Ontario-born Post-Hardcore band Rarity has been a mainstay in the Canadian scene since 2014. Starting off with the EP Alive In Your Eyes shortly after signing with Rise Records before moving onto their first album I Couldn’t Be Weaker. Deftly combining catchy pop punk melodies with harder-hitting post-hardcore breakdowns, the band received much acclaim with their first album & has since released a 2nd album, The Longest Longsome with New Damage Records, while touring with fellow post-hardcore bands such as Silverstein, Vanna and Being As An Ocean, among others. But time has since passed when 2019’s The Longest Lonesome was released & the world has changed after COVID-19 swept the Earth in 2020 and now we have a new Rarity album on the horizon with Lower Feeling. 

Long time listeners of Rarity are eagerly anticipating what the latest evolution of Rarity’s sound will entail, while newcomers browsing the litany of music on Spotify might wonder what is in store for them, while previewing the grungy, candid album cover of a street sign. But fear not old fans & newcomers alike! There is absolutely something here for everyone to find enjoyment in!

Lower Feeling kicks things off with Keep It To Yourself Supplying a moody, upbeat sound reminiscent of A Day To Remember. The song does a great job setting the tone for the entire album saying, this is not going to be slow, we’re going to have some fun. Moving to Okay, we keep that same energy from the opener while pushing it up a level with a more punk beat, good chances to hardcore dance & some screaming to help drive that energy forward. Brain Dance (Cyberpunk 2077 reference perhaps?) comes up next and for me, this might be my favorite track off this album. While it does not have as much aggression as the previous tracks, it does have a very catchy melodic hardcore sound that you don’t always hear as much from bands anymore. With some rapping added in to spice things up, this song really shows their chops from taking sounds from multiple genres & deftly making things fun & catchy for everyone to enjoy.

Too much energy for you in the first 3 tracks? Well not to worry! Who Gives A Fuck is up next, and despite it’s nihilistic name might imply, this is a slower, contemplative song. It features everything you’d hope for with a piano underlying the guitar, processed vocals & an anthemic latter half to build up some energy lost in the slower pace. The next two songs, Kiss! & Sick To My Stomach, bring back that energy, but with a sound more evocative of Anberlin, especially Sick To My Stomach; before going back to a slower, rock sound with New Paint. 

As quickly as that faster, rock energy lowered with New Paint, we bring back the hardcore punk with Shit Eater. And much like the callout of its name implies, this song is full of aggression and anger. Certainly one of the most stand out tracks of this album coming hot off the heels of a slower break. If you wanted a heavy, post-hardcore sound, this is your song to mosh to. You’ll get energetic breakdowns, plenty of screamed, aggressive-vocals and lyrics that will make you want to scream in your car to get the anger out, while having a tinge of pop just to keep you hooked. After leaving us on a high of combativeness, we come to Ignore Everything, which lets us know that we have come to the end of Lower Feeling. It keeps up with the heavy tone set by Shit Eater before it, while bringing more melodious choruses to sing along with. For me this is another favorite track off this album and does a great job to book end the energy we first started with & satisfied with its end.

The album has a solid, consistent sound. Nothing is lost in the mix and if you’re tired of over processed sounding albums, Lower Feeling has a raw feel to it, despite its pop punk sounds. No matter how you choose to listen to this album, you’re going to be able to hear every instrument, including the bass clearly so you can soak in every second of sound.

Long time fans of Rarity, you are going to find they didn’t miss a beat, despite the gap of time since The Longest Longsome was released. There are plenty of tracks you’ll be adding to your playlist to keep listening to, over and over again. For new fans, this is a great album to jump into, as I did. It’s a great melding of their old sound while knowing when to keep it light and hooky to keep you tuned in. If you’re a fan of Alexisonfire, A Day To Remember, Silverstein or Anberlin you’re going to love this album and band. And, while it might not have made my main rotation of albums to listen to, you can be sure that I will be coming back to this album every once-in-a-while, down the road.