I first saw London emo/pop punk players Our Lives In Cinema at the Signature Brew Haggerston all-dayer Punkasaurus Wreck’d this past January, and the group has been on a tear, promoting their long-awaited second full-length album ‘Eat Your Feelings’.

Continuing and building on a sound inspired the likes of The Wonder Years and Jeff Rosenstock, Mark Bartlett and co deal with the topics of body image, drinking habits and more general mental health, face on. This endeavour also utilises plenty of room for humour and hope throughout.

‘Eat Your Feelings’ was painstakingly written over the course of seven years, from 2017 to 2024, with the five-piece having drip-fed a few early recordings that would later be revisited for the album.

Generally, I found the themes present very relatable, and want to thank Mark and co for trusting me with this. Let’s go track by track, and pretentiously judge this piece of work, like I know what I’m doing with the first album review I’ve ever done (I don’t).

1. Dials

The album kicks off with a blitzer of a track, detailing feelings of mental disorientation and a low interest in everyday life, that can come with being unable to find an evident purpose in that life.

Lines like “My art keeps getting worse” and “I make firm plans; they all dissolve” explicitly speak to a lack of direction, while the highly singalongable™️ closing punch “Nothing moves the needle for me” hits the static melancholy home.

Much love to the below music video too, filmed at this past Easter’s Manchester Punk Festival, and featuring many lovely familiar faces to me!

2. It’s Always Sunny in Paterson Park

The next song is one that had been previously recorded and released on a demo EP, namely All Talk (2018). ‘It’s Always Sunny in Paterson Park’ continues the thread of cinematic metaphor that follows the band’s songwriting.

Exploring the need to overcome detrimental eating and drinking habits, the lyrics convey how easy it can be to feel lost in such a situation, an example being “Greens for a month, then drunk on rum ham“.

Equally though, there is also mention of the hope and belief that can be found, too, especially within the refrain “I better start thinking about my heart“. Shout out to the great little reference to Tommy Wiseau’s ‘The Room’, as well!

3. Dead Legends

‘Dead Legends’ keeps the pop punk pace up on the album, and melodically calls out those who look to profit from people’s deaths. This appears fitting for certain bands who risk tarnishing legacies, as well as a whole industry.

The song switches between the perspectives of the culprits suggesting “We can hike it up to 500 bucks” and someone on the outside who is “not in your union, but power to you [ /s ]”.

This is another tracked that was previously released as part of a series of demos in 2023.

4. Our Whole Hearts

A shorter one now at just over two minutes, ‘Our Whole Hearts’ discusses body image, along with more general uncertainties.

There is a mention of a concern around a job being replaced “with new open source AI” (always a worry from my perspective!), and this mental battle is compared to a “smile through a toothache as life is worsening“.

However, like at other points on this album, there is a current of hope running through on the other side of said mental battle, with a rally delivered using “my whole heart“, alongside trusted friends.

Going back to the musical stuff for a bit (how dare I??), the backing vocals at the end are particularly delightful.

5. Selective History

The conflict between insecurity and solace continues in ‘Selective History’, which proposes that while “experience is violence“, “it’s not like anybody died“. The song reflects on mistakes made in Mark’s twenties, but vows to fight through constant, subconscious urges to procrastinate.

An uphill struggle to control eating habits, and the weight concerns with that, remain present themes, though are more in the background in this one. Emphasised in the foreground are the aforementioned strive to overcome mental blocks, as well as consideration of mortality.

The statement that “we’re all mutants in a time-lapse, chilling on derelict land” brings another pang of melancholy to the reflective emo table.

6. Talk You Up

Here’s another track that had been previously released by the band, on the EP of the same name. Talk You Up hits out at those who are all talk and no action, while vowing to gas up the loved ones present.

The chorus reflects on unescapable “memories of ’05” as our protagonist references a family funeral. Meanwhile, the verses are interspersed with depictions of fluorescence; and points of realisation that hiding “behind the band“, “bespoke quotes” and “throwing letters” won’t improve life.

This is among the most lyrically poetic songs on the album, with so much imagery crammed in by Mark’s light speed delivery.

7. It Has To Be A Steinway

*Googles what a Steinway is* (Ahh, it’s a piano brand.).

A slightly slower and more melodic one now, as the album delves into close losses in and around the family, as well as frequently considering that “You’re romantic, but alone“. Prominently present is the topic of fatherhood, and the impact having a father figure can have.

The description of playing the drunk Steinway with “no shoes, no keys, just wide-eyed and love-lorn” depicts a protagonist throwing caution to the wind in pursuit of love.

It’s great to hear other members get in on some lead vocal action here, too!

8. Crushing Low

The eighth track, ‘Crushing Low’ continues the theme of inward moral and existential dread. This song blazes through feelings of love and regret in equal measure, amidst the crushing of beers.

A strongly proposed possibility that one may “die alone with a pregnant glow” emphasises those emotions, lamenting what might have been.

There is also a notable feeling that “freedom’s not what it used to be“, referring to the subconscious emptiness that can come with life.

9. Either Get A Dog Or Don’t

‘Either Get A Dog Or Don’t’ is the shortest song on ‘Eat Your Feelings’ by some distance. This track returns to memories from when Mark was in his twenties, while discussing ever-present money worries.

Beginning with an ominous violin-like sound akin to the Jaws film theme, this ode to “writing songs with my buddies” valiantly struggles through knee pains and some regret around not having kids.

Also present is the notion that yes, “my dog, he’s cute and cuddly“. Fuck yeah.

10. I’ve Got This

Next up is a much more self-confident title for a song on this album (love to see it!), and was initially demonstrated on the band’s eponymous 2017 EP.

‘I’ve Got This’ portrays a debt-ridden life amidst unpredictable neighbours, and a feeling of hesitation around socialising with the outside world. Regret around “not having a son” comes up again, while the navigation of day-to-day life is compared to “Tetris pieces in the dark” – an antithesis of the fluorescence being symbolised in ‘Talk You Up’.

A decreased BPM (beats per minute, for the music nerds 😉) notwithstanding, the final ‘Eat Your Feelings’ draft of this song matures compared to its demo counterpart like a fine cheese. Or wine.

11. Eat Your Feelings

Rounding off the album is the title track ‘Eat Your Feelings’, which explicitly sums up the overriding thematic topics of emotional eating behind closed doors, and overcoming extended ruts with love.

Depicting the struggle of changing one’s lifestyle long-term, the lyrics state that there is only so much that can be done. While reminiscing about a draining past, the protagonist tells himself to “reset everything once a year, track, keep lists and quit the beers“.

The closing track is the longest on the album, and while internal mental uncertainty remains, the song urges listeners to realise “it’s ok to be a revolving door” – injecting equally ever-present hope.

Closing remarks

Thanks again to Mark and the rest of OLIC for being my guinea pigs for this blog. Here’s to more album reviews going forward! Up the Posh, and up the Punx 🤘