half•alive’s Persona explores identity and the human experience, using music as both a mirror and a magnifying glass.
Long Beach trio half•alive return with Persona, a deep, introspective album that dives headfirst into the complexities of love, anger, longing, crisis, and estrangement. Throughout the 11 tracks, the band doesn’t just ask questions, they dare listeners to confront their own identities and perceptions. At the heart of it all, they pose the question - Are you looking, or are you seeing?
Formed in 2016, half•alive - lead singer Josh Taylor, drummer Brett Kramer, and bassist J. Tyler Johnson - first captured attention with their breakout single “Still Feel” and its intricately choreographed video. Since then, they’ve found their own space to blend indie rock with kinetic performance art, constantly evolving both their sound and vision. Persona is the latest step in that journey, and probably their most conceptually ambitious yet.
With their merging of cinematic synths, dynamic percussion, and soul-searching lyricism, Persona feels like a guided tour through the emotional labyrinth of modern existence. The album doesn’t shy away from existential questions - how does identity develop? How does the outside world shape us? - but rather, it leans into them.
Tracks like “Anger” pulse with visceral intensity, while “Longing” sways with a melancholic groove, yanking listeners into a dance between yearning and acceptance. “Crisis” crackles with urgency, capturing the inner turmoil of self-doubt, while the hauntingly beautiful “Estrangement” reflects on the distance we sometimes feel from ourselves and others. The album’s closing moments deliver the ultimate challenge…not just to exist, but to see, and to truly understand the world and our place in it.
With Persona, half•alive continue to build on their reputation as one of the most thought-provoking bands in modern rock. Their intricate musicianship and deeply reflective themes makes for a record that you’ll continue to think about after the first listen. Whether you’re searching for answers or simply looking for a musical escape, Persona is an album that needs to be experienced.