Title: “Boycott Love”
Release Date: October 18, 2015
Recorded: February - July 2015 - Half-Moon Studios, Las Vegas, Nevada
Genres: Pop-Punk, Alternative Rock
Length: 60:08
Label: Studio60 Records
Producers: Riot! In The Boulevard, Avil Hartman

“Boycott Love” is the fifth studio album released by American rock band ‘Riot! In The Boulevard’ and sixth overall album released from the Las Vegas based trio of Adam Benjamin, Amy Meyer and Jason Greenberg. Produced by Riot! In The Boulevard alongside Avil Hartman once more following their work together on 2013’s “Wild Young Things”. The release of “Boycott Love” comes after the band took a year-long break from each other in order to try out different things and get themselves re-inspired. The break came after the band released four studio albums and toured excessively for almost four years, becoming one of the biggest and most productive names in the music industry in the process. During the break, each member of the band pursued their own things away from the band environment, both Adam and Amy released solo albums to differing levels of success while bassist Jason Greenberg launched a clothing label with his wife Alaina and the couple welcomed their first child in October 2014.
Speaking about the decision to take a break, the band stated that they needed to take the time away to try out different things and find some sort of inspiration in avenues away from the Riot! In The Boulevard environment, they always noted that this wasn’t necessarily a break-up but rather just time apart to gain a different perspective and become re-inspired. Discussing the decision to not go back into their studio and record a follow-up to 2013’s “Wild Young Things” Amy spoke of tiredness and becoming a little disillusioned with a repetitive routine being one of the main reasons, “I think there was always gonna be a time when we all decided that we had had enough of Riot! For a little while and I’m quite surprised that we managed to get to the fourth record before feeling that way. But it was eventually the whole cycle of things that had worn us down, it was pretty much album, singles, tour, album singles, tour, album, singles, tour for almost four years straight and after a while it was getting to the point where we were visiting these incredible places and doing these incredible things but we weren’t truly appreciating it all because it was just what we do, at that point. I know we didn’t too much time out, but we took the amount of time that we needed to feel energised and ready to enjoy it all again like we did for the first two years.”

At the beginning of 2015 the three musicians decided to meet up for writing sessions in their hometown in order to see if the break had done enough to clear their minds, these initial sessions went well in January and the three musicians agreed to head into their recording studio in late February to try out recording some songs that they had written and to continue writing more songs together in order to see if they were capable of coming up with material worthy of another studio album. Again the sessions went well and the band begun to start up the process of recording the album, by March they were already working out the track listing for the record and a number of songs were agreed upon by the band as they continued to write and record together in secret. The early songs included “This Is A Hostile Takeover”, “Here’s to the Kids”, “First Class Saints” and a re-arranged version of “The Poster-Kids of Pop-Punk” which they had initially started writing prior to their downtime. These songs were all considered exciting enough for the band to head full speed into the recording of their next album and by the end of March they had already made major decisions regarding the bands future.
The beginning of April saw the band sign to Studio60 Records on an album-by-album contract, giving both the label and the band the freedom to part ways at any point, all of this was kept under wraps and by the end of April they had finished recording a couple of songs, shocking their own die-hard fanbase with the unannounced release of first single “This Is A Hostile Takeover” which peaked at the top spot of the singles chart marking a triumphant return, the band had doubts about how their return would go and Adam Benjamin even stated that he was afraid of getting the band back together, “It happens all the time, when a band takes some time off after a really impressive run, they’re usually not quite the same band any more and that was the only doubt that I had in my mind. I thought the music we were creating was as good as anything we had done and our minds were exactly where they needed to be, but I always had that lingering fear of, what if we’re like ‘Boom! We’re Back!’ and we just hear crickets. But thankfully it worked out.”
The trio continued to remind the music industry of why they had such a good run previously, they showcased their hard-work, consistency and uniqueness, promising fans a brand new single each month until the albums release date. The stayed true to their word and a little under a month after their return single they followed that up the charity track “To Write Love On Her Arms” peaking at number #2 on the singles charts and the third being the albums title song, “Boycott Love” which peaked at number #3 on the album charts, the interest in the band simmered slightly after the initial enthusiasm of their return, but they have continued to work hard recording their latest album and they recently put out their fourth single from the album, the track titled “The Saviour They All Think I Am” which is also a featured track on the Evangelion soundtrack and was written specifically for the movie, that track saw a peak position of number #5 on the singles charts but saw an unimpressive response from their standards for the first time in the bands career, garnering little interest and only just scraping the top five position in the singles chart.

