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REVIEW: HALFWAY DOWN "TRUTH HURTS" & DISCOGRAPHY OVERVIEW | iodine rae
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In celebration of their latest release, Truth Hurts, I think it’d be appropriate to look back at Twin Cities pop punk outfit Halfway Down's discography and establish who these guys are, to put the new song into context.
In a way that is (in my opinion) distinctly a practice born out of the world of streaming, the band releases their songs as an on-going, developing album tracklist. That is to say, each release is paired with the rest of their discography, thus far. So, it’s only fair that we start with the old and work up to the new. This choice makes it feel, to me, that each track is relevant to one another, and so I’d be remiss not to explore what is essentially a new album, albeit one that is put together in an unconventional and non-linear way. Let's talk sound. I often see the rhetoric that DIY acts are inexperienced and, to put it bluntly, that they suck (also, nothing wrong with sucking! Make shitty music! MAKING it is the whole point, right?). But I think I can say with confidence that many, many of the bands playing in your backyard are skilled musicians making high-quality music, and Halfway Down are certainly proof of this. There’s something so quintessentially pop punk about the chord progressions and breakdowns, and it’s mixed in such a way that, in my opinion, fits them in seamlessly with other great bands in the genre. As well, the guitar is a little heavier, and the drums I think really drive the songs, so overall there’s a denser sound profile that tows the post-hardcore line. If the myriad of half time breakdowns are anything to go by, I’d say that somewhere between pop punk and post-hardcore is exactly where this band wants to be. They have a clear vision for their sound, as it is, across the board, smooth. That is to say, despite each song being released on their own, the listening experience of the whole makes sense to the ears, because it all distinctly sounds like Halfway Down, as if there’s no question as to who they are as a group. They enjoy incorporating vocal effects and other particle-y sound effects that I’d say are video game inspired, or at the very least that’s how I interpreted them, into the mix, and it’s these kinds of digital or cyber-esque bits that throw me into the 2010’s alongside bands like Sleeping With Sirens and, to a lesser extent, Bring Me The Horizon. I think that the video game comparison is fair, as Nothing Left to Lose literally samples dialogue from The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (an action RPG from 2006, if you’re unfamiliar). This single in particular has the works—vocal compression, glitching effects, and such 8-bit reminiscent motifs—and is a standout on the roster, to me. It’s authentically nerdy, which I think can be appreciated by other nerdy music fans, many of whom occupy alternative fandom spaces (and if you couldn’t tell, I’m one of them). 
The vocals are something akin to Sleeping With Sirens, but with A Day To Remember vibes. I also get hints of The Wonder Years, State Champs, Super Sometimes… as well as The Story So Far, at times. There are a lot of bands you could point to, but simply put, Halfway Down’s sound is best described as a love letter to pop punk—or, their distinctly modernized style of the genre is a response to it. And, of course, these are my sensibilities as a Gen-Z fan—I’m sure an older listener would pick out influences that aren’t as inherent to me.
Thematically speaking, their discography is consistent. It’s as honest as a fundamentally punk band ought to be—discontent with the world, and relatably self-disparaging—but it’s served with a healthy side of optimism, which is sorely needed in times as bleak as these. While some tracks wallow and wade in the misery, such as Nostalgic (which features Linus, another great pop punk band from Minneapolis!), others, like Fool’s Gold, triumph in just simply surviving the bullshit. There’s revelry in perseverance; it’s a win to make it through what feels unbearable, to make it out the other end of a dark and seemingly endless tunnel. And don’t get me wrong, there’s absolutely value in sitting in the feels and allowing yourself to be a little miserable, which I think Nostalgic captures beautifully—(“all I wanna do is play XBOX, but the games all suck” made me laugh, I won’t lie, but it’s so true)—but there’s equal value in moving forward and healing from past pain. I’d say that Buried is the most definitively “of our time”, referencing current internet culture and cellphones, and I think the inclusion of those themes is unique to this era of music. While the song chronicles feelings of trauma and distrust, and self-loathing, which are universal, the way that social media and just generally the digital world has become so intertwined with reality and our lives beyond the screen has changed how we reconcile with these emotions. I think it’s a window into our disillusionment. Yes, it’s a song about an overwhelming sense of defeat, and it speaks to the struggle within all of us at our lowest points, but it also offers that angle of social media dependency and its negative impact on mental health, which is something that’s only beginning to be understood and talked about. That was my take on it, anyhow. My absolute favorite must be Make It Up. I thought it was between that, Dead Inside, and Nothing Left to Lose, but I think what it really is, is that they get better with each new release. Also, they’re just super catchy. Dead Inside has what I mentioned earlier about the side of optimism; it talks about dwelling on the past, but still taking the steps to heal and grow—finding something better for yourself in that process, even though you’ve been damaged. Make It Up is the more self-deprecating side of the coin, describing a deteriorating relationship and how the narrator wants to make it right, but doesn’t know how, and historically hasn’t been able to. I loveeee the “woo!” at the beginning, I’m a big fan of bands adding little things like that... But both are, I think, the best representation of Halfway Down. Now, of course, we have to segue into their latest release, Truth Hurts, which I had the privilege of listening to early (thanks, Blake!!). 
