The Exies

If you were not an Exies fan before, this album just might convert you. The Modern Way of Living With the Truth delves down a little deeper into the band than their past two Virgin albums, Inertia and Head For The Door, which produced hits like “My Goddess” and “Ugly”.

Don’t be hasty while listening to this album. Listen for a few seconds before dismissing it right away and skipping to the next track. It takes a few spins to take everything in. A superficial play through the album will likely make you think, “Typical Exies album,” but if you actually listen, you’ll realize, “Something’s different… but what?” I’ll tell you what: this album is the real deal. Both musically and lyrically, this album reveals a more mature and personal side of the band. Their emotional sincerity is raw and unfiltered. Four stars or no stars, The Exies have definitely made their best album to date.

Rather than say that they have reinvented themselves, it’d be more accurate to say that the band has evolved into themselves. There isn’t a song on this album that someone could not relate to, whether it be the guilt of infidelity to feeling like we’re stuck in a rut and crave that change that would make all the difference in our lives.

The album has a good mix of songs that feature hard, catchy guitar riffs. Even the ballads such as “My Ordinary World” and “These Are the Days” rock out. Although the first track, “Leaving Song,” initially might seem like it doesn’t fit on the album, if you listen to it last you may appreciate it more. Conversely, the second track, “Lay Your Money Down,” is rather mediocre, despite its intricate drumming. Perhaps it is because there is too much going on with the guitar, vocals, and drums that the song suffers. It feels like they are all competing with each other and it is hard to determine what you’re supposed to be hearing. “A Fear of Being Alone” and “Dose” are tracks that we are used to hearing from The Exies, which have beats that you can’t ignore, causing you to bang your head, even if you’re not paying attention to anything else. Awesome!

Whether the songs are expressing anger, self-doubt, frustration, or hope, they’re all expressed with conviction. Songs such as “Stray” and “My Ordinary World” showcase Scott Stevens’ raspy, melodic, and hauntingly beautiful vocals, while the band successfully maintains their signature blended sound of grunge, emo, and rock.

With all the changes the band has gone through, from David Walsh and Dennis Wolfe leaving the band to leaving Virgin and signing with Eleven Seven, The Exies have proven that persistence and a little self-reflection can go a long way.  [ END ]

Track Listing:

01. Leaving Song
02. Lay Your Money Down
03. A Fear of Being Alone
04. Different Than You
05. This is the Sound
06. Stray
07. Dose
08. Better Now
09. My Ordinary World
10. These Are the Days
11. A Modern Way
12. Once In a Lifetime
13. Spectator at the Revolution

Run Time: 45:58