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Post by Razzle Dazzle on Feb 5, 2021 15:43:52 GMT 1
2021 Albums Weezer - Van Weezer 8.45/10 Inhaler - It Won’t Always Be Like This 8.35/10 Creeper - American Noir 8.33/10 Sam Fender - Seventeen Going Under 8.31/10 The Night Flight Orchestra - Aeromantic II 8.30/10 Black Honey - Written & Directed 8.30/10 The Lathums - How Beautiful Life Can Be 8.29/10 The Honest Heart Collective - More Harm 8.28/10 Lilith Czar - Created From Filth And Dust 8.27/10 Poppy - Flux 8.27/10 Badflower - This Is How The World Ends 8.26/10 We Are Scientists - Huffy 8.25/10 Creye - II 8.25/10 Foo Fighters - Medicine At Midnight 8.22/10 The Vaccines - Back In Love City 8.19/10 Mammoth WVH - Mammoth WVH 8.17/10 The Dead Deads - Tell Your Girls It's Alright 8.16/10 CHVRCHES - Screen Violence 8.15/10 Weezer - OK Human 8.13/10 Greta Van Fleet - The Battle At Garden's Gate 8.12/10 Beast In Black - Dark Connection 8.11/10 Maggie Lindemann - Paranoia 8.06/10 Teenage Wrist - Earth Is A Black Hole 8.05/10 Paerish - Fixed It All 8.05/10 Biffy Clyro - The Myth Of The Happily Ever After 8.04/10 The Night Game - Dog Years 8.04/10 Volbeat - Servant Of The Mind 8.03/10 Red Rum Club - How To Steal The World 8.00/10 Maximo Park – Nature Always Wins 8.00/10 Kississippi - Mood Ring 8.00/10 The Fratellis - Half Drunk Under A Full Moon 8.00/10 Webbed Wing - What’s So F*cking Funny? 7.96 Wolf Alice - Blue Weekend 7.95/10 The Pale White - Infinite Pleasure 7.95/10 DIAMANTE - American Dream 7.95/10 Vistas - What Were You Hoping to Find? 7.95/10 Daughtry – Dearly Beloved 7.92/10 Django Django – Glowing In The Dark 7.91/10 Pale Waves - Who Am I? 7.90/10 Olivia Rodrigo - Sour 7.90/10 Tom Grennan – Evering Road 7.89/10 YONAKA - Seize The Power 7.87/10 We Were Sharks - New Low 7.85/10 The Luka State - Fall In Fall Out 7.81/10 Only Sun - Tangled Mind 7.80/10 Royal Blood – Typhoons 7.77/10 Twenty One Pilots - Scaled And Icy 7.77/10 Chloe Moriondo - Blood Bunny 7.76/10 White Void - Anti 7.75/10 You Me At Six - Suckapunch 7.68/10 The Stayawakes - Pop Dreamz 7.63/10 Rise Against - Nowhere Generation 7.63/10 The Relentless - Cruel Games 7.62/10 Dead Poet Society - -!- 7.61/10 Hit Like A Girl - Heart Racer 7.61/10 Death From Above 1979 - Is 4 Lovers 7.55/10 The Snuts – W.L. 7.42/10 Manchester Orchestra - The Million Masks Of God 7.40/10 Saint Raymond - We Forgot We Were Dreaming 7.33/10 SKEGGS - Rehearsal 7.30/10 Back Garden Light - Back Garden Light 7.03/10
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Post by Razzle Dazzle on Feb 11, 2021 18:05:09 GMT 1
WEEZER - OK HumanRelease Date: January 29, 2021OK Human is the fourteenth studio album by American band Weezer, released on January 29, 2021 by Crush Music and Atlantic Records. Inspired by Harry Nilsson's Nilsson Sings Newman (1970) and the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds (1966), the album was recorded entirely with analogue equipment and features a 38-piece orchestra. Work on OK Human began as early as 2017, when the band decided to make an album that combined rock instrumentation with an orchestra. Producer Jake Sinclair suggested that they hire a 38-piece orchestra and also gave Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo the album Nilsson Sings Newman to listen to, on which singer Harry Nilsson covered songs by Randy Newman. Cuomo first mentioned OK Human prior to the release of Weezer (The Black Album) in a February 2019 interview with the Los Angeles Times. He noted the album was "piano-based" and "very eccentric" and that he had recorded strings for the album at Abbey Road Studios. The album's title is a play on the 1997 Radiohead album OK Computer. 1. All My Favorite Songs 10 2. Aloo Gobi 8.5 3. Grapes Of Wrath 9 4. Numbers 6 5. Playing My Piano 7.5 6. Mirror Image 7 7. Screens 9 8. Bird With A Broken Wing 8 9. Dead Roses 7.5 10. Everything Happens For A Reason N/A 11. Here Comes The Rain 9.5 12. La Brea Tar Pits 7.5