Following the release of those promotional singles in order to re-welcome the band back to the industry, the band continued to work tirelessly in their ‘Half-Moon Studios’ to finish up the recording of the record. The album was officially completed at the end of July and is expected to be released at the beginning of September 2015, through ‘Studio60 Records’.

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Message;

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Tracklisting;

1. Boycott Love (4:22)
2. Las Vegas, NV (3:57)
3. Here’s To The Kids ... (4:19)
4. Revolt/Resist (4:32)
5. This Is A Hostile Takeover (5:42)
6. First Class Saints (4:02)
7. When We Were Believers (4:39)
8. We Aren’t Lost, Just Misguided Slightly (3:57)
9. Where Did All The Heroes Go (2:41)
10. Bury The Hatchet (4:58)
11. Poster Kids of Pop-Punk (5:19)
12. It’s True What They Said, Romance Is Dead (4:41)
13. Bury Me In Memory (3:48)
14. With Clear Eyes and Full Hearts (5:03)

Bonus Tracks;

15. This Is A Hostile Takeover (feat. Drew Westbrook) (Remix) (6:48)
16. To Write Love On Her Arms (6:29)
17. The Saviour They All Think I Am (4:32)

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Personnel;

Amy Meyer - lead vocals, piano, lyrics, composition, production
Adam Benjamin - rhythm guitar, lead guitar, keyboards, backing vocals, lyrics, composition, production
Jason Greenberg - bass guitar, lyrics, composition, production
Billie Langdon - drums, percussion
Avil Hartman - production, programming, engineering
Cara Zayn - mixing, photography
Drew Westbrook - guest vocals (track 15)

Track: # - 02
Title: “Las Vegas, NV”
Genres: Alternative Rock, Pop-Punk
Length: 3:57
Label: Studio60 Records
Writer(s): Adam Benjamin, Amy Meyer, Jason Greenberg

The second song from “Boycott Love” begins with a powerful pop-punk opening guitar riff, filled with energy and the fast-paced delivery that you’ve come to expect from Riot! In The Boulevard. It’s accompanied by a marching band-esque drum delivery. You can hear the drum being struck in the background slowly at first and as the voice of Amy Meyer arrives, the pace of the drum beat increases to add a little more urgency to the song, creating a scene ready for the angsty and melancholic lyrics delivered emotively and passionately by Meyer, she bellows out the opening, ““Bright lights and city nights, shining down over the Vegas skyline/The noise echoes through the neighbourhood like the dreams as a child that were always mine/Those dreams were once enough to keep me alive/But tonight it seems like those big city dreams in my mind have all but died.” and it’s a familiar tone from Riot!, one we have come to expect over the years as they’ve grown from teenagers to adults in front of our very eyes.

The cavalcade of instrumental delivery is in full force on the latest track from their album during the second verse, the slow and booming drumming has been replaced by a rapid-fire delivery while the lead guitar and bass guitar combination is as fast both Adam Benjamin and Jason Greenberg can possibly go without getting dizzy, it creates the mood for the second verse which appears to centre around failed dreams, a questionable choice considering the success that the band have continued to have, but perhaps it’s a not-so-subtle shot at former members Justin and Nathan Mullen who abruptly left the band just after their previous studio album. The lyrics seem to indicate Amy’s own personal feelings on the matter as she sings out, “We said one day we’d take over the world together/But instead we just crumbled apart/They say the dreams we make as children never truly last forever/Now I’m just questioning where to start/And I wanna be a hero/With all my friends standing by my side/I wanna be a hero to the masses.”

