Album Review: I The Mighty - Where the Mind Wants To Go/Where You Let It Go

Loneliness. Abandonment. Strife. And finally, acceptance. The themes of I The Mighty's third album are things that every person has to deal with at some point or another. And on Where the Mind Wants to Go/Where You Let It Go, Brent Walsh and co. deliver an emotionally poignant and beautiful ode to the feeling of being lost.
As the eleven tracks of the record unfold, Walsh's affecting vocal performance is laden with (for the most part) mellow, pulled back guitar strings. It's as if the abandonment felt by the band's frontman has led to their (once again, for the most part) abandonment of the riff-heavy post-hardcore sound on their previous records. But this is by no means a bad thing.
"Degenerates" kicks off the album, and long story short, it's one of the best songs of the year. Its dynamic crescendos and instrumental payoffs filled with life and color set the stage for the rest of the album to come. Highlights "Pet Names" and "111 Winchester" showcase the band's prevailing knack for a brilliant hook, while "Where The Mind Wants to Go" show that they still haven't lost their heavier edge just yet. Lyrics are unfortunately hit and miss throughout, but "Symphony of Skin" still showcases some of Walsh's best writing yet, and the worst passages aren't totally cringe-worthy. The album's only dud -- and it's still an enjoyable song, nonetheless -- is in "Chaos in Motion", which is a rather safe pop track. Finally, penultimate track "Silver Tongues", which includes a vocal feature from Dance Gavin Dance vocalist Tilian, perfectly ends the albums tale on a rather positive note. It's also possibly the best song of 2017. Fitting, because I The Mighty's latest is top of the pack for this year. As of now, it's our pick for 2017 Album of the Year.

Rating: A+ (first this year!)
Recommended Tracks: All of them, but mostly "Where the Mind Wants to Go", "Symphony of Skin" and "Silver Tongues"