Trophy Eyes – “Chemical Miracle” [Album Review]

I’m just going to start by saying: HOLY SHIT, what a RAW album. If you haven’t heard Australian punk-rockers Trophy Eyes, it’s time to stop what you are doing and get with it. Their latest release, Chemical Miracle, hits like a gut-punch and doesn’t let go. From blistering, emotionally-charged vocals to moments of sweet, afterthought-Iike musings about suicide pacts and love lost, this album is easily one of the best and most heartfelt releases in the punk/rock genre this year.

Chemical Miracle opens with “Chlorine”, which was one of the first singles released off the album. “Chlorine” is a masterpiece (lyrically and sound-wise) that immediately grabs listeners by throat and doesn’t let go. The song is a beautiful blend of soaring clean vocals and harsh yells over angst-ridden guitar, with lyrics contemplating how one might process the death of someone who once saved their life.

Lines like,“Tell me why / I didn’t die in that swimming pool / When you saved my life / Did you know that would take your own? / Who decides if we stay or if we go / Did it cross your mind / That I’m alive because of you? / I heard they cut you down in your own bedroom / I wonder if you’d still remembered / You gave it all away for a girl / You didn’t fix it, you just ended it” let listeners know right off the bat—this album is not sparing us the real, gritty side of the human condition.

Another immediate favorite is “Heaven Sent”, the other single off Chemical Miracle. “Heaven Sent” showcases lyrics that are just as brutally honest as “Chlorine”, but in a more comical way—like a love song gone awry. A majority of the album’s lyrics center on relationships and suicide, making the album strikingly relatable for adults and teens alike. You can’t help but feel the ache in singer John Floreani’s voice as he sings lines like, “If love is just a chemical reaction / Why is death so different?”—it’s positively entrancing.

Listening to Chemical Miracle honestly brought me back to how I felt listening to Crime in Stereo back in 2005: raw, vulnerable, and alive. Any album that can induce that kind of nostalgia—the absolute best kind of “punk/emo” nostalgia—is one that won’t be leaving my car stereo anytime soon. Cheers to Trophy Eyes for creating one of the most memorable albums of 2016! Be sure to pick up a copy—there’s something here for everyone, and you will not be disappointed.

Chemical Miracle Track Listing:

01. Chlorine
02. Counting Sheep
03. Nose Bleed
04. Heaven Sent
05. Rain on Me
06. Chemical
07. Breathe You In
08. Home Is
09. Miracle
10. Suicide Pact
11. Daydreamer

Run Time: 37:01
Release Date: October 14, 2016

Check out the track “Chlorine”