If All Else Fails

• Artist: Body Shirt

• Release: July 13, 2025

• Label: Reasons

• Screamo, Post-Hardcore

IF ALL ELSE FAILS

The Background:

To be completely blunt, I am an absolute sucker for all types of post-hardcore and screamo. It wasn't until around October of 2025 that the legends, Orchid, City of Caterpillar, Gospel, and other essentials bands started to grace my ears with ear aching bliss. It was so surreal that the two new genres I had just gotten into was filled to the brim with some of the best albums I had ever listened to. That rabbit hole carried on and around December especially I was discovering more and more underground screamo bands. Love Lost but Not Forgotten and Joshua Fit for Battle got me well fitted for that real emo sound. It didn't take long for me to consider it my favorite genre of all time. I've been prone to lumping bands as both post-hardcore and screamo a lot lately. The two genres are intertwined so closely that it's hard not to hear the similarities in either one. Unless were talking about the emoviolence side of screamo/skramz. Then that's a whole different story. I have just come across so many amazing underground acts I've grown to love that deserve some highlighting; with Body Shirt being one of them. But with that being said, Body Shirt has started pulling in a hefty amount of streams as of lately for an underground band. So I thought they'd make a great contestant for my next album review, their debut full length release, "if all else fails." It's technically an ep. But we'll call it an album for the sake of the article.

The Music:

I figured for a short project like this one, a track by track review would work best. Starting off strong, we have "and death will try and hold my hand" welcoming us in. It's the slowest working and most typical emo adjacent song. The bitter intro riff is carried throughout the whole song with the exception of the first chorus. The guitar fully mimics the riffs in complete chords in the first chorus while sandblasting against it in the second. I think introducing the muffled hymning in the second verse works well for it to get broken up with the choruses screeching. I also love the riff breakdown with harmonics filling up each stop. Then we have the second and longest song on the album, "so we beat on boats, against the current - reprised" Clocking in at 3:38, the song also takes its time, though using a bit less of a standard structure like the first song. I love the cloudy riff contrasting with the drum beat throughout the slow passages. The second verse brings buildup with the drumming in a more rudimental style. Even the climax takes unexpected routes to seethingly wrap up the song. The following guitar feedback brings somewhat of a transition to my favorite track, "life is strange, and i'm a dead rabbit." I absolutely love the main riff and how it immediately starts off the track. Especially with how the rhythm of the vocals and drums match with the variation of the main riff. Everything picks up so quickly and makes you feel like the album is finally in full motion. The second half is rounded out with a breakdown style passage, before ending in more feedback. Then we have another standout song, "Kid Gleason." It follows suit in the first two songs approach with a bitter riff leading up to the real show. Except this one never returns to that state. Instead, a frantic riff brings in the next passage where all hell breaks loose. The song then ends in another breakdown style closer, keeping you satisfied. Next we have, "Jim Lahey is a F***kin Drunk and he always will be!" The intro gives way so the bass can finally shine through, pairing up with the guitar for the hefty beginning. The song also uses little to know structure, with new riffs and rhythms being introduced all throughout while avoiding a proper climax. I enjoy the first chaotic section the most, using alternating patterns with the same rhythm but slightly different guitar riff and beat. Then we meet the end of the road, with "double bridge gap" closing everything off. The plucky intro riff oddly reminds me of "The List" by Pageninetynine. The song also has a somewhat similar upbeat tone, though of course Body Shirt twists it way more bittersweet. Most of the song pushes through with punk adjacent instrumentals decorated with the confronting finals screeches of the album. Things are beautifully closed out as everything slows down to meet the last breaths. I think the short projects really makes use of every second it has. That's one of my favorite things about post-hardcore and screamo. There's never any time wasted. Songs meet their length perfectly without dragging on unnecessary parts. Paired with the emotional weight each track carries, the album makes for an amazing experience. One of my favorite aspects about a full album is the intention behind a tracklist. The album brings you through a curated experience that keeps the flow of everything constantly moving. Whether intentional or not, I think "if all else fails," does this greatly.

What is a Body Shirt?:

Body Shirt is a three-piece screamo act from Queanbeyan, Australia. It feels like I've been doing a lot of research on Australian bands of as recently. The band was birthed sometime in 2023, with founding members Lachie and Angus nearing the end of their high school years. The guitars, vocals, and drums were filled in but they were still missing a persistant bassist. They started off leaning towards a shoegaze style of music. Though that came to an end as bands like capsuleofyou, widowdusk, and doris inspired them to switch to their current screamo sound. In 2024 they acquired bassist Dom, and things have been set ever since. So far, all of their releases are exclusive to 2025. The first was the debut single, "i eat my oats, idk about you," on March 18th. Next was the debut ep, "if all else fails," on June 13th. And most recently, their split ep with the band life, "body shirt/life," was released on November 2nd. Since then, the band has been playing occasional shows across Australia. Their hasn't been any public hinting towards their next release, but I can't imagine it would take too long before they do so. Body Shirt has been one of my favorite screamo bands as of lately. And if it wasn't clear already, I think they make some amazing and extremely promising music. I'll be looking forward to whatever releases they have in the near future. I might even hit them up for a small interview like with Hematidrosis! In the meantime, I'd suggest you make use of your next 15 minutes and listen to "if all else fails." I can assure you now it makes it every seconds worth.

Photos credited to @reasons2338 on Instagram

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