News - Too Close To Touch + Bad Omens

Lexington, Kentucky post-hardcore band Too Close To Touch unveil their final album ‘For Keeps’ via Epitaph Records. A celebration of beloved late frontman Keaton Pierce, the posthumous release taps into a library of unfinished and unreleased material brought to life by friends in The Word Alive, Cane Hill and Bad Omens. Their latest single “Novocaine” features guest vocals and production from Bad Omens frontman Noah Sebastian, “serving as a timeless tribute to the friendship and artistic bond shared by Keaton and Noah,” Too Close To Touch reveal via Revolver.

pre-save / listen here : For Keeps , Novacaine

Read through for the single review!

Photo credit |Lyndsey Byrnes

Review from Matthew Powers insomnia music mag Journalist

When it comes to emotion, Lexington, KY’s Too Close To Touch are at its epicenter. This has been evident throughout their career. Releasing an entirely new album, For Keeps, featuring the final recordings of their passed-on frontman, Keaton Pierce, this coming Friday March 8th is the band’s final gift to their fans. This beautiful sentiment is topped off by today’s release of For Keep’s opener, Novocaine, featuring Bad Omens’ Noah Sebastian. 

Novocaine is a lush, tearjerking production. The entire song is soaked in reverberated modern pop verses and explosive, pained choruses. The picture that Novocaine paints is that of the human struggle to simply remain in this life, a send-off to one of post-hardcore’s most promising and heartfelt bands. Keaton’s vocals shine as he belts “Trying to feel like I’m alive, How many times have I survived?”. 

The best music in this genre comes from the songs you cannot only hear but that you can feel, not just as a listener but as a person. Every artist has that point of connection, of relatability. This has always been Too Close To Touch’s strength. Novocaine excels at this, not only with its masterful pacing and dynamic instrumentation that brings loud guitars in only when necessary, but especially with its delivery. 

Novocaine especially stands as a mournful reminder of the career ascendancy that Too Close To Touch were just on the verge of, when Noah Sebastian from Bad Omens’ comes in during the bridge. “If you still want to sing, fill in the blanks we need; You can do it through me, while you’re gone.” Bad Omens and Too Close To Touch occupied an up-and-coming new wave of post hardcore and metalcore that emphasized brilliant songwriting and heart-on-sleeve emotional stakes. Noah’s contribution to this song is honorable and full of loving intent. 

When For Keeps drops on March 8th, its listeners will almost certainly be witness to one of the most therapeutic and visceral dedications to a beloved bandmate that has ever been put to record. 

Too Close to Touch is Keaton Pierce(vocals), Mason Marble(guitar), and Kenny Downey(drums). Offering an explosive mix of indie-rock cool and punk-blasted emo pop energy, the band has tour extensively with the Vans Warped Tour and acts such as Waterparks, Issues and Crown the Empire. The band’s releases include the EP series I’m Hard To Love, But So Are You, Nerve Endings (2015), and Haven’t Been Myself (2016). In 2016, Too Close To Touch won the award for Best Underground Band at the Alternative Music Press Awards. Haven’t Been Myself debuted on the Billboard charts as the #3 Alternative Artist Album, #9 Top New Artist Album, and#133 Billboard Top 200 Current Album

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