SummaryMusically the album is different to anything Weezer have done to date as you might expect being backed by a 38-piece orchestra. The strings are beautiful and the stripped back sound is much more fitting than the stadium rock album they were planning to release, opening track and first single from the record "All My Favourite Songs" is a classic Rivers Coumo, radio friendly, poppy and fun, Grapes Of Wrath is dedicated solely to Rivers Audible collection of audio books this is a very honest album, later on in the album we have two cracking songs in Screens and Here Comes The Rain, Wouldn't surprise me if both got released, this was a very very nice surprise by Rivers and the boys 8.13/10
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TheThorne
Member
*Hillside, slip and slide, feel the pain, it's no surprise!*
Posts: 27,397
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Post by TheThorne on Feb 12, 2021 14:00:20 GMT 1
Yeh its damn good but I am looking forward to 'Van Weezer' more but I get that they are holding it back until the Mega tour is on
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Post by Razzle Dazzle on Feb 12, 2021 14:27:52 GMT 1
THE STAYAWAKES - Pop Dreamz
Release Date: January 29, 2021Southsea punk-pop five-piece. The power-pop quintet deliver big hearted jams and sweet harmonies with a visceral live energy and more volume than is strictly necessary! They were a 2021 discovery so I don't know a great deal about them other than Pop Dreamz is their second album and they love 70's power pop and I adore "It's Cool, It's Rad" so lets give the rest of the album a listen 1. Wendi 7.5 2. Lovestruck 8 3. Please Steve Just Drive 7 4. Every Word But Please 7.5 5. Power Pop Massacre 8 6. You Rock My Socks Off 7 7. Back In '95 7.5 8. Oh Telephone 7 9. Pink Wave 8 10. Down For Love 7.5 11. It's Cool, It's Rad 9
SummaryPretty much what I was expecting, they don't try and re-invent the wheel, instead Pop Dreamz is a nostalgic throwback, the best description of the band I have found was "This is what Lit would have been if they continued making music", I had a chuckle, for me the sound dates back to the 70s power pop of bands like The Records, the nostalgia is real, I can never get bored of power pop done well whether its from 1979 or 2021 so Pop Dreamz gets a big thumbs up from me 7.63/10
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Post by Razzle Dazzle on Feb 12, 2021 14:30:54 GMT 1
Yeh its damn good but I am looking forward to 'Van Weezer' more but I get that they are holding it back until the Mega tour is on Oh yes, 2 great Weezer albums in one year would be amazing, Rivers was saying he has 4 more albums in the woks too! and for me they are back to their best, they keep knocking it out the park with recent singles
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TheThorne
Member
*Hillside, slip and slide, feel the pain, it's no surprise!*
Posts: 27,397
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Post by TheThorne on Feb 12, 2021 14:52:48 GMT 1
Yeh its damn good but I am looking forward to 'Van Weezer' more but I get that they are holding it back until the Mega tour is on Oh yes, 2 great Weezer albums in one year would be amazing, Rivers was saying he has 4 more albums in the woks too! and for me they are back to their best, they keep knocking it out the park with recent singles I actually got a Van Weezer t shirt for part of my Xmas . I agree I’m back to being as a big fan as I was in the late 90s
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Post by Razzle Dazzle on Feb 23, 2021 13:18:22 GMT 1
FOO FIGHTERS - Medicine At Midnight
