The UsedToxic Positivity

The Used are pissed off. And after the last few years of global conflict and crisis, who can really blame them?

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Their ninth studio record, Toxic Positivity, sees the band channel all their frustrations into 11 explosive tracks.

Sonically, it’s comforting and nostalgic, playing to McCracken and co’s strengths. Aside from high-energy melodies, it also offers up some of the most vitriolic and vulnerable lines we’ve heard from the Utah natives. We’ve got no doubt Toxic Positivity was a major source of catharsis for the band—it’s big, brash and chock full of angst. Sonically, it’s consistent, championing a pessimistic pop-punk/alternative sound. That said, there are some switch-ups (see: the softer House of Sand and the positive Giving Up) that bring some much-needed light to the record.

Toxic Positivity is a resonant display of rage, but it proves there will always be a brighter day.

Long-term fans of The Used are sure to dig the LP, as will anyone who got behind their recent singles People Are Vomit and Fuck You. Ultimately, this is because Toxic Positivity embraces the sound that had the band dominating our iPods back in the early 2000s while still carrying through a modern edge. Toxic Positivity is a resonant display of rage, but it proves there will always be a brighter day. Ultimately, it is a standout and timely record from a band who’ve continued to charge forward and tell the world exactly how they feel. 

STANDOUT TRACKS: I Hate Everybody, Dancing With A Brick Wall, Giving Up
STICK THIS NEXT TO: Story Of The Year, Senses Fail, Silverstein