Shame - "Songs Of Praise"

Well hey, this is one review that honestly caught me off guard.  Honestly, I really don't know much about England's Shame.  But I saw this album artwork starting to float around the internet, and I couldn't really tell what to make of it.  But then I saw in some forums that people were seriously hyping up this LP.  So I checked out these singles and boy HOWDY, let me tell you.  These boys can PLAY.  Shame have that gritty, British Punk edge that I've been dying to hear for a while.  These opening singles have been hard-hitting and grimy in all the best ways.  Let's chat about Shame's debut album.

This album starts off with “Dust On Trial”, and right off the bat, I love the way Shame are building tension immediately (even if they’re only really using acoustic guitars).  It works really well though because as soon as those very ominous, twisted guitars and ridiculous vocals pop in, this one quickly becomes a Post Punk pressure cooker.  All of a sudden, vocalist Charlie Steen is getting in these gruesome and pissed off one-liners.  The band surrounding him make up this almost swirl of Post Punk greatness, making for one hell of an opener.  Its intense, thunderous, and Charlie’s performance is already one for the record books.  Some of his deeper vocals really get inside your head, and between that and the siren blaring in the back, this one is stunning.  Now, this album really does read like a Greatest Hits of Post Punk, with “Concrete” up next being much more instantaneous with no real build.  No, this one is just one release after wonderful release.  The vocals here are absolutely insane, going back and forth between Charlie’s aggressive vocals in front with some backing vocals that almost come off as some crazed conscience.   The guitars are soaring, and for a Post Punk t, ne I love that “Concrete” isn’t taking the same sort of dreary approach.  It’s just as intense though, and I love how Shame are really bringing back the Punk in Post Punk.  The attitude of this one is fierce, and Shame are quickly showing that they may not necessarily be reinventing the wheel of Post Punk, but man do they ever have an amazing sound.  “One Rizla” is up next, and this one on the other hand has a much more grand sense to it within these soaring guitars which almost have a New Wave style to them.  But on top of that, this one is pummeling as far as lyrics go.  I wouldn’t say these are as aggressive, because nothing about this track is aggressive.  But the self hatred and portrait of the modern British Punk singer here is a welcome change.  It’s a grimy tune in a lot of ways, that adds some well needed melody to the album.  It’s also intense though in it’s own way.  But most importantly, “One Rizla” shows that Shame is much more than just aggressive blasts of Punk energy.  “The Lick” up next though is a real treat.  In true classic Post Punk fashion, this one is incredibly sexual.  But in a completely different way seemingly.  Like, there’s such a sense of danger in Charlie’s performance, he sounds like such a creep and a predator.  The instrumentals behind him are this brilliant, bubbling, tension-filled master class in Post Punk, but Charlier from start to finish is the star.  I love the way he comes off so magic here, as he goes off on everything from Gynecologists to iPod’s.  In a way, this almost comes off like something Sleaford Mods would do.  But of course, it’s shinier and a little more cleanly produced.  Overall, I still have yet to find anything about this album that I hate.  The slow-paced, tension-filled instrumentals, as well as Charlie’s crazed performances are fantastic.  Not to mention, I would love to hear more slow tunes like “The Lick”.
    This album pummels on with “Tasteless”, which in a bizarre way almost has a dance groove to it.  Hell, it almost reminds me of something from The Clash’s later years.  This one once again isn’t as grim or destructive.  But it shows that Post Punk just has so much to offer at this point in Rock.  I love the punchy guitars and Charlie’s determined performance which still comes off pretty damn out of control.  The instrumentals just keep spiraling off the hinges, and I absolutely adore the repeated “I like you better when you’re not around” chorus.  It’s so catchy, and in a lot of ways is a really great start if you’re not usually into this grimy Post Punk revival.  On the other hand, moments like “Donk” really show that Shame can play with the big boys of this genre.  This is one of the more straightforward and heavy tunes on here.  It almost has some elements of Hardcore.   But Charlie’s very manic performance once again really takes this to the next level.  It’s a short tune, but “Donk” is intense and really shows that Shame truly mean business.  Not to mention, I just love Charlie’s very pained screams.   On the other hand, “Gold Hole” surprisingly takes a much rougher and determined sound.  Shame has a real knack for taking these fairly simple tunes and stringing them into 4-minute tunes seamlessly.  This one though is special.  The verses here are just so great at building tension, so much so that when the chorus of “SHAKE ME UP” hits, it’s downright thrilling.  “Gold Hole” is a filthy track that you know will kick your fucking teeth out, but at the same time, this one just seems so well produced and “new” sounding.  It’s intense, brutal, grimy, and literally, has me salivating for whatever Shame will do next.  It’s thrilling right to the very last blast of energy.  “Friction” up next brings back the sort of groove that we heard earlier.  But Charlie’s performance here makes this come off like its own animal.  He doesn’t sound nearly as aggressive here, as a matter of fact, I love his more clever and introspective lyrics on this one.  Shame really is offering up a long line of very different Post Punk jams.  “Friction” is certainly one of the more sophisticated tunes here, and it does sound great.  Even the chorus on this one is much classier, but it’s fantastic.  But, I do have to to say, as far as tunes like this go, I would get how some fans of current Post Punk would think this is maybe a little too polished.
    Now, I honestly don’t have too many bad things to say about this album, it’s probably going to end up being Post Punk album of the year.  But, if I had to choose one tune I really wasn’t that into, it would be “Lampoon”.  There have been heavy tunes here, but this one just seems a little rushed and thrown together at the last minute as a last-ditch effort to retain some real heaviness.  Not to mention, it seems a little flimsy, and I’m not sure how much I dig Charlie’s more wordy performances up against these intense instrumentals.   Shame though to slow it down big for the album’s finale, “Angie”.  This one is a slow burner done the best way, with Charlie’s performance being just so cool that it ends up really getting inside your head.  The pacing on this one is key though, and I really love how Shame is slowing it down to even bring in some Indie Rock elements.  None of this one seems rushed, and “Angie” ends up coming off really interesting. It’s somber in tone, with a lot of these lyrics coming off as seriously heartbreaking.  Shame does a great job wrapping up this album, and even though this track is over 7 minutes, it rolls along nicely and never seems drawn out.


