Heartbreak; a feeling we're all familiar with but wish we weren't. It's intangible but can cut deeper than any knife. Heartbreak is an emotion that can steal your last bit of joy or motivate you to try harder than ever before.

The latter is exactly what NAKEDBURN, the latest in a long line of Toronto's emo royalty, have done. The band's debut EP Drowning, takes listeners on a bleak but hopeful journey over its thirteen minute run time.

From the opening riff of the albums intro track and lead single "Balance” NAKEDBURN have set a tone. This is a band that not only wears its heart on its sleeve, but a broken one at that. The chorus ’Stay together, we could suffer’ showcases the toxic codependency many modern relationships face. Not knowing if leaving something you love or staying despite the pain that comes with it is ultimately the right choice.

“IN MANY WAYS THIS EP IS A REPRESENTATION OF THE STAGES OF GRIEF AFTER A HARD BREAKUP AND LOSS IN ONE’S LIFE, AND ALTHOUGH THERE WAS A CLEAR THROUGH LINE FOR THE LYRICAL DIRECTION ON ALL THE SONGS, THERE’S ACTUALLY A WIDE VARIETY OF INSPIRATIONS FOR THE LYRICS THAT COME FROM ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE BAND.

WE TRIED TO FIND THAT THIN SILVER LINING OF RELATABILITY WHILE KEEPING THE LYRICS OPEN TO INTERPRETATION.”

- LUC CHIASSON, @_NAKEDBURN

The second half of the chorus ‘The walls come closing in. I need you by my side until I feel whole again’ featuring juxtaposing vocals from lead vocalist Matt Guarrasi and the raw screams of guitarist / co-vocalist Rob Licandro creates something that can only be described as viscerally haunting.

"Jaded", the sophomore single off the EP, picks up the pace, featuring Canadian music icon Liam Cormier of Cancer Bats. Not Just A Phase did a full article for the release of this single back in December. (For a more indepth look at "Jaded" read the article here).

The final single and title track of the EP, "Drowning" is a notable and welcome sonical shift from the previous singles. "Drowning" takes a more mellow approach both instrumentally and lyrically, with catchy pop inspired guitars and more optimistic self reflective lyrics. The chorus ‘Drowning me in your fantasy. Drag me back to shore before I sink too deep’ is instantly infectious. NAKEDBURN have an almost effortless knack for writing memorable hooks that stay with you long after that first listen. This is exactly what makes "Drowning" that perfect emo anthem to sing on repeat in your car on a long drive.

Some of the most memorable albums are defined by their opening and closing tracks, and this EP is no exception. "Pain", as the title implies, is as raw as it gets. Matt Guarrasi's lyrics ‘It might be easier to die than live another day. Trapped inside these thoughts and anchored by this pain’ are as genuine and emotionally vulnerable as it gets. It's the section you go back to replay in the middle of a song multiple times before you get through a single full listen. One that hits just as hard the hundredth time you hear it as it did the first.

Drowning feels like those long late night talks we have with a friend after a breakup. A deep unexplainable pain that has to be talked about and put into words for us to better understand how to navigate the most complex human emotion. NAKEDBURN have carefully and intentionally crafted a love letter to early 2000s emo and post-hardcore. They don't shy away from what made many of those albums we fondly look back on so great.

Drowning has something that is profoundly lacking in modern music, it has heart. The best way to sum up what NAKEDBURN as a band represent was said back in 2004 by Alexisonfire vocalist and Canadian emo legend George Pettit "Maybe the music isn't dead, maybe we all just forgot what it fucking sounded like."

Next phase for the band is to get back into the writing room to work on new music. They have no intent on slowing down and if anything, you will be seeing a lot more from them next year. You can catch NAKEDBURN Saturday, August 16th for the band's EP release show in Toronto, featuring F!TH and Jules Is Dead at Yes Electric Tattoo Studio.

ANY CLOSING WORDS FOR THE READERS?

“We want to thank everyone who's given us a chance, everyone who's come to our shows, and everyone who's listened to our music. We hope you continue to stick with us because we got a lot in store for the near future.”