And as we reach the songs chorus, we are truly in our early 2000’s pop-punk mode, you can picture the band jumping around the stage at this point in the song and as all the instrumental combination of Adam and Jason look set to continue we’re given a a surprise halt as it drops almost to a sudden stop. The sound of the bass droning over a soft leading guitar riff which sounds more like a breakdown sets up what is an unexpected emotional delivery from Amy Meyer during the chorus of the song, to switch from aggressive and angst-ridden to soft and thoughtful is a surprise move, but it’s saved by the passion as Amy sings with a crack in her voice, “So here we are right now/All of our dreams are washed up in Las Vegas/We wanna make it somewhere, somehow/We don’t ever wanna fake this/Here we are right now/Dreams washed up in Las Vegas/No matter how much we tried to get out of here/This will be the first place we ever made it.” which proves to have more emotion due to the fact that it didn’t feel forced.
Essentially the song is a tribute to the bands hometown and even the slight “intentional/unintentional” digs at their two former members came from a place of reality. The wounds may still be raw from the departures of former childhood friends and although perhaps not painting their hometown in the most positive light, it feels like there is part of the trio that are just trying to say in their own sort of way, this place is still home. The line in particular, “No matter how much we tried to get out of here/This will be the first place we ever made it.” seems to showcase their appreciation.

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Lyrics;

“Bright lights and city nights, shining down over the Vegas skyline
The noise echoes through the neighbourhood like the dreams as a child that were always mine
Those dreams were once enough to keep me alive
But tonight it seems like those big city dreams in my mind have all but died
And I’m left with scattered paper on my apartment floor
Memories of friends that are just no more
And I’m pondering
What I’m left fighting for
Lying alone on the cold hard floor

We said one day we’d take over the world together
But instead we just crumbled apart
They say the dreams we make as children never truly last forever
Now I’m just questioning where to start
And I wanna be a hero
With all my friends standing by my side
I wanna be a hero to the masses
Not this haunted mess
Destined to hide

So here we are right now
All of our dreams are washed up in Las Vegas
We wanna make it somewhere, somehow
We don’t ever wanna fake this
Here we are right now
Dreams washed up in Las Vegas
No matter how much we tried to get out of here
This will be the first place we ever made it

These days, this City doesn’t look the same to me
Just haunted visions of failed reality
Everybody I ever knew were just trying to make it out of here
But something pulled them back
Something called fear
But we’ll stay strong and we’ll stand our ground
We’re gonna find a way outta here
With a familiar sound

We said one day we’d take over the world together
But instead we just crumbled apart
They say the dreams we make as children never truly last forever
Now I’m just questioning where to start
And I wanna be a hero
With all my friends standing by my side
I wanna be a hero to the masses
Not this haunted mess
Destined to hide

So here we are right now
All of our dreams are washed up in Las Vegas
We wanna make it somewhere, somehow
We don’t ever wanna fake this
Here we are right now
Dreams washed up in Las Vegas
No matter how much we tried to get out of here
This will be the first place we ever made it”

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SOUND ALIKE;

A DAY TO REMEMBER - “ALL SIGNS POINT TO LAUDERDALE”

Track: # - 04
Title: “Revolt/Resist”
Genres: Alternative Rock, Pop-Punk
Length: 4:32
Label: Studio60 Records
Writer(s): Adam Benjamin, Amy Meyer, Jason Greenberg

