Bert McCracken Shares His Struggles in The Used's Latest Album Toxic Positivity

The Used released their 9th studio album, Toxic Positivity, on May 19th. This is the band’s first album since 2020’s Heartwork. It was produced by their longtime producer John Feldmann who has worked on all their previous album except for Canyon. The album was recorded in two sessions, one in the Fall of 2021 and another at the beginning of 2023.

First impressions are typically important but this is not always the case with music. Years ago I remember sorting through some of my parent’s old LPs. I came across Meet The Beatles and gave it a try. After listening to small bits of each song I left unimpressed. A few weeks later I went back and gave the album another try. After the third listen I was hooked and went on to become a huge Beatles fan.

When I listened to Toxic Positivity the first time it didn’t knock my socks off. However, learning from my previous experiences I waited a few days and gave it another listen before writing this review. On my first listen I was waiting for that one infectious song that almost every Used album possesses but unfortunately, nothing seemed to connect. After my third time listening to the album I found that I couldn’t get “Worst I’ve Ever Been” out of my head. I realized I had found the song I was looking for.

What I love about vocalist Bert McCracken is how unfiltered he is. Whether live or on recordings he is never shy about expressing his opinions and sharing his feelings. After having distanced themselves from the label, McKracken finally admitted that The Used have been an emo band their whole career. This may be their most emo album yet. The Used’s music is all about feelings and emotions and on Toxic Positivity McCracken shares his personal struggles which should resonate with many of the band’s fans.

“Humans share such similar experiences and similar tragedies and everything in between,” McCracken says of the intimate connection he has with people in all four corners of the globe. “I feel that if I’m writing honestly, and I’m writing from the heart, our fans will feel it.

“This record is quite tough for me to listen to,” he adds, “because it’s a reflection of times in my life that have been some of my lowest ever.”

It’s understandable why the album is tough for McCracken. Listening to the lyrics gives the sense of someone on the ledge. As the album progresses each song provides a glimpse into his personal demons. Lyrics like “I got all these thoughts making me unwell” from the song “Numb”, “I know a way to make the whole world go away” from “I Hate Everybody”, and “It’s crashing down around me” from “House of Sand” all detail his struggles. But just when you think all is lost, he closes the album with the song “Giving Up” where he manages to talk himself off that ledge.

“I wanted the record to end with something for people to grab onto,” McCracken smiles, referencing the closing Giving Up, which opens with the admission “Yesterday I woke up wanting to die” and concludes with the repeated mantra of “I’m not giving up on me”. “I want people to understand that, no matter how bad it gets, you don’t have to give up. Everything always feels different no matter what. So what you’re feeling right now you will not feel later on.”

It may have taken me a few listens to get there, but Toxic Positivity is a solid album by The Used. It can now be streamed at https://theused.ffm.to/toxicpositivity

For more information on The Used, please visit:

Website: www.TheUsed.net
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheUsed
Twitter: www.twitter.com/WeAreTheUsed
Instagram: www.instagram.com/theused

Post by Scott Raymer (Website | Instagram | Facebook)

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