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Post by Razzle Dazzle on Apr 6, 2020 13:28:28 GMT 1
CIRCA WAVES - Sad HappyRelease date: March 13, 2020When I saw these guys in 2014 on the second stage in the middle of the day in a small field in Derbyshire whilst drinking Somersby Cider I never expected that little over 5 year later they would have 4! top #20 albums with Sad Happy charting at #4! this was broken down into two smaller albums (Sad and Happy) but then released as a double album Sad Happy which is what I will be reviewing because its not a huge double album at 14 tracks. 1. Jacqueline 9 2. Be Your Drug 8 3. Move to San Francisco 9 4. Wasted On You 7.5 5. The Things We Knew Last Night 7 6. Call Your Name 8.5 7. Love You More 8 8. Sad Happy 8.5 9. Wake Up Call 7.5 10. Sympathy 7 11. Battered & Bruised 8.5 12. Hope There's a Heaven 8 13. Train to Lime Street N/A 14. Birthday Cake 7.5SummaryHaving just released a new album in 2019 it is amazing these lads from Liverpool have come up with such a great double album so quickly, frontman Kieran Shudall said “We were inspired by how quickly pop and hip-hop move and didn’t want to be left behind,” “We felt like alternative music needed a quicker turnaround.” And they weren't messing around. Sad Happy is the first track on the Sad record, and it acts as a bridge between the two halves with the album theme unsurprisingly straying into the sad territory, its a nice change of pace and executed well, what a brilliant album and well deserving of getting to #4 in the UK album chart. 8.00/10
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Post by Razzle Dazzle on Apr 8, 2020 12:56:39 GMT 1
NADA SURF - Never Not Together Release date: February 7, 2020This is the ninth full-length studio release for the New York alternative rock band, I have been looking forward to this one because I have 3 Nada Surf records, their 1996 debut record High/Low, 2002's Let Go and their cover version record released in 2010 If I Had a Hi-Fi and I have most of their singles from the other records. According to the band, their experience while celebrating the 15th anniversary of Let Go in 2017 pushed them into a different creative mindset. They made vast demos before thinning down the selection in an effort to find focus. The new album is the result and from the title down, it's a salute to communal unity. I have enjoyed the singles from Never Not Together so far so lets give the album a spin 1. So Much Love 9 2. Come Get Me 8 3. Live Learn and Forget 7.5 4. Just Wait 8 5. Something I Should Do 8.5 6. Looking for You 8.5 7. Crowded Star 6.5 8. Mathilda 7.5 9. Ride in the Unknown 9 SummaryNever Not Together is the best record Nada Surf have made in quite a while, everything about it is just so Nada Surf, you could say they are revisiting their roots, their best material has always been their Beatles-Kinks power pop moments, The album is book ended by two of these such moments So Much Love is a great poppy opener and my favourite track on the record and closing track Ride in the Unknown isn't far behind, both great songs and smack bang in the middle of the record we have two very good singles in Something I Should Do and the nursery rhyme esq Looking for You 8.05/10
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TheThorne
Member
*Hillside, slip and slide, feel the pain, it's no surprise!*
Posts: 27,536
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Post by TheThorne on Apr 8, 2020 15:47:10 GMT 1
Love that record, possibly my favourite of the year so far, I have every album they released since 'Let Go' . never went back and got 'High/Low' i don't even own 'Popular' on single, need to do that one day.
