Brain Pain
Four Year Strong · 2020
42 min · 12 tracks · punk rock
Energetic punk rock anthems collide with introspective lyrics, reflecting a journey through mental health struggles and personal growth.
Top tracks — play these first
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Get out of My Head — This track encapsulates the essence of the album with its catchy hooks and candid exploration of anxiety, setting the tone for self-reflection throughout.
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Crazy Pills — With its driving rhythm and punchy lyrics, Crazy Pills serves as a high-energy anthem that addresses feelings of overwhelm while promoting resilience.
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Seventeen — Seventeen stands out for its nostalgic look at youth while grappling with adulthood's challenges, capturing a universal feeling of longing for simpler times.
Elevation
Our rating, out of 100 — and why.
AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.
The album blends energetic punk with introspective lyrics, showcasing solid songwriting and production choices.
What we noticed
- The first half of the album maintains a high-energy tempo with driving guitar riffs and anthemic choruses, while the second half introduces more introspective themes and varied dynamics.
- Several tracks feature layered vocal harmonies that create a fuller sound, particularly in the choruses, enhancing the emotional weight of the lyrics.
- The album includes moments of abrupt tempo shifts, such as transitioning from fast-paced sections to slower, reflective passages, which emphasize lyrical content.
- Composition 25% of the score
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6/10
- Craft 20% of the score
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7/10
- Durability 25% of the score
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6/10
- Distinctiveness 18% of the score
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6/10
- Sequencing 12% of the score
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5/10
the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics
production, performance, arrangement
whether it rewards returning to it
whether it sounds like itself
running order, pacing, length
Known within its scene. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.
Is this for you?
Good fit if you like
- steady mid-tempo anthems
- catchy melodies for sing-alongs
- cathartic release of frustrations
- for group listening
- energizing soundtrack for challenges
Maybe skip if you
- prefer slow, reflective music
- want instant gratification tracks
Where this album fits
- Career context
- Brain Pain is Four Year Strong's fifth studio album, released after a four-year hiatus following the 2015 album, Go Down in History. During this period, the band faced lineup changes and explored different production styles, which influenced their return to a more classic punk sound in this release.
- Stylistic neighbors
- A Day to Remember· The Wonder Years· New Found Glory
Moments worth listening for
Where the writing does something specific.
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Talking Myself in Circles
The protagonist confronts their spiraling thoughts directly shifts from introspection to a call for action against self-doubt.
This shift emphasizes a proactive stance in dealing with mental struggles, diverging from mere reflection to a decisive challenge.
Tracklist
Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.
- 1 It’s Cool 3:23
- 2 Get out of My Head 3:10
- 3 Crazy Pills 3:30
- 4 Talking Myself in Circles 3:41
- 5 Learn to Love the Lie 3:44
- 6 Brain Pain 3:46
- 7 Mouth Full of Dirt 3:15
- 8 Seventeen 3:25
- 9 Be Good When I’m Gone 3:20
- 10 The Worst Part About Me 2:59
- 11 Usefully Useless 3:45
- 12 Young at Heart 4:06
Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata
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