Reggie & The Full Effect - "41"

Reggie and the Full Effect is the long time side project of Get Up Kids keyboardist James Dewees, and a long time favorite of mine.  And I'm not just saying that Reggie and Full Effect meant the world to me in high school. James got the Reggie and the Full Effect name going for their first outing with 1999's "Greatest Hits '84-'87 / The Lord of the Bling".  This album was decent, with some really solid tunes like "Your Boyfriend Hates Me" and "Girl, Why'd You Run Away?".  But the majority of this album seemed like extras left behind from The Get Up Kids.  Not to mention, James just seemed criminally unsure of where he wanted to take Reggie and the Full Effect.   James however when it came to the next Reggie outing really did seem to know what he was doing a little bit more.  With 2000's "Promotional Copy", James continued to bring in tons of very catchy Pop Punk and Emo anthems but infused them with just enough elements of alternative Metal and Electronic music to really have this album stand out.  Reggie and the Full Effect still has a ways to go, because a lot of these tracks still seemed a little unfinished. But still, this album was the first really solid Reggie project.  But let me tell you, James really kicked up the heat with the release of 2003's "Under The Tray".  This album was incredibly solid from start to finish, with more metal and electronic's than ever.  Outside of that James was writing some of his catchiest tunes yet like "What Won't Kill You Eats Gas" and "Happy V-Day".  It just really made my day to see James really transition very nicely out of the Get Up Kids and make his own unique sound.  Reggie's sound by 2005 was honestly at it's peak when they released their 2005 album "Songs Not To Get Married To", which as far as I'm concerned is a modern classic.  Tracks like "Take Me Home Please" and "Get Well Soon" still give me the chills to this day, and tracks like "The Fuck Stops Here" and "Caving" show James and crew branching out their sound even further.  It's also their most straightforward album, with less goofy skits and comedic numbers.  James took a few years to work on his next album, "Last Stop: Crappy Town".  This is an album that in more ways than one is a little hit and miss.  Let's chat about these lyrics for a second.  The entire tone of this album is so much less playful and more depressing, and the instrumentals were much heavier.  Of course, if you look into what James was going through around this time it's not that hard to fathom why the album was this messy in parts.  There were still tracks like "J" and "E" that stuck out to me.  But the heavier and more metal approach in parts was just not doing anything for me.  However, I actually think Reggie bounced back hard with 2013's "No Country for Old Musicians".  Now, I don't want to go as far as to call this album a Comedy album.  But Jesus Christ, tracks like "37", "Who Needs Another Drank?", and "Revenge Is a Dish Best Served at Park Chan-Wook's House" are seriously hilarious.  But that also led to a lot of painful tracks as well including "Guerrera" and "Sundae, Booth Sundae". as well as a handful of interludes that didn't need to be there.  But even more straightforward tracks like "Kanji Tattoos...Still In Style?!" just seemed like classic Reggie and the Full Effect tracks.  But more than anything, James just seemed to be having fun with the project again.  So it's been a mighty long time since we've heard from James and the rest of Reggie and the Full Effect.  And I've actually been sort of in love with these new singles, let's chat about this new album!

This album starts off with “il Sniffy Incontra”, and this is far from the start I wanted to hear.  Like, it’s been about 5 years since we’ve heard from Reggie and the Full Effect, and the last thing I wanted to hear start off this album is some half-assed, one minute of failed comedy.  However, I have to admit the triumphant, wild sound of “il Pesce Svedese” is just what the doctor ordered.  I love the anthemic guitars and the glitzy synths, even James himself sounds seriously refreshed.  It’s a soaring tune, with everything from Pop Punk to Emo thrown in.  It’s a very triumphant start, with some catchy lyrics and a youthful feel that I haven’t heard the likes of in ages from Reggie.  Then we have “Alone Again”, and the very synthetic sound that Reggie and the Full Effect have worked with for years remains strong.  It’s just a good helping of Alternative Rock with a huge focus on Synths at the end of the day.  I love the very downtrodden, heartbroken feel to this one, even if there isn’t nearly as much fanfare here.  It’s very memorable though, and one thing I do have to give props to is this production.  I mean, this isn’t a masterpiece, but it’s easily the most glamorous production James and company have ever touched.  Not to mention, I love some of the passionate vocals from James throughout.  “Alone Again” may not be track of the album, but it’s decent. However, James on “Broke Down” is really pushing himself, and it sadly goes over horribly.  He’s written heartbroken ballads before that have turned out fine, but this is literally one of the most boring tracks I’ve ever heard from him.  The hook is strong and all, and I really feel like James hasn’t let go of any of his ability to write a catchy tune.  As a matter, of fact, I would even say this is one of his catchiest choruses here.  But everything else about “Broke Down” is just so incredibly boring and drawn out.  On the other hand, I actually really love the much more electronic approach to “Heartbreak”.  This one practically has a dance beat on it, reminiscent of so many classic Reggie tunes.  James sounds so determined in his verse and so much more invested, even though this still isn’t the most upbeat tune.  The synths, however, are just so infectious and catchy, from that one lone keyboard on the chorus to the driving beat that bizarrely enough reminds me of something out of the legendary book of Kraftwerk.  “Heartbreak” may not be the most exciting tune, but it works great for Reggie and the Full Effect.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIT0dlL563Q

    Now, one thing I needed at this point, was some explosive tunes.  And “Karate School” is just the sort of energetic tune I needed to hear.  I’m totally into the chugging guitars and the much more Alternative Metal feel to this.  In a way, this really does sound like a classic Reggie tune, even James’s vocals come off so young and full of energy. Not to mention, it’s just great to hear them break free on the more polished sound we’ve got here and give us a great big, heavy tune.  I do have to say though, what probably works for me the most on “Karate School” is James’s songwriting.  This guy can seriously still write a punchy and catchy tune.  Honestly, this is exactly where I want to hear these guys right now.  Then we have “The Horrible Year” which has just the right amount of Rock and Electronic vibes, which is what drew me to Reggie and the Full Effect’s music in the first place.  In a lot of ways, this one is absolutely track of the album.  This is easily James’s most passionate performance, and you can just tell this one hit so close to him at the end of the day.  But this also sums up a lot of the feelings that Reggie and the Full Effect have dealt with since their first album.  It’s catchy and all for sure, and punchy as hell, packed with just the right amount of attitude.  It may not be the happiest tunes, but it certainly is an anthem.  Not to mention, it sort of has a heartwarming ending, good on ya boys.  We get another slow one with “New Years Day” however, and this one is just so damn drawn out.  I’m always down for a slow burner of sorts.  But with this album, it just hasn’t been complimenting anything at all.  It’s just so sappy, which I do guess you can say about the majority of these tracks.  Hell, you can say that Reggie and the Full Effect are pretty sappy in general.  But the presentation of this one is a joke.  It’s slow, and James doesn’t sound nearly as invested as he did on the last few tracks.  For a song that’s supposed to be emotional, “New Years Day” is a complete miss.   Tracks like “Maggie” do save this album, however, which instantly are just so punchy.  These more upbeat tunes that fuse Pop Punk and Emo and countless other genres are still Reggie and the Full Effect’s strength after all of these years.  In moments like this, they don’t sound like they’ve aged, not even close, they sound better than ever, to be honest.  I love the monolithic wall of synths we get at the chorus, and the chorus itself is just so damn huge.  That, as well as the punchy, upbeat verses, makes “Maggie” really work.  It’s a simple tune, but it comes off so much more emotional than any of the ballads on here.  And of course, it wouldn’t be a Reggie And the Full Effect album without an all-out Euro-Dance tune, which we get on “Channing Tatum Space Rollerblading Montage Music (ft. Fluxuation)”.  James has gone for these sort of tracks for years, but this actually may be one of his strongest attempts to date.  I love the groove on this one, and most importantly he’s actually taking this track semi-seriously.  When he’s gone for tracks like this in the past, it quickly dissolves into obnoxious “bro” humor.  But without that, “Channing Tatum Space Rollerblading Montage Music (ft. Fluxuation)” is actually a pleasant diversion for the album.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VucpUeJUV00

    Now, I’m going to be honest, as far as a slower tune goes “You’ve Got Secrets” is one of the best here.  It’s so much more determined and aggressive of a song, and James doesn’t sound nearly as sappy.  Some of these crunchy guitars are a great standout.  Now, from a writing standpoint, this may be a down point for the album, but James does make it work and wraps it up in a way where it comes off anthemic.  I may wish “You’ve Got Secrets” was a little catchier, but it’s a statement of a tune, and I do appreciate the much heavier approach.  But oh BOY, “Trap(ing) Music (ft. Common Denominator)” is the track I was scared for.  I’m sorry, but I’ve never been into James doing his Common Denominator alter ego.  I get we’re not supposed to take this seriously, but for me this track is just so obnoxious.  I really don’t mind some of the screams ironically, they actually lead to some of the more actually funny moments on this one.  Hell, even that “breakdown” comes off better than James thinks it does.  But 90% of “Trap(ing) Music (ft. Common Denominator)” is just not funny, and more annoying than anything.  On the other hand, I do really love the heavier and much darker vibe to “And Next With Feeling”.  Hell, these synths are even a little mysterious, who saw THAT coming?   I love just how spacey this one comes off.  The mixing here is a little off as some of these chugging guitar practically swallow Jame whole on the chorus.  But I love the way “And Next with Feeling” comes off as just the opposite of every other tune here, being very muddy and the furthest thing from polished.  This album ends off with “Off Delaware”, and man oh man, this is not what I wanted to hear from this finale.  James, once again feels the need to bring in these very sappy songs.  He’s really made a lot of great ballads in his time, or at least slower paced tunes.  But this track is just boring.  It may be deep and personal, but it’s not nearly as emotional, and certainly not as compelling.  James’s style just doesn’t really mesh well with this sound.  Not to mention, this is just a really fucking depressing ending to be honest.

Rating: 7.4/10


Give A Listen To: “il Pesce Svedese”, “Karate School”, “The Horrible Year”, “Maggie”


Genre: Alternative Rock / Pop Punk / Post Hardcore / Emo


Overall Thoughts:  This is a real Mixed Bag for Reggie and the Full Effect.  There are a lot of tunes on here that are easily some of the catchiest and most well written Reggie tracks I've heard in years.  But there are just as many moments of failed comedy and sappy nonsense going on here as well.  It's not nearly as consistent, and the production is off in a few parts.  But this album thankfully shows that James Dewees does have enough left in the tank for some more great music in the future.

