Selfish Machines (Reissue)

the take

What's crazy is I recently discovered that people consider Vic Fuentes whiny. I can definitely see/hear that now, but it doesn't make "Selfish Machines" any less impressive. If anything, being whiny adds more authenticity to said album. Pierce the Veil crafted an album that's both well within the niche of pop-punk/emo subgenres while also being easily accessible commercially. The tracks on here made for an amazing re-listen, especially since said tracks' production accompanied with guitar riffs perfectly encapsulate the emo sound of the early-2010's that I wasn't really into at the time (but have/had plenty of friends who were). Sure, after a while, it may sound like each song blends in with one another, but is it really a bad thing if you still enjoy the body of work? The one song that's always stuck out to me is "The New National Anthem"; it was always a standout banger for me, and still is to this day. It's only right if I play this album from top to bottom instead of on shuffle, though, so I can relive how amazing this body of work is. If anything, "Selfish Machines" solidified me as a fan of Pierce the Veil.