimes when bands/musicians bring others on to their tracks, it doesn’t make sense and it’s not something that musician would do on their own. But that’s not the case here. It’s obvious that these guest vocalists were not just chosen because of who they are, but rather because it made sense to feature them.
The next track, “Bad Guy,” is a fun one, even though it is about being under appreciated. The instrumentals are predominantly done by an acoustic guitar, which gives it an upbeat feel. Set It Off just knows how to have fun every now and then!
The final track, “Miss Mysterious,” is the best way to end the album, even though it’s so different from the previous 10 tracks. The lyrics, "If you love someone, let them go" is the overall message of the track. Also, this song might be my favorite vocal performance of all time by Cody Carson. His voice is absolutely stunning, and he uses a tone and grace that I don’t believe we have ever heard from him before. I am all for songs that allow vocalists to show off their talent and, for me, that’s what this song does for him.
Now, even though this track isn't on Duality... I like to think of it is a bonus track that should've been on it. I'm talking about the song, "Wild Wild World," which was released on an Acoustic EP, titled "Duality: Stories Unplugged." In terms of the theme... The music video speaks for itself! This stunning acoustic track and video are, in total, a reflection on all of the recent tragedies in the news around the world, along with great news, like the fact that gay marriage is now legal all around the United States! The video also features guest appearances from Andy Biersack of Black Veil Brides, Lynn Gunn of PVRIS, Patty Walters of As It Is, and Matt and Trevor Wentworth of Our Last Night.
Overall, "Duality" is easily a compilation of Set It Off’s best work to date... That is until I hear "Upside Down" in its entirety on October 7 of this year. Still, this record shows how much they have grown and how much they have learned in six years. "Duality" was the album 2014 needed, and something that fans of Pop Rock and Pop should enjoy. I promise you, with how eclectic it is, there is guaranteed to be something to satisfy everyone’s tastes.
If you want to get it on iTunes, go here. Otherwise, you can purchase a CD or a Vinyl here.
Rating: 5 / 5 Stars
Also, check out a tribute video that Set It Off fans made for the band and how they have talked about how much the band influenced them to become better individuals. All the things they said I can totally agree with!