POLIÇA & s t a r g a z e - “Music For The Long Emergency”

Poliça is a Synth Pop band that from their beginnings I really wanted to be into.  I really loved the looming atmospheres on their debut album "Give You The Ghost".  Not to mention, the intense performances on "Lay Your Cards Out" and "Violent Games" was seriously refreshing to hear for the genre. But a lot of the rest of this album, while it was immaculately produced, was a little too spacey for me.  Not to mention, the songwriting more often than not was sadly lacking.   However, in 2013 Poliça returned with "Shulamith", an album that was basically everything I wanted to hear from the band.  I loved the sheer mystery of this album, tracks like "Warrior Lord" just seemed to have so much going on.  These were dark tunes for some dark times, but they were certainly always beautiful underneath.  Not to mention, that track they did with Bon Iver's Justin Vernon was seriously classy.  But 2016's "United Crushers' showed that Poliça weren't as on to something as I had hoped.  This album was just so bland, filled with production you know they absolutely thought was revolutionary.  But it wasn't nothing about this album was anything more than just sort of alright.  So Poliça is back, in a bizarre twist alongside music ensemble s t a r g a z e, which actually sounds totally legit on paper.  But, I have to admit from this opening single I feel a little underwhelmed.

    This album starts off with “Fake Like”, and it’s very quaint Indie Pop intro with no Synths in sight.  To be honest, there’s really not a whole lot going on here.  I think s t a r g a z e’s very subtle instrumentation is quite pleasant.  But it may just be me, but I feel like Channy Leaneagh’s performance is seriously not big enough to carry this track.  I was expecting some very large, beautiful instrumentals that swept me away.  But right about now, I’m clambering to hear the Synth Pop of POLIÇA’s past.  The instrumentals pick up nicely for the chorus and all and actually bring in some very lush moments.  But they completely overshadow Channy, the mixing on this track is a joke.  “Fake Like” is a mess, and honestly sounds more like a Demo than anything, an incomplete thought.  My initial feelings on this is that both of these artists are gaining nothing from this.  Now, at the very least, the tension at the beginning of “Marrow” actually gets me on the edge of my seat.  As a whole, this track represents exactly what I was expecting to hear from this project.  Channy sounds so much harsher and charged with energy, just as much as the instrumentals.  There are noticeably so many more synths on this one, and I love the broken down futuristic feel.  I feel like “Marrow” is just a great sound for both of these acts, I even love the heavy effects on Channy’s vocals.  It’s intense and strangely dark, and just seriously entertaining.  Not to mention, it’s incredibly epic, and really shows what s t a r g a z e can accomplish.  On the other hand, I do enjoy the fluttering instrumentals of “Speaking of Ghost”, and even the very patient, thumping instrumentals that follow closely after.  But so much of this track is incredibly awkward.  The stop and go vibe that they’re going for is all over the place, and sadly I continue to think that Channy really can’t handle herself in this much more immersive atmosphere.  And as “Speaking of Ghost” rolls on and the production gets sloppy again, I really feel like this album is just a little too raw.  This could have been a seriously elegant and beautiful recording, but this sounds so rushed.  There are some serious moments of brilliance, like that one lone horn towards the end, and just how sweeping this one gets occasionally.  But for me, this one doesn’t work.  I do, however, actually really sort of enjoy the uneasy feeling behind “Agree”, and the mysterious, elegant melodies that follow.  It’s got some dark undertones, and while I have to be honest I still do wish POLIÇA added some more synths here and there, this track is pleasant.  Channy at the very least here can handle herself in this very blissful atmosphere.  Now, I do enjoy “Agree” a lot.  But I do have to point out that there’s nothing about this track that comes off as a collaboration, especially not between POLIÇA and s t a r g a z e.  On the contrary, if this is supposed to define the sound of these two together, it’s certainly missed the mark.  But still, I do enjoy this track a bunch, especially some of those string passages.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8adak89iQw

    These two clearly still have a few surprises, however, as “Cursed” brings in a good deal of mystery, especially from this prolonged intro featuring a whole lot of very subtle synths.  This actually harkens back tot he earlier, the dystopian feel of this album  But as this track rolls on it actually gets a whole lot wilder and more intense.  The vocals are so much more abrasive and wild, and the beat (which is so much more synthetic) sounds like a damn Nine Inch Nails beat.  On top of that, we have these incredibly lush strings that make everything come off so tense and tight.  “Curse” is a seriously great sound.  This doesn’t sound like the cutting room floor, this is actually a well thought out idea.  Where’s the rest of these thoughts?  I do have to say though, when I saw the last two tracks here are near 10-minutes a piece, I was worried.  Now, I do really like the grim, mysterious vibe that “How Is This Happening” brings in.  Channy’s performance, however, is just sort of OK.  I do like just how alone she sounds.  Hell, she sounds like she’s practically floating out in space, I mean she sounds ALONE.  But I feel like they should have really taken more advantage of that made this a much more intense performance.  Because this one starts out really dark and compelling, but it seriously falls apart.  Channy’s performance is OK and all, but not nearly enough to carry this one for 10 minutes.  And then this just sort of fizzle out for 5 minutes to become a sound collage of sorts.  Which, honestly sounds just fine on paper.  But neither one of these artists pushes their ideas too far.  By the end of “How Is This Happening”, sadly I’m just bored.  How is this Happening?  More like, who thought this was a good idea?  And to be frank, “Music for the Long Emergency" really isn’t that much better.  Once again, the intro is very mysterious and enjoyable.  But I have no idea why these two artists think they can handle 10-minute songs all of a sudden.  Let’s be real, this finale is a whole lot better than the last tune, at the very least there is an epic feel to this track.  But between POLIÇA and s t a r g a z e, they sound like they’re on completely different pages.  s t a r g a z e seems to be more on point with this one, creating this very sweeping, beautiful instrumental.  And Channy’s performance isn’t the absolute worst thing I’ve heard all year.  But I seriously feel like there’s no continuity with this one.  There’s no pay off to all of these incredibly grand instrumentals.  And while there are seemingly endless, and I mean ENDLESS moments here where I get the chills for a second or two, I feel like as a whole this one is just a tease for what this album could have been.

Rating:  6.6/10

Give A Listen To: "Marrow", "Agree", "Cursed", that's about it

Genre: Dystopian- Indie Pop

Overall Thoughts:  This album could have been something very special, and a serious revitalization to  POLIÇA's music.  There are seemingly endless moments on here that these two artists are really great and creating very dense atmospheres, filled with very dark and futuristic vibes.  But there are just as many moments on this one that just get on my nerves.  The production is an absolute mess, with the mixing on a half of these tracks coming off as demo quality.  But I feel like the biggest flaw of this album is just how rushed it all sounds.  There are moments, literally seconds here and there that these two artists seem on the same page.  But way too many of these tracks come off unfocused, starting strong and falling apart moments later.  Too much of this album just seems on the cutting room floor still, and not nearly the rejuvenating performance I would have hoped. 

U.S. Girls - “In A Poem Unlimited”

Meghan Remy has been recording Experimental Pop under the name U.S. Girls for almost 10 years now.  Now, when I first heard her 2008 "Introducing" album, I had a lot of mixed feelings about it.  For one, I thought the album was a little poorly recorded and underwritten.  But I also felt this instant weird connection with it.  I found Meghan's music haunting beyond belief.  The atmosphere's were chilling, and had this sort of bluesy, highway vibe that almost reminded me of the music of Dirty Beaches.   Meghan returned in 2010 with "Go Grey", which certainly was a little more gussied up but still highly experimental.  But as bizarre as it got, there was something about Meghan's haunting performances that reeled me in and refused to let go.  Everything clicked for me though with Meghan's next album, 2011's "U.S. GIRLS on KRAAK".  This album was equally as freaky and truly experimental.  However, Meghan brought in more and more pop elements than ever and really found a brilliant balance of weird and catchy.  Meghan on 2012's "Gem" continued to blur the line between Experimental and Pop music.  Tracks like "Another Color' were completely captivating, surreal, Experimental movements that were seriously chilling.  On the other hand, tracks like "Down In The Boondocks" and "Slim Baby" showed that Meghan was becoming an honest to God Pop Star.  But let me tell you, in 2015 Meghan actually totally blew my damn mind with "Half Free".   This album was still by no means a conventional pop album, not even close.  It was chilly and haunting in parts.  But tracks like "Window Shades" and "New Age Thriller" were absolutely unreal tunes.  Meghan had truly become the left-field Pop Star I'd be looking for.  So it's certainly been a little while since Meghan has releases a U.S. Girls project.  But from the sound of these opening singles, she's seriously outdone herself and become more of a Left-Field Pop star than I'd hoped.  Let's chat.

    This album starts off with “Velvet 4 Sale”.  It’s a smooth intro, and by 10 seconds in this is already easily some of Meghan's most straightforward music to date.  There’s this very sleek, laid-back synth groove that I actually think is incredibly classy.  It’s very glitzy and futuristic, but the pain and hurt behind Meghan’s music that’s been a factor for years are back in a big way.  But this time it’s so much easier to comprehend.  Her performance is just so gloomy here and bruised.  But she does the absolute strangest thing with this track, and make an honest to God pop song out of it.  I love the lazy horns floating through the background, making for a seriously bizarre clash of styles.  But Meghan turns all of this into such a mesmerizing and chilling performance.  Then we have “Rage of Plastics”, which continues with that very uneasy, haunting vibe that this album started with.  It’s still a Pop tune at heart, but Meghan does bring in some very classy Rock N Roll vibes. Meghan’s performance is a strange one, filled with daring albums that have pushed all sorts of buttons and blended genres.  But the material here may be her most daring yet, even if it’s much easier to comprehend.  “Rage of Plastics” has this fantastic bluesy vibe, as this one brings back the sort of “Highway Rock” that Meghan has worked with in the past.  But this is certainly still freakish from the twisted saxophone playing to the masterful pacing.  On the other hand, “M.A.H.” goes for something I really didn’t expect to hear, and that’s an all-out Post-Disco tune.  The fact that this is the same girl that was making chilling sound collage’s like 3 years ago is completely bizarre.  The groove’s here is infectious, and the continued lingering horns just out of reach really make this one memorable.  “M.A.H.” ends up coming off incredibly true to its Disco roots, to the point where it occasionally does sound like a cover.  But that’s not enough to bring this one down.  It’s glitzy, catchy, but still incredibly chilling.   Then we have the “Why Do I Lose My Voice When I Have Something To Say” interlude, which I certainly get why it’s included.  It does get into a lot of the same topics this album deals with, and it is haunting in its own way.  But I do sort of wish Meghan just tied this on to the end of a track. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YkIvuGYGqA

    Then we have “Rosebud”, which isn’t disco, it’s not experimental, it’s the closest thing to a straight-up dance tune we’ve gotten here yet.  Meghan’s very ethereal performance here is so chilling, as she’s constantly seemingly floating out of reach.  But the low-key synth groove and the very classy strings make this a much easier track to swallow.  There’s still a very strange, timeless feel to “Rosebud” that I can’t shake.  This is still such an incredibly buried album that’s just so haunted by pain and suffering, and that’s what really makes it stick with you.  It brings in just enough chilling realism into this very otherworldly Pop, and it’s awesome.  Then we have “Incidental Boogie”, which sounds like some Pop tune from another dimension.  It's noisy, and it’s got one of the best grooves on this entire album.  Interestingly though, I feel like Meghan almost sounds more comfortable in this very intense atmosphere.  Once again though, it’s the incredibly real world that these lyrics come from that bring this back down a few pegs.  Lyrically, “Incidental Boogie: tackles abuse in relationships, a common theme for this album.  And while this one is funky and exciting at times, lyrically it does get knocked down a few pegs.  Then we have “L-Over”, and remember earlier when I said that Meghan was bringing in some classic Rock N Roll vibes?  Well, they’re back, and with more vintage Pop appeal than ever.  I love the way this one creeps along, and Meghan’s very innocent performance is so chilling.  It’s moments like this that really do stand out the most here when Meghan takes all of these usual elements Pop and turns them on their head.  Once again, “L-Over” is chilling, which obviously has been a part of Meghan’s music for seemingly forever.  But this may be her most haunting work yet overall.  And the fact that she’s been able to hold on to that while making her most Pop album yet is truly special.  Then we have “Pearly Gates” which is the furthest thing from vintage.  There’s almost a sort of Hip-Hop groove to this one that I’m actually seriously down with.  Meghan’s performance is soulful, but also incredibly bruised and beaten down.  It’s got some serious grooves to it, but once again when you grab a look at some of these lyrics you’re brought right back down to earth.  The truly haunting element of this album is abuse, something that’s been put into seemingly countless album’s recently.  But Meghan continues to turn these horrible occurrences and twisting them into deformed Pop tunes. 

    “Poem” on the other hand, goes for a more traditional Synth Pop sound, an element I’m surprised we didn’t hear more of here.  But, it’s certainly one of the most human and truly easy to swallow tunes here.  Not to mention, Meghan doesn’t sound nearly as freakish as she often does.  But it’s a lot of those reasons that I’m not as into this one. I think the groove is just as intense, and some of the more heavily drenched vocals in the later moments are seriously cool.  But outside of that, this one is just not nearly as much of a punch in the gut.  I do still like a lot of elements, and the strangely hopeful vibe to this one is refreshing as well.  And I’m really not nearly as into the “Traviata’ interlude either, at least the other interlude sort of went with the themes here. Meghan finishes this album off with “Time”, and as a finale, this is strangely bouncy in parts.  Which is actually really weird to hear after just how serious this album has been.  But the breezy grooves and Meghan’s vocals are just so interesting.  I love some of the bongo drums that come off so intensely, as a matter of fact, most of this track comes off surprisingly urgent.  While a lot of the rest of this album has had a very sleek finish to it, “Time” comes off chaotic and unhinged.  It ends up being one of the album’s more interesting tunes, and Meghan does such a good job of stringing this one out to a much longer time frame.  It’s almost 8 minutes long, but it really doesn’t feel like it.  “Time” is totally wild and colorful, and absolutely worth it. 

Rating: 8.4/10




Give A Listen To: “Velvet For Sale”, “Rage Of Plastics”, “Incidental Boogie”, “L-Over”




Genre: Art Pop / Experimental Pop / Electronic




Overall Thoughts:  Since the inception of the U.S. Girls moniker, Meghan Remy has increasingly drifted away from her more Experimental, Sound Collage days, and drifted towards a more accessible sound.  "In A Poem Unlimited" is Meghan embracing Pop by any means necessary, even if it destroys her.  On it's surface, this is colorful, ghoulish pop album filled with hypnotic rhythms and other-worldly hooks.  But Meghan's performances slowly reveal that the evil of this album is very real.  Meghan has taken her new, more Pop direction to spin tales of abuse and abandoment, making for some of the more depressing Pop tunes you're going to hear this year.  Outside of that though, I feel like Meghan has truly become the left-field Pop Star that I always wanted to hear her become.  

American Nightmare - "American Nightmare"

If you're into the current Hardcore Punk scene, well then you know all about American Nightmare.  Their history is a long one, for a while they were known as Give Up The Ghost, then got sued and changed their name, then I'm pretty sure went back to it for a while and now are back to releasing music as American Nightmare.  Their debut album, "Background Music", was anything but background music.  This was a pretty standard, meat & potatoes Hardcore album, filled with exhausting verses and explosive vocals.  Honestly, I wanted to hear a little personality out of these guys though, maybe some more melodic passages too. That's not to say though that I wasn't into parts of this album, I thought tracks like "Postmark My Compass" and "Your Arsonist" to be really freakin' great.   But I'll be honest, on Give Up The Ghost's next full-length album "We're Down Til We're Underground" I was absolutely blown away.  I loved the beefier production and the more crushing instrumentals.  This album was brutal, but from a technical standpoint was so much more than just a Hardcore Punk album.  Tracks like "Bluem" were melodic in parts, but tracks like "The Last Supper After Party" reminded you just who you were dealing with.  For a modern Hardcore album, this was pretty damn brutal.  Shortly after, the band broke up and stayed quiet for about 15 years.  American Nightmare is back, and honestly, I haven't really checked out the singles released beforehand.  Let's see how these Punk legends sound.

This album starts out with “The World Is Blue”.  Now, this is actually an oddly, but fittingly triumphant intro.  I love just how soaring the guitars are in the opening bars, and the verse that follows is actually one of the more unhinged and truly wild verses in Hardcore that I’ve heard in a while.  Honestly, American Nightmare doesn’t sound like they’ve slowed down at all.  I love how full throttle this track is, between the chugging riff and thunderous drums.  It’s all fantastic, and I’m totally into this as an intro.  Then we have “Flowers Under Siege”, which takes a lot from Hardcore Punk with its very unhinged performance.  It’s 40 seconds, but it’s easily one of the more fun tunes I’ve heard in Hardcore in a while.  It’s all just so simple, but it works.  Then we have “American Death”, which is easily one of the most brutal and fleshed out tracks here.  We have Wesley Eisold’s very pissed off and aggressive vocals, then we have the absolutely blaring instrumentals that follow.  This is Hardcore by the numbers, but it’s absolutely some of the more refreshing I’ve heard recently.  There are no solos in sight and nothing out of the box, but “American Death” will absolutely beat the piss out of you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlufU_xILAM

    Then we have moments like “War” which are much more melodic, almost coming off more like a Skate Punk track.  There’s tons of melody in those determined guitars, and I love just how pained the singing of Wesley gets here.  Not to mention, as visceral and spit-in-your-face this is, I feel like this is just melodic enough to stick with you.  More than anything, this is such a great reminder of the serious energy that comes in Hardcore.  Now, “Gloom Forever’ is up next, and it may be the most accurate title here because this track is so much more downtrodden and filled with sorrow.  But I feel like it’s done almost to a fault.  I just feel like too much of this sounds like some random Emo band that tried to get all heavy.  This really isn’t that good at all of a track even, especially compared to everything else here.   But “Lower Than Life” takes all the doom and gloom of the last track and bashes it right in the fucking mouth.  This one is intense, gruesome, and not afraid of anything.  These are easily some of the most vicious vocals and wild verses here.  Everything melodic is gone for a few minutes sure, but it’s replaced by raw power and I love it. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4qrsojz6UY

    “Colder Than Death” is up next, and it breaks things up rather nicely.  This isn’t some wild, out of control Punk banger.  No, this is much slower and intense and pounding.  But I’m really not into any of it again.  The sort of Goth vocals we’re getting here isn’t flattering, and I’m just seriously missing the energy of earlier tracks.  But hey!  That energy is back with a vengeance on “Dream”.  It’s all let out full blast in this 26-second blast of incredible Low-Fi Punk that sounds like it was ripped biting and clawing out of the 80’s.  It’s a great tune though. This album finishes off with “Crisis of Faith”, and for a slower tune, I’m actually totally into his.  I love the tension these instrumentals build up.  And at the very least, Wesley still sound on top of his game as far as intensity goes.  We get a fantastic release too, as this chorus is easily the most explosive and cutthroat on the entire album.  I mean, for a current Hardcore release that runs about 19 minutes, this is pretty damn solid, especially when you take in the 15 years it’s been since they’ve released anything. 

Rating: 7.8/10

Give A Listen To: "The World is Blue", "American Death", "War", "Crisis of Faith"

Genre: Hardcore Punk / Punk Rock

Overall Thoughts:   Considering these guys haven’t released anything in 15 years, this album is dangerous.  It may be fairly straightforward, explosive and fueled by anger, emotions and raw power.  It seems incredibly current, but also looks to the true greats of this genre.  While I wouldn’t say there isn’t anything groundbreaking going on here artistically, American Nightmare show up to do their job and do it good.  Not to mention, this is an amazing reminder of just how much great energy there is in Hardcore Punk. 

Johanna Warren - "Gemini II"

Florida based Singer/Songwriter Johanna Warren, honestly stole my heart from the moment I heard her 2013 debut "Fates".  And honestly, that's not something that happens too often for me, especially with Folk artists.  This album was warm and cozy, with a very rustic sound to it, Marissa Nadler fans will probably eat this album up.  Johanna's vocals are often so inviting and sweet, but I really love the very classical approach to folk.  Like, it literally sounded like Johanna recorded this album out in the forest with all sorts of natural sounds invading this album.  It's beautiful but also wonderfully written, and a really awesome freakin' debut.  Shockingly, I felt a lot of the same things about her 2015 follow up "Nūmūn".  This album was a warm, Folk gem that made me want to light up the fire and get cozy.  But at the same time, it contained a whole lot of the ethereal vibes and almost strangely Celtic references. But outside of that, the production on here was just so crisp and beautiful, and the more ambient passages came off wonderfully.  And while one or two tracks maybe came off a little too straightforward (i.e. "Less Traveled" and "Found I Lost"), this album overall was great.  Now, in 2016 Johanna released her "Gemini I" album, which changed things up a bit.  This album showed Johanna going down a little more of an Alternative Country route and brought in some layered vocals.  The result, was just sort of alright.  Tracks like "Let Me Stay" and "Circlenot Astraight" were fantastic, but other tracks showed Johanna not showing nearly as much personality.  Now, it's been a few years since we've heard from Johanna.  And these opening singles have been divine, and some of her most haunting and mysterious yet.  Let's chat about what Johanna's been working on.

This album starts off with “Hopelessness Has Done Nothing For Me”, a very light folk intro  And I have to stress the word “Light”, there isn’t that wonderfully hulking atmosphere that we’ve gotten from the past of Johanna’s music.  But I have t say, she makes up for that with her incredible voice that I would swear has gotten better and better with age.  I love just how bluesy and emotional she comes off here.  Johanna just sounds so bruised, and this is certainly a tune of abandonment and just how much it hurts.  It’s incredibly strong, and quickly sets up the very real issue this album faces.  Now, remember that very earthy feel that I told you was missing on the intro?  It shows up on “Say You Do” in spades.  I love the atmosphere here, I feel like listening to tunes like this that Johanna chilled in the wilderness for a winter and recorded these tunes.  I just can’t tell you how much I love the feel of this one, and her vocals go for a much darker tone.  But more than that, this is just so much more of a commanding performance by her.  This album is haunted, by abuse and trauma, and in parts, it’s incredibly real. But I have to say, tracks like “Say You Do” seriously stick with you.  By the time we get to tracks like “Here To Tell”, it’s clear that this album seriously has a very thick veil over it.  It’s totally chilling in parts, but Johanna makes it very digestible, mostly because she’s become so much more comfortable in performing.  I love the very delicate pianos as well as the breezy playing here.  “Gemini” may have been a personal album, but “Gemini II”, like it’s album cover, suggests it is it’s sister album’s very ugly relative.  But beyond that, Johanna’s method of storytelling has gotten to near expert levels, as she’s just so patient in her performance.  This one is easily one of the more whimsical tracks on the album, but it’s another knockout.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTesaoL3JPs

    Up next we have “Cause Or Effect” which starts out with this bizarre sound collage, but hazes quickly into probably the most straightforward track here.  Now, lyrically, I really still love just how intense and personal this is.  But for me, I’m not nearly into this much more straightforward brand of folk from Johanna.  There isn’t nearly as thick of an atmosphere here, which takes out a lot for me.  This is decent and all, and Johanna’s performance is totally fine.  But, I have to say, without that thick atmosphere, this doesn’t stick nearly as much.   Thankfully, “Inreverse” brings back that atmosphere in a big way.  I love the patient guitar riffs which really do compliment Johanna’s more bluesy and downtrodden performance on this one.  This is a very bruised Johanna Warren, one that’s seriously been through a lot.  But it makes for these incredibly real performances.  Some of her vocals here are just so stunning, and even this one is a little more cryptic, I feel like it’s one of her most creative and chilling here.  Then we have “Boundaries” which is actually one of the warmer and more inviting tracks on here, however, that’s sort of wiped out once Johanna starts her very tear-jerking performance. This is easily one of her most powerful performances here, with her seeming so defeated, yet still far from giving up the fight.  It’s smooth, yet it comes off intense in a lot of ways since Johanna’s performance is just so real.  This experience, whatever it as, clearly has left a mark on Johanna.  But she seems so strong at the end of the day, it’s commendable.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tm5Q77PMAe4
 
    “Cleansed By Fire” on the other hand, sort of takes a very classic approach to Folk once again.  However, this is by far the biggest miss of the album for me.  I’m not nearly as into Johanna’s much more drawn out vocals on this one, which never really seem to go anywhere.  The atmosphere of this one may just be one of the strongest here, and that’s totally fine.  But with nothing else going on, I feel like “Cleansed By Fire” is just so boring, which is something I really haven’t felt about any other track here.  Not to mention, it’s by far the longest track here.  “Cleansed By Fire” sadly does nothing for me.  On the other hand, “Mine To Take” is actually really interesting.  It’s easily the most empowering, dare I say hopeful track here.  Johanna’s vocals sound so uplifting and powerful, and nothing about this one is bruised in any way.  For a sort of upbeat folk tune here, I’ll be honest this is one that’s actually great at mixing things up.  This album finishes up with “Was It Heaven”, which is easily one of the most atmospheric and seriously heavy tunes here.  I love just how ominous this one comes off, and once again how cryptic Johanna sounds.  I literally feel like as this album edged on, Johanna has unraveled almost completely.  It’s a twisted track, filled with powerful one-liners.  To be honest, though, I freakin’ love how massive this one is.  I would much rather sit with this one nearing 5 minutes than some of the short tracks here that left me craving more. 


Rating: 7.9/10

Give A Listen To: “Hopelessness Has Done Nothing For Me”, “Say You Do”, “Was It Heaven”, “Boundaries”

Genre: Indie Folk / Alternative Folk

Overall Thoughts: Johanna on here comes through with easily some of her most emotionally powerful music yet.  I feel like there are a few tracks where I miss some of the more ethereal atmospheres of Johanna's first few recordings.  But Johanna matches that with an incredible personality and almost painfully real stories.

Ride - "Tomorrow's Shore" EP

Ride, alongside Slowdive and My Bloody Velentine, made up the big three of early 90's Shoegaze.  Now while not as noisy and hazy as MBV or as delicate as Slowdive, Ride sort of fit comfortably in the middle.  On their 1990 classic "Nowhere", they brought together crisp production and stunning atmosphere's for a truly wonderful sound.  Ride proved here also that they could handle 6-7 minute songs just as easily as a 3 minute tune aimed for the radio charts.  It's a beautiful album.  But Ride obviously had plenty more ideas, because while not as sonically beautiful, their 1992 album "Going Blank Again" packed a punch still.  This album was just as vibrant and colorful as it's album cover, and Ride seemed to be working with catchier material than ever.  Once again, Ride was working with really great material.  But with every great band comes their eventual downfall.  In 1994 Ride through out all their Shoegaze elements and went full-on Classic Rock mode with "Carnival of Light".  Now, on paper that doesn't sound too bad at all.  But the music here was so disjointed.  The glistening production and thick atmospheres were nowhere to be found, and Ride didn't seem to have nearly as much personality as they once did.  I may have liked a track or two, such as "Natural Grace", but overall this album was a horrible disappointment.  And to be honest, their 1996 album "Tarantula" is seriously not much better.  Most of you know what happened next.  Ride broke up rather ugly, and was silent for 21 years.  Last summer they made their comeback with the very spotty and inconsistent "Weather Diaries".  This album had actually a LOT of really great and memorable songs, like "Rocket Silver Symphony" and "Charm Assault".  But so much of the rest of the album went back and forth between decent at best and really boring.  However, it was certainly loads more entertaining than the two albums that proceeded it.  So honestly, I didn't expect to hear from Ride so soon, but here we are a year later with a new EP.  These singles have been a little all over the place, ranging from decent at this point in their career to absolutely dismal.  Let's chat about this EP shall we!

This EP starts off very shimmering with “Pulsar”, and honestly this already sounds much more Shoegaze than anything off of their album from last year.  I actually really don’t mind the very heavy, glossy production here, and the slow and steady pace that sounds right up their alley.  The vocals are solid, and actually really youthful sounding.  Come to think of it, a whole lot of this track sounds youthful, maybe even like an old school B-Side.  Honestly, if I heard more tracks like “Pulsar” on their album last year maybe I would have been warmer towards it.  It’s just so shimmery, and I love how futuristic it comes off.  My friends, I really don’t mind this at all.  Not to mention, that last break out into a more rock-oriented verse in the last minute or so is incredibly tasteful.  Then we have “Keep It Surreal”, which is certainly not what I figured we’d be hearing from Ride here.  This is a sort of Low-Fi, straightforward Alternative Rock tune.  in a way, I’m almost getting a sort of Guided By Voices vibe from this.  But I just love how Psychedelic this is, and the very scratchy production is just so different that it’s instantly something I want to hear more of.  It’s incredibly catchy, scratchy, and all around really interesting.  I seriously love hearing Ride this straightforward.  Sadly though, with “Cold Water People” Ride have officially lost me.  With just how Psychedelic and different that last track was, this is an absolute drag.  I hate just how drawn out this one is, and it’s just way too jolly.  It’s funny, so many years ago Ride lost their fans when they started going for a more Classic Rock sound.  But here again on “Cold Water People” we have the same problem, and what do you know, it’s still not charming.  The acoustic breakdown is cheesy and seemingly everything about this one was designed to get on my nerves.  Even Ride themselves just sound bored performing this.  At the very least, the pulsating beat and hazy atmosphere of “Catch You Dreaming” is seriously a big improvement.  This honestly sounds like a demo of a tune that may have shown up on “Weather Diaries”, or once again maybe even their classic albums.  I love just how dreary and nostalgic this is.  It’s simple and all, and I feel like this is just so obvious for Ride, in the best way.  It’s epic in parts and is easily the most beautiful tune I’ve heard from them in ages.  Hell, I wouldn’t mind listening to “Catch You Dreaming” a few more times.  I feel like I can say that actually about the majority of this EP.  There’s also a serious sense of nostalgia to this, and there’s almost a weird Chillwave influence that makes you think Com Truise or Washed Out would have done great with this.  