Rating: 8.6/10


Give A Listen To: “Dust On Trial”, “Concrete”, “Tasteless”, “Gold Hole”


Genre: Post Punk / Punk Rock / Post-Hardcore


Overall Thoughts:  Shame here on this album come off like a tea kettle that's been on the stove for too damn long, ready to explode at any moment.  While we really are in a sort of Post-Punk renaissance, Shame seems well ahead of the game.  The material here, while it's very cleanly produced, often comes off with the sort of rough edge that British Punk greats are known for.  The performances are all tight, no matter what style of Post Punk they go for.  Some of the tracks here are tasteful throwbacks to the genres earliest days, with other moments rocketing towards the future.  No matter what your cup of tea is in the Punk world, you're going to find it here.  And even if Shame doesn't really do anything fantastically new with these sounds, do they ever sound good with it anyway.

Typhoon - "Offerings"

Typhoon is an Indie Rock band from Oregon who has been making their rounds for the past few years now.  Now, recently I got recommended their 2010 "Hunger and Thirst" album and I really wasn't expecting too much.  However, it's surprisingly a seriously decent album.  At first, I sort of was indifferent towards a lot of the tunes here.  But the use of strings and Jazz elements almost gave this album a theatrical feel.  Some of the tracks even have a sort of southern flair, like "Happy People".  Not to mention, Kyle Morton's singing was nothing sort of gigantic and passionate.  Still, a few tracks here and there were a little one-dimensional, like "Ghost Train" and "Old Haunts (New Cities)".  Not to mention, some of the tracks here didn't need to be nearly as drawn out.  But still, there were enough good tunes on "Hunger and Thirst" to make this album stick out just enough.   But I'll be honest, I honestly thought this was going to be a "one and done" sort of thing with Typhoon, and I certainly never thought I would appreciate their music as much again.  However, their 2013 album "White Lighter" quite frankly is absolutely wonderful.  The tracks on here were much more concise and well structured, and Typhoon continued to have such a wonderful energy.  It was artsy and theatrical, and the instrumentals were much more intricate then Typhoon's earlier work.  Fans of early Arcade Fire, check this album out!  So it's been like 5 years since we've heard from Typhoon.  And I'll be honest, these singles have been pulsating, artsier then ever, and incredibly epic.  I'm excited to chat more about this, let's roll out!

