ACTORS
Our Love Will Live Forever
Artoffact Records
There’s been a real sense of inevitability to the rise of Vancouver post-punk quartet ACTORS since the release of 2018’s debut LP It Will Come to You. Vocalist, guitarist, producer and bandleader Jason Corbett’s vision for melodic post-punk as an amalgamation of hooks, atmosphere and sharp production has always been an easy sell (as evidenced by their incredibly loyal international fanbase), but in a world where the best execution is no guarantee of success, ACTORS have never seemed like they were going anywhere but up. New album Our Love Will Last Forever feels no different in that regard, its studied mix of danceable rhythms and memorable choruses adding to their momentum.
On its surface, the appeal of the record is extremely obvious: the songs are good. Really good. There’s a warmth and familiarity to cuts like “Youth” that comes through in Corbett’s vocals, the incredibly tight rhythm section of drummer Adam Fink and bassist Kendall Wooding, and the backing vocals and keys of Shannon Hemmett. It all feels natural, easy, fun to move to. That sensibility ports handily into the restrained but ever building sound of “Object of Desire”, whose twinned vocals are saturated and compressed together, adding to the effect when each voice breaks out on its own during the underplayed, yet somehow still massive chorus. The quietly stunning “In Real Life” stands as a testament to ACTORS’ songcraft, its relative simplicity belying how deeply it sinks its claws in, brimming with a melancholia so thick it’s intoxicating. It’s almost certainly the best song ACTORS have ever released, and not for any reason beyond how relatable its plaintive hope comes across.
Beyond the actual songwriting and performances, Our Love Will Live Forever is a document of Corbett’s skill as a producer, and his understanding of what makes his own songs tick. The mix is thick and lively, and while there’s always have plenty going on, the LP never feel overly busy. Listen to how CTRL keeps the bass way up in front, backing it with synths and a disco drumbeat that provides room for vocal ad libs, quick guitar licks, bursts of keys, and swells of delay and reverb that serve the cut instead of detracting from it. That refined approach is a big key to making it work; the funky cowbell and claps that put the Devo-esque new wave boogie of “Stimulation” over the top could have been tacky, but the track’s arrangement and mix keep them tasteful. It really is a tremendous sounding record from a production standpoint both clever when suitable (listen to how the wink and a smile of “Bad Boys (Don’t Go to Heaven)” jumps from dry and zoomed in to lush and widescreen in the blink of an eye), but always with the best interests of the song in mind; when it’s time to let things breathe, as on “Dead Inside”, the song is presented simply, as it might sound coming off a stage rather than from a meticulous multi-tracked recording.
Of all of the record’s merits, Our Love Will Live Forever‘s greatest strength lies in taking ACTORS already well-established sound to new levels. The bass rumbles harder, the grooves are tighter, the melodies more instantaneous. For the relatively simple remit of zeroing in on what works and doing more of it, it ends up being quite an achievement, and what’s more, one that somehow sounds effortless. Recommended.
