It’s been a long time since I’ve sat with Say Sue Me in my ears. The Last Thing Left comes 4 years after their last full length and eight years since We’ve Sobered Up. What I get from The Last Thing Left is that Say Sue Me is in a different place than they were before. As South Korea slowly opens back up after COVID-19, music is also slowly coming back.
Say Sue Me is an indie rock band and previous releases had a surf rock influence across some of the songs. The Last Thing Left feels slightly different. Like the band is coming out of hibernation and finding their feet again. “The Memory of The Time” and “Still Here” are slow tempo songs and in a way, it’s the band finding its voice again. Say Sue Me’s English vocals help bridge the gap for international listeners as well.
The first high-energy track is “Around You.” It’s a little less indie rock and reminds me of pop rock. The bright instrumentals are slightly pulled back by the vocals, but overall the track gives Say Sue Me a chance to take a turn. If it took Say Sue Me two songs to get back in the groove, that’s a great way to set the album order. “We Look Alike” is a mid-point between “Still Here” and “Around You.”
Say Sue Me find their signature sound again on “No Real Place.” The surf rock percussion is matched by moving and energetic guitar and bass. I think this is one of the strongest singles but is also subterfuge for the entire album. “To Dream” has over 65,000 plays on Spotify and I’m surprised that this is the song that was chosen to be added to playlists. It’s a good song, but not what I think is the best track.
It’s disappointing that with the current single focus, Say Sue Me’s best songs might get missed. The Last Thing Left is backloaded with amazing tracks like “The Last Thing Left” and “Now I Say,” but these songs might be missed. There’s a definite reintroduction feel to the album as a whole.
The time between Say Sue Me’s albums shows the effects of world events. I’m glad the band didn’t disband and were able to come together to record a new album. The Last Thing Left opens a new chapter for the band and they spend 10 tracks finding out what kind of band they were and what they want to be now.
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Chris P
Korean Indie owner and Editor at Large. Constantly looking for new music and working on library parity on Spotify and YouTube Music.