‘Sympathy’ is the second-last song on Billy Talent’s second album, from 2006. I’ve liked this one for as long as I can remember. I gave a whole spiel about my experience with that record in the last post for a song I did from it. There are still two more off the LP left for me to write about. What I’ll say for now is, I still enjoy their sophomore album a lot even almost 20 years on. There was a lot of music similar to Billy Talent’s made by many bands in those early 2000s that people have forgotten about or couldn’t listen to because the material hasn’t aged all that well sonically. “It’s not a phase, mum” music. But I’ll put my cent of support in and say the same can’t be said for those first two Billy Talent albums. I’ll play those back-to-back today, no problem. Almost every song on both of them gets two thumbs up from me.

And ‘Sympathy’ falls under that category too. There doesn’t appear to be a website of any kind containing any context on how the song was written or what it’s about. But I vividly remember reading an official band-related thing that stated the song concerned a specific smarmy Canadian politician man/congressperson who singer Ben Kowalewicz and guitarist Ian D’Sa were completely disappointed by. The name was explicitly stated too, but I can’t remember that. But you read the lyrics to the track and it all makes sense. The politician would be giving condolences on a subject, and Kowalewicz would think it was all a crock of shit. So ‘Sympathy’ was written as a full disclosure of his displeasure with the guy. Just so happens that this displeasure is incredibly infectious when it’s written within a song.

Like many a Billy Talent number, a lot of the melody is provided by Ian D’Sa’s fine guitar work. He doesn’t do the distinct simultaneous lead/rhythm guitar style of playing he’s known for as much on ‘Sympathy’. It’s all very much rhythm, chord-based on here. But even then, the vocal melody almost mirrors whatever chord progression D’Sa plays throughout. It’s still very essential within the song’s proceedings. Oh, Jesus, the solo, though. Very unique for a Billy Talent track, a big highlight in this one. I really enjoy Kowalewicz’s vocal here too. Billy Talent II was made as a bit of a conscious effort to move away from the aggression and ferocity displayed on its predecessor. So there was a tad less screaming, more of a focus on melody. And there’s nothing but melody on ‘Sympathy’. I read comments online complaining about how Kowalewicz’s voice can be grating or shrill. I’ve never had a problem, even if I could see where those people come from. I couldn’t say it’s any of those things on this track. The way he sings those ‘Breaking me down’ lines, especially the last one, makes me feel a way inside. Like I can feel his pain, or whatever. Just a solid, solid tune.