Track number four starts off in a very sombre mood, the sound of strings can be heard faintly behind the melodic keys of a piano. On first glance, “Revolt/Resist” feels like a continuation of the previous track “Here’s to the Kids ...” with it’s anthemic theme of youthful rebellion transitioning into the aftermath. A song about former friends now separated over time replaces the glorified call to arms of the former track. But nevertheless it feels like a bigger story is being told throughout the album and this song continues that theme onwards. With the beautiful tones of the piano keys playing straight into the opening verse and Amy’s honest lyrics, “The years we spent together seem to be worth nothing now/A former friend has turned to enemy/And it seems I’m just left here wondering how/You said a lot has changed since then/And people grow apart/But I still think back to the promises made/For both of us to never part.” and it’s clear for those that are looking for the digs and hints towards the unpleasant exit of both Justin and Nathan Mullen, this song has that in abundance. It makes for an interesting moment hearing Amy sings these lyrics, as it feels less like a song and more like somebody reading torn out pages from a diary. But nevertheless the lyrics say things very clearly.

As the second verse arrives we are met with a lead guitar and bass combination to add a little more urgency and fire into the heart of the song. Turning the sombre mood into more of an angry goodbye as Amy’s voice raises to louder levels and she bellows out, “Messes form inside open hearts/And things often end before they start/But they say the good things are what will remain/But I’m left feeling nothing but pain/And I hate to say goodbye/It’s just not for me/I hate to say goodbye/To someone that meant so much to me.” and you can’t help but feel like we’re seeing classic elements of Riot! In The Boulevard at work here, they’re writing songs directly about their life but making the lyrics open to be interpreted in a way that their young audience can relate them to their own life. It’s a tried and tested formula.

And as the music continues to power into life, we are suddenly hit with a stop as the guitars and piano come to halt. A couple of seconds of silence is then met with loud repetitive drum beats as Amy sings over them the songs chorus, “Revolt or resist/Is this all there is?/Revolt or resist/Is this all there is?/Revolt or resist/Is this all there is?.” it’s short and repetitive and catchy and it’s taken directly from the path used on the bands debut album, where the mentality was to just put as many catchy choruses in their songs as possible, it worked a treat back then and it seems to do the job here. It gives you a break from the emotional lyrics and gives you something that you can easily sing along to, even if you don’t know the song.
And as the chorus ends, we’re joined by the rhythm and bass guitar to set the scene for the final stages of the song and again the emotional side of the song appears once again, “It’s hard to walk away from someone/When you feel like there’s still something there/It’s hard to give up all you love/But you realize they just don’t seem to care/And they don’t talk to you any more/They don’t smile at you like they used to do/They don’t even remember your name/You only have yourself to blame.” and with that the song begins to fade out with the repetitive chorus once again.

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LYRICS;

“The years we spent together seem to be worth nothing now
A former friend has turned to enemy
And it seems I’m just left here wondering how
You said a lot has changed since then
And people grow apart
But I still think back to the promises made
For both of us to never part

Messes form inside open hearts
And things often end before they start
But they say the good things are what will remain
But I’m left feeling nothing but pain
And I hate to say goodbye
It’s just not for me
I hate to say goodbye
To someone that meant so much to me

Revolt or resist
Is this all there is?
Revolt or resist
Is this all there is?
Revolt or resist
Is this all there is?

When you walked away, you left these wounds open
And there’s an empty space in my heart where you used to be
All of my soul is telling me to carry on
But it feels like what we once had has now all but gone

Revolt or resist
Is this all there is?
Revolt or resist
Is this all there is?
Revolt or resist
Is this all there is?

It’s hard to walk away from someone
When you feel like there’s still something there
It’s hard to give up all you love
But you realize they just don’t seem to care
And they don’t talk to you any more
They don’t smile at you like they used to do
They don’t even remember your name
You only have yourself to blame

Revolt or resist
Is this all there is?
Revolt or resist
Is this all there is?
Revolt or resist
Is this all there is?

Revolt or resist
Is this all there is?
Revolt or resist
Is this all there is?
Revolt or resist
Is this all there is?”