Release Date: February 5, 2021Medicine at Midnight is the tenth studio album by American rock band Foo Fighters. Originally scheduled for 2020, the album was delayed to February 5, 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Three singles were released ahead of the album's release: "Shame Shame" in November 2020, "No Son of Mine" on New Year's Day 2021, and "Waiting on a War" in January 2021. Drummer Taylor Hawkins has described the album as being more "pop-oriented" than prior releases, different from their usual post-grunge sound. He also noted the use of a drum loop on the album, another atypical trait for the band. One song on the album, "Cloudspotter", contains a guitar riff that Grohl wrote 25 years ago in Seattle, but was never able to find a song to use it in until now. 1. Making A Fire 8.5 2. Shame Shame 7.5 3. Cloudspotter 8 4. Waiting On A War 9 5. Medicine At Midnight 8 6. No Son Of Mine 9 7. Holding Poison 8.5 8. Chasing Birds 7 9. Love Dies Young 8.5
SummaryGrohl likened the album's sound to David Bowie's Let's Dance album, with him explaining that it's "not like a EDM, disco, [or] modern dance record" but rather "this really up, fun record" that is "filled with anthemic, huge, sing-along rock songs." "Some of those songs, the best ones happen in 45 minutes. Then there's other songs — there's a riff on the new record I’ve been working on for 25 years. The first time I demoed it was in my basement in Seattle." Second single "No Son Of Mine" is probably the most typical Foo Fighters song here, I'm loving the none typical Foo Fighter songs here too with the Mooney Suzuki-esq gospel inspired "nah, nah, na na na na nah" on opening track "Making A Fire" and the AOR inspired Kiss-ish "Cloudspotter", the Foo's do acoustic well too, none better than the excellent "Waiting On A War", I wasn't a huge fan of their last two albums, they were a bit samey with 1 or 2 good songs but "Medicine At Midnight" one has such variety, its hard not to be impressed, the synth rock of "Holding Poison" and AOR of "Love Dies Young" towards the end of hte record means the album ends as well as it started, a short album too at only 9 tracks so absolutely no filler which is refreshing 8.22/10
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Post by Razzle Dazzle on Mar 1, 2021 16:49:56 GMT 1
MAGGIE LINDEMANN - Paranoia
Release Date: January 22, 2021
From Billboard, "Her breakout 2016 single “Pretty Girl,” was certified Platinum and its glitchy Cheat Codes x CADE remix racked up over 700 million plays on Spotify, a pure pop offering. In 2019, she released “ Friends Go,” a ska-tinged throwback that brought Lindemann’s preference for a guitar-driven sound to the forefront. The track “opened this door to something new, and I started writing more pop-alternative-rock-leaning music,” she says. “Friends Go” gained even more attention once super-drummer Travis Barker joined a version of the track, an experience that Lindemann calls “surreal” -- and which turned out to be transformative for her. “When Travis hopped on it, I got a real taste of what it would be like to do that,” she says of accessing her punk rock side. “I immediately loved it, and I never want to go back to what I was doing.” Emboldened by a co-sign from rock royalty, Lindemann steadily released singles throughout 2020, each one edgier than the last -- like ”Knife Under My Pillow,” a tight two minutes of livewire skate punk splendour, and “Scissorhands,” which was inspired by the 1990 cult Tim Burton film and features slashing knife effects, all leading up to her long-awaited debut album 1. Knife Under My Pillow 9 2. GASLIGHT! 6 3. Scissorhands 7.5 4. Crash and Burn 9.5 5. Loner 8.5 6. Love Songs 8 7. Different 7.5 8. It's Not Your Fault 8.5
SummaryI love this, Maggie Lindemann burst onto the scene as a sweetheart pop sensation back in 2016 but has spent the last few years finding her sound and has reinvented herself as a perfect blend of 90s grunge, 00s pop punk and 10s indie rock. Pop punk is making a huge comeback right now, successful artists are switching genres just to get a slice of the pop punk action (mostly thanks to Travis Barker and his one man crusade to convert everyone into pop punk believers), Knife Under My Pillow, Crash and Burn, Loner and closing track It's Not Your Fault are the ones to check out here, to make it easier here are a few live videos 8.06/10