This album starts off with "Wake", a bizarre and intensely dark intro.  It almost reminds me of some bizarre monologue scrapped from the Dark Knight trilogy.  But it's more than just that.  These group chanted vocals are very unnerving, and the overall slow strumming and pacing of this tune are just so grim.  Not to mention, Kyle Morton sounds so hushed in his performance, like he's trying desperately to keep quiet.  When I first saw this album cover, the first thing I thought of was how unlike Typhoon it came off.  Hell, it practically looks like a Metal album of sorts.  But "Wake" certainly embodies that image, being so powerful and immensely quiet.  It's packed with tons of emotion, almost reminding me of something from The Microphones "The Glow Pt.2".  But when all of these instrumentals begin to slowly pile up, it gets near demonic, drawing more from Industrial Metal than anything.  Obviously, this is far from heavy music, but it's just as heavy in theory and seriously VERY ear grabbing.  Up next is "Rorschach", and with so many of these tunes, I really feel like Typhoon is keeping us on our toes.  While this track, in theory, is a pretty straightforward Indie Tune, the very tense playing and noisy production do a really great job of making this very exciting.  It's a very artsy tune, almost constantly breaking out a crafty lyric or a new instrumental if only for a few seconds.  In a way, it's a whole lot like a Rorschach painting.  So far I'm absolutely loving the very exciting feel to this album.  Whenever an album really has me guessing what I'm going to hear next, that's a big plus.  "Rorschach" is a triumphant tune, but it's also expertly crafted and fairly by the books.  And I just LOVE the background chanted vocals that make the end of this tune so epic and grand.  It's moments like this that tell me that Indie Rock is far from out of ideas.  This album trudges forward with "Empiricist", and I have to give it to Typhoon, they really aren't letting up with this Cinematic sound at all.  This isn't an instantly pleasing album, actually, a LOT of these tunes really take their runtime building up a big amount of tension.  And guess what, that makes some of these 8 minute tracks a little rough to sit through.  But "Empiricist" is still so worth it.  It's a patient track, with Kyle once again sounding so hushed like he's desperately trying to keep quiet.  But the hulking, grandiose instrumentals surrounding him refuse to keep quiet.  I feel like what really impresses me the most, however, is just how cinematic these tracks come off.  It's really sort of difficult to just pick out a certain instrumental that stands out, as a whole lot of these tracks are overflowing with personality.  It literally almost comes off like I'm watching some gigantic Indie Rock Art film.  "Empiricist" surprisingly eventually does pick up into one of the album's more straightforward tunes.  There are elements of Jangle-Pop to Dream Pop, with it all coming off so lush despite being so grim.  It's beautiful, epic, and really gives me hope for Indie Rock.  The very slow, dreamy vibe of this album continues with "Algernon" which almost has a Noire sense to it.  But this is the folkiest track here so far.  And to be honest, it's a little underwhelming.  Without the very bold, cinematic instrumentals to carry Typhoon, sadly their music isn't nearly as pronounced or genre-defining.  "Algernon" doesn't even come off as the same band, just the opposite, it comes off as some cover that's modest at best.  Now, I will give it this, I do love the storytelling aspects of this one lyrically.  But I feel like everything about this track really does give me the exact opposite feeling.  This isn't Indie Rock that gives me hope, it just brings me down. Now I hate to say it, but a lot of the more stripped down tunes on here like "Unusual" really does bring me down, which may or may not be their intention.  I continue to dig some of the storytelling in the lyrics that continue to give this album a very cinematic feel, and some of the vocal harmonies here are quite nice as well.  Even when this one eventually does pick up, I feel like Typhoon just come off so much more lifeless in atmospheres like this.  I would be fine if this one at least had the same sort of bellowing, ominous sound of earlier tunes.  But "Unusual" really doesn't sadly.  Hell, the most interesting element we get here is the absolute Celtic meltdown of the second half, which quite frankly I'm more interested in than any of the rest of the track.  It if was just that in a 3-minute blast, I might actually be interested in this tune.  Then the last 40 seconds sounds like it came off of an early Alt-J demo.  "Unusual" is bizarre, and could have been special, but took so long and ended up going nowhere. 

