Emo-core darlings Rainer Maria stay close to heartache and dogmatic independence on their third full-length, A Better Version of Me.
Sincerely endearing thanks to the band's passion for poetry and romanticism, classic visceral lyrics are clearly depicted, harmonic story lines picking things up where their critically received sophomore effort Look Now Look Again left off five years prior.
Caithlin De Marrais' graceful, yet abrasive vocals craft the dynamic of the band: well-directed musicianship without the frills of overproduced punk-inspired anthems.
The musical relationship between Caithlin De Marrais, guitarist Kyle Fischer, and drummer William Kuehn is as enigmatic as Lou Barlow's satirical heartbreak, but also emotionally stripped like Sarah Dougher's feminine toughness.
Songs such as "Spit and Fire" and "The Seven Sisters" are De Marrais' swan songs -- pure honesty of self-denial and fear.
Such messages are typically found in most pop songs, but a theme never far from any individual in search of something different, something creative, and something real.
And like their indie rock cohorts (Bettie Serveert, the Spinanes), Rainer Maria seeks catharsis in an enchanting way and A Better Version of Me supports humanity's internal tussles with taking responsibility.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Artificial LightRainer Maria | Rainer Maria | Play | 03:40 | 8 MB | 26 MB |
| 2 | Thought I WasRainer Maria | Rainer Maria | Play | 03:16 | 7 MB | 24 MB |
| 3 | CeremonyRainer Maria | Rainer Maria | Play | 04:20 | 9 MB | 29 MB |
| 4 | The Seven SistersRainer Maria | Rainer Maria | Play | 06:11 | 14 MB | 41 MB |
| 5 | Save My SkinRainer Maria | Rainer Maria | Play | 05:12 | 11 MB | 37 MB |
| 6 | The Contents of Lincoln's PocketsRainer Maria | Rainer Maria | Play | 04:19 | 9 MB | 32 MB |
| 7 | AtropineRainer Maria | Rainer Maria | Play | 06:34 | 15 MB | 44 MB |
| 8 | Spit and FireRainer Maria | Rainer Maria | Play | 04:28 | 10 MB | 29 MB |
| 9 | Hell and High WaterRainer Maria | Rainer Maria | Play | 03:45 | 8 MB | 28 MB |
| 41 mins | 95 MB | |||||
| 41 mins | 293 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Caithlin De Marrais | Group Member |
| 2 | Elliot Dicks | Assistant, Assistant Engineer, Assistant Producer, Mixing |
| 3 | Kyle Fischer | Group Member |
| 4 | Mark Haines | Engineer, Mixing, Producer |
| 5 | William Kuehn | Group Member |
| 6 | Mark Owens | Artwork, Design |
| 7 | Matt Owens | Design |
| 8 | Rainer Maria | Composer, Design, Primary Artist, Vocals |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |