While many modern Post-Hardcore bands have been testing the limits of the genre, there is a certain charm to the ones who are still keeping things raw and clear-cut. Canadian quartet Rarity continues to do just that with their third album Lower Feeling (New Damage Records/Dine Alone Records), combining Hardcore rage with Pop Punk catchiness.

The slow, imminent “Keep It To Yourself” kicks off the record with a feeling of impending ruin, throwing out straightforward lyrics like “There’s nothing here but bloodshed and doom.” Although musically simple, it nails that foreboding mood that effectively prepares your ears for what’s to come. “OKAY” continues this energy, and while each song has strong choruses that are easily memorable, the breakdowns sound almost completely identical. The style is more about channeling that fuming passion than being creative, but it’s hard to deny that it is a little early in the album for things to be feeling repetitive. 

Luckily, “Brain Dance” breaks the repetition with a faster chorus and some rapping over a screeching guitar. The breakdown also hits differently with heavier screams accentuated by the grating guitars.

The apathetic “who gives a fuck” provides some contrast for the otherwise heavy-hitting record with some light acoustic guitar and somber vocal delivery. That is, until about two minutes in when the distortion and dissonance break in alongside some angelic falsettos for a storming epic finish. 

“Kiss!” then brings the energy back up with headbang-inducing stops in the chorus that make the chanted hook hit like a freight train. Coupled with the earworm guitar bends, this track is an immediate standout that will rile up some crowds when played live. 

“New Paint” brings some surprises for the album’s second half, including some ghostly falsettos to spice up the chorus. It also has a fake-out ending that switches suddenly into industrial electronic cascades to lead into the breakdown, along with some kind of makeshift percussion for the shadowy, noir-like outro. 

The penultimate track “Shit Eater” is the heaviest on the record, wielding rampaging guitars, charging drum fills, shrieking feedback, emphatic harmonies, and vehemently screamed chants. Closer “Ignore Everything” is fitting as the last song, starting and ending with the forthright lyric “It’s the end, it’s the end, my friends.” Its wailing guitar solo that builds chaos as the harsh vocals kick back in before the final chorus make for an effectual wrap-up to the album. 

While it may not push many boundaries for Rarity, Lower Feeling achieves exactly what it is trying to do – provide a level of Hardcore that is accessible to a wide audience, while offering some simple but effective relief to anger and resentment.

Buy the album here:
https://www.dinealonestore.com/collections/rarity

7 / 10
COLLEEN KANOWSKY