By Ronnie M. – Staff Reporter

“Let’s Cheers To This,” the second studio album by the band “Sleeping With Sirens,” was released on May 10, 2011, by Rise Records. This album was a commercial success reaching the Top 5 on the Hard Rock charts and helping lift the band to later mainstream success. Its positive reception solidified the band’s following after their debut. “Sleeping with Sirens” blended catchy pop-punk, raw emo, and hardcore elements in this album. 

“If You Can’t Hang” is about three different relationships and the lessons learned from them. It is motivational rebel anthem about taking control of your life, chasing dreams despite critics, and celebrating your journey and independence. It embodies the album’s core message: “This is my life – I’ve got the whole world in front of me” and “I finally know what it means to have something I can call my own.”

Lead vocalist Kellin Quinn came up the song “A Trophy Father’s Trophy Son” while thinking about divorce and how it affects the parents’ children. It is written from the perspective of a son to a father. Quinn sings, “Father, father, tell me where have you been? / It’s been hell not having you here / I’ve been missing you so bad / And you don’t seem to care” and “Why are you walking away? / Was it something I did? / Did I make a mistake ’cause / I’m trying to deal with the pain / I don’t understand this, is this how it ends?”

“Do it Now Remember it Later” is about ambition, taking control of one’s destiny, asserting independence, and living life fully without hesitation. Lyrics include, “I’ve seen this place before, back when I was young / And I had something more to prove / Now that I’m older, I’ve seen all the things that I want / And I’m ready to make my move” and “Remember when they said that what we want can never be done? / Well look who’s laughing now, we’ll do what we want to.” “Who Are You Now” talks about hope and self-reflection, finding your true identity despite life’s challenges and urging listeners to embrace change, learn from mistakes. Quinn sings, “Sometimes you have to fall before you fly / You made me hate my own reflection / Question every choice I make / So I could try to be perfect / But I will try to be fake,” reflecting confusion and a lost sense of self.

This album is crafted with intense focus and raw emotion. It is the band’s heaviest album and still stands as one of the most influential emo albums of all time.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars