Drinkscussing: Forever Unclean – Best

I know it’s been almost two weeks, but we had Forever Unclean on our drinkscussing list. I’ve got tomorrow off, I’ve got a drink, wanna discuss?

Sure. Gonna take a couple minutes to get off my feet and then get the trash outside.

Let’s start and take a break after a few songs for that?

It’s aight. I’m gonna take the trash out and then grab a beer #MDHdrinkscusses

-30 minutes later-

You ready?

There he goes with the fake sports in the fantasy world.

Yep. Good to go. Needed to get that last bit of checking my fantasy hockey stuff out of the way haha

Now that’s out of the way and you can lose your next match up comfortably, time for some tunes!

I like Forever Unclean, though they don’t really make it on heavy rotation on my playlist. New record is called Best and has 11 songs within 22 minutes, which is the best length.

Ironically I’m on track to do exactly that

Shut up about sports, haha

We saw them at MPF back in 2018. Admittedly didn’t remember a ton of that set, but they seemed fun enough.

Manchester Punk Festival*

It was! I also saw them at the 13th Note in Glasgow the year before. I think it was with Goodbye Blue Monday and some others. Bike Notes maybe?

Anyway, always good times!

You might wanna have all other apps closed, cause this record is gonna be a fast one! I’m turning on the first track!

Ready when you are haha

— Dream —

Intro of this kind of says what you can expect from the band.

It’s a slower song, it doesn’t pack the punch, but opening tracks tend to be weird and I enjoy it. Probably would go over well live.

I was thinking that about this song probably coming off really good live.

Did I ever say that about a song before? “This would be so much better live”? I’m sure I never did say that! Ever…

MDH drinking game right here!

(well maybe it oughta be)

— Persona —

Ah there’s that punch

Digging the opening riff.

Hm. Haven’t been able to figure out how I feel about the vocals.

It reminds me of the older PUP records. I’m also very disappointed by new PUP.

Did I ever say “this band is basically filling the hole of this other band”. I didn’t, right? Ever?

I’m turning into a music journalist, I’m repeating myself. Help!

Vocals are a bit higher pitched than you’re used to, with your gloomy music. I think it’s also a bit of the accent you might be noticing.

I think when I ran this record thru after work, I got a bit more used to the vocals as the album progressed. They’re just really high pitched to me.

— Rules —

I’d like to see these guys play a show with After the Fall. That’d be a good combo for a show. This song fits well with that band.

Ah shit, I was waiting for a bridge or something and whoops

Let me replay it. 33 seconds.

Spotted em 12 seconds that weren’t there haha

efficiency

Fast and to the point, it’s what I love.

— Crowds —

Song really gets off to a hot start

This is my favorite so far. I’m not a fan of intros where the music drags on, I really am digging that “It feels like such a waste of breath” part.

It’s a very European punk record so far. It’s got the Swedish skate punk, the German “I really want to write the next Trusty Chords” and the poppyness a lot of UK bands have.

To be fair, I know nothing about the music scene in Denmark itself.

Definitely seems like the type of track if someone asked me to define pop-punk, I’d probably refer em to this song we just heard.

— Woods —

I’d say to someone who never heard of them, Pup, but if they were Danish instead of Canadian

Erm, punk-pop*

There we go! Tryna be clear on what I mean

This song is way poppier than the last one though. I like this, vocals are very melodic on this one.

Take away the vocals and you really got more of your skate punk though – even on this track. Satanic Surfers / No Fun at All style.

yeah, this was about where it was in the album when I gave it a background listen that I started to get into it more

Also, you already mentioned this but definitely colossal PUP vibes

Dude our friends who might not have heard of them would dig this, this song specifically as an intro.

— Mandy —

Undeniably evident, even to someone who isn’t hugely into em

I need a break from reality too, Forever Unclean, me too.

There’s our title

Is this about long distance crushes or about a fucked up sleep schedule? “When you sleep I’m awake” could be both

Somewhat autobiographical haha

Okay if I ever see them again, I hope they play this just cause I really need to scream along to “I wanna disappear”

Here’s hoping they could make it to the states as we get further removed from whichever variant of Rona we’re on. Forever Unclean would kill on the right tour/right crowd.

Also, the last 2 songs have been my favorite so far

I get your emo part now. This song has that thing all the emo bands did where one part of the vocals sings one thing while the other sings something else.

when done well, there’s not much better haha

— Scars —

Short song again

This is more of a classic emo song in the first part.

If Free Throw would be louder and less weed-y

Slower intro than the last couple songs

More free throw and less weed throw you say

?

I like this outro. More free throw, less weed throw, is this entire song an outro?

Really bouncy, I dig

::taps toes::

— Kold —

Again, I have to compare them to Pup here

That intro, very much so

I don’t think Pup would read this, but hey, who knows. If we ever get huge as an outlet and they do, go take this band on tour will you?

You’d think this’d work alongside a band like Joyce Manor? Because I kinda feel thats in the same ballpark..

Yeah, I think that might work. I feel Joyce Manor is a bit more… tempered? This is more outgoing. But definitely get the combo you’re thinking of.

— Broken —

We’re back to the Free Throw style emo

And it gets louder. Yeah, I can dig this record. I’d be all over this if it got released in 2015 or so. This is the exact sound I digged back then.

Ah, the kinda hook to bore itself into someone’s head long after they’ve heard this song.

I really love how they manage to keep that more skate punk sound musically.

Man, this woulda been fun as hell to have seen in a space like Suburbia

Oh wow this “no we promise, we are not Pup” bridge here.

Hahah

— Smile —

Oh this is that song that starts a pit immediately isn’t it?

Aight, I could fux with this

This energy is super nostalgic in the best way.

From pogoing part to bouncing off each other like pinballs part. Word

It’s also reminding me of Apologies I Have None and you dig them.

Hm…maybe. wasn’t what came to mind first though

I know, it’s a bit more of a subdued “he, yeah, that sound is there as well”

— Change —

Last song.

Which of course is more of a sing-along track that wouldn’t be out of place on a Chewie (Chewing on Tinfoil) record.

Ah

Well up until this more almost metal part.

Wasn’t sure how I felt about this track. Man, definitely a lot of ground covered stylistically here

We’re back to those Pup like hooks. Fascinating by the way, I always said Pup had some heavy Single Mothers influences, which I can’t say for Forever Unclean.

A lot going on here

It’s interesting, their older stuff is more straightforward than this record. They try to cover a lot of ground on this one, and I like it, it’s interesting and could go over so well if it gets to the right people

But it’s a lot.

Hmm…so yeah, I did enjoy this record a little more on second listen than the first one. The middle tracks on the album were what I dug most. Supposing Kold would probably be my favorite song, if I had to guess.

I’d definitely be recommending this to some friends, there’s a few people I know who would love this so much. I’ll have to give it a few more listens to get my own opinion, but it definitely has some bangers.

Personally though, I like my music a bit more straightforward. I’m getting old, I guess. That said… hit me up in a few months when this has likely become my favorite record of the year, cause it seems like one that’ll grow on me.

Might have some grower potential; definitely outside the scope of what I normally listen to though-so there’s that caveat I suppose.

I dig it, but I’m not sure where to place it yet. Which is not a bad thing!