A writer – struggling through life and through loss. He writes stories in a notebook; stories and letters to a girl, or a woman – someone who’s gone – as he watches his town crumble beneath his feet. So sets up the story of La Dispute’s new album. Three years since their debut album, Somewhere at the Bottom of the River Between Vega and Altair, the post-hardcore group comes back strong with Wildlife, once again painting vivid pictures of struggle and desperation.

Wildlife begins with “A Departure”, which sets the tone for the stories that follow – a writer trying to make sense of the world and life, of his life. From there, the album takes off exploring many stories with varying themes. And although the concept is simple, it really gives the album more meaning. It feels more connected when every instance of the word “I” brings back the same person.

While the album is lyrically linked, it is also connected musically. Every song fades into each other, so Wildlife feels as if it is just one long one, and although if done wrong this could hurt an album, in this instance it only makes it better. In fact, it is best listened to from start to finish without pause.

The album lays out its three best songs after the second interlude, “A Poem”. The first of these is “King Park”, about gang violence and death. The song explores the beauty of life and the weight of murder, while also looking at the change from an innocent child into something older and something colder. Keeping with the dark themes, “Edward Benz, 27 Times” and “I See Everything” both praise faith, in family and in God respectively, during times of loss and change.

Wildlife is a great album and a must-buy. Each song holds an emotion to it that is hard to come by and Jordan Dreyer’s voice uniqueness only adds to it. The album gets a 9/10.