Pop punk band With Confidence released their fourth album, “Love and Loathing,” last Friday. The album is about love and the struggles that come with it, but it certainly doesn’t struggle to be fantastic.

With Confidence debuted in 2013 with their EP “Youth,” which was featured on Australian alternative radio stations and led to their first headline tour. They followed “Youth” with the EP “Distance” in 2015. “Distance” led to the “Real Friends with Confidence” tour, where they were joined by various alternative bands including You Me at Six, Tonight Alive, and The Main. Their album “Better Weather” came out in 2015 and resulted in With Confidence traveling with Warped Tour for three years in a row.

The newest album focuses on relationships, their problems, and how they end. The album makes no apologies and leaps forward, demanding that you listen to what it has to say. Each track describes different stages of a breakup or different romantic conflict, plentiful with devastatingly good pieces of guitar and drums.

As the resident alternative music experts on The Prowler, we are proud to describe our favorite songs from this incredible album. But don’t just take our word for it. Experience “Love and Loathing” in its entirety for yourself.

Jenna’s picks:

“That Something”

As the first track on the album, “That Something” is supposed to grasp the attention of the listeners. This track does an amazing job of not only trapping the listener into the mind of Jayden Seeley, the lead singer and the band’s songwriter, but it also captures the overall essence of With Confidence. The song is chock full of impressive guitar riffs that are present through both albums as well as both EPs.

The first thing that I noticed on this track is Seeley clearing his throat before the song begins. This small tick reminds me of the song “Dear Maria Count Me In” by All Time Low, another excellent pop punk band. Noticing the commonality between All Time Low and With Confidence made me want to keep listening since this new song reminded me of one I already love.

“Love and Loathing” is about relationships and their struggles. However, “That Something” is one of the two tracks that put a positive spin on relationships. Seeley talks about how he is “falling down the middle” but that he’s “found that something” that helps him out of that. Two minutes in, the song slows down and there is a fast guitar riff leading up to the last verse of the song. With Confidence uses “That Something” to provide the audience with a song that shows every aspect of the band, from the lyrics, to the guitar, to the drums.

“Sing to Me”

As the other song that paints romance in a positive light, “Sing to Me” talks about how doubt and time should be the last thing on a person’s mind while happy in a relationship. The lyrical genius of Seeley is very evident here, and background vocals add a second layer to the song.

“Sing to Me” is about how Seeley has fallen in love with a girl named Emily, but she is reluctant to show her love for him in return. According to the song, Emily is afraid of how fast time moves and is doubting herself, but Seeley says that all she has to do is breathe in and out and sing. It also seems as if Emily is afraid that she is not enough for Seeley and he will go on to find someone who he loves more than her, and Seeley is forced to reassure her that she is right where he wants to be.

Ian’s picks:

“Moving Boxes”

The third track on the album is a breakup song. Not a vengeful one directed at the ex, but a song mourning the relationship that was. The “moving boxes” are full of old memories that are best moved out and left in the past. Although it’s more of a rock song than anything else and the tempo is upbeat, the lyrics are not. The relationship is over, and the only thing left to do is move out. It’s not a happy place in life to be.

This song was a personal favorite because of the music itself. The guitar riffs and drumming in this song make it perfect to blast on repeat. Although the subject matter is sad, you can’t help falling for this song. The musical talent of the band is on full display here.

“Bruise”

This track stands apart in my mind because it slows down, and lets Seeley’s voice shine through the most. It’s a perfect contrast to “Moving Boxes.” The drums and guitar are softer here than in the other songs, and the end product is a gorgeous track that was designed to send chills down your spine.

The subject of “Bruise” is a relationship that has lost all feeling. The only way to feel something is to press on a bruise because the love has dried up between two people, or at least one side has stopped loving. The sweet and broken voice of Seeley hasn’t stopped caring about the other person, but it’s time to move on. The chorus of this song is a broken-hearted goodbye, wishing a previous love farewell in hopes of happier future.

With knowing the four songs off the album that are alternative-expert approved, you can buy “Love and Loathing” with the confidence that you will enjoy it. Find it on the Apple store or the Google Play store and get a copy today.

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