    The next leg of this massive album starts off with "Beachtowel", and oh boy it's another soft tune.  At the very least though, this one actually comes off sincere and incredibly tender.  On this one, the very minimal atmosphere actually comes off charming, almost reminding me of the early days of Perfume Genius.  But this is the perfect example of what I was saying.  "Beachtowel" has so much more emotion behind it, even though it's just as bare bones.  The result is a truly charming ballad the likes of which I didn't think I would hear.   On "Remember", Typhoon once again go for a much lighter start.  But I can't deny how incredible Kyle's performance is on this one.  Once again, he's barely singing above a whisper, but it's just so raw and emotional.  Then, this one begins to really pick up into one of the more upbeat tunes we've heard in a while.  That great, gigantic, seemingly endless cinematic vibe is back in full effect.  I've said it before and I'll say it again, fans of early Arcade Fire are going to eat this up, even if it isn't as elegant.  Everything about this one just works wonders, from it's crisp and anthemic solo to Kyle's very passionate performances.  It's tracks like this that have so much charisma and personality.  If they really trimmed down the fat on this album, this could have easily been a modern Indie classic.  I'm not going to dwell too much on "Mansion", as it's just a sweet and quick tune that probably would have been a whole lot better if it was fleshed out.  However, it works nicely as an interlude and helps the album flow nicely.  On the other hand, the much more “open” and sunny feel of “Coverings” is welcomed after a long line of very tightly produced tunes.  Now, I know Typhoon have like two dozen members, so I’m not exactly sure whose taking lead vocal duties.  But it’s a nice switch up to hear these female vocals take over completely.  It’s a very delicate tune, and not nearly as hulking as some of the album’s gigantic productions.  But, it’s sweet and really beautiful and has plenty of the same sort of cinematic moments as well.  Between the very tense chorus and the very elegant and refined verses, “Coverings” is done really well and has a ton to offer.  It’s beautiful, but it also works in with just how Progressive this album has been so far.  But these very stripped down folk ballads continue to be the album’s falling point with “Chiaroscuro”.   Moments like this don’t even sound like Typhoon at all, just the opposite.  They sound like any Joe Schmo Indie Band that’s completely faceless.  Sure, it’s charming and sweet at times, and if you played this in an Urban Outfitters you’re damn right this would be eaten up.  But for a late album track that’s surrounded by very lush and genuinely progressive tunes, this does nothing for me. 

    Thankfully, some of these later tracks really do hit home.  “Darker” right off the bat really gives me the chills.  I love the slow pacing and the very deep sound including the very small details in the sound effects.  It’s a very somber tune once again, with almost an old-school Emo sense to it.  But man, let me tell you,  it’s powerful.  We’re right back to Kyle sounding like some crazed preacher of sorts, but it’s a role he plays magnificently.  The atmosphere is so tense on this one that when these later noisy guitars blast in it’s actually shocking.  Overall I have nothing bad to say about this one.  The pacing is great, the atmosphere is grim, this is just a brilliant cinematic Indie tune, which is what can be said about a LOT of this album.  Once again though, “Bergeron” rolls up and I really don’t know who told these guys that they should be working with these very quiet folk tunes.  They may not be the worst tunes in this style I’ve ever heard, but it’s just so faceless that it’s to the point where it’s depressing.  Now, I will say this, the second half of this tune where those larger than life drums come blasting in do get quite epic, as well as those devastatingly crushing pianos.  But I needed more elements like THAT and fewer moments exploring dime-a-dozen folk balladry.  And while at first “Ariadne” doesn’t sound much better, Kyle’s very charismatic performance really carries this quiet intro.  However, obviously, I’ve spoken too soon because this track really ends up exploding very quickly.  If Typhoon is going to go for slower tunes, in every way THIS is the way to go for.  I love just how slow and powerful this one is, with seemingly endless layers and wild instrumentation.  Not to mention, Kyle just sounds so passionate about his vocal performance.  In a way, I know I said this earlier, but more than anything this reminds me of almost “Neon Bible” era Arcade Fire, with these very hulking instrumentals at their core that are just so cautionary.  There isn’t a single wasted moment on “Ariadne”, between emotional strings, determined guitars and intense drums.  It’s moments like THIS that make this album work, even if it’s far from perfect.  To be honest, I really sort of wish “Ariadne” was the finale.  Because the half-assed dreary folk balladry of “Sleep” is doing absolutely nothing for me as an ending, let alone one that lumbers on for 13 minutes.  I mean, literally nothing about this track stands out to me at all, and it’s a shame because so much of the rest of the album is just so fresh for the genre.  Even later moments where some nice orchestrations come in, this track is absolutely lifeless.  And then this track just sort of wallows in cliches for the last 8 minutes with only a few actually working.  “Sleep” is a real bummer.