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Post by Razzle Dazzle on Mar 3, 2021 15:54:00 GMT 1
PALE WAVES - Who Am I?Release Date: February 12, 2021Who Am I? is the second studio album by English indie pop band Pale Waves. Whereas the debut album My Mind Makes Noises (2018) had been inspired by 1980s music, the band instead took greater inspiration from the 1990s and 2000s music of their childhood such as Avril Lavigne and Alanis Morissette. Regarding the album's influences, Baron-Gracie told NME, "I know there are a lot of my fans that love Avril so I know they're gonna dissect my album and know what I've pulled from Avril. I went back to my roots with this album with someone like Alanis as well. She's just unapologetic, and I wanted to be like that in this album." 1. Change 9 2. Fall to Pieces 8 3. She's My Religion 9 4. Easy 8.5 5. Wish U Were Here 7.5 6. Tomorrow 8.5 7. You Don't Own Me 8 8. I Just Needed You 7 9. Odd Ones Out 7 10. Run To 7.5 11. Who Am I? 7
SummaryYeah good follow up album, I already knew a few songs from my personal chart going into this including She's My Religion #1, Change #5, Easy #7 and You Don't Own Me #9, so 4 songs that charted in the top 10, this is very 00s Avril/Alanis, unapologetically so, this is the direction the band wanted to go in and I like it, probably helped by loving Avril Lavigne and Alanis Morissette songs in the late 90's/early 00's, not quite as good as their debut but a solid second album 7.90/10
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Post by Razzle Dazzle on Mar 11, 2021 17:24:08 GMT 1
THE LUKA STATE - Fall In Fall Out
Release Date: January 29, 2021Cheshire indie-rockers The Luka State finally release their debut album Fall In Fall Out, I've been a big fan of these guys for a while now, they make pure mid 00's indie bangers, this is going to be one for fans of Foo Fighters, The Killers, Stereophonics etc, with its soaring indie rock, I have actually heard and charted 10 of these tracks so a nice easy one to rate today! 1. Feel It 9 2. Bury Me 7.5 3. Kick In The Teeth 7 4. Fake News 7 5. Real Thing 8 6. Girl 7 7. Bold 8 8. Room's On Fire 9 9. [Insert Girl's Name Here] 8.5 10. Fall In Fall Out 7 11. What's My Problem 8 12. (Outro) N/A
SummaryThe Luka State are one of the most exciting British rock bands to come around in recent years, for some this might be just indie rock by numbers but in 2021 bands that make guitar based indie rock are an endangered species and when its done well I love it, Room's On Fire and Feel It are arena sized anthems and [Insert Girl's Name Here] is a brilliant indie rock song, great to finally have their debut album 7.81/10
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Post by Razzle Dazzle on Mar 12, 2021 15:17:10 GMT 1
DJANGO DJANGO – Glowing In The Dark
Release Date: February 12, 2021London-based four-piece Django Django are back with their fourth studio album, I've always loved their singles but never been inspired to do a deep dive into any of their albums, I've never given their previous albums much more than a casual listen other than their self titled debut effort, they always seemed to me to be a band that released their best/most radio friendly songs from what I've heard, but them singles are incredibly consistent so lets give this one a go 1. Spirals 9.5 2. Right the Wrongs 7.5 3. Got Me Worried 7 4. Waking Up (Feat Charlotte Gainsbourg) 8.5 5. Free from Gravity 8.5 6. Headrush 7.5 7. The Ark N/A 8. Night of the Buffalo 8 9. The World Will Turn 7 10. Kick the Devil Out 7.5 11. Glowing in the Dark 8.5 12. Hold Fast 7.5 13. Asking for More 8
