The Best Part About Being Human By Bearings

By Phil Hawkins

As summer is drawing ever closer to an end the sounds of summer still manage to linger on. With their classic pop punk sound Bearings offers up their highly anticipated third album, The Best Part About Being Human which is full of anthemic tracks that encourages the listener to fully savor every last bit of summer.

Given the SoCal vibes layered throughout the album it is hard to believe that it is being portrayed through the lens of the Great White North. Focusing on elemental, essential qualities of the band’s musicianship The Best Part About Being Human is the sort of record that is intended to be played at full volume.

The album kicks off with “Scenery” and wastes no time fully embedding itself in a lush pop-punk atmosphere that keeps things lighthearted and airy. This solid sense of fun without taking itself too serious is what carries the album so well from start to finish. “Don’t Wanna Forget About It” could easily be the end of summer anthem of wanting to hang on to the memories made (in general or with a specific someone) and not wanting to ever forget it. “Gone So Gone” shifts gears ever so slightly, but manages to keep the delivery fun and light.

“Go Long” and “Ocean Dream” carry a solid contrast against one another with “Ocean Dream” carrying a more mellow approach before fluidly transitioning into another solidly constructed pop-punk anthem. “Howie, You’re A Freak” picks the tempo back up and manages to get kind of lost midway through the album as it feels like it is missing some of the same gravitas as the rest of the album. Is it a bad track? No, but it might be the weakest among the bunch. “Slip” carries a very classic pop-punk sound that errs more on the pop aspect of things than punk. The interlaced piano work gives the track a bit of an extra flair for good measure.

“Live Forever Never Die” carries more of the pop sensibilities and paves the way for “I Want To Heal” which carries a heavier element that isn’t very prominent on the rest of the album. “I Want To Heal” has a nice solid ebb and flow throughout with an intriguing contrast as well. “Human” closes out the album and culminates in a manner that embodies the album as a whole making that last final anthemic hoorah of the summer.

Ultimately, The Best Part About Being Human is fun ride from start to finish that feels like an appropriate, albeit short, send off to the end of summer.

The Best Part About Being Human is out now on Pure Noise Records and is available on major streaming and digital platforms or you can purchase physical copies via the Pure Noise webstore.

Catch Bearings on tour in North America in September through October with Just Friends, Young Culture, Sad Park, Save Face and Odd Sweetheart.