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SOUND ALIKE;

FALL OUT BOY - “THE KIDS AREN’T ALRIGHT”

Track: # - 06
Title: “First Class Saints”
Genres: Alternative Rock, Pop-Punk
Length: 4:02
Label: Studio60 Records
Writer(s): Adam Benjamin, Amy Meyer, Jason Greenberg

A soft piano introduction signals the beginning of the sixth track from ‘Boycott Love’, the tender approach to the beginning of the song works wonders for the songs overall theme. As Amy sings over the piano background, she sings out the opening verse, “Maybe this was all just a game to you/But this is life and death and everything above to the fragile hearts that believe in true love/And you just build people up, only to knock them right back down/You’ll take a match and strike it fast/And watch everything you claim to love burn right to the ground/And you’ll be smiling through the flames/Watching memories turn to dust/And we’ll still be fighting through all this pain/In love and faith we trust/Love, faith and trust.” and it feels very true. Some have already said that this is shaping up to be Riot!’s most honest work to date and it certainly feels that way on this track in particular.

And the faint sound of the drums and guitars are heard as we hit the chorus rather early into the song, Amy sings again, “We are the first class saints/Picking up the pieces/Mending broken hearts one by one/This is where we belong/We are the first class saints/Picking up the pieces/Mending broken hearts one by one/I guarantee you’ll miss this/When it’s all gone.” and it certainly feels like this is perhaps another shot at former band mates Justin and Nathan, in particular the final line of the chorus, “I guarantee you’ll miss this, when it’s all gone.” it seems to ring true to Amy’s passion for the band and what they stand for and look to achieve for their insanely dedicated fanbase, although it may be a shot at those former band members, this track could also be seen as a track for the fans, perhaps it’s the band saying to their audience that they feel just as disappoint in those former members.

It certainly feels even more evident in the next verse too, as Amy again sings over the piano and guitar backdrop, “See, don’t you remember how it felt/When you had the world at your fingers and the stars all in reach/Now you’re just left with nothing but those shallow and empty words that you preach/When you look out over Vegas, tell me what do you see/Just those neon lights reminding you of all that you could have been/Well maybe you’ve learnt not to throw stones/But it’s too late now you’re alone.” which seems like the most direct lyrics aimed at the brothers, it’s clear that there is still some anger deep inside and rightly so and with another chorus we hit the final verse and it’s one that seems to be based around the feeling of letting go.
Amy sings once more, “So remember when you run away/Please take the knife from my back soft and slow/Because we’re all done carrying the weight of the love that we once used to know/The love that we once used to know/And perhaps we’ll go our separate ways, never to see each others face/But the day that we meet again/When our eyes reconnect with you/I know we’ll be able to hold our head up high/But is that something you think that you can really do.” and with that final shot, we hear the pre-chorus for one final time, before the song fades out.

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Lyrics;

“Maybe this was all just a game to you
But this is life and death and everything above to the fragile hearts that believe in true love
And you just build people up, only to knock them right back down
You’ll take a match and strike it fast
And watch everything you claim to love burn right to the ground
And you’ll be smiling through the flames
Watching memories turn to dust
And we’ll still be fighting through all this pain
In love and faith we trust
Love, faith and trust

We are the first class saints
Picking up the pieces
Mending broken hearts one by one
This is where we belong
We are the first class saints
Picking up the pieces
Mending broken hearts one by one
I guarantee you’ll miss this
When it’s all gone

See, don’t you remember how it felt
When you had the world at your fingers and the stars all in reach
Now you’re just left with nothing but those shallow and empty words that you preach
When you look out over Vegas, tell me what do you see
Just those neon lights reminding you of all that you could have been
Well maybe you’ve learnt not to throw stones
But it’s too late now you’re alone

We are the first class saints
We all are inside
We’ll keep fighting to the very end
In love, faith, trust and pride
Woah oh-oh-oh
In love, faith, trust and pride

So remember when you run away
Please take the knife from my back soft and slow
Because we’re all done carrying the weight of the love that we once used to know
The love that we once used to know
And perhaps we’ll go our separate ways, never to see each others face
But the day that we meet again
When our eyes reconnect with you
I know we’ll be able to hold our head up high
But is that something you think that you can really do