Rating: 7.6/10


Give A Listen To: “Rorschach”, “Beachtowel”, “Remember”, "Darker"


Genre: Indie Rock


Overall Thoughts:  Typhoon has put together their biggest, and most epic album to date by far.  It's a cinematic album filled with seemingly endless ideas, constantly shifting from one emotion to the next, with Typhoon backing their ideas with gigantic instrumentals.  Needless to say, this album is absolutely epic in feel.  However, some of the structuring to this album is really questionable, with some of these longer tunes being seriously hard to sit through.  Not to mention, on the moments when some of the big production and big instrumentals are taken away, Typhoon sound so faceless.  This album in parts is a real testament to just how much can be done with current Indie Rock.  But when all the dazzling instrumentals are stripped away, this album doesn't nearly pack as much punch. 

BØRNS - "Blue Madonna"

BØRNS, aka Garrett Clark Borns, is an Indie Pop artist who's been making his rounds ever since his 2015 debut "Dopamine".  Now, a lot of people dug this album, but a lot of critics were negative on certain aspects of it.  Mostly, the way that BØRNS did certainly seem at times that he was pushing out Indie Pop that wasn't edgy or revolutionary.  Honestly, though, I've never understood that, and I really love the majority of "Dopamine".  Tracks like "Fool" and "Electric Love" are just so glamorous, "American Money" was simply hypnotizing, and Garrett's vocal performance on "10,000 Emerald Pools" is nothing short of flooring.  Not to mention, the production on this album is KILLER.  Now, it has been a few years since we've heard from BØRNS.  But for the most part, man I don't get any of the same vibes from any of these new singles sadly.  Let's chat about this new BØRNS album.

(A personal favorite of mine!)

This album starts off with “God Save Our Young Blood”, featuring Lana Del Rey.  It’s a very joyous start that’s pretty sweet and sunny.  It’s nothing too flashy though, which does sort of worry me.  I loved just how over the top and flashy the first BØRNS album was.  As far as the verses go, BØRNS and Lana actually have some sort of nice chemistry that I can’t really deny.  But for the most part, I just feel like they didn’t push this track far enough.  This easily could have been a jolly, Indie-Pop banger.  But the haziness of this one sort of stifles it right in its tracks.  I just feel like BØRNS is seriously and I mean SERIOUSLY limiting himself.  There aren’t any bars here where his brilliant vocals are standing out, and in return, this sounds like something more off of Lana’s last album.  It’s just not the start I wanted to hear.  On the other hand, “Faded Heart” has a LOT of the elements of “Dopamine” that I really loved.  That BØRNS swagger is here in full effect, with those hazy Psychedelic Rock influences here being gigantic.  In a way, this almost reminds me of “…And Star Power” era Foxygen,  It’s smooth though and certainly determined.  While I still feel like BØRNS in a lot of ways is stifling himself after the lavish performances on his last release, this track is certainly an improvement.  But still, this is a punchy, eclectic Indie Pop tune that I do really love.  Not to mention, there’s just an element of grandness to this that I can’t help but eat up.  But then BØRNS answers that with a track like “Sweet Dreams” which is sort of Bizarre.  There were softer tunes on BØRNS’s early work, but they almost always ended up being electric or dazzling.  Here though, this sort of just sounds like faceless Indie Pop that could have been made by anyone.  Of course, there are some pretty sweet lyrical moments, but some of the small eccentricities of BØRNS that once enchanted me aren’t anywhere in sight.  And in return, BØRNS just seems on growing his sound.  And that’s fine, I always salute branching out, but “Sweet Dreams” just comes off as awkward.  On the other hand, “We Don’t Care” is an experiment that comes off a whole lot better.  I love the seriously funky licks we’re getting here, giving this more swagger than ever.  I just can’t get enough of the attitude we get on this one.  But also, I love just how much more focused BØRNS is on the instrumentals.  I honestly can pick out so much more than usual when it comes to the instrumentals here, which is something that a lot of people had issues with on “Dopamine”.  “We Don’t Care” is snappy, catchy and it’s seriously explosive.  It’s times like this that make me feel like BØRNS certainly still does have plenty of great tracks in him.  

