No pun intended, but good Lord, how gosh darn posi can one band be? I know straightedge hardcore is supposed to be a positive outlook on one's life and choices, but how much glee club positivity can one muster up and still consider themselves hard? Everything on Northern California's Live for Today debut EP Taking it Back is not just an overload of positively positive hardcore. It's excessively optimistic hardcore that wants to take having a positive mental attitude to a whole new unreachable level.
What is that unreachable level? Well of course it's the gates of heaven, because not only are Live for Today trying be the most positive band since Good Clean Fun. Not only are Live for Today genuine in their positivity, they are also positive for Christ, because if the Almighty needs anything it's a generic hardcore band playing for Him to spread His message. Now don't get me wrong, I'm sure Live for Today are well-brought-up friendly people. Live for Today all showcase their pearly whites on back tray and look likable enough. But I'm sorry dudes, I just can't get behind a band that feels the need have the lyrics like "No regrets, paid my debts, I have life, through you my Christ." I know we could go back and forth on the whole Christian hardcore debacle but in all honesty, I don't mosh in your church so don't pray in my pit.
Musically, Live for Today isn't horrible if you can fathom the idea of a band playing early 90's Epitaph style punk over early 80's Revelation back catalog. It's like hearing a second rate Pennywise covering third rate Side by Side songs. The drums gallop, the guitars wail, the singer yells. There are breakdowns, cheater beats, pick slides and even some attempts at rapping. You heard me, rapping.
If you can handle sunshine Vitamin C overdoses of fun overly positive hardcore in your life, or maybe you open your heart to God and want to have a band you can whistle to on the way to church, than Live for Today is the band for you. For me though it's like being seated in suburban office complex cube farm next the "Happy Monday" lady from Office Space or spending an eternity at a Christian Youth lock-inââ¬Â¦ in hell.