We are the first class saints
Picking up the pieces
Mending broken hearts one by one
This is where we belong
We are the first class saints
Picking up the pieces
Mending broken hearts one by one
I guarantee you’ll miss this
When it’s all gone”

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SOUND ALIKE;

PVRIS - “HOLY”

Track: # - 08
Title: “We Aren’t Lost, Just Misguided Slightly”
Genres: Alternative Rock, Pop-Punk
Length: 3:57
Label: Studio60 Records
Writer(s): Adam Benjamin, Amy Meyer, Jason Greenberg

LYRICS

“Tired of living in a town
Where all the lights are bright and they shine for the pretty
But tonight we’re gonna head out to the city
Where they let love blossom and dreams shine through
Not just for the beautiful and rich
But for the alternatives, the screw-ups, people just like me and you
It’s our only hope

We aren’t lost
We’re just misguided slightly
Looking for the answers
Day and nightly
Fighting our way to the front of the crowd
Just get a glimpse of hero’s
That make us feel proud
And we wonder
We dream
That it’ll be us up there someday
And the kids will listen to every word I say

But the famous and wise
They say be careful what you wish for
Because you might work your whole life to get it
To realize that it’s a real war
And that growing up in the spotlight
Is not all that it seems though
It can cut you apart at your very seams
Take away
Your youthful dreams

We aren’t lost
We’re just misguided slightly
Looking for the answers
Day and nightly
Fighting our way to the front of the crowd
Just get a glimpse of our hero’s
That make us feel proud
And we wonder
We dream
That it’ll be us up there someday
And the kids will listen to every word I say

Yeah, but we aren’t lost
We’re just misguided slightly
Looking for the answers
Day and nightly”

Track: # - 10
Title: “Bury The Hatchet”
Genres: Alternative Rock, Pop-Punk
Length: 4:58
Label: Studio60 Records
Writer(s): Adam Benjamin, Amy Meyer, Jason Greenberg

LYRICS

“You’re a victim of your own success
Thought you were the one sitting behind the wheel
What once was a heart so pure and true
Has forgotten how to feel
And now where are you tonight?
Did everything work out according to plan?
I tried to fix the mess you caused
I offered you a helping hand
Yeah, I offered you a helping hand

They say that everybody leaves
But sometimes it gets better
They say that everybody leaves
But sometimes it gets better
They say that everybody leaves
But sometimes it gets better

They say we must bury the hatchet
Put an end to this pointless war
They say we must bury the hatchet
Get things back to how they were before
They say we must bury the hatchet
But I feel like I’ve done all that I possibly can
They say we must bury the hatchet
But it looks like jealousy has broken an honest man

So with all of that being said
I don’t think I should be carrying this weight
I’m just a girl with a heart full of dreams
That wanted to show the world that five misfits could someday be great
And I’ve tried and tried and tried and tried
To put the pieces back together
But we’ve had to mould a new shape
With the pieces that are left

They say that everybody leaves
But sometimes it gets better
They say that everybody leaves
But sometimes it gets better
They say that everybody leaves
But sometimes it gets better

They say we must bury the hatchet
Put an end to this pointless war
They say we must bury the hatchet
Get things back to how they were before
They say we must bury the hatchet
But I feel like I’ve done all that I possibly can
They say we must bury the hatchet
But it looks like jealousy has broken an honest man"

Track: # - 12
Title: “It’s True What They Said, Romance Is Dead”
Genres: Alternative Rock, Pop-Punk
Length: 4:41
Label: Studio60 Records
Writer(s): Adam Benjamin, Amy Meyer, Jason Greenberg

LYRICS

“They warned you that maybe there’s more than meets the eye
Don’t fall for the girl that writes of wounds and lies
Cause maybe you’ll find yourself tangled inside my web like all of the other victims along the way
And maybe you’ll hear my voice echo inside your head
With all of the sharp little words that I say
Just let them echo inside your head
Every word I’ve ever said

