Assuming We Survive – ‘Chapters’

Warped tour 2018 was a summer of lasting memories. I consider myself lucky to have stopped and caught part of Assuming We Survive’s set on the Ernie Ball stage in Scranton, PA. My friend had played them on our road trip to Montage Mountain, and I enjoyed their music, but their performance is possibly one of my favorite Warped Tour memories. I watched the band bring a (talented) young man up on stage, had him perform with them, and it was just so pure. The genuine joy on everyone’s face and the support from both the band and the crowd was entirely indescribable. As an outsider just now starting to look in, their newest EP Chapters manages to capture that energy within six tracks and left me feeling good after each song.

The opening track, “Make it Out Alive”, sets the stage for the energy throughout the EP. The energetic drum beat met with perfectly timed screams is a good showcase of what’s to come. This song is for any of the underdogs. Anyone who has ever been kicked while they’re down will have fun singing along to this track, and I see mosh and circle pits in this song’s future. The third track, “Tear me”, is just as fun and Adrian Estrella’s vocals paired with the speedy tempo is the sure mix for a rowdy time. The chorus of “I won’t pay attention to any rumor you spread, I’m never going to let you win,” will have listeners screaming along wherever they may be.

“Searching” is that declaration of wanting more from not only life, but the people in it. With lines like “Don’t say sorry if you didn’t mean to, don’t make plans if you know you’re gonna flake,” and then going on to declare that you don’t need a friend who fits that description, you’ll soon be reconsidering some of those iffy friends in your life. “Let you down” starts hot and slows to the chorus almost like the relationship it describes, only to kick back up at the next verse and continue that process. It’s a true roller coaster of emotion. Hopping right back onto the fun side of things there’s “California Stoned.” The beat is energetic, infectious, and will have you grinning the entire time.

“Just so you know” resonates the most with me off the EP. Estrella screaming “It’s okay to not be okay” sticks in your mind as you consider the stories that are presented within the song. The band promotes love and that’s exactly what this song does through saying you’re not alone. Listeners are reminded that the band and the fans have their back. I’d also like to add that the music video for this track is very well done. As a psychology student, I often read about how certain groups of people (for example: men) don’t go to things like therapy or get help because of this societal stigma that it’ll somehow make them a weaker human being. The music video is one big group therapy session and it portrays a wide array of people, a healthy mix of men and women, and that deserves recognition. Beating the stigma is hard but it starts with steps like this. Kudos to the band and the producer.

Overall Chapters left me feeling good. Their energy is infectious and their love for the fans and the music is refreshing. The EP will for sure make its way into all of my playlists and I’ll be looking into checking them out on tour and I recommend everyone else does the same.

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