Rating: 7.3/10




Genre: Shoegaze / Indie Rock / Psychedelic Rock / Alternative Rock




Overall Thoughts:  I’m not going to sit here and say that Ride are back with the sound that we wanted to hear all along.  But I’ll be honest, there are some tracks on this short, 4-track EP that would have done wonders to “Weather Diaries”.  The production is glistening, the instrumentals are solid, and more than anything Ride are indeed being themselves.   They just really need to watch themselves and not go Classic Rock on us again. 

Superchunk - "What A Time to Be Alive"

Superchunk since the early 90's has been an absolute Punk/Indie Rock institution.  They got their career started in 1990 with the release of their self-titled debut.  This was a seriously fun, upbeat and rebellious sounding record, with everything from crowd favorites like "Slack Motherfucker" to great deep cuts like "Swinging" and "Sick To Move".  Now, I wasn't into some of the slower tunes here, like "Slow" and "Let It Go".  But Superchunk had such a fun sound, with elements of Indie Rock and Power Pop thrown in with their very upbeat and cheery Punk sound.  On their 1991 album "No Pocky For Kitty", Superchunk got a big boost in production and were writing even catchier songs.  Tracks like "Seed Toss" and "Punch Me Harder" remained upbeat and punky, but tracks like "Sprung A Leak" proved they could work with slower, more chugging environments as well. Superchunk continued their string of incredibly catchy and instantly enjoyable album's with 1993's "On The Mouth".  This album incorporated more Indie Rock and Pop Punk elements yet.  But it just gave Superchunk such a unique sound, from the soaring "New Low" to the killer 6-minute jam "Swallow That".  Superchunk went on to follow that up with 1994's fan-favorite album "Foolish", which is an album that I totally understand why it gets so much praise.  I mean, let's be real, this is by FAR the most varied Superchunk album to date, equal parts Punk-fueled Power Pop with straight up Indie jams thrown in throughout.  But for me, it leads to some really mixed feeling. Tracks like "Without Blinking" and "Water Wings" quickly became some of my favorite Superchunk tunes.  But I just felt like they missed the ball a little more often with tracks like "Keeping Track".  Still, though, I enjoyed most of this album, and Superchunk continued to impress.  But with their 1995 album "Here's Where The Strings Come In", Superchunk continued to divide me.  There were some of their best tunes yet here like "Iron On" and "Detroit Has A Skyline", even the 6 minute "Eastern Terminal" was brilliant.  But some of the later tunes here, like "Green Flowers, Blue Fish" were some of the band's most intolerable yet.  And what do you know, Superchunk officially lost my interest with 1997's "Indoor Living".  There was nothing exciting or thrilling or even catchy about this album.  On the contrary, I found most of the tracks here to be just so damn boring and lazily put together.  Superchunk to me just throughout all their energy for a more emotional and Indie sound, and to me it just didn't work.  Superchunk's 1999 album "Come Pick Me Up" wasn't as Punky and energetic once again, especially with tracks like "Low Branches".  However, I did enjoy a whole lot of the more Power Pop oriented tracks, quite a bit at that.  Tracks like "Pink Clouds" and "1000 Pounds" were just so sweet and peppy, so Superchunk still had some fuel in their tank clearly.  2001's "Here's To Shutting Up" was just as divisive for me.  Tracks like the country-twanged "Phone Sex" and the determined "Act Surprised" were great tunes.  But so much of this album had Superchunk sounding exhausted and in need of a break.  And that's exactly what they took, a VERY long break, about 10 years actually.  But what do you know, they came back with one of the most energetic and legitimately fun alba they'd put out in a long time with 2010's "Majesty Shredding".  This album was filled with gloriously cheery Power Pop, fueled by catchy hooks and determined riffs.   Tracks like "Slow Drip" and "Rosemarie" embodied everything I loved about the early years of Superchunk.  And while I still wasn't into slow burners like "Fractures In Plaster", I couldn't have been happier with this return.  On 2013's "I Hate Music", Superchunk seemed to be on cruise control.  Tracks like "Me & You & Jackie Mittoo" and "Trees of Barcelona" were the same focused, over-the-top Power Pop that I loved from them, to begin with.  But tracks like "Staying Home" were sloppy" and tunes like "Breaking Down" seemed a little underwritten.  So it's been a few years since we've heard from Superchunk, but from the sounds of these singles, they may be about to drop one of their best albums yet.  Let's talk about it. 

This album starts off with a bang with “What A Time To Be Alive”.  This one is seriously determined, I honestly can’t remember the last time I heard Superchunk singing with this much heart.  I mean, it’s been at least since the 90’s that I’ve heard them singing like this.  I love the political edge to this one, they do such a good job of making things sound sort of OK on the surface, but there’s just so much going on underneath.  After all these years, Superchunk can still write such an instantaneously memorable chorus that sticks with you.  This track in every way, IS the classic Superchunk formula.  The energy is strong, the memorable hooks are huge, and the wild performances are all here.  I absolutely love this track, and I literally feel like this could have been from their glory years.  Up next we have “Lost My Brain”, and so far I’m absolutely stunned by the intensity of this album.  Superchunk always had punk roots, ever since the early 90’s.  But this is practically inspired by Hardcore.  It’s short, intense, and really has a strong bite to it.  Thankfully though, there’s still a TON of this that’s just so catchy.  So far, Superchunk sound like their old selves. The very peppy, upbeat and determined riffs continue here with “Break the Glass”.  I feel like Superchunk just woke up from a  seriously long nap.  I feel like all around the vocals sound so refreshed and youthful.  While I wouldn’t say “Break the Glass” has nearly as much of a punk edge as some of the band’s earlier material, there’s still a real bite to this.  I absolutely love this track, and while this may be almost a victory lap for these legends, it’s a fucking GOOD one.  Now, “Bad Choices’ is a little bit less up front, and a little less peppy in a weird way.  But I’ll be honest I’m really not that into just how sluggish this one is.  Mac McCaughan's performance here is still highly commendable and is easily one of his most biting performances.  But this reminds me way too much of the band’s late 90's attempt to incorporate a more indie sound.  Sadly I’m just not into this one, and while I do love the very cynical lyrics it doesn’t save it.

Thankfully Superchunk respond with “Dead Photographers”, a much more determined and wild tune.  I love the wailing guitars and driving verses.  It’s moments like this that I feel like Superchunk have simply gotten better with age.  The hooks here are so catchy and the verses are so punchy, and as a collective I honestly can’t remember the last time I heard the entire band be on this much of the same page. Not to mention, that very wild Punk energy continues to be a huge factor in the music here.  Between all of that and an incredibly soaring chorus, “Dead Photographers” is all gravy.  Then we have “Erasure” featuring Katie Crutchfield and Stephin Merritt.   Now, seeing this lineup a few months back had my mouth watering.  I love Waxahatchee, and Stephin Merritt is one of my favorite songwriters of all time.  Now, “Erasure” isn’t nearly as Punk oriented or energetic, and is much slower and groovier.  But I just can’t get enough of just how catchy and hypnotic this one is.  Where this one lacks in energy, it makes up with tons of emotion.  It’s punchy, and while Stephin and Katie’s contributions are on the small side, I can’t say no to this one.  It’s fiery, catchy, and a seriously great single.  Now, I was actually really into the very ripping intro of “I Got Cut”.  But I just don’t get the sort of sluggish verses this one has.  I feel like they built this one up super quick and really well, but quickly deflated it.  Even lyrically, this track is nothing special, and easily one of the more thrown together tracks on here.  Sure, it has a catchy chorus that actually is one of the more memorable of the album.  But overall, this is just so forgettable, and even Mac on vocals sounds like he would so much rather be doing anything else.  Thankfully, “Reagan Youth” brings back in a lot of the chaotic and wild performances of earlier tunes.  Superchunk instantly sound so much more passionate, and that’s not too surprising since they’re getting nostalgic here.  It’s a wild track for sure, and maybe even a little paranoid at points.  But “Reagan Youth” is just so catchy and likable and shows that Superchunk still has tons of energy.  Not to mention, the solos in the last minute are a seriously nice touch. This album is a whole lot more than just a nostalgia trip, let me tell you.

Then we have “Cloud of Hate”, which is easily the most Punk influenced tune here.  It’s barely over a minute long, it’s politically charged, but it’s also super catchy when it needs to be.  I’m shocked at just how much the band sound focused still.   Superchunk constantly has to bust my balls though with these slower tunes.  I still don’t get why tunes like “All For You” are such a necessity. Even when things sort of speed up, I feel like this track is just so bland.  These aren’t the fierce and emotional performances we heard earlier.  And while yes, the chorus is absolutely catchy and sort of memorable, this one just doesn’t have the energy of other tunes here, and I’m back to feeling that this just doesn’t sound natural. Now, when I heard the opening bars of “Black Thread” I almost freaked at the thought of Superchunk ending this album with an acoustic ballad.  But this one actually has some teeth to it believe it or not.  And for a slower tune, this is actually really listenable.  Mac sounds so determined and pissed off, and overall I’m totally fine with this as a finale.  Even the chorus is just so big and anthemic, and show that Superchunk is still certainly unified. 

Rating: 8.0/10


Give A Listen To: "What A Time To Be Alive". "Break the Glass", "Dead Photographers", "Erasure"


Genre: Power Pop / Indie Rock / Punk Rock


Overall Thoughts:  Superchunk return with their first album in 5 years, sounding honestly more focused than they have since the mid-90's.  The last few recordings put out by there Power Pop/Indie Rock legends have been certainly OK, but lacked the determination and energy of their 90's heyday.  But this album is shockingly urgent, politically charged, and wildly energetic.  Also, in a bizarre twist, this is, in parts, their most Punk release ever.  Hell, part of me think that this is some bizarre lost classic the band gussied up to sound more current.  Still, this album exceded my expectations completely, and proves that Superchunk still have tons to offer us.