I’m going down in a spiral
And I wish that I could take you with me
But apparently absence makes the heart grow fonder
So stay away from me a little longer
I’m going down in a spiral
And I wish that I could take you with me
But apparently absence makes the heart grow fonder
So stay away from me a little longer

Maybe it’s true what they said
Romance is dead
Don’t bring me flowers
I’d rather have a gun to the head
Maybe it’s true what they said
Romance is dead
Don’t bring me flowers
I’d rather have a gun to the head

Perhaps it’s true
I don’t have a heart like the others
I’ve had my share of pain enough times to know when to find shelter from the rain
And now I’ve become cynical, hollow and filled with regret
I’m only reminded of love and faith from that cross hanging from my neck
And although my wrists may not be clean and my eyes may not be dry
The scars deep inside my heart are the ones that I’ll always hide
Because I know I have been burnt one time too many
I’ve had enough of holding onto a memory

I’m going down in a spiral
And I wish that I could take you with me
But apparently absence makes the heart grow fonder
So stay away from me a little longer
I’m going down in a spiral
And I wish that I could take you with me
But apparently absence makes the heart grow fonder
So stay away from me a little longer

Maybe it’s true what they said
Romance is dead
Don’t bring me flowers
I’d rather have a gun to the head
Maybe it’s true what they said
Romance is dead
Don’t bring me flowers
I’d rather have a gun to the head”

Track: # - 14
Title: “With Clear Eyes and Full Hearts”
Genres: Alternative Rock, Pop-Punk
Length: 5:03
Label: Studio60 Records
Writer(s): Adam Benjamin, Amy Meyer, Jason Greenberg

LYRICS

“There comes a time when the dark clouds need to pass
Tired of always seeing the pain
And realizing that the good times just don’t last
And we have to fight to regain a sense of who we are and where we are going
But in this life it seems there is no way of knowing
I’m just clinging on
And you’re just clinging on
For dear life

But I think we need a change to come
To learn that not everything is a pain that we just can’t numb
And we are stronger than we think
We’re warriors and we’re on the brink
And this is our time now
Let us make a change somehow

So here we are now
With clear eyes and full hearts
Here we are now
With clear eyes and full hearts
Here we are now
With clear eyes and full hearts

It’s time to start feeling better
The past is the past and it’s out of control
Put on a smile and put on a show
Wipe those tears from your eyes now
And let your heart get wild now

So here we are now
With clear eyes and full hearts
Here we are now
With clear eyes and full hearts
Here we are now
With clear eyes and full hearts

So here we are now
With clear eyes and full hearts
Here we are now
With clear eyes and full hearts
Here we are now
With clear eyes and full hearts

So here we are now
With clear eyes and full hearts
Here we are now
With clear eyes and full hearts
Here we are now
With clear eyes and full hearts”

Track: # - 16
Title: “To Write Love On Her Arms”
Genres: Alternative Rock, Pop-Punk
Length: 6:29
Label: Studio60 Records
Writer(s): Adam Benjamin, Amy Meyer, Jason Greenberg

It becomes instantly clear that Riot! In The Boulevards latest release is a a quintessential Riot! track, drenched in all the familiar elements of the bands pop-punk roots with rapid-fire drum beats and a rhythmic bass delivery only just matched by a raucous and instantly recognizable lead guitar riff. The opening to the song begins with a solid bass-line intro and is quickly accompanied by repetitive drum beats, quickly followed by an opening lead guitar riff that reminds you of American Idiot-era Green Day. Within the first 15 seconds of the track you can feel that it’s going to be a traditionally powerful Riot! track and we are proven right as soon as Amy delivers the emotive opening lines to the song which instantly offers a feeling of positivity, “Hope is real, help is real, your story is important/Yeah, hope is real, help is real, your story is important” which are taken from one of the charity organisations mantra’s.
But the band begin to deliver their own version of that message with their very own penned manifesto as Amy sings passionately, “Even when it feels like nobodies listening, know that we will always have a voice/When you feel like there’s no other option/Know that you still have a choice/That things can be better/Faith is real/You’re not alone in this/Sadness is something we all feel.” and those words strike to as you can’t help but believe that Amy is singing from experience, singing from the heart.

