The gold-certified rock band, Sleeping With Sirens are back with their sixth studio album, How It Feels To Be Lost, to be released on Friday, September 6th via their new label home, Sumerian Records. The band have divulged between genres since their 2010 debut album, With Ears to See and Eyes to Hear, including mixing their sound between pop-rock, metal, electronic and acoustic, and I’m sure fans will agree when I say that this album brings the band back to their original post-hardcore roots that fans adore. It is bound to be a record to quickly top the charts! The album features three previously released singles including “Leave It All Behind,” “Break Me Down” and “Agree To Disagree,” which have amassed over 6 million streams on Spotify since their release.
“Leave It All Behind” was the first single released in anticipation for the new album and also was their debut single with their new label home, Sumerian Records, as their previous album, Gossip, was released in 2017 via Warner Brothers Records. This track is the perfect introduction to the record as it paves the way for heavier screams and breakdowns, as well as the relatable and melodic lyrics that fans have come to know, love and relate to over time.
“Never Enough” follows behind “Leave it All Behind” as track 2 on the record, which is the only song with another artist featured, and it’s with none other than Good Charlotte’s Benji Madden who compliments the song perfectly with his signature vocals. Opening with a strong instrumental between drums and guitar and the chanting “HEY!” vocal background, the song dives into Kellin Quinn’s vocals talking about not being fake towards anyone, and putting forth all his energy but it never feeling enough to him. Questioning if he’s the only one who feels the way he does, referring to himself as a ‘monster.’ The song itself is about self-reflection and wanting to believe that only good things are to come in the future, no matter how tough the world may currently seem.
The title track “How It Feels To Be Lost” is the third track on the album, which starts with a slow instrumental build up to the heavy chorus. Diving in-between melodic high notes and Quinn’s vicious screams for emphasis, the lyrics talk about the feeling of being lost in your own head with your thoughts drowning you and feeling hopeless about life but not giving up. This can be seen within the chorus:
“For every step that I take, I take two steps back.
It’s like a punch to the face,
it’s like a knife right in the back,
like a bullet to the head, why can’t I understand?
The blood is on my hands now,
I’m standing on the edge with no where to go.
This is how it feels, how it feels to be lost.”
“Agree To Disagree” is the bands latest single which was released prior to the album’s release, with a heavy introduction and vocals to flawlessly compliment it with the screams of Quinn saying “COME ON!” Combating with mood swings, the opinions from other people and the general message that we should just “agree to disagree” when opinions differ for the sake of avoiding an argument about the opposing thoughts. This is a situation that I feel that everyone can relate to, as most will be able to with the lyrics of the song.
“Ghost” is one of my personal favorite tracks on the album. Giving off an eerie electronic vibe similar to the song “Heroine” off the band’s 2015 album, Madness, with Quinn’s high vocals piercing through a mix of mellow instrumentals such as the xylophone in the mid-section and a heavy-hitting drum and guitar rhythm. Towards the end a string section can be heard in the background, leaving the song with a bang while Quinn screams “think it’s time to say goodbye.” This song depicts the struggles of a relationship through its very darkest times and how you don’t always know when enough is enough to leave a relationship or see it through until the end. This song really highlights Quinn’s exceptional vocal abilities during the chorus and his screams which end the song perfectly.
“Blood Lines” has a similar theme to the band’s song “A Trophy Father’s Trophy Son,” from the popular 2011 album, Let’s Cheers To This, where guitarists Jack Fowler and Nick Martin get to show off their skills with some very impressive chords and unique guitar riffs.
“Break Me Down” gives a chance for longtime drummer Gabe Barham to shine, as right when the song begins he can be heard fiercely pummeling the drums. Recently the band announced that they will be parting ways with Barham, stating that there were ‘creative musical differences between them but nothing but love and support for his future.’ “Break Me Down” brings the band back to their hardcore roots with a heavy chorus, and some real guttural screams and vicious break downs similar to those on their debut album. Barham’s noticeable efforts are also present in “Medicine (In My Head)” another heavy song on the album, talking about the struggles of addiction and how it takes over you, begging to be saved from his mistakes. A song where fans could be seen clapping and singing along when the song would be performed live.
“Another Nightmare” is another song where electronic elements are present throughout the song vocally and instrumentally giving a unique vibe to the song. With the talking about the struggle of being in a relationship and hurting the one you love, asking them for forgiveness. This song features heavy breakdowns which I can imagine if played live, the fans could be seen head-banging and jumping around like wild animals trying to escape a cage.
“PS Missing You” has a beautiful piano-driven melody in the beginning, leading into a brutal guitar riff and drums blending in perfectly to match. You can really hear the struggles vocalist Kellin Quinn has faced in the lyrics within the chorus saying:
“I feel so alone, screaming at nothing.
I feel so alone, searching for something.
Now I’m breaking down, and you’re not around,
I get lost in the sound.
And I feel so alone, and you can’t save me!”
Anyone can relate to those aforementioned lyrics when you get too deep in your own head, you feel like it’s you against the world and no one can understand what’s going on, not even the ones that are closest to you.
The finale track on the album is “Dying To Believe,” which features a different approach compared to their previous tracks, with an acoustic guitar driven introduction leading into a hard-rock tempo with the message of letting go of your mistakes, letting go of what others say about you and dying to believe there’s freedom in letting go of your past.
Overall, The album’s theme circles around topics of mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, loneliness, addiction and trying to find your true self throughout the chaos in your head trying to persuade you otherwise. With the band returning to their roots and the catchy choruses and impressive instrumentals, this album is sure to be a hit smashing the charts. It’s clear now after trial and error with different sounds, that the band has truly tuned themselves and their sound to its very best, going back to where it all began. We can’t wait to see Sleeping With Sirens bring this album to life live while they are touring with Bring Me The Horizon and Poppy this fall on The Threesome Tour.
Pick up the band’s new album, How It Feels To Be Lost, HERE.
How It Feels To Be Lost Tracklist:
1. Leave It All Behind
2. Never Enough
3. How It Feels To Be Lost
4. Agree To Disagree
5. Ghost
6. Blood Lines
7. Break Me Down
8. Another Nightmare
9. PS Missing You
10. Medicine
11. Dying To Believe