SummaryI've been a fan of the group since their self-titled debut earned a nomination for the Mercury Prize in 2012, ultimately losing out to Alt-J and their debut who have a very similar sound to Django Django, 10 years later as expected, their unique sound remains, I never expected them to re-invent the wheel here and I'm glad they didn't because this is pure Django Django, they have a sound and stick with it, at times I get 70's prog rock vibes though, especially on Night of the Buffalo, if your a fan of the band or Alt J then you will love this one, "Glowing In The Dark" is a solid addition to their growing back catalogue of excellent tunes 7.91/10
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Post by Razzle Dazzle on Mar 14, 2021 16:55:57 GMT 1
TEENAGE WRIST - Earth Is A Black Hole
Release Date: February 12, 2021The Los Angeles rock bands 2018’s debut album Chrome Neon Jesus was a brilliant mix of dark shoegaze with grunge undertones, I picked up single "Stoned, Alone" from TheThorne playlist way back in 2018, that was my introduction to Teenage Wrist and I thought wow this is good and have kept an eye on them since then, with Earth Is A Black Hole they have turned the grunge upto 11 and i love it, I've charted 3 singles from "Earth Is A Black Hole" so far so I'm looking forward to this one. 1. Squeeze (Intro) 8 2. Taste Of Gasoline 9 3. New Emotion 8 4. Yellowbelly 9.5 5. Silverspoon 7.5 6. Wear U Down 7.5 7. High Again 7 8. Wasting Time 8 9. Earth Is A Black Hole 8 10. Stella 8SummaryI don't usually rate intro's or opening instrumental tacks because they are usually a self indulgent load of rubbish but this intro slaps, its a perfect introduction to the album which goes straight into single "Taste Of Gasoline", Im loving the grungy 90s power-pop mixed with more modern emo, I think it works better than the shoegaze on debut album "Chrome Neon Jesus". Earth Is A Black Hole might only clock in at 33 minutes long but its full of brilliant songs, Yellowbelly is still my favourite track on the album but Taste Of Gasoline, New Emotion, Wasting Time, Earth Is A Black Hole and Stella are all quality tunes 8.05/10
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Post by Razzle Dazzle on Mar 16, 2021 15:42:32 GMT 1
BACK GARDEN LIGHT - Back Garden LightRelease Date: February 26, 2021Back Garden Light are a are a heavy pop punk band Bordeaux, formed in France in early 2014. They are a band on the rise in the French alternative scene, their sound is a mix of modern pop punk such as Neck Deep or State Champs and a hardcore/metal side with bands influencing them like Issues or Volumes. The subtle mix between the genre makes Back Garden Light, add a touch of electronic sounds and original samples and you got the BGL sound 1. Breach 7.5 2. The Right Side 7 3. Hitting the Road 9 4. Such a Shame 8 5. On My Own 7 6. A Story of Someone 7.5 7. Miss the Boat 6 8. Live and Learn 5 9. Never Felt Before 7 10. Offensive, Pt. 2 5.5 11. A Perfect Storm 6.5 12. Coma 8 13. Jumping Fences 7.5
SummaryAs you might imagine, these guys are quite hard to google! what i do know is Such a Shame was released as the fourth single from the album, the band had this to say about that song, “We call it the hit among us because it’s probably the one with the most hit-like elements, and its been the subject of a music video with our usual Van Espen team. The song is in ternary which gives it an indecent groove for a pop punk song! The topic is quite classic, we call out TV fans or people easily influenced by the media. Special mention for the pre-break bell which was influenced by Futurama”. I discovered them through their third single "Hitting the Road" which remains my favourite song by them, it gets a little too hardcore for me in the middle of the album! but there are a few nice pop punk songs on here and "Coma" is a nice acoustic song 7.03/10
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Post by greendemon on Mar 18, 2021 15:39:52 GMT 1
I'm obsessed with the Teenage Wrist album. Brilliant stuff. Agree that 'Yellowbelly' is the best thing on there though.