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Post by Razzle Dazzle on Apr 8, 2020 23:47:12 GMT 1
Yeah the album was a nice surprise, I think the singles peaked at 7 and 14 in my chart so I had high expectations going into it but I didnt expect so many good album tracks, certainly in my top 5 albums of the year so far
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Post by Razzle Dazzle on Apr 14, 2020 16:49:07 GMT 1
ALL TIME LOW - Wake Up, SunshineRelease date: April 3, 2020Wake Up, Sunshine is the eighth studio album by American pop punk band All Time Low, The lead single "Some Kind of Disaster" was released on January 21, 2020. The album's second single "Sleeping In" followed on February 20, 2020 alongside its music video and the album's third single "Getaway Green" was released on March 17, 2020 1. Some Kind Of Disaster 8.5 2. Sleeping In 8 3. Getaway Green 9 4. Melancholy Kaleidoscope 7.5 5. Trouble Is 7 6. Wake Up, Sunshine 9 7. Monsters (feat. blackbear) 8 8. Pretty Venom (Interlude) 7 9. Favorite Place (feat. The Band CAMINO) 8 10. Safe 7.5 11. January Gloom (Seasons, Pt. 1) 7 12. Clumsy 8 13. Glitter & Crimson 7.5 14. Summer Daze (Seasons, Pt. 2) 8 15. Basement Noise 7.5SummaryBaltimore pop-punk band All Time Low are back on top form with "Wake Up, Sunshine" as the band returned back to their roots, yeah this might be their typical brand of youth-oriented pop punk but it has depth and something for everyone across the 15 tracks. Single Getaway Green is a real stand out here along with the albums namesake Wake Up, Sunshine, the whole thing just sounds more anthemic than their last few albums. 7.83/10
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Post by Razzle Dazzle on Apr 15, 2020 11:40:07 GMT 1
New review up
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Post by Razzle Dazzle on Apr 21, 2020 16:28:57 GMT 1
BEACH BUNNY - Honeymoon
Release date: February 14, 2020Honeymoon is the debut studio album by American indie pop band Beach Bunny. Beach Bunny began in 2015 when Lili Trifilio recorded a song titled "6 Weeks". The next year, Trifilio released her first EP titled Animalism. Also in 2016, Beach Bunny released an EP titled Pool Party. In 2017, Beach Bunny released another EP titled Crybaby. In 2018, Beach Bunny released their fourth EP titled Prom Queen. On October 31, 2019, the band announced that they had signed to Mom + Pop Music and released their first full-length album, Honeymoon, on February 14, 2020 1. Promises 8 2. Cuffing Season 8.5 3. April 8 4. Rearview 6.5 5. Ms. California 8.5 6. Colorblind 7.5 7. Racetrack 7 8. Dream Boy 8 9. Cloud Nine 8
SummarySunny Chicago quartet Beach Bunny have released a fantastic power pop record with poppy vocals and Weezer-esque choruses, Lili Trifilio is a very good songwriter, on this record she focuses on her relationships, both the good and the bad, finding the sweet spot between heartbreak and hope, these lyrics are accompanied by some glorious guitar-pop with Cuffing Season being a stand out track, Promises was great too and it was their last single so I added it to my playlist, Ms. California is another great power pop song. 7.77/10
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Post by Razzle Dazzle on Apr 22, 2020 12:02:10 GMT 1
SOUTH HAVEN - MotionRelease Date: April 17, 2020South Haven are a female fronted heavy rock band from Copenhagen, Denmark, they play more approachable heavy rock with a pop twist, they are quite a multi national band having to female lead singers, Christine from Luxembourg and Angel from Nigeria. If I had to compare them to any band it would be Evanescence with the powerful female vocals and heavy but melodic guitars mixed with commercial-based Gothic Metal 1. Dancing in Nightmares 8.5 2. Better 9 3. Crush 8 4. Soldiers Heart 7 5. Torn 7 6. Sweet Suffering 7 7. Devotion 8 8. Winter in June 7.5 9. Tomorrow 6 10. Stains 7.5
SummaryFor their debut album they worked with some of the best producers in Denmark including Jacob Hansen and Martin Pagaard that have worked with VOLBEAT, the album starts well enough with singles "Dancing in Nightmares" and "Better", both catchy and memorable but the album does suffer from being a bit formulaic but a decent debut effort, cool album art too. 7.55/10
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Post by Razzle Dazzle on Apr 23, 2020 12:24:18 GMT 1
PEARL JAM - GigatonRelease Date: March 27, 2020Gigaton is the eleventh studio album by the American rock band Pearl Jam, released on March 27, 2020. It was preceded by the singles "Dance of the Clairvoyants", "Superblood Wolfmoon" and "Quick Escape" and is the band's first studio album in seven years. “Dance of the Clairvoyants,” is a startling, synth-driven single that got everybody talking again. It’s a divisive song, clearly inspired by The Talking Heads. 1. Who Ever Said 8.5 2. Superblood Wolfmoon 9 3. Dance Of The Clairvoyants 8.5 4. Quick Escape 8 5. Alright 6.5 6. Seven O'clock 7.5 7. Never Destination 8 8. Take The Long Way 8 9. Buckle Up 6.5 10. Comes Then Goes 8 11. Retrograde 8 12. River Cross 7.5
SummaryGigaton is quite a long album clocking in at just under an hour with five tracks over five minutes long and at times it can feel like a slog especially as the middle of the album has a fair few slow burners that blend into one but it is worth it in the end as they pull it back together towards the end of the album, this could be the best album Pearl Jam have released for 15 years or so 7.83/10
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Post by Razzle Dazzle on Apr 24, 2020 13:17:33 GMT 1
THE BIRTHDAY MASSACRE - Diamonds
Release Date: March 27, 2020The Birthday Massacre are a Canadian rock band formed in 1999 in Ontario, their eighth album "Diamonds" was released in March this year, they are probably best described as slightly gothic synth rock with elements of new wave, they are probably better known on Haven for being one of -Big Dan- favourite bands, their sound hasn't changed much over the years which isn't a bad thing, I quite like it when an act sticks to what they are good at. 1. Enter 8.5 2. The Sky Will Turn 9 3. Diamonds 8 4. Run 8.5 5. Flashback 8 6. The Last Goodbye 8.5 7. Crush 7 8. Mirrors 7.5 9. Parallel World 8.5
SummaryAs you would expect "Diamonds" is an alluring mix of electronica and metal, the nine songs are heavily guitar based but accompanied by full on 80's pop synth lines and sugar sweet female vocals. It's dark but at the same time pure pop perfection which is an interesting contrast, great album that maybe slows down a bit at the end with three songs that are more dream pop but I'm sure some people will love the slower dream pop songs and the change of pace and when the guitars kick in on final track Parallel World it elevates the song to another level 8.16/10
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Post by -Big Dan- on Apr 24, 2020 15:51:58 GMT 1
Good review, and I agree with most of it. Slightly ironic however that the one song that really stood out to me on my initial listen is the one that you've given your lowest score to (albeit still not that low).
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Post by Razzle Dazzle on Apr 24, 2020 16:10:18 GMT 1
Ha yeah, it stood out to me as being the most different, might be a grower, I've never been a fan of dream pop, give me the guitars!!! very good album though, my second favourite of the year so far
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Post by Razzle Dazzle on Apr 26, 2020 16:45:03 GMT 1
SNARLS - BurstRelease Date: March 6, 2020Who are Snarls you might ask? the band had two minor hits in my chart in 2020 with "Marbles" and "What's It Take" so I was interested in hearing more, MTV described them as "the best of emo and shoegaze". The Columbus, Ohio-based quartet – namely, Chlo White (vocals/guitar), Riley Hall (bass/vocals), and siblings Mick and Max Martinez (guitar and drums, respectively), all in their early 20s with a bright future ahead of them. 1. Walk in the Woods 8.5 2. Marbles 8.5 3. Twenty 7 4. What's It Take 8 5. Hair 7.5 6. Better Off 7.5 7. Concrete 7.5 8. All of This Will End 7 9. Falling 7 10. Burst 7
SummaryThe quartet’s debut album showcases a sincere vulnerability that shines through, it is most definitely shoegaze with a sprinkling of emo glitter pop, I think this would go down well on Haven with both the pop fans and the indie kids especially those who enjoyed 90’s shoegaze 7.55/10
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Post by Razzle Dazzle on Apr 29, 2020 16:28:40 GMT 1
THE STROKES - The New Abnormal
Release Date: April 10, 2020The New Abnormal is the sixth studio album by American rock band The Strokes and their first album in seven years. Matty Pywell of Gigwise wrote that it blends indie rock and "new wave mixed with electronica" and writing for Newsweek, James Crowley wrote that the album sonically leans more towards the "disco-tinged post-punk than the garage rock they made their name with," so im expecting a somewhat experimental album based on what I've heard so far, the album cover art could be a clue to the direction their music is moving in, a 1981 painting by NYC street-art legend Jean-Michel Basquiat, Bird On Money, his tribute to jazz musician Charlie Parker. 1. The Adults Are Talking 9.5 2. Selfless 8 3. Brooklyn Bridge To Chorus 9 4. Bad Decisions 9 5. Eternal Summer 7.5 6. At The Door 5.5 7. Why Are Sundays So Depressing 7 8. Not The Same Anymore 7.5 9. Ode To The Mets 8.5
Summary
On The New Abnormal the Strokes cherry pick the best of the 80's, at different moments on the record you can hear glam rock, dream pop, new wave, electronica, disco-tinged post-punk and at times outright 1980s pop music, one of the manty highlights of the record is current single “Brooklyn Bridge to Chorus" where Julian Casablancas pines “And the Eighties bands, where did they go?”. The first half of the album is great but the second half has a much slower pace and is more dedicated to ballads 7.94/10
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Post by Razzle Dazzle on May 5, 2020 12:20:42 GMT 1
BRENDAN BENSON – Dear Life
Release date: April 24, 2020Brendan Benson is an American musician and singer-songwriter. He plays guitar, bass guitar, keyboard, and drums. Dear Life is his seventh solo album and he has recorded three albums with Jack White and The Raconteurs, he is a criminally underrated musician that consistently releases damn good music with classic lyrics and Beatlesque melodies. 1. I Can If You Want Me To 7.5 2. Good to Be Alive 8 3. Half a Boy (Half a Man) 8 4. Richest Man 7.5 5. Dear Life 7.5 6. Baby's Eyes 9 7. Freak Out 8 8. Evil Eyes 9.5 9. I'm in Love 6.5 10. I Quit 8 11. Who's Gonna Love You? 7.5
SummaryYep this is classic Brendan Benson, powerpop hooks and Beatlesque harmonies, I liked the singles Good to Be Alive and Richest Man but the best of the record is hidden within the album tracks. This is quite an experimental album for Brendan Benson with keyboards, synths and some Raconteurs style rockers rather than his more usual more folk-pop sound, of course that sound still permeates throughout the album but he has mixed it up here, my favourite moment is the Raconteurs esq Evil Eyes closely followed by the jazzy pop hooks of Baby's Eyes but overall there's not much to dislike here 7.9/10
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Post by Razzle Dazzle on May 9, 2020 19:52:27 GMT 1
HAPPYNESS - FloatrRelease date: May 1, 2020Since their last full-length album, 2017’s ‘Write In’, London lo-fi surf rock slackers Happyness have shed a member (founding member Benji Compson) and seen Ash Kenazi promoted from supporting player to fierce drag-queen co-frontperson alongside Jonny Allan. The duo have described third LP ‘Floatr’ as the bookend to “the best and worst years of our lives”. Happyness are a band I discovered in 2014 when "Anything I Do Is Alright" charted at #19 in my personal chart then "A Whole New Shape" at #41 in 2015 but then I forgot about them until 2020 when single Ouch (Yup) made my top 100 and opening song "Title Track" is climbing my chart and set to be another top 40 hit, its this song that really grabbed my attention, its like a mix between Elliott Smith and Gorky's Zygotic Mynci. 1. title track 9.5 2. Milk Float 6.5 3. When I'm Far Away (From You) 7.5 4. Vegetable 8.5 5. What Isn't Nurture? 7.5 6. Bothsidesing 7.5 7. Undone 7 8. Anvil Bitch 7 9. Ouch (yup) 7.5 10. (I Kissed the Smile on Your Face) N/A 11. Seeing Eye Dog 8
SummaryAs drummer Ash Kenazi moves to co-front the band, the record documents his coming out as he embraces his drag persona. Setting the tone for a record of exploration of self discovery, this record dances round the edges on indie without ever being defined by it, there are elements of Pavement in the tongue-in-cheek lyricism and there's a nod to My Bloody Valentine and Slowdive but many I'm getting strong Elliott Smith vibes from the vocals especially on "title track" and "Vegetable" which happen to be two of my favourite tracks on the record 7.65/10
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Post by Razzle Dazzle on May 20, 2020 19:59:24 GMT 1
BOSTON MANOR - GLUE
Release date: May 1, 2020Blackpool quintet Boston Manor are back with their third full-length studio album, I really got into them with their last album with singles "Bad Machine" and "England's Dreaming" both quality alt rock songs. GLUE only charted at #97 in the UK but so far has been met with critical acclaim. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received an average score of 90, based on 5 reviews and on Album of the Year the album received an average score of 83 out of 100 and with 5 singles released from GLUE already I'm looking forward to hearing more. 1. Everything is Ordinary 8 2. 1's & 0's 7 3. Plasticine Dreams 9.5 4. Terrible Love 7.5 5. On a High Ledge 7.5 6. Only1 9 7. You, Me & the Class War 8 8. Playing God 7.5 9. Brand New Kids 8.5 10. Ratking 8 11. Stuck in the Mud 7 12. Liquid 8.5 13. Monolith 8.5
