Touche Amore - Stage Four [Vinyl]

TOUCHÉ AMORÉ, is a Los Angeles based punk band whose earnest and artful approach to song writing, along with relentless touring, fueled their rise to prominence in the hardcore community. In 2013 TOUCHÉ AMORÉ crossed into new territory with their beloved release, Is Survived By. The band had reached a high point in notoriety when frontman Jeremy Bolm received news that his mother had been diagnosed with Stage Four cancer. With the band’s support, Bolm wanted to go on hiatus to care for his ailing mother. However, as his biggest supporter, she encouraged him to continue on living his dream. So he returned to the road with bandmates- guitarists Nick Steinhardt and Clayton Stevens, bassist Tyler Kirby, and drummer Elliot Babin. In October of 2014 while TOUCHÉ AMORÉ was headlining Fest in Gainesville, FL, the final stop on their tour, Bolm received a call that his mother passed. He went home the next day. Now from a band both living its dream and marred by loss comes their new album Stage Four. Triumphant in sound and cathartic in delivery, Stage Four is a powerfully creative leap for TOUCHÉ AMORÉ. The first single is the catchy “Palm Dreams,” and it’s instantly clear from Bolm’s vocals that TOUCHÉ AMORÉ is breaking new ground: the career screamer is actually singing, in a quite capable sing-speak harmony. The final track, the lush, jangly “Skyscraper,” featuring haunting guest vocals from Julien Baker, ends the album with an atmospheric departure, both sonically and in spirit.