Featuring Minneapolis singer-songwriter Natalie Fideler, the track opens with these excellent, almost conversational back and forths between Fideler and Halfway Down vocalist/guitarist Blake Deneweth, which returns in the final moments of the song and balances out the song nicely. Both Deneweth and Fideler’s vocals convey the immense emotion that’s imbued in the track’s narrative—just the right amount of force and harshness in their delivery that’s really pleasant and something that you can feel in your own throat, as if you were belting out the lyrics, too.
What I appreciate about this feature is that it actually features Natalie. There are a lot of song features where the “featured” artist is only focused on very briefly, but here we get a song that embraces its feature and makes something that’s unique to Halfway Down’s discography, rather than a song that has different vocals in there sometimes. It’s refreshing to hear a band appreciate and utilize a feature to its fullest extent. There are plenty of overlapping, differing guitar parts that create texture, from bright and clean tones, to heavier, distorted chords that make the track denser and whole-sounding. The track remains in line with what comes before it, in that it incorporates those aforementioned particle effects and vocal compression that are characteristic of the band. Then, drummer Cameron Kraft’s tone gives the song a fuller backing, filling in the gaps with heavy cymbal usage, as well as really nice sharp, resounding toms. The drums were definitely a standout for me in my first few listens, the playing is just super clean and satisfying to listen to. Also, I love the wind up of the drums into the bridge; the tension is built and then released in a satisfying way. The bass (Shawn Kraft) is distorted to where I can only describe it as crunchy, which I think is a reflection of the metal-ish side of the band. It adds that heaviness, which in turn makes the song feel bigger. It’s the underlying reverberance that moves down into your chest and digs the track deeper into your soul. To put it in simpler terms: you’ll be feeling the emotion down to your ass, dude. It rocks. Generally, all the way through, each build up of the verses grows taut, then unravels in the chorus, making the listening experience comparable to how it feels when you surface above water, taking a gasping breath and feeling the air rush back into your lungs. It’s relief. In that sense, it almost feels like fighting against the current, being pushed under and struggling to find your way back up. The quietest moment of the song, where the spotlight is firmly shone on Fideler’s striking vocal performance, floats, momentarily letting itself sink and suffocate under the pressure. The track describes a loss of control that leaves you frozen in time; to fall asleep at the wheel, to be caught in the undertow, it’s uncontrollable, and it makes you feel helpless at your own hands. An intense, competitive relationship ends and makes you feel lost and spinning down. In this case, it seems, the only remedy to this relationship is lies and distractions from reality: “the truth hurts, but I might be consumed by your complacency”. It’s a superficial fix, like putting a bandaid on a cut that probably needs stitches. It’s easy to get caught in the cycle of misery, losing your sense of self in the mix. It’s all you could ask for: self-referential, deeply emotional and relatable lyrics; classic pop-punk cadence in the vocals, and a captivating instrumental track that throws you right into your feels. I can envision myself gazing at the Minneapolis skyline as I listen, lonely on I-94 late at night with the volume all the way up. I think this is best enjoyed in that moment of solitude, removed from the rest of the world and free to fully steep yourself in it. If you’re looking to get into something familiar but new, there’s no better time like the present to start digging into Halfway Down. Get your foot in the door while they’re still playing smaller, hometown spots. I wouldn’t be surprised if they blow up sometime in the near future, they’re seriously good. Check out Truth Hurts, and the rest will follow!
(Published 1-15-26) |
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