    BØRNS continues to go from one extreme to another on “Man”, this one being a straight up Synth-Pop banger.  To be honest, though, he really pulls it off.  Obviously, it’s not as punchy or as cocky as the last tune, but this one still has plenty of wild personality in its own right.  Not to mention, this may be the first time on the album that BØRNS has really let loose with his vocals.  It’s a catchy tune with plenty of icy synths and dance grooves.  My only real wish is that BØRNS took this even further and made it an all-out dance tune.  Still, I love just how flashy this all is and over-the-top.  However, quickly BØRNS does sort of bite off more than he can chew when it comes to Synth Pop with “Iceberg”.  The entire introduction of this track is really sort of awkward.  It’s not nearly as confident as other tunes here, with BØRNS once again really sounding more like an outsider than anything.  The sort of low-key, gloomy instrumentals here don’t do nearly as much for me as you would think.  There are a few cool moments, like those very funky bass licks, and even BØRNS later on his soulful vocal moments (which almost come off like early Passion Pit).  But “Iceberg” for me is just sort of alright, being far from the worst track here.  I do also like some of the later elegant instrumentals as well.   “Second Night of Summer” on the other hand, comes off like a BØRNS track right off the bat.  That very light Indie Pop sound is here in full effect, with some seriously stunning vocals.  But this, like a lot of tracks on here is just sort of alright.  There’s nothing captivating me, nothing ripping me back demanding a second listen.  While I certainly do like elements of “Second Night of Summer”, nothing is really going to bring me back to this one.  At this rather, I just sort of wish he gave us more of what we heard on his debut album.  I do have to say though, lyrically I do enjoy a lot of this tune.  But oh boy, let me tell you, the auto-tuned intro of “I Don’t Want U Back” does absolutely nothing for me.  I do like some of the soulful and sassy bars on this one throughout.  But instrumentally this one is seriously putting me to sleep.  I’m fine with BØRNS going for a more Synth-Pop oriented sound, but this is just so drawn out like he’s desperately trying to make something happen.  On the other hand, I do still really think that BØRNS can write an electrifying Pop Song.  So I guess this track isn’t ALL bad, but this could have been so much more interesting. 

    Then, out of nowhere, we get this bizarre, funky “Tension” interlude from BØRNS.  I don’t know about you, but this sure as hell doesn’t come off as a damn interlude to me.  This just comes off as a track that’s ridiculously underwritten and unfinished.  And it’s a shame because those very retro synths in the background are a really cool element that could have made this track wonderful.  But “Supernatural” on the other hand is a really interesting sound for BØRNS.  There’s a very dream, almost Baroque Pop or Art Pop sense to this that’s actually to die for.  That, combined with all of the Synth-Pop that BØRNS has been working with, makes for a track that I really wouldn’t mind returning to.  It’s epic and grand feeling and has the sort of slick feel that I loved on the first BØRNS album.  There is sort of Psychedelic elements that MGMT fans will appreciate, with harmonies that any fan of Passion Pit would blush at as well.  It’s all wrapped up nicely with some seriously flashing production too.  So all I really have to say about “Supernatural” is, where was this?  If BØRNS was really going for a more varied sound, where the has THIS sound been.  The album’s title track, “Blue Madonna” on the other hand, takes us back to a much more low-key sound.  There are some seriously slick grooves here though, and I absolutely LOVE the very steamy verses here.  If BØRNS is going for a slower brand of Synth-Pop, this is absolutely the one to go for.  It’s moody, sexy, and has a real atmosphere.  Throughout this album, this very gloomy and moody sound has actually really worked great for BØRNS and I sort of wish we got more tunes like this.  Plus, the production of “Blue Madonna” is great.  And while Lana Del Rey is back for seconds on this one, and is MUCH quieter this time around, I have to admit this is a much more tasteful collaboration.   BØRNS actually ends up ending off this album in a positive way with “Bye-Bye Darling”, which is one of the more ear-catching tunes on the album.  It’s moments like this where BØRNS really goes for that more experimental sound that I feel like he’s really on to something.  “Bye-Bye Darling” is a seriously classy Pop tune.  I honestly don’t know what happened with the majority of this album, but this is one charming, epic tune.  Not to mention, BØRNS really sounds like he’s being himself and letting his personality shine.  Are there any bombastic performances?  No, but it’s quaint and it’s different in the best way.  