Harakiri For The Sky

Harakiri For The Sky are an Austrian Black Metal band that really took me by surprise with their 2012 debut.  This was a thunderous album, filled with Black Metal abrasiveness as well as some seriously beautiful, atmospheric passages.  Sound like Deafheaven?  Well, yea, you can say that, but a little more aimed towards Black Metal and not nearly as ambitious.  But still, this was a thunderous debut filled with explosive riffs, but also a great sadness that I seriously loved every minute of.  Sadly though, I wasn't nearly as inviting towards the bands 2014 album "Aokigahara".  Don't get me wrong, the production on this big nasty son of a bitch was immaculate, and Harakiri's instrumentals were brutal, yet rivaled the beauty of some of Alcest's early recordings.  But it was mostly the vocals of JJ (aka Michael V. Wahntraum) that I had issues with.  Here, he went for a more Metalcore style almost, which gave tracks like "69 Dead Birds for Utøya" a well-needed blast of intensity.  But it also made some other tracks like "Homecoming, Denied!" awkward at parts.  Now, on the other hand, Harakiri for the Sky really upped their game with 2016's "III: Trauma".  The production on this album was magnificent, the instrumentals were bigger and more epic than ever.  But JJ's vocals sticking a more brutal path just made this album so much more enjoyable.  Not to mention, I just absolutely loved how crushing and pummeling this album is, not giving us a single moment to breathe even in it's more beautiful moments.  Now, it's been 2 years since we've heard from Harakiri for the Sky, but the duo is back.  And these singles, have been heavier, more brooding, and more beautiful than ever, I'm excited to talk about this one. 

    This album starts off with “Fire, Walk With Me”.  This track has some incredibly lush pianos to begin, but are instantly brushed to the side for some intense guitars and pounding drums.  There is a little bit of Symphonic Metal to this, and I would almost say that fans of a band like Nightwish would be into this.  Obviously though, Harakiri For The Sky is for the big boys, and is just so much more intense and grinding.  I absolutely love JJ’s vocals here, and how much they’ve evolved over the years from being toss-away Metalcore vocals to these absolutely shattering screams.  This is one hell of an intro.  We may be dealing with some of the most depressive and suicidal lyrics that Harakiri have ever worked with.  But with the constantly thrashing instrumentals, it just seems to work.  Then we have the instrumentals themselves, which are just as intense and swirling as you would think, but Harakiri stick to their Black Metal roots, and keep things incredible epic and gigantic.  I don’t think there’s anything about “Fire, Walk With Me” that I don’t love.  It’s intense and brutal, and it just makes me want to break out and climb some gigantic mountain and scream my damn lungs out.  What an absolutely explosive start.  But even in the later moments, where things are toned down a bit and Harakiri get more precise, this track is masterful.  It’s beautiful in parts, crushing in others, hell yea this track is awesome.  On the other hand “The Graves We’ve Dug” is much more direct right off the bat with absolutely no fluff in sight.  No, this one is just determined riffs and in your face metal.  But to be honest, this is quite possibly my least favorite track here.  I love the atmosphere of Harakiri for the Sky, and with this one they sort of throw that away in exchange for a much more direct tune.  Sure, it’s aggressive and muscular, and has a lot of great stuff going on.  But there’s sadly no way of really telling this apart from other Black Metal bands.  Now, there are some more epic passages, but for a track that’s even longer than this album’s opener I have so much less to say about it.  I do still love JJ’s vocals, but compared to the rest of this album this is completely toothless.  “You Are The Scars” however does win me back with this very haunting and beautiful piano lead.  One thing I do love about Harakiri for the Sky is their sense of majesty.  This one is much more grandiose in feel, but JJ’s incredibly searing vocals right off the bat are absolutely what I love to hear from him.  This track is brutal, but it’s also strangely delicate in parts.  Harakiri like so many of heir contemporary go so easily back and forth between triumphant metal passages and tearjerking balladry.  I love the Progressive elements here as well as Harakiri blast from passage to passage seamlessly.  The guitars just get so melodic and anthemic throughout “You Are the Scares”, and even JJ’s vocals get dare I say, catchy.  This track is incredible, even the last three minutes is something Harakiri haven’t touched, with these very synth-heavy beautiful passages.  Then we have “Heroin Waltz”, and I really do have to give it to Harakiri from the sky.  These more low-key passages are incredibly beautiful and well thought out.  I love the almost Spanish Guitar here and heavy atmosphere.  Then, of course, the usual crushing guitars and drums come in.  JJ’s vocals here are chilling, I love the way he’s just belting out whatever the hell he feels.  The determined riffs here are fantastic as well, and while this is far from the headiest tune here I just feel like Harakiri are so comfortable with this sound.  I also have to really commend their lyrics, which are a little hard to decipher.  But upon looking into them you’re going to find some of the duo’s most intense and visual performances yet.  Some of the breakdowns around the 4 minute mark are just ridiculous, and I can’t help but eat “Heroin Waltz” all up. And listen, if this is the sort of Metal that’s maybe a little too melodic for you, trust me I get that.  But for me, a dude who needs his Black Metal epic and grandiose, this is brilliant.  And around the 6 minute mark, we get almost playful synths that sort of bounce around in between just how brutal 

these verses are.  This track is special indeed. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxrIkW4J4EI

    “Tomb Omnia” on the other hand, starts off so pummeling and direct, and for the most part is easy to digest.  As far as JJ’s vocals go, this is easily his most passionate performance.  Obviously, he’s always a very visceral performer.  But here, he just sounds like he’s really blaring everything from his heart.   This track is brutal, with some of the most intense drums and nonstop guitars yet. Not to mention, I love the soaring instrumentals on this one, and while the synths are very subtle, I feel like they give “Tomb Omnia’ a very cool sound.  The progression to a more upbeat sound works out well too around the 3-minute mark.  And obviously, lyrically I wouldn’t exactly say this track has brightened up, but I didn’t expect that.  I really don’t have anything bad to say about this one.  Then we have “Stillborn”, which doesn’t waste any time even if it is on the slower side.  There’s almost a Doom Metal feel to this one that I could easily get into hearing more of.  I love just how technical this is, and while yes this is easily the most sluggish tune here, I can’t tell you how intrigued I am.   Then we have JJ’s vocals which are just so ugly and aggressive.  He screams out “Dancing on the edge of the blade”, and you’re damn right he makes you believe it.  “Stillborn” is just so damn explosive, I love how much of a pressure cooker of a track this is. But of course, Harakiri do pick it up and get the ball rolling into one of the more intense tunes here.  Ironically, this quickly becomes one of the most fast-paced and soaring tracks here.  I do have to point out though, there are some major Shoegaze elements going on here deep down, I can see fans of Alcest being really into this as well.  This album wraps up with “Voidgazer”, and I feel like they keep adding in layers of layers of new elements as this album goes on.  For instance, this is easily the most pronounced that we’ve heard the keyboards and synths so far.  And when everything comes crashing in, from the incredibly melodic guitars and drums to JJ’s very husky screams, there isn’t anything about this I’m doubting at all.  “Voidgazer” may be the easiest to digest and straight up catchy track here, but I wouldn’t say that’s a bad thing.  I do sort of wish this was heavier in parts, however.  As a finale though, Harakiri do go all out and make it grand and epic. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSSdKRzynCU

Rating: 7.9/10




Give a Listen To: "Fire, Walk With Me", "You Are The Scars", "Heroin Waltz", "Stillborn"




Genre: Black Metal / Post Metal / Symphonic Metal 




Overall Thoughts: Harakiri for the Sky on this album in a lot of ways do what they do best, and that’s bring in ridiculous epic song structures and grand instrumentals to Black Metal, while bringing in some very lush interludes as well.  Obviously, the track list here is a little overwhelming, with almost every track brushing up against the 10-minute mark.  But if you’re into Black Metal with a very grandiose feel to it, this is an album you’re not going to want to miss.  My only real slight issue is that on a track or two, I feel like Harakiri didn’t push things far enough.  Maybe an instrumental was a little too easy to digest, or they didn’t bring in enough Shoegaze influences.  Still though, this is a very above average metal project. 

Ought - "Room Inside A World"

Oh boy, has this year been heavy with Post Punk releases so far.  I'm not going to sugarcoat this one, I love Ought.  I saw them at a festival about 3 years ago and their performance was so tight.  When I first heard their 2014 debut "More Than Any Other Day", I honestly thought they had something really special.  Their music was tightly wound and robotic, in the best way.  So much so that the band, especially frontman Tim Darcy just seemed so paranoid almost to an inhuman level.  Together, they recorded a series of very bizarre, manic Post-Punk tracks that were sort of artsy and filled with personality.  And while there were a few disturbing moments, most of this tracklist wasn't as dark as Post-Punk usually is.  Ought returned in 2015 with "Sun Coming Down", an album bigger and better in every way.  I feel like a lot of the songs had some of the fat trimmed from them, and the tracklist was more concise.  And interestingly enough, I felt like this album was almost colorful, which is a little odd for a Post-Punk album, but hey, it worked wonderfully.  Tim Darcy seemed more like a raving lunatic than ever, and Ought just seemed completely off the rails and I loved it all.  Now, let's be real.  These new Ought singles are very VERY different and are more theatrical and Art Rock inspired compared to Post Punk.  They're a little less instantaneous, but I think Ought may be onto something special.  Let's chat.

(A personal favorite of mine)

This album starts with the very lush, downtrodden “Into the Sea”.  This is a weird one for sure, I’m used to hearing Ought just go full on Post-Punk.  But it seems as if they’ve hung up their boots completely and gone for a much more classy, Art Rock sound.  I have to say though, they sound completely at home.  Tim Darcy’s very manic vocals just go so well with this colorful atmosphere.  And on top of that, I feel like as a whole the boys in Ought have never sounded so emotional and full of life.  I’m used to hearing such tight and rigid playing from Ought.  But the playing here is just so lavish, it really makes you look at the rest of the musicians in Ought in such a completely new light.  I love the weeping guitars and the intense drums throughout.  This may not be the intro I was expecting, but it ends up working great.  “Disgraced in America” picks up the pace a little for a very mellow Post Punk feel.  One thing that certainly hasn’t changed at all, is Tim’s vocal performances.  They’re still incredibly wordy, and his performances as a whole here are so animated and bizarre.  Almost a little too animated to be completely honest.  Here, they get so loopy and off the rails that it ends up overshadowing everything else here.  There are some really rigid instrumentals which almost have some math rock elements, and there's some very classy Sax lines as well.  But I feel like Tim’s performance is just too distracting, at least for me.  However, I would say there’s plenty to love on “Disgraced In America” in other areas, so I certainly see why people have been digging this one.   “Disaffection’ is up next, and I do really love the sound of this one.  The more upbeat and chaotic instrumentals are refreshing to hear, and while Tim’s performance is just as out of control, every other instrumental is equally off the rocker.  The wild synths and the bizarre lyrics are just the icing on the cake.  I feel like in a lot of ways this is the sound that Ought should be going for.  It still has the very tight, paranoid feel of their Post Punk days.  But at the same time, this remains so colorful and instrumentally the most intricate thing they’ve ever recorded.  I honestly love “Disaffection” especially Tim’s final freakout towards the end. 

