Real Friends Showcases And Taps Into Their Strengths On ‘Blue Hour’

Chicago based pop-punk band Real Friends have returned with their fourth full-length record, with ‘Blue Hour’. This marks their first full-length since 2018’s ‘Composure’, and their first release since last year’s ‘There’s Nothing Worse Than Too Late’ EP. It also both marks current vocalist Cody Muraro‘s first full album with the band, after the two previous EP’s, and their first album as an unsigned band. This album dives into dark places lyrically, and the band puts it all on the table sound wise for this record.

The album kicks off with what I think is one of the stronger tracks, with “I Was a Deer In Your Headlights”. It starts off with a solid lil’ acoustic intro (which is fitting as the record ends with an acoustic bit as well). We get a sense of nostalgia in the sound, and it’s a common theme that’ll be present all throughout. It contains a very solid chorus, and shoutout to bassist Kyle Fasel‘s spoken word sections once again, they’re always fitting. And another shoutout to drummer Brian Blake killing it on this one as well. We continue on with the third single from the record, with “Our Love Was Like a Sad Song”. You get a sense on here that Cody is more aggressive in his vocal delivery, compared to how he sounded on the EP’s prior to this because the aggression and angst really come through. It’s once again provided a great chorus, as the melodies carry it throughout. It feels classic to the genre and that fall vibe really is felt on these opening tracks. The outro feels very fitting to the vibe as well, as it goes into the next track being “Cold Blooded”. We get some emo vibes to start this one, and the signature Real Friends vibe has come out as well. The chorus provides a lot of energy, and I appreciate how well-conveyed that is delivered here. The bridge stands out in a really solid way as well, and Cody shows off his vocal range quite impressively here. We then jump to maybe my favorite off this record, with “A Place I Don’t Think Exists”. This one’s just a good ol’ fashioned pop-punk track, as the melodies are doing overtime here and the chorus is one of their best to date. It’s so catchy and feels like a great and fitting addition to the album. The quick lil’ riff before the second verse is a nice touch as well, and the aggression at the end as well. We then jump to the second single from the record, with “Waiting Room”. This one has grown on me, as it feels like it hits better in context of this record and stands out in a cool way. It provides more signature vibes from the band, and the production definitely works in favor on this record too. Blake provides more standout drumming here, and the guitar from Dave Knox sounds so crisp as well.

We follow up with a more emo one, and a shorter track with “Asymmetry”. The guitar at the start really is a highlight here, and I just love that Cody has shown more aggression and vulnerability when it comes to his vocals on this release. We continue on with what I also think is one of the stronger tracks, with “Radiant”. It provides more classic pop-punk once again, and it goes to show they’ve got melodies down when it comes to this specific kind of sound. It feels so nostalgic in it’s instrumentation and sound, it’s reminiscent of the early 2000’s. It definitely hits that sweet spot for me quite well, and that’s why it stands out when it comes to the overall album. Fasel‘s bass skills shine through during the bridge as well here. The album marches on with yet another classic sounding song from the band, with “This Year Is Out to Get Me”. The title in itself feels very on brand for the band, and it taps into the sound they delivered when they first started this band. The lyrics here in particular feel more emo than the other tracks for sure. One lyric that stood out was “I’ll never have a darker day than the 14th of December”. It really puts you in their shoes if not for a moment and that’s something to connect to. And I just love how the bridge of this track feels very intimate, as it ends the song on a fitting note. We follow up with another shorter track and the fourth single, with “Never Has Become Always”. This might be their heaviest track to date and Cody puts it all vocally on this track when it comes to the raw aggression provided. It’s a fast one of course, and it keeps the energy of the last track and doubles it for these two minutes. The guitar by Knox stands out once again, as it comes off impressively and compliments this song quite nicely. The vibe of this track really makes it a highlight in retrospect and definitely a memorable one. We then jump to a more interlude-y kind of track with “Orange & Red”. Fasel‘s spoken word appears once again to back up this instrumentally gorgeous track. It’s a nice palette cleanser honestly as we near the end of the record, and the full band coming in hits quite hard.

As we start the home stretch of this record, we start off with the very first single from the record with “When You Were Here”. It provides yet again more classic vibes from the band, and it’s wild to think how essential as simple as something like an acoustic guitar can feel important to this band’s overall sound. Yet it seems to be effective every time it’s delivered, which I appreciate. This one is probably my least favorite out of the singles, but it still provides a solid chorus and fits in this placement when it comes to the track listing. We get to the penultimate track of the record with “10th Floor”, and Cody stands out yet again right off the bat on this one. This is definitely an example of them knowing full well how to mix pop-punk and emo, in an almost masterful kind of way. It’s something they’ve always been noteworthy of doing, and they’re very dependable with it. The chorus is great here, and the lyrics stand out yet again quite well. One lyric that stood out was “My sorrow became a thief, it’s stolen every piece of me”. And I appreciate once more that the bridge and outro end this song on a high note, and it feels fitting before the final track in “I Know How This Ends”. Ending the record on an acoustic and clean kind of track feels not only fitting to the album, but to this band’s identity as a whole. It’s quite soothing in its instrumentals, and the lyrics feel quite emo and very summed up the vibe of this record lyrically.

So all in all, ‘Blue Hour’ by Real Friends feels like a showcase for what this band excels at and continues to show why people support them. Whether it’s the instrumentation, lyrics, or heart on your sleeve vocals…this band shows you that they’re quite a dependable band in the scene and that frontman Cody Muraro is a capable voice to helm this very emo ship.