Rock music is great, but you know what makes it even better? Rap music. What happens when you fuse these elements together to create a super creative concept song? You get LYLVC's newest single, "Barely Human."
LYLVC is an alternative rock band based in Raleigh, North Carolina, that found their sound through incorporating every aspect of many great genres to use to their advantage. The group has gained notable success, doing sold-out shows all across the UK and Europe alongside Biohazard and Life of Agony, not only pairing up with the likes of Judge & Jury Records but also sharing the stage with scene icons such as Atreyu, From Ashes to New, and New Year's Day.
"Barely Human" is an absolute powerhouse song, starting with a low guitar riff and an iconic industrial breakdown sound and drawing in whoever is listening to build suspense before the words even begin. The verse kicks off with a few dark metaphors, seemingly an apocalyptic description of events, with lyrics like "In a sky that's turned, when the sun has died." "Where the sickness spread, where the webs have dried," alludes to a plot of otherworldly calamity.
The pre-chorus carries this theme, with LYLVC rapper Oscar Romero continuing to sing along the dystopian theme. Romero's almost angry-sounding vocals represent the want to resist and condemn the higher power in this song. The intensification in the instrumentals accumulates the tension just before it snaps, right before the chorus hits.
Clean vocalist Alyse Zavala sings the lines, "My soul. My switch has turned off. I'm whole. All empathy's lost," after the second chorus into the bridge. Zavala confirms the post-apocalyptic storyline, stating that,
"We are all 'Barely Human' now and forced to choose sides between going full AI robot and turning off all our empathy, or holding onto what's left of our humanity."
Not only does this represent the storyline, but there is also some real-life and personal meaning to this song as well. Both singers express the meaning of their own lyrics throughout the song, on top of how they tie into the story. Romero describes that he—
"Wanted to capture the feeling of watching humanity slip away in a world that's becoming more robotic and disconnected."
This song showcases amazing storytelling and is definitely one of the best concept songs I've heard this year. The way this song is able to relate real-life concepts of combatting AI while also sharing a sci-fi story about a futuristic devastation is truly mind-boggling. Howard Benson's production definitely is apparent throughout this song. Benson's past work with artists such as My Chemical Romance, Halestorm, and Flyleaf persists within the song, allowing the band's vision to come to life.
Whether you're a hardcore LYLVC fan or this is the first song you're hearing, rest assured you will not be disappointed by this group. Their fairly new discography is only getting better with each track, and this won't be the last time you'll hear about them.
