The band releases new unplugged acoustic album, Some Of You Will Like This, Some Of You Won’t.

Well, that’s exactly what it says on the tin with this one, Some Of You Will Like This, Some Of You Won’t. Featuring rarities, unheard originals, unplugged classics and reimagined favourites, the album evokes a sense of familiarity and melancholia with a tinge of genuine freshness.

2017 marks a decade since the release of their debut full-length, Rise Or Die Trying, so to celebrate this occasion Four Year Strong re-master two tracks off of it. A stripped down, new rendition of their fan favourite Heroes Get Remembered, Legends Never Die gets to be presented in a softer light. Soaring on a gentle vocal note and acoustic guitar, the focus lands on the lyrics which still elicit that cutting-edge attitude of the original. Abandon Ship Or Abandon All Hope, a raw expression of hope and hopelessness, grasps the co-vocals so beautifully that they easily convey the emotive flare of the story.

However, the opener It Must Really Suck To Be Four Year Strong Right Now, taken from 2010’s Enemy Of The World, is a total turn of the action. The subtle piano-laden chorus creates a grandiose feeling, just before the fierce vocals kick in. The lyrics “I’m a mess, such a wreck, don’t forget about it” alongside “I live my life on the line to find a way to be unforgettable” still sound relatable and will resonate with the audience perfectly. Stuck In The Middle is another blast from the bast, and although kept within a catchy beat this rendition is vaguely a shy reflection of the brilliant original.

Their 2015’s eponymous fifth studio album brings a few surprises to the table as well. Four Year Strong excel in a masterful blend of raw essence of the melodies and honest punchy lyrical twist. The absolute straightforward stunner, We All Float Down Here comes across as a brand new track with that brilliant bridge guitar solo, and frankly I can’t decide which version I prefer. The rendition of Go Down In History is a pleasant tune too, but it’s Who Cares that still injects the dynamic spark causing a few mosh pits in a true Four Year Strong style.

Besides the classics and fan favourites, the American rockers deliver some unheard tracks too. Written during the writing process of In Some Way, Shape, Or Form, the previously released single Nice To Know was technically their first new material in two years. An intensifying melodic effort with a somewhat positive message is, as it turns out, the fourth and ultimate version. “This rendition is actually the fourth time we’ve recorded it, each time was very different, but this one is the first to feel like it’s meant to be heard”, they explain.

Let Me Down Again is a guitar-led profound offering that sets up the reflective atmosphere whilst Your Ego Is Writing Checks Your Body Can’t Cash brings back the cheeky confidence and upbeat rhythm in to the soundscape. Four Year Strong round things off with For Our Fathers, a nostalgic tune that mirrors the last 10 years of the band’s existence.

Despite being a coherent compilation, Some Of You Will Like This, Some Of You Won’t may appear as a tad flat and monotonous at times, especially for new listeners that are unfamiliar with Four Year Strong‘s work but only because it is a pretty fluid acoustic collection. I’m sure all their fans will find themselves in a melancholic mood when revisiting some of their favourite tunes with a few extra unique bits and pieces.