Top Favorite Albums of 2014 - Restoring Force by Of Mice & Men

Favorite tracks
“You Make Me Sick”
“Public Service Announcement”
“Would You Still Be There”

Of Mice & Men is a flawless band. Restoring Force is a flawless album. Everything Of Mice & Men did this year was flawless. End of story. Goodbye.

In all seriousness, I do not know where to begin with how impressed I was with Of Mice & Men’s third album. The first time I heard Restoring Force was in preparation to catch Of Mice & Men on their American Dream Tour in Philadelphia and I was immediately drawn to the brilliant lyricism on the album. Between “Would You Still Be There” and “You’re Not Alone,” this record reaches straight into the hearts of their fans and lives up to its name. Each song stands firm as a call out to the beaten and weary, providing strength to all who will listen.

Seeing front man Austin Carlile bring the record to life onstage was an awe inducing sight to witness. His raw emotion and aggressive energy live commands the crowd completely. There is no ignoring him and the words he screams. He is the ringmaster, the audience is his twisted circus, and it is almost terrifying, as a member of the crowd, to be so controlled. However, as Carlile pleads out the honest and vulnerable lyrics of songs like “Another You,” it is impossible not to feel invigorated and empowered.

I cannot name another unclean vocalist around today that compares to the emotional power of Carlile and, with incredible support from clean vocalist Aaron Pauley, Of Mice & Men is able to convey a full gamut of varying emotions on Restoring Force. Carlile takes the reigns alone on tracks like “Public Service Announcement” and “You Make Me Sick” for in-your-face displays of frustration and anger. “Space Enough to Grow” showcases Pauley soft and soothing range for a more introspective and thoughtful side to Of Mice & Men. Then, Carlisle and Pauley come together at their best for motivating and pleading tracks like “Break Free” that showcase the real spirit of the band.

Restoring Force is one of the records that kept me going this year when nothing felt right. I played it at the gym, I played it at work, I played it before interviews, I played it for no reason at all. It was just that solid. Flawless band. Just flawless.