La Dispute: A Band of Passion and Compassion

By Polina Bakgof

Graphic: Emily Lantzy

         La Dispute, a post-hardcore group of five, have been around since 2004. Their genre is quite difficult to describe— it’s a mix of progressive rock, screamo, and spoken word— something both classy and experimental. With their ever-changing musical style, they’ve put out four full-length albums, ranging from harsh instrumentals overlapping the vocalist’s voice, to more of a calmer musical approach with soft-spoken slam poetry. However, one thing that has not changed for La Dispute is their soul-touching lyricism, which gives the listener a cathartic feeling of unity.

         Back in the early 2000’s, they were playing DIY shows all over their home state. It wasn’t until the release of their debut LP, Somewhere at the Bottom, that they started gaining popularity in America. Watching recordings of their old shows in venues that could barely fit 200 people is somewhat amusing. No stage, old microphones, and a room full of kids screaming out emo-driven lyrics.

         In 2011, another musical project, Wildlife, saw the light of day. This is when the famous flower tattoos (that everyone now makes fun of) started appearing on people’s skin, as the band got huge recognition at that time. Wildlife is an album filled with people’s real stories about relationships, suicide, faith, and other hardships, as well as the vocalist’s perspective on them. He appears as a narrator who is observing all these events. Truthfully speaking, it takes great compassion and empathy to write an hour-long album talking about other people’s experiences.

It’s now 2019, but La Dispute definitely haven’t lost their burning passion for music. Touring pretty much non-stop, it’s become clear that there should be a way of maintaining safety and save the sense of unity at their concerts. To fulfill this, they have recently started inviting volunteers and non-profits to the merch table at their shows. They are drawing attention to acute problems, such as sexual harassment in the music scene, discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community, immigrant rights, and racism. This is what I mean when I call La Dispute a band of compassion— they are five ordinary men who believe in using their platform to spread awareness for modern world issues. “There are so few places where we can all go and feel comfortable without the threat of violence or abuse,” said Dreyer in his recent interview for Teen Vogue.

          Moreover, Dreyer gives speeches in between songs at their live shows to let the crowd know that everyone is welcome at their gigs, regardless of their background or identity. His message is clear— it’s about time that people understood that music should bring us together. It’s always been there to erase the boundaries and create a dialogue, and it’s a shame that some artists use their voice and music to separate people.

         This is something that every band should be doing— holding themselves accountable, spreading the right message, and stop pretending like there are no serious issues in the music scene. Especially in the punk scene.

         La Dispute have once again proven themselves as professional musicians with their new album, Panorama, which came out this March. It gives us a panoramic (hence the title), almost cinematic view on two people coping with loss and grief— something that all of us have gone through or at least implicitly experienced— and places where they struggled together. It covers themes like death and love, the inability to help a loved one, past and present, and anxiety. La Dispute, now in their thirties, have finally stepped away from the ‘teenage angst’ reputation. The sound on this record is much more mathematical, mature, and thought-out than their first full-lengths. But most importantly, it’s diverse. There will be a post-hardcore side to La Dispute for former fans and more of an indie-influenced sound for those who are not familiar with the band. And, as always, there are spoken word elements.

         While the whole record deserves its own article, I’ll go into details about three songs off it: “Rhodonite and Grief,” “Anxiety Panorama,” and “You Ascendant.”

         “Rhodonite and Grief” talks about the process of grieving in a very subtle, delicate manner. Bringing in trumpets and light guitar riffs on the track, the instrumentation perfectly accompanies the sorrowful lyricism. The repeated line, “Lifetimes live to die,” may be one of the most tragic lyrics on this album. This song conveys a raw feeling of nostalgia and desperation— it's a really bittersweet sentiment.

         In the second track I mentioned, “Anxiety Panorama,” Jordan Dreyer opens up about his failed attempts at helping a loved one with anxiety and how it feeds his own anxiousness and anger. This, by all means, is one of the heaviest songs by La Dispute, both lyrically and instrumentally. The vocals and instrumentation become more and more intense towards the end of the song with quieter moments placed in between verses to settle it.

         And last but not least: “You Ascendant,” a 7-minute spoken word piece, a love letter, but most importantly— a monologue. A mournful confession, a herbarium of past memories and mistakes. An unending fear of death and its aftermath. An attempt to let go. The album closes with intense lyrics answering the question Dreyer asked on the very first track, “Fulton Street I”— “Could I even be half of what you need?” As if screamed into the void, Jordan cries out, “I will be everything you need,” marking an end to the story.

Panorama has outlined the beginning of the new era for La Dispute and their fanbase, and we have yet to see what is coming next. You can listen to La Dispute on Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp, or grab a physical copy of the latest album in your local record store.