Let me start off with this:

Holy shit, Billy Talent is back!





Although this single does not quite live up to the song they released late 2019, Forgiveness I + II, it is still a strong addition to their discography! Additionally, it is the first official single off their new album due out this fall. So, this is exciting. If the new album is reminiscent of Reckless Paradise, then it will be a treat.





The artwork for this single is also unlike anything we have seen from Billy Talent. However, with that being said, this tune is comparable to Billy Talent II. The opening guitar sounds oddly like Devil In A Midnight Mass.





But, you can also hear how they have developed and matured with this new single--following the trend of their last few albums, where their abrasive style transformed into a more critical narrative on our society at large. That is not to say that their first album was not also analyzing the world we call home, but in Billy Talent II their songwriting improved drastically by becoming less dependent on their brash style. Make no mistake, they are still loud and heavy -- but they're more strategic with how they implement different tones. "Try Honesty," off of their first album showed early brilliance in their song writing, but they really ignited with future singles such as "Surrender," and "The Navy Song."





However, I'm not here to talk about their past songs, as amazing as they are. I will, however, be comparing "Reckless Paradise" with Billy Talent's other recent single, "Forgiveness I + II."





I mentioned at the very start of this post that I don't think that Reckless Paradise has lived up to Forgiveness I + II, and there are a few reasons for that:

1) Lyrically, they both talk about somewhat similar topics... Reckless Paradise does it with less depth. It still provokes thought at moments, especially the chorus.

"I know that something has to change, we got lost along the way/ your thoughts and prayers can't fix the pain, 'cause we're falling down again." For me, these lines, especially the latter, are the highlights of this song.

2) It's more of the same old Billy Talent formula. That isn't to say that it is bad, it's still a kickass tune. Forgiveness I + II showed the potential Billy Talent has to show us something we have never seen from them, or from anyone else. It was experimentation done right.

But let's go back to the quote from earlier: "I know that something has to change, we got lost along the way/your thoughts and prayers can't fix the pain, 'cause we're falling down again." I love the position they take on the state of the world. Because they're right, we do live in a reckless paradise. In this age of Democracy, equality is a huge subject constantly being improved upon. We have the potential to have such a fantastic world, and that's what they're getting at. But in order for us to get there, we do have to make some drastic changes. Not only are there social-economical problems we need to address, we also need to address he health of the Earth. We need to make changes to preserve the world we walk on if we want to continue to live.





As to the latter line, change is reflected through our actions. While thoughts and prayers are important aspects that often align with our actions--action is still needed. You can't simply whisper a prayer, or send your thoughts out. If you truly want change you need to find some way to act upon what you believe in. Ironic to their definitions, actions speak louder than words. Internalized words speak even less, which are essentially thoughts and prayers are.





Now what does this mean for their album due in fall? Honestly, it's hard to say. If anything I think that Forgiveness is useful in this argument. I think that their new album will be centered around them exploring their identity as a band. I expect more songs that follow their typical sound, like Reckless Paradise; however, I also expect a lot of experimental songs like Forgiveness I+II and the Afraid of Heights Reprise. I don't think it's coincidental that they ended their 5th studio album, Afraid of Heights, with the reprise. I think it was a footnote indicating what the future holds.





I feel like their new album is something to get excited about. It will most likely have something for all their fans. There will be the hard, gritty and unconventionally beautiful songs, like Reckless Paradise or Forgiveness I; but there will also be experimental tunes like Forgiveness II and the Afraid of Heights Reprise!