    “These 3 Things” is up next, and as this album rolls on I feel like things just get more and more bizarre by the minute.  I do have to say though, the reason a lot of these tracks come off so bizarre to me is just because of how radically different this is for Ought.  This is easily one of the most synthetic and electronically tinged tunes that Ought has come out with.  However, call me crazy, but I feel like it actually adds a really great sense of Paranoia.  This track comes off almost New-Wave-y in parts as well strangely enough.  Ought are really onto something with this new, much more artsy approach.  Tim’s performance on this one is just so hypnotizing, but this also has a really fantastically dark undertone.  Not to mention, some of the solos are just freakish as Tim’s performance, it’s rather hypnotizing.  The more this album goes on though, I feel like Ought just gets more fearless.  “Desire” is up next, and I feel like in a way this almost comes off sounding like a Roxy Music cover.  It’s smooth, elegant, and contains one of Tim’s most heartfelt and emotional performances I’ve ever heard from him.  Half of the time he comes off so unstable, but on “Desire” he sounds so human.  This track is stunning, and I love just how subtle the instrumentals are and how they’re building up so slowly.  There’s a sort of epic feel to this, and while yes this is so much more on-the-rails, I do think Ought are onto something.  “Desire” is by far track of the album, and the choir that pops in behind Tim simply gives me the chills.  Even the band’s more steady performance here gives this track one of the least flimsy sounds of the album.  However, there is part of me that feels like Ought still has a ways to go in the world of Art Rock.  Obviously, they’re making a big splash with this album.  But then we have tracks like “Brief Shield” that are just completely awkward beyond words.  The pacing here just makes me feel like Ought is very unsure of themselves in this new sound.  Ad while I guess some of Tim's vocal harmonies aren’t the worst, he sort of sounds bored and not nearly as emotionally invested.  This track is just strange, int he worst way.

    The sort of rigid playing on “Take Everything” however gets me right back into the groove.  The instrumentals once again are a little hard to place between the wheezing synths (or whatever the hell is floating through the background) and the very tight drums.   Here, I feel like Ought once again has found a serious balance between their tight Post Punk and a more colorful Art Rock.  As “Take Everything” rolls on it just gets heavier and more chaotic, it just gets more compelling.  Not to mention, I really love some of the vocal effects of Tim’s voice.  Honestly, this may be one of Tim’s more subdued performances, but it goes with the very streamlined sound of this track very well.  Ought in general on tracks like this sound so determined, like they’ve been doing this style of music for years.  And that last chaotic breakdown is just icing on the cake, this one is a good one, my friends.  “Pieces Waster” is instantly just as compelling.  The band’s slower, more drawn out sounds are obviously a little more hit and miss with me.  But the performance here is just so bizarre and out there that I can’t say anything bad.  It’s hazy, almost psychedelic in parts.  Hell, there are some passages here where everything sounds like it’s melting around Tim.  But his very commanding performances keep this one under wraps.  For a fairly slow, on the rails tune, Ought seem to know exactly what they’re doing with “Pieces Wasted”.  Not to mention, Tim's final ghoulish moments here almost seem Goth inspired.  This album finishes off with “Alice”.  Once again, we’re dealing with a very dingy, dark, slow tune from Ought.  But I’m not sure why the way this track is presented is so synthetic that I’m sort of not into this.  I would have much rather have them gone with some more sweeping instrumentals.  Outside of that, Tim’s performance is chilling and seriously twisted.  If this didn’t sound like an instrumental that was made 90% on a laptop, this would have been a strong candidate for a stand-out tune.  But still, I love this tracks horrifying atmosphere and chilling performances. 

Rating: 7.8/10

Give a Listen To: “Into the Sea”, “Disaffection”, “Desire”, “Take Everything”

Genre: Art Rock / Post Punk 

Overall Thoughts: Ought on this new album give up on their chaotic Post-Punk sound almost entirely, in exchange for a much more Art Rock style.  And for the most part, they certainly do it justice.  But because this was such a major shift for the band, I feel like they did make a few hiccups along the way.  There were some occasions where I felt like they needed to bring in more of their classic style, and some occasions where quite frankly things got a little too weird.  But at the end of the day, Ought are clearly on to something.  These are some of Tim Darcy’s most emotional performances yet, and to hear the rest of the band follow suit and branch out into very artsy new levels is seriously something to behold.  I can’t wait to see where they take this sound next.  

Belle And Sebastian - How to Solve Our Human Problems, Pt. 3

I literally feel like I was just talking about Belle and Sebastian like, yesterday.  Needless to say, Indie Pop legends Belle & Sebastian are back and ending off their trilogy of "How To Solve Our Human Problems" EP's.  Now, the first chapter of this, released late last year was easily one of the worst EP's I heard all of last year.  This was just a collection of incredibly bland Synth Pop and not the direction I wanted to hear them go at all.  But Belle & Sebastian returned early this year with Part 2 of this trilogy, and honestly, I really loved what I was hearing here.  Sure, it's not as punchy or as instantaneous as the band's classic material.  But for a band that's been around as long as they have, they honestly sounded refreshed.  There was everything from Soft Rock to Indie Pop on this EP, and I really did enjoy it for the most part.   Belle and Sebastian Are back, rounding off this EP trilogy, let's catch up with them.

    This EP starts off on an incredibly funky note with “Poor Boy”.  I love just how groovy this track is, and I absolutely love Sarah Martin’s vocals, which honestly haven’t been that stunning in this EP series.  This is a really interesting change of pace for this EP series.  We’ve heard Indie Pop here and a more electronic sound as well, even some smooth Jazz.  But “Poor Boy” is a really sweet blend of Post-Disco and Dance.  It’s soulful, and it sort of has this retro pop sensibility in the way that this has a sort of back and forth between love interests.  It’s adorable and totally what I would expect to hear from Belle and Sebastian at this point in their career.  Not to mention, none of this sounds dated at all.  “Poor Boy” is an incredibly pleasant start.  Then we have “Everything Is Now, Pt. Two”, the second part of one of my least favorite tracks in this trilogy.  Instantly though, it’s much smoother and jazzier and filled with life compared to it’s predecessor.  It’s got a ton of very poppy elements, but the biggest shocker here is just how many more vocals we’re getting this time around.  The original version of this was almost completely instrumentals and repetitive.  But with the added structure that this part gets from all of these fleshed out lyrics, makes this seriously charming.  "Everything is Now, Pt. Two” actually ends up being one of the classiest and most beautiful songs in this entire trilogy, and standing at over 5-minutes it has plenty of room to breathe.  I’d even go as far as to say this is one of the best Belle and Sebastian tracks I’ve heard in ages.  I can’t help but get swept up in the duet vocals of Stuart Murdoch and Sarah Martin, as well as the lavish strings.  Hell yea, this one works, so much so, that when the incredibly repetitive chorus from the first part of this track returns, it’s refreshing.  “Too Many Tears” is up next, and this continues with the very elegant sound we’ve been getting boatloads of so far.  I’ll be honest, this is shockingly sounding more and more like the band’s early material by the minute.  It’s sweet, got a catchy hook, and still has a sort of dance groove that really works nicely.  It’s just so peppy and sunny, and I can’t help but love the very lavish instrumentals.  “Too Many Tears” contains easily the most refined and bold instrumental in this entire trilogy.  Parts of it are current, retro, sweet, as well as incredibly classy.  Not to mention, a lot of these tracks have longer run times than I’m used to hearing from Belle and Sebastian lately, but they’re 

certainly justified. 

    “There Is an Everlasting Song” is up next, however, and oh boy, it’s an acoustic one.  Now I can totally see a whole lot of people being charmed by this one.  But tracks like this from Belle and Sebastian have put me to sleep for years.  I just love hearing them in more upbeat environments, and while I have dug tracks like this in the past, this is just so cheesy and is putting me to sleep.  Even when “There Is an Everlasting Song” picks up into a more Folk Rock tune, this one simply put isn’t my cup of tea.  On the other hand, “Best Friend” is simply put an incredibly sweet and adorable pop tune.  There’s a very old school Pop feel to this as Belle and Sebastian put their spin on a classic tale of two neighbors getting a little crush on one another.  But outside of that, this is just a really punchy Indie Pop tune.  It may not be as refined as earlier tracks here, but Belle and Sebastian can clearly still write a Pop tune which is something that we forget about.  “Best Friend” is sweet, cute, and an incredibly pleasant ending to this trilogy.  Now, just how much this trilogy is supposed to fit together, or just how much it’s supposed to mean is beyond me.  But for a standalone EP, this is surprisingly very solid. 

Rating: 7.7/10

Genre: Indie Pop 

Overall Thoughts:  Belle and Sebastian round up their "How To Solve our Human Problems" trilogy with easily the most enjoyable group of tracks yet.  While other Parts of this EP Trilogy have seem lost, with Belle and Sebastian rarely having any direction, this EP has tons of it.  There are still some punchy grooves and some very refined instrumentals, but that's something that these Indie Pop legends have worked with for years.  But this EP is just so likable overall, and a really pleasant short listen.  How this ties in with the other EP's, and what this trilogy represents as a whole is up for debate.  However, if you want a refresher course on what Belle and Sebastian can do when they're focused while we wait for a full length album, this is a surprisingly decent EP. 