The pace of the music picks up with a traditionally catchy Riot! pre-chorus as Amy bellows out with the backing of her cohorts, Adam Benjamin and Jason Greenberg, “Wake up because you’re alive/We are on your side, we are on your side/Wake up because you’re alive/We are on your side, we are on your side.” and you can’t help but imagine audiences of teenagers singing those lyrics passionately back to the band, letting them know that they want to fight through their struggle which is one of the reasons why this band seems like a perfect fit to deliver a song of this nature, a band that have recently gone through a tricky situation and seemingly came through it, just as strong as they have ever been. Not to mention personal circumstance like losing a parent or going through depression at young ages, it works because of the audience that the charity is generally seen to be helping and it feels like Riot! are the face of strength and positivity despite struggle and conflict and sadness.

As the guitar and drum combination build up to a moment of anticipation, they quickly crash down and revert back to a slightly slower breakdown which leads to the songs moment of reflection and emotion as the music softens for the seconds verse and leads way for Amy to allow her voice to dominate with the following, “When our hearts are heavy and light at the same time/We laugh and scream and sing and cry/Show every range of your emotions, wear that heart upon your sleeve tonight/Because nobody deserves to go through pain and sadness alone/Raise your voice, let it be known.” and the music begins to build up once again, the bass and drums combining to add a dramatic build effect as Amy fires out the following lyrics, “Maybe somebody will take the time to listen/Sometimes that’s just all that you need/If we help each other on this mission/Maybe someday we’ll succeed.”
And the music comes crashing down from the crescendo once more and once again is fast-paced and full of energy as that catchy pre-chorus arrives once more, but this time it’s emphasised by the songs chorus, as Amy delivers the lines, “To write love on her arms/We are not alone/Please don’t silence the truth/Someday we will find our path back home.” which repeats.
The music continues in a similarly fast-paced progression and the pre-chours/chorus combination dominates until fade.

LYRICS

“Hope is real, help is real, your story is important
Yeah, hope is real, help is real, your story is important
Even when it feels like nobodies listening, know that we will always have a voice
When you feel like there’s no other option
Know that you still have a choice
That things can be better
Faith is real
You’re not alone in this
Sadness is something we all feel

Wake up because you’re alive
We are on your side, we are on your side
Wake up because you’re alive
We are on your side, we are on your side

When our hearts are heavy and light at the same time
We laugh and scream and sing and cry
Show every range of your emotions, wear that heart upon your sleeve tonight
Because nobody deserves to go through pain and sadness alone
Raise your voice, let it be known
And maybe somebody will take the time to listen
Sometimes that’s just all that you need
If we help each other on this mission
Maybe someday we’ll succeed

Wake up because you’re alive
We are on your side, we are on your side
Wake up because you’re alive
We are on your side, we are on your side

To write love on her arms
We are not alone
Please don’t silence the truth
Someday we will find our path back home
To write love on her arms
We are not alone
Please don’t silence the truth
Someday we will find our path back home

Wake up because you’re alive
We are on your side, we are on your side
Wake up because you’re alive
We are on your side, we are on your side

Break the silence, scream if you need to
Make sure that your voice is heard
Never suffer in the silence
Make use of every second, every single word
Because no matter how loud the voices in your head are sounding
They’ll never be louder that the beat of your heart pounding
Break the silence
Scream if you need to
Make sure your voice is heard
Make use of every second
Every single little word

Wake up because you’re alive
We are on your side, we are on your side
Wake up because you’re alive
We are on your side, we are on your side

To write love on her arms
We are not alone
Please don’t silence the truth
Someday we will find our path back home
To write love on her arms
We are not alone
Please don’t silence the truth
Someday we will find our path back home

Wake up because you’re alive
We are on your side, we are on your side
Wake up because you’re alive
We are on your side, we are on your side”