ACTORS - Our Love Will Live Forever

The new record from the Vancouver-based band had a very troubled gestation: while writing and recording the album, frontman Jason Corbett had to deal with a serious cardiac emergency that forced the sessions to a halt (with the real possibility of never finishing the album, or of never being able to play live again). But after five long years since the previous “Acts Of Worship”, “Our Love Will Live Forever” has finally materialized, and that dark period now seems to be behind them.

There's no doubt that the modern post-punk (as they call it) of Actors is very much in step with the times, while occasionally glancing back at the sacred monsters of the early Eighties. Synthesizers play a major role here: a fact confirmed by the first singles released a full two years ago, “Object Of Desire” (three minutes of nocturnal, sensual swagger) and the following “In Real Life”, a composition brimming with an aching darkwave romanticism that explodes into a mighty refrain. This pair of tracks makes for an ideal opening to the album's second side, which, paradoxically, is far more inspired than the first half of the record. Indeed, the combination of “I’m Not Here” and “Exploded View” also works well, ahead of a shamelessly indie closer in “Bad Boys (Don’t Go To Heaven)”, a track that would have made real sparks fly had it come out some twenty years ago.
Better, then, to start from side B, given the less compelling quality of tracks like “Youth” (in this case, all mouth and no trousers), “Stimulation” (a song that thankfully picks itself up in its final stretch) and “Dead Inside”, which was also released as a single a while back. Some comfort, however, comes from the pleasant notes of “Left On Read” and opener “CTRL”, whose driving beat harks back to the Canadian quartet's finest work.

After so many years of activity and three albums to their name, we expected more from Actors: “Our Love Will Live Forever” is, on the whole, a decent enough record with a couple of tracks of real impact, but within this whirlwind of deeply personal themes (love, death, memory, choices, and the strength to move forward), what remains feels unfinished — something that could have been, but only partly was. Sometimes, feelings alone aren't enough.

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06/09/2026