Summary Boston Manor have always been quite experimental considering they emerged from the pop punk scene around 2013 with a pretty straightforward pop punk effort, but their last album "Welcome to the Neighbourhood" blended elements of hip-hop, post-hardcore, R&B and industrial rock to create some fantastic broody, atmospheric music and with GLUE they continue to push the boundaries in their own way. Opening track "Everything is Ordinary" is an out and out industrial rocker and final track "Monolith" is a five and a half minute alt rock masterpiece and a big middle finger to the haters and everyone who makes the world a worse place as vocalist Henry Cox makes it clear by repeating, “Hey, you – f*** you too, I’ll do what I want when I want to.” before descending into beautiful piano outro and whilst the album has its softer moments what we end up with is a fantastic alt rock/industrial rock album that solidifies their growing importance amongst the pool of vital modern rock bands, hugely underrated band imo 8.03/10
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Post by Razzle Dazzle on Jun 2, 2020 11:04:11 GMT 1
THE 1975 - Notes On a Conditional Form
Release date: May 22, 2020The 22-track album was preceded by the seven singles "People", "Frail State of Mind", "Me & You Together Song", "The Birthday Party", "Jesus Christ 2005 God Bless America", "If You're Too Shy (Let Me Know)", and "Guys" over a nine-month period so plenty of songs I already know so the album isn't quite as daunting as it first appeared. Notes on a Conditional Form is meant as Part Two in their ongoing/drawn-out/long-delayed project Music for Cars and a sequel to their 2018 LP, A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships. 1. The 1975 N/A 2. People 7 3. The End (Music for Cars) N/A 4. Frail State of Mind 7.5 5. Streaming N/A 6. The Birthday Party 8 7. Yeah I Know 4 8. Then Because She Goes 7.5 9. Jesus Christ 2005 God Bless America 8.5 10. Roadkill 8 11. Me & You Together Song 10 12. I Think There's Something You Should Know 6 13. Nothing Revealed / Everything Denied 6.5 14. Tonight (I Wish I Was Your Boy) 7 15. Shiny Collarbone 5 16. If You're Too Shy (Let Me Know) 10 17. Playing on My Mind 7 18. Having No Head 3 19. What Should I Say 4 20. Bagsy Not in Net 3 21. Don't Worry 4 22. Guys 8SummaryWow that was hard work at times, TheThorne wasn't wrong, it was a wild rollercoaster of a ride from start to finish, there are two exceptional songs here and an albums worth of good solid tracks but my god their is also an entire albums worth of filler and at times they move into the abstract music I hate but there is a great album hidden here, if they had just released an 11 track record they would've scored atleast 8/10 from me so there is a good album in there if you have a skip button 1. People 7 2. Frail State of Mind 7 3. The Birthday Party 8 4. Then Because She Goes 7.5 5. Jesus Christ 2005 God Bless America 8.5 6. Roadkill 8 7. Me & You Together Song 10 8. Tonight (I Wish I Was Your Boy) 7 9. If You're Too Shy (Let Me Know) 10 10. Playing on My Mind 7 11. Guys 8 But even though I excluded the first 3 tracks because they were either a narration or a short instrumental in the end there were too many to omit and Notes On a Conditional Form only scores 6.52/10
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TheThorne
Member
*Hillside, slip and slide, feel the pain, it's no surprise!*
Posts: 27,536
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Post by TheThorne on Jun 2, 2020 11:16:13 GMT 1
Yes sadly I agree, if they had made a short record like The Strokes, with the playlist you suggest I'd he raving about it.
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Post by greendemon on Jun 3, 2020 10:42:15 GMT 1
Haven't heard it in full yet but I am in two minds about it based on the singles. The idea of a 22-track album is a little overwhelming!
I've liked all the singles (with the exception of Birthday Party) but even my two favourites (Frail State of Mind and If You're Too Shy) aren't quite up there with album #3. And I was actually slightly underwhelmed by them live!
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