On Oct. 13, The Front Bottoms released their second studio album “Going Grey.” To build hype for the release, the New Jersey-based band dropped two singles, “Raining” and “Vacation Town.”

Following up “Back On Top,” their first album with label Fueled By Ramen in 2015, The Front Bottoms toured worldwide. Their upcoming tour for “Going Grey” began on Oct. 19 and will take the band across the U.S. and the United Kingdom until Feb. 28.

To start the album, “You Used To Say,” stayed within the identity they have established for themselves, with sarcastic lyrics over a gritty tone. The rain in the background, as is a staple in many of their songs, leads off the record with a distinct reminder that the band has not lost its personality.

As is frequently the case with The Front Bottoms, the driving force behind its sound was the songwriting by frontman Brian Sella. Using a combination of humor and personal experiences, this aspect of “Going Grey” thrived.

In “Vacation Town,” the signature trumpet returned to provide the record with one of the most upbeat tracks it features, despite the lyrics describing being alone and despondent.

“I miss the way things used to be, it’s okay no one’s around, I’m off season vacation town,” are passionately sung by Sella before the trumpet comes blasting in a ska-like tone.

The next track, “Don’t Fill Up On Chips,” uses the exact opposite method of songwriting, with Sella singing a ballad about letting go of stress over a soft background.

“It hurts but it’s good! No matter how bad, it’s always good,” leads the remainder of the record in a more upbeat direction despite the mellow instrumentals it employs.

Other songs on the record such as “Grand Finale” and “Trampoline” implement electronic beats that the band has not experimented with in the past. This addition to its repertoire could have gone bad, especially considering its alternative background, but it only added to its sound by helping the band find another level of expression outside of its usual bubble.

The other single on the album, “Raining,” was a classic example of The Front Bottoms prototypical sound in one of its catchiest tracks to date. Starting out with a soft acoustic riff, it slowly finds its way into a progressive uptempo sound coupled with one of Sella’s strongest lyrical efforts in their catalogue.

“How do you think that felt for me? On the outside I was fine, but inside I was all torn up ‘cause I feel absolute fantastic,” exemplifies everything the band has stood for throughout their tenure.

“Everyone But You,” chronicles a story of rejection with the use of powerful instrumentals and passionate lyrics. “It doesn’t get worse, it doesn’t get better, you just get old, it lasts forever,” are another example of Sella’s personal experience creating emphatic lyrics.

Overall, “Going Grey,” provides fans of The Front Bottoms with a strong effort that progressed its signature sound while staying true to the members themselves.

Image from The Front Bottoms via YouTube.com