Love Rarely – Pain Travels
Release Date: 10th April 2026
Label: Big Scary Monsters
They say bands have their entire lives to prepare for their first album, but the magic captured throughout this exceptional release is no accident. Two years on from their self-produced EP Lonely People, and their first offering as part of the Big Scary Monsters roster, mathcore quintet Love Rarely finally unleash their debut Pain Travels.
Fine-tuned through an extensive and star-studded touring schedule (supporting the likes of Sweet Pill, Loathe, and Callous Daoboys), and all the more better for it, this release is meticulously locked into the groove. Where percussive and unpredictable explosions are softly intertwined with vulnerable melody. The intricate guitar lines surge between your more traditional twinkle emo lines, to almost djent–esque strokes, and arguably provide some of the heaviest sections to happen with such minimal distortion. While the instrumentals deserve their own standing ovation for being almost inhumanely precise, it’s vocalist Courtney Levitt’s seemingly effortless ability to alternate between harmony and aggression that really brings the record to life.
In lead single and opening track ‘Will’, we’re gently introduced to the group’s trademark sound in all its iterations. With plenty of stop/start noodling and lush vocal harmonies building throughout, it’s clear why this track had to be shown off ahead of the album drop. Things swiftly change in ‘Repulse’, as the title suggests. Levitt’s serenading is swapped for snappy punk-style screams, and the glossy chords turn discordant in this short and sweet mosh break.
Meeting listeners with some very nostalgic Brand New Eyes type energy is ‘Severed’. A gut-wrenching showcase of technical prowess and deep reflection on past traumas, it’s difficult to not replay it immediately, if it wasn’t for the following track ‘I’ll Try” shifting these themes further down the spiral seemingly as an intentional second half.
Eagle eyed listeners will notice that ‘Mould’, ’Disappear’ and ‘Whiplash’ also made the cut despite being released prior as stand alone singles. This however feels much more intentional in expanding the over arcing themes of the record rather than filler. As everything concludes in a typically “lighters out/big finish” fashion, closing track ‘Through Families’ finds Levitt retracing old wounds with a now well established incendiary vulnerability.
On the surface, there’s plenty for listeners new and old to take away from this heartbreakingly decadent offering. The themes explored in Pain Travels seemingly run deeper than the very family tree it frequently references, and while there is a firm “If it ain’t broke…” approach stylistically, sometimes you can’t have too much of good thing.
FFO: Fall of Troy / Chon / Rolo Tomassi
Recommended Track: Severed