Car Seat Headrest - "Twin Fantasy"

Car Seat Headrest in the last few years has gone from Bandcamp legends to all around Indie Gods.  I'm not going to go through Will Toledo and companies entire discography, mostly because we're here to chat about this new re-imagining of 2011's "Twin Fantasy".  Now, the original version of this album is a challenging listen.  Listening to it, it's obvious that Will Toledo knew what he was doing and for the most part did it right.  These are a collection of very catchy, lyrically dense and expertly structured Indie Rock tunes.  Will knew how to write a timeless song, that was obvious right off the bat.  But let's address the obvious elephant in the room.  It sounded like Will and company recorded this album on a Potato.  The production of this album is filthy, breaking the term "Low Fi" completely.  And while yes, a lot of this album is still massively likable, it's not exactly pretty.  So it's been 7 years since the release of "Twin Fantasy", an album that Will Toledo believed to be "unfinished".  But here we are, with a final, re-imagined, re-recorded version of "Twin Fantasy".  And from the sound of these opening singles, Will may have completely outdone himself.  Let's talk about this thing, shall we?

  This album starts off with “My Boy (Twin Fantasy)”, and I can’t tell you how this track pumps me up.  I love the patient start, the epic, thumping bass, and the patient drums.  That, almonds Will’s very slow, drawn-out vocals are just so cool here.  There’s a serious sense of endearment in his lyrics, and even in his quieter moments there’s just so much passion here.  But “My Boy (Twin Fantasy)” picks up into this chugging, ridiculously epic Indie tune by it’s conclusion.  It doesn’t overstay it’s welcome, but it ushers in a lot of the sounds of this album and as well as it’s lyrical themes very quickly.  This is how you start an album with a bang.   “Beach Life-In-Death” is up next, and this one has sort of been blowing my mind ever since I heard this rework.  I love Will’s very hectic, urgent start and just how grimy this sounds.  Car Seat Headrest have toyed around with some Emo and Punk for years, but this is just so unpolished and harsh that it comes off actually gritty and heavy.  But Will doesn’t let that stop this one from being lyrically compelling and immensely well written.  For an over 13-minute song, I have to say Car Seat Headrest make this incredibly easy to listen to.  Now, let’s address the elephant in the room, just how much Will is letting us into his life.  It’s something that he’s done for years, it’s what made the last two Car Seat album’s so compelling.  But “Beach Life-In-Death” is completely next level.  Now, what I do have to point out is what made “Teens of Denial” so good.  It was how Will seemed to bring up situations that universally applied to so many of us, in a way that we felt like we all had a little Will Toledo in all of us.  But on “Twin Fantasy”, Will’s bringing us many more personal stories, most which often aren’t as relatable to an extent.  I wouldn’t say that makes this album any less compelling though, and this performance on “Beach Life-In-Death” is flooring.  From the multiple passages that seem endless to Will’s jaw-dropping intensity, this track is incredible.  To be honest, it’s almost a little too personal in parts, painfully true even.  But it’s just such a good track.  And even outside of WIll’s performance, this is just such a swirling masterpiece of a track.  The musicians Will has sided with to help him tell his stories are all just incredible artists.  Up next we have “Stop Smoking (We Love You)”.  Now, for what this is, it’s sort of charming and sweet.  It’s slow, it’s stripped down, and is mostly just Will with his guitar alone. But I feel like this one does fit snuggly into the very realistic world Car Seat Headrest present.  Obviously, there really isn’t that much to take in, and I wouldn’t say this track adds a ton, but it’s pleasant.  But Will bounces back with “Sober to Death”, which has this incredibly lush sound to start it off.  From a production standpoint this album is just so next level for Car Seat Headrest.  There isn’t anything Low-Fi about this, they sound like absolute legends.  Some of these guitar licks are just so cool, and go great alongside Will’s incredibly realistic lyrics.  Will’s always been a little paranoid, a little small on the inside and scared of the world.  But for a few minutes here, I feel like we can all very easily relate to what he’s feeling.  There are elements here of folk, indie, and more.  However, we have to give Will the credit he deserves, because at the end of the day he knows way too much about writing an incredibly catchy Pop Rock tune.  I mean, come on, “Take your hands off your neck and hold On to the ghost of my body, You know that good lives make bad stories”, that’s BRILLIANT.  Will just sounds so alone on “Sober to Death”, even in the more obvious moments towards the end where he’s pleading “You and me will be alone no more”.  Will, whoever this relationship was with, man or woman, young or old, once again you’ve written songs that have sort
of summed up everything we’ve all felt over the years.

    It’s moments like “Nervous Young Inhumans” that continue to baffle me with just how much Car Seat Headrest and Will Toledo have evolved so much over the years.  I know it’s obvious and almost pointless to say, but this track overall is such a magnificently re-recorded work.  Hell, this is more that re-imagined, this is a totally different work practically.  For a single, I don’t think there’s a better track here, but this is also one of the more easily digestible here as well.  I love the soaring and infectious chorus, and just how hypnotic the verses are.   It’s moments like this though that I also feel like this album is a slightly less focused album from a track list perspective.   I wouldn’t say it’s done to a fault, but “Teens of Denial” to me just seemed to tell a comprehensive story from start to finish.  “Twin Fantasy” however seems to be hard to follow in parts.  But as strong as that sounds, it actually adds to what makes this album so mystifying.  It really makes you think, and it really sticks with you.  Not to mention, Will’s ending monologue on “Nervous Young Inhumans” is loads more interesting than his original lecture on the word “Galvanized”, fans of the original “Twin Fantasy” will know what I mean.  I have to give it to Car Seat though, they’re actually successfully bringing ins one serious Dance-Rock vibes on this album.  “Bodys” is up next, and it actually comes off incredibly funky and groovy.  This was originally one of my favorite tunes on the older version of “Twin Fantasy”.  But when you listen to the lyrics of this one, i feel like in a weird way that this newly added groove is almost a necessity.  Wills lyrics here are so longing, and something that we’ve all felt, that feeling of meeting someone special the first few times and wanting to skip the pleasantries and just freakin’ hold that person and feel at one with them.  “Bodys” is anthemic, gigantic, and I can't ever think of a way this recording could have come off any bigger or better.  It’s equal parts cynical and touching, something that’s really hard to master.  But Will makes it sound so natural in this gigantic, soaring anthem for teens in love with whoever.  Will’s very sarcastic tone continues with “Cute Thing”.  I feel like when he gets into his more cynical mood he really sticks with it and it’s just so great.  I love just how explosive and instantaneous this one is, and some of Will’s one-liners are spot on (We all wish we had Frank Ocean’s voice and James Brown’s stage presence).  This is easily one of the catchiest tunes here, with everything from memorable verses to a sing-a-long chorus.  Will’s greatest talent though remains his songwriting, which just blends so much in a short period of time.  There are tear-jerkingly real moments that make you want to give Will a hug for being so open, but Will will follow that up with some incredibly witty one-liner.  This album is a masterpiece.  After that explosive tune, I can seriously groove with just how low-key and stripped down “High to Death” is.  It’s just so quiet and somber, and even in the opening moments you can tell that this is easily going to be one of the deepest tunes on the album.  Will sounds so incredibly beat down and hurt.  For the most part, I wouldn’t say this one follows a lot of the same lyrical themes of the album, this actually sort of sounds like a cut from “Teens of Denial”.  But it’s just so well written and such a teary-eyed ballad, we’re right back to having Will so down on his luck.  “Twin Fantasy” has such a range.  We forget this is an album about relationships, and Will sure does an incredible job of hearing every high and low.  “High to Death” is deep, like one of Will’s literal skeletons in his closet, and you really get the feeling this was probably rough for Will to write.  But he remains one of Indie’s coolest personalities and makes it into an anthem.  Will has such a gift, and it’s clear that he still has so much more to give. 

    I feel like monolithic songs have just become such a part of Car Seat Headrest’s music that I really don’t worry about them anymore.  “Famous Prophets (Stars)” is up next, and I continue to be stunned by Will’s very introspective and well thought out lyrics.  Things have really taken a turn for the more depressing in some of these later tracks, but just how personal they all seem to be hasn’t changed a bit. I do have a slight issue with this, int he way that I feel like Will and the rest of the band are sort of on different pages as far as the instrumental goes.  While on other tunes they’ve meshed perfectly, this one is just a little off.  Will, however, ends up making it work incredibly and ends up giving this one a little unhinged and chaotic feel. The incredible one-liners continue, and make Will come off just so human.  We’ve certainly hit his rock bottom as well, with just his dismal and bruised he sounds.  But you have to commend him for putting this all together.  “Famous Prophets (Stars)” is actually quite stunning as far as structure goes, the way it flows is just fascinating.  It’s not exactly my favorite tune here, and I would say that in a few places it’s a little drawn out, but I still think Car Seat Headrest have completely outdone themselves.  This album ends off with “Twin Fantasy (Those Boys)’.  It has a pleasant, chilled out intro with a ton of epic feel in these very slow paced instrumentals, Then we have Will’s performance, in which he sounds so exhausted.  This as a finale is interesting.  It’s so heartfelt and emotional, and in a lot of ways does really seem like a victory lap.  But interestingly enough, this does end up finishing the way “Teens of Denial” ended, with us hoping that Will is OK and him just sort of being left with nothing.  It’s not the happiest of endings, but it’s flooring nonetheless.  

Rating: 9.0/10

Give A Listen To: “Sober to Death”, “Nervous Young Inhumans”, “Bodys”, “High To Death”

Genre: Indie Rock 

Overall Thoughts: Will Toledo was obviously onto something when he originally penned “Twin Fantasy” years ago.  I don’t know if it was “unfinished” as he believes, but it certainly was a little rough around the edges, and a difficult listen at times.  However, this reimagining is truly something special.  Will took everything, and I mean everything that was originally so likable about this, and made it so much easier to comprehend and follow, and it is GOOD.  “Teens of Denial” may be about Will in a relationship with a male, or a female who ever knows with this dude.  But, he’s packaged it in a way that you can comprehend these feelings if you’re in a relationship with whomever.  The hooks are punchy, the choruses are soaring, and WIll’s anecdotes are timeless.  Obviously though, what makes this so good is just how well this is written.  Will seems to have such a gift for writing songs.  There are tracks on here that are heart wrenching to the point where you want to reach out to Will and check up on him, but moments later he’ll have you laughing with some well-placed cynicism or a truly memorable observation.  This album may not be as universally relatable as “Teens of Denial”, but it’s sincerity and blatant honesty is incredible.