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Post by Razzle Dazzle on Mar 18, 2021 17:44:46 GMT 1
Yeah easily one of my highlights of 2021 so far
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Post by Razzle Dazzle on Mar 28, 2021 13:30:50 GMT 1
THE NIGHT GAME - Dog Years
Release Date: March 5, 2021Going by the moniker The Night Game, former Boys Like Girls’ lead vocalist Martin Johnson drops his second solo record "Dog Years", an evocative synth heavy, 80’s-inspired record pre dated by a string of nostalgia-ridden singles, 7 of which I've already heard. I know TheThorne has been looking forward to this release and its a good one to cover on a lazy Sunday having heard the majority of hte record already 1. The Stiltwalker 7.5 2. I Feel Like Dancing 7 3. Magic Trick 9.5 4. Our Generation 8.5 5. Companion ft Elle King 9 6. One Phone Call 9 7. Hurts So Good 7.5 8. Dancing in Heaven 7 9. Beautiful Stranger 8.5 10. UFO 7 11. A Postcard from the City of Angels 8
SummaryWhat's not to like, this is a brilliant 80’s-inspired record that ticks all the boxes. There are 3 stand out tracks here, the first single Magic Trick which is sheer nostalgia, the chorus is pure magic, the duet with Elle King which was recorded in Nashville when she was in town opening for Heart and Joan Jett which tells you everything about the retro rock feel this whole record oozes and finally One Phone Call which ticks all the boxes to be a classic 80s AOR. 8.04/10
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Post by Razzle Dazzle on Apr 1, 2021 12:10:26 GMT 1
WHITE VOID - Anti
Release Date, March 12, 2021Norwegian metal band, don't think i can sum them up better than the bands bio on record label Nuclear Blast so here it is. Eclectic hard rockers WHITE VOID are a curious bunch. Forged in the space between the occult rock of the seventies, the no-excuses-hard rock of the eighties and the British New Wave movement, they balance on the event horizon that separates old from new. Add to that the fact that the bandmembers of WHITE VOID have their backgrounds in Norwegian black metal, chiptune electronica, pop music and blues, and you’ll see why “Anti” is an album that’s hard to pin down. It’s darkly melodic, it’s driven, and it’s infused with earworms, hooks and licks. In the center of WHITE VOID stands Lars Are Nedland, long time member of BORKNAGAR and SOLEFALD. Leading a team of musicians including Tobias Solbakk of IHSAHN fame, electronica staple Vegard Kummen and blues rock virtuoso Eivind Marum. Still, “Anti” probably doesn't sound like you think. It’s an album riddled with contrasts and references, musically as well as philosophically. The concept is based on Albert Camus’ Absurdism and deals with how you cope with an existence that is in its core absurd. Musically it draws on the past while forging towards the future. And the result? Well, enter the Void to find out! 1. Do. Not. Sleep. 8 2. There Is No Freedom but the End 7.5 3. Where You Go, You'll Bring Nothing 7 4. The Shovel and the Cross 8 5. This Apocalypse Is For You 9.5 6. All Chains Rust, All Men Die 7 7. The f***ing Violence of Love 7.5 8. The Air Was Thick with Smoke 7.5
SummaryFrontman Lars Nedland is best known for being vocalist, drummer, and keyboardist for acclaimed avant-garde black metal band Solefald (1995-) and keyboardist for the progressive black metal act Borknagar. But his new project White Void is pure retro 70s inspired prog rock, in a recent interview Nedland said "I always adored music from the seventies, and I have had an urge to explore my own ideas connected to that for a long time, so I went for it." "The two main inspirations for White Void is the occult rock of the seventies and the new wave of the eighties, so I wanted to merge the two and create a musical expression that looked in the rear-view mirror without just being straight up retro". I'm loving this album, its like nothing else you will find in 2021, the melodic 70s operatic sound heavy on the hammond organ is nothing short of wonderful, single "This Apocalypse Is For You" really stands out here, but there's not a bad song on the album 7.75/10
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Post by Razzle Dazzle on Apr 9, 2021 21:50:34 GMT 1
DEAD POET SOCIETY - -!-Release Date: February 12, 2021Genre bending Los Angeles rock band Dead Poet Society have just release of their debut album -!- (The Exclamation Album), the four-piece formed when Jack Underkofler (guitar/vocals), Jack Collins (guitar), Will Goodroad (drums) and Dylan Brenner (bass) were studying music at college in Boston. With two EPs and a smattering of singles released between 2013 and now, it appears on paper that this record has been a long time coming. Sonically they should a little like Royal Blood/Nothing But Thieves, that kind of heavy but melodic 1. -!- N/A 2. futureofwar 7 3. burymewhole 8 4. getawayfortheweekend 9 5. American Blood 8 6. intoodeep 8 7. georgia 7.5 8. -JU- N/A 9. I Never Loved Myself Like I Loved You 7.5 10. SALT 6 11. CoDA 8 12. loveyoulikethat 8 13. -gopi- N/A 14. lovemelikeyoudo 6 15. beenherebefore 7.5 16. haunted 8.5
