The ComfortExperience Everything. Live And Die

Turning life’s metaphorical coal into sonic diamonds, Brisbane alternative rockers The Comfort transform introspection, measured cognizance, and the human experience into twelve hard-hitting and, at times, breathtaking songs on their sophomore album Experience Everything. Live And Die.

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Extending from the band’s planned hiatus announced at the end of 2019, few could have predicted how 2020 would unfurl; but for The Comfort, there was never any doubt amongst themselves that they would emerge with a new album, come hell or pandemic highwater. And the accompanying absence, introspection and rejuvenation of the past few years in particular has ultimately led to an extremely polished and moving new LP; one that quite literally experiences nearly everything sonically, from pop to emo flavours, and, of course, some rock for good measure.

Kicking off with the swirling, bittersweet Love Is A Dying Plant, Experience Everything opens with bright instrumentation, creamy melodics and beseeching vocals, before Conformist flips the switch via a slow-burning-yet-hard-hitting anthem that simmers and shimmers in equal measure.

From moody rasp (lovechangehopepain) to emphatic, ambient stompers (Love Is A Flourishing Forest), Experience Everything blossoms into airier territory via the buoyant Supernova, which charms with its warm melodics, percolating arrangements and a seamless guest turn from The Dangerous Summer’s AJ Perdomo. And the pop vibes glow up even harder on the Bloom, with the highs and lows of a broken relationship taking lyrical centre stage on this upbeat emo-esque pearler. 

From nostalgic emo tinges to modern anthems and thematics to challenge and, fittingly comfort, Experience Everything. Live And Die is a tender, triumphant and glossy outing that will get under your skin in an extremely welcome way. 

Flexing their extremely malleable sonic dexterity, Experience Everything continues via aching softer moments (You, Begin Again), bright, lilting melodics (A Sad Song For The End Of The World) and unfurling anthems set to towering instrumentals (Grace). And just when you think you’ve clocked The Comfort’s modus operandi on album #2, The Portal, featuring Dylan Davidson from Brisbane’s Deadlights, busts in with a raw post-hardcore delight that will tickle the fancy of heavier listeners, while closing track 29 effortlessly captures the meaningful might that The Comfort have welded into their creative DNA; an equally beautiful, stirring and powerful closing note that washes over like a turgid yet, ultimately, comforting sonic wave. 

While aspects of the band’s influences, including the likes of Tom Delonge’s Angel & Airwaves, Brand New and Holding Absence may poke through at times throughout Experience Everything, The Comfort have certainly utilised their planned and additionally unplanned time away from stages and life as a band over the past few years to truly drill down on who they are as a band at their core. From nostalgic emo tinges to modern anthems and thematics to challenge and, fittingly comfort, Experience Everything. Live And Die is a tender, triumphant and glossy outing that will get under your skin in an extremely welcome way. 

STANDOUT TRACKS: Love Is A Dying Plant, Bloom, A Sad Song For The End Of The World, The Portal
STICK THIS NEXT TO: Taking Back Sunday, Holding Absence, Angels & Airwaves