It would be a 5! But...
4
By Nietzsche's Serpent
This album (minus a few songs) would literally be 5 stars, however there are multiple songs that are acoustic covers of previous works, or just don't really work with the other songs on the record. Bombegranate is an acoustic cover of fuego, and it doesn't work as an opener for this album, it's also just boring compared to what follows it (in its acoustic version, the song feels very repetitive). Preserves is a pretty good acoustic cover of when guidance leaves, and again, it's just not stimulating compared to the other songs and feels so out of place. The same can be said of princess blanket and starfishman. None of the songs I've singled out are bad, but they should have been left as singles in my opinion. They're fun little songs, but feel tiresome compared to god tier masterpieces like Strawberry Serenity or Lemon Drop. That's disappointing, but if you only listen to the non-cover songs on this album (and take away the fun joke song starfishman) it's honestly an amazing record. Even the poppiest song on the album, Post Office, is amazing and interesting. Charles has solidified himself as one of the most unique guitarists writing today with his tremolo and killswitch heavy style of leading playing, unique choice of guitar effects, unorthodox riffing, and sheer technical prowess. Not only is he a technical marvel, but his playing is often incredibly expressive. It's not merely impressive, it's very emotional (to me at least). Over time, Berried alive has become better and better at utilizing electronic elements in their music, and that really shows on this record. This concoction of styles doesn't feel forced or crowded either, this record is a very natural melding of various ideas. If Berried Alive chooses to release an album only composed of original songs, it will be a masterpiece. Until then, we are left with an album that is amazing if you skip 4 of the songs, but feels scattered and unstable when left as it is.
