Hardcore Science

Counterparts

You’re Not You Anymore

When Counterparts’ lead guitarist and main songwriter Jesse Doreen left over a year ago, some thought it would end the band’s steady growth, but vocalist Brendan Murphy assured fans that they shouldn’t worry; his replacement, Blake Hardman, previously played in peer bands Gideon and Hundredth. Counterparts make it clear that they have their songwriting down to a science on You’re Not You Anymore. Will Putney (who produced their last two releases) successfully captures the group’s effortless melodic flow, raw heaviness and vulnerable lyrical delivery once again. You’re Not You Anymore is surely an ironic title; this is a honed-in version of Counterparts that showcases the band’s best aspects. (New Damage, newdamagerecords.com)

What’s the deal with that title?

Murphy: A lot of the songs deal with personal change, from the end of [2015’s] Tragedy Will Find Us until now. So, it could be used as describing myself and the band undergoing a bunch of changes like losing songwriters… It can be interpreted in any way you wish. We like to be ambiguous enough that anybody can relate it to anything.

There’s a tasteful nihilism in your lyrics, but you touch on lighter themes too. Where does that stem from?

This is an outlet for me to be completely honest. There’s nothing that I’m afraid to talk about, no topic I need to hide. With Tragedy, it was coming from a place of pure darkness. You’re Not You Anymore still has the darkness in there — the things I’m still going through and overcoming as a 26-year-old — but with this one there are more positives, so I don’t feel like it’s necessary for Counterparts to be this negative, miserable band. If people don’t like it, well, that’s my real life and I don’t know what to tell you.