Half Alive, an indie/alternative band based in Long Beach, California, recently released its third studio album, Persona, on Nov. 15. This new release from band members Josh Taylor, Brett Kramer and J. Tyler Johnson is full of energetic and emotional songs, demonstrating the band’s growth while also cementing its style within the alternative genre.
Persona distinguishes itself from the band’s previous albums, Now, Not Yet and Conditions Of A Punk, by using a more electronic-yet-nostalgic sound reminiscent of ’90s coming-of-age movies like “10 Things I Hate About You.” The album centers around themes of dreams, expectations and failures. “We had a lot of expressive songs on the record, but nothing angry. An angry song is a bit challenging for us actually. We can write songs you can dance or nod your head to all day, but a song where you can thrash around or run fast to is different,” Half Alive wrote on X.
The songs of Persona contain colorful instrumentals, talented vocals and solid lyricism. The sound is cohesive but never repetitive. For example, both “Bleed It Out” and “The Point” emphasize on the bass guitar and piano, but the instrumentals and energy in the songs are distinct. The sound of the album is different from that of the previous two, but this change is a welcome one. Half Alive’s previous albums featured much more guitar and drums than Persona, which brings the piano and electronic instrumentals to the foreground. This can be seen through the album’s lead single, “Sophie’s House.” The song conveys the nostalgic feeling of growing up and leaving old friends behind for new experiences through its sad, yet hopeful, melodies and lyrics. Lines like “Everyone on the couch, young and impatient / All of those long nights, feel like an old friend” evoke the feeling of the last moments of summer before leaving home for college. This is most clearly emphasized during the chorus, which contains a harmony with multiple singers belting the line “Times are a-changing” as Taylor questions why he is stuck in the past. When the song switches from these questions back to the nostalgia from earlier in the song, the momentum slows, allowing the listener to reminisce.
The second single, “Automatic,” draws on the feeling of bystander guilt. The lyric “Everybody’s talkin’ ‘bout it / Still you keep your head down” relates to the feeling of not doing enough in a world where everything is going wrong. This song is currently the most popular of the album based on its Spotify and Apple Music standings, with about two million plays on Spotify. “Automatic” deserves its popularity given the song’s intense instrumentals and vocals delivered by the band’s three members, as well as its relatable theme. Their best work has often been their most emotional songs, as they are capable of communicating that emotion not only through their lyrics, but through their instrumentals and sound.
In general, listeners have questioned whether the band can ever recreate the popularity of its older music. When “still feel.” came out, the band performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and had an NPR Tiny Desk Concert. Following this, Half Alive’s song “creature” gained popularity on TikTok, which led to more fans discovering its music. Despite the band’s previous success, it hasn’t achieved the same success with recent songs. However, with the release of Persona, Half Alive has shown that it can keep coming out with unique and enjoyable music that keeps old fans coming and hopefully draws new fans to the table.