SummaryI don't mind the genre hopping, some songs are a bit metal, others are a bit pop, I always love the contrast so that's not an issue, it's the 3 spoken word tracks Dead Poet Society snuck in throughout the album that rubs me the wrong way, I mean they rarely add anything to an album but that's just my opinion, I cant think of many bands to pull it off well other than Idlewild on Scottish Fiction, you will never top that, so no point trying, other than that this is a solid debut album bordering on very good. My highlight here is the Royal Blood sounding moment getawayfortheweekend, the album goes from a spoken word track, to an instrumental, then goes bluesy, alternative, metal and by track 10 we are in southern, grease rock territory then after some more metal ends in an acoustic pop number, its a wild ride for sure, there are a few missteps but I enjoyed so much of this album 7.61/10
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Post by Razzle Dazzle on Apr 15, 2021 15:55:08 GMT 1
THE FRATELLIS - Half Drunk Under A Full Moon
Release Date: April 2, 2021The Fratellis return with brand new album "Half Drunk Under The Full Moon", the bands 6th studio album charted at #12 in the UK and follows their critically acclaimed 2018 album "In Your Own Sweet Time", which was their first top 5 UK album in 10 years. For me they have consistently made decent songs and I have listened to pretty much everything they have released and really enjoyed their last album, most people will remember them for their #5 single Chelsea Dagger and lost track of them after that so lets dive into this one. 1. Half Drunk Under a Full Moon 8 2. Need a Little Love 9 3. Lay Your Body Down 7.5 4. The Last Songbird 8 5. Strangers in the Street 7 6. Living in the Dark 9 7. Action Replay 7.5 8. Six Days in June 9.5 9. Oh Roxy 7.5 10. Hello Stranger 7
SummaryThis is unmistakably and unashamedly The Fratellis, compared to their previous albums "Half Drunk Under The Full Moon" is a lot slower with a hint of 60s doo-wop thrown in there for good measure. I love The Fratellis and I love doo-wop so that's not a problem, if anything it adds to their quirky charm. The album starts off well with album title track which leads into one of my favourite tracks on the album "Need a Little Love ", very 80's, lots of echo and to top it off a brass section, this album is full of lush sounding pop songs, none more so than "The Last Songbird", "Living in the Dark " and "Oh Roxy". First single "Six Days in June" released way back in 2020 is still my pick of the bunch with its keyboards and yet more brass section, good stuff, if your a fan of their previous stuff you will like this 8.0/10
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Post by Razzle Dazzle on Apr 21, 2021 17:31:17 GMT 1
MAXIMO PARK – Nature Always Wins
Release Date: February 26, 2021Newcastle indie rock band Maximo Park return with their seventh record "Nature Always Wins", twenty years since the band’s foundation. Along the way they have had four top 10 albums, but like most bands they haven't been relevant since 2009 in the singles chart but they continue to have huge success with their album releases with "Nature Always Wins" peaking at #2 in the UK chart. Amazing live band too, i saw them live for the first time in 2005 opening the second stage at a music festival not long after their first album was released and again in their native Newcastle around 2017 when they were promoting "Risk to Exist". They have a knack of combining clever wordplay with pop hooks with Our Velocity and Books From Boxes still being two of my favourite songs on the 00's. This is the first album without keyboard player and founder member Lukas Wooller after he announced in 2018 that he was leaving the band and moving to Australia with his wife so lets see what we have here. 1. Partly Of My Making 8 2. Versions Of You 7.5 3. Baby, Sleep 9.5 4. Placeholder 8 5. All Of Me 9 6. Ardour 7.5 7. Meeting Up 7 8. Why Must A Building Burn? 8.5 9. I Don’t Know What I’m Doing 8.5 10. The Acid Remark 7.5 11. Feelings I’m Supposed To Feel 7 12. Child Of The Flatlands 8
SummaryAnother fantastic album from Maximo Park, maybe their best since 2007's 'Our Earthly Pleasures', consistently high quality tracks here and plenty of growth from the band in terms of sound whilst maintaining what makes Maximo Park so unique. On 'Nature Always Wins' frontman Paul Smith said "I'm always nervous to see what people make of it because I've put so much of myself in to it, we all have in the band. We all love the music we make, and if you didn't, you shouldn't be releasing it.", "We're proud of the songs, they're as good as any out there, and what we've made in the past – it gives you that confidence that whatever happens, whatever a review says, or if people don't buy x amount of tickets, I could still go out there and play to one man and his dog like we did in the beginning and I would still put on a performance for that man - and his dog!" he laughs. 'Nature Always Wins' is an album that proves, two decades on, Maximo Park are still alive and kicking and very much relevant still 8.00/10
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