In my books, THIS is low-hanging fruit. At least I can say that I didn’t subject myself to Nickelback…
For those unfamiliar with them, Billy Talent is one of those bands that my little brother affectionately describes as a “rinky-dink Canadian band”. They’re hardly rinky-dink, and they put on a heck of a live show, nearly selling out Scotia Bank Arena. We aren’t here to read about their wiki page, but rather a significant turning point in their discography. Crisis of Faith marks a turning point for them, not only in sound (Forgiveness, The Wolf), but in songwriting as well. We now arrive at the fourth single from Crisis of Faith, and arguably their most divisive song to date…
End Of Me (ft: Rivers Cuomo) is… odd. I have many questions about it:
- Why is Rivers here?
- Who got Rivers here?
- Who decided that the first album feature of the existence of Billy Talent would be Rivers Cuomo of Weezer, the legendary nerd-rock band behind such hit songs as; Buddy Holly, Beverly Hills, and All My Favourite Songs?
- Why do I find this song hard to hate?
Don’t get me wrong, I WANT to dislike this song. The laid-back guitar riffs (provided by criminally underrated guitarist Ian D’Sa), the cutesy piano in the second verse, and the obvious theme-ties to The Ex really should surmount to one of my top picks for the worst Billy Talent track since Sudden Movements. But, I cannot bring myself to completely disregard End Of Me entirely. It reminds me of Altoids (or whatever they’re called), strangely addictive. This is not a sound that BT has produced ever (unless I missed something in their Pezz days), and yet it holds every hallmark of their work. The guitar work, the harmonies, and the dark subject matter all add up to something that could be called traditional. Where we differ however is presentation.
The Presentation
BT have been no strangers to estranged relationships, and never shies away to turn them into hits (Surrender, The Ex, Try Honesty, Fallen Leaves), but where we differ here is how they communicate it. Instead of the standard third-person POV, they have opted for a second-person perspective. What happens is now they’ve presented it as if WE the listeners are the ones receiving this beratement. I find it easy to look past. But, this feels like the most personable they’ve been as if we are right there while this altercation is going on. Why they chose this method is beyond me, why they brought Rivers along for the ride is a mystery, and why it ends up as a Weezer song with BT choruses at least makes some form of sense. At least this isn’t another Devil Across the Tracks or Running in a Midnight Mass.
5/10:
An even split for breaking the mould in the most backwards way possible. It is fun in its own ways, which could only have been accomplished with Rivers’ inclusion.
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