ALBUM REVIEW: “Tear Ourselves Away” by LoveLikeFire

LoveLikeFire
Tear Ourselves Away
[Heist Or Hit Records]

I don’t want this to be taken the wrong way, but something about LoveLikeFire makes me think about the Cranberries and Pat Benatar. And not just because of the angsty, rebellious tone of vocalist Ann Yu, whose heart seems to be breaking with each lyric. There’s a charge to their sound. A mission that entices you to seek, with a clenched fist. Search and destroy… get answers from a loved one. Find out where you really stand in this world. The sound is big, anthemic, and the drums are pushed to the forefront, which I love. Subtle stick clacking, tom fills, delicate hi-hat slips burst into manic snare taps on “William.” The whole song builds, then explodes, then rebuilds again. Perhaps the most beautiful song on the album is “My Left Eye,” a stripped down, string-filled and chilly song that at first listen sounds like a lullaby, but leaves more of a haunting aftertaste with lyrics like, “If you want to bury me, might as well you bury me dear…” Goose pimples.