Rating: 7.1/10




Give A Listen To: “Faded Heart”, “We Don’t Care”, “Bye Bye Darling”, “Supernatural”

Genre: Indie Pop / Electro-Pop / Alternative Rock / Psychedelic Pop




Overall Thoughts: BøRNS on this album don't bring in nearly as captivating performances or nearly as glamorous production.  As a matter of fact, most of this album is made up of BøRNS trying to really branch out his sound.  Half of the time, that results in an awkward Mash-Up between Moody Synth Pop and Mellow Psych Pop.  Now, this wasn't the album that I wanted to hear from BøRNS to be honest, and a LOT of what made me keep coming back to BøRNS early material simply isn't here.  Not to mention, most of the time BøRNS really seems like he's limiting himself and holding back on some of the gigantic performances that floored me on "Dopamine".  But there are enough experiments on here that go right that make it decent.  Plus, the few times that BøRNS gets these Psych Pop experiments right, it makes me actually excited to hear what he's going to be doing in the future.  

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - "Wrong Creatures"

So let me just start this off by saying, when I was young I literally thought Black Rebel Motorcycle Club was the coolest new band of the 2000's.  They had this essence to them watching them perform that was simply put, cool.  Their very hazy, noisy, shoegaze sound was just so hip at the time as well. especially with the Garage Rock revival well in effect.  Their 2001  album "B.R.M.C" is still to this day, their finest effort by far.  Dreamy tracks like "Awake" and "Rifles" are equal parts beautiful and crushing, while tracks like "Love Burns" and "Spread Your Love" had just enough crossover appeal to get the band noticed.  Now, while I do love this album, I've always thought that it is a little flimsy at times.  Meaning, there are one too many moments here where Black Rebel Motorcycle Club seem to be on the brink of losing their cool.  Whether it be a dreamy, repeated passage that gets a little old, or a repeated guitar chord that is a second or two away from becoming boring, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club seemed like they could drop the ball.  But they didn't, and "B.R.M.C." remains a modern classic.  All of that being said, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club with the release of their 2003 album "Take Them On, On Your Own", really didn't seem to know what they were doing when it came to following this album up.  This album isn't terrible,  and it's far from the absolute disaster that most people plug this as.  As a matter of fact, the first few tracks on "Take Them On..." can easily go toe-to-toe with anything on the band's first album.  However, as the album goes on it falls all over the place. "Ha Ha High Babe" and "Shade of Blue" are half-baked afterthoughts, and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club wouldn't master the Americana sound of "And I'm Aching" for another few years.  This album overall sadly was painfully alright.  However, tracks like "Generation" and "We're All In Love" do in fact make this album worth checking out.  So, where does a band go after releasing two solid albums known for bringing in a heavy Garage sound with Shoegaze sprinkled in?  Well, for a stripped down Southern Rock and Gospel sound of course, and that's exactly what BRMC did with 2003's "Howl".  Now, right off the bat, I do get why some older fans of the band would be a little turned off by this album, because this is RADICALLY different than the band's early material.  But personally, I really do enjoy most of this album.  Tracks like "Shuffle Your Feet" just come off so true to the style the group was going for, and later tunes like "Gospel Song" and "Sympathetic Noose" were serious standouts.  You can easily say that with "Howl" Black Rebel Motorcycle Club took the easy way out and took a drastic new sound when their Guitar-Heavy sound was going stale, but I honestly think it's a very tasteful sound for the band.  But it's around the time of 2007's "Baby 81" that I really start to have some issues with Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.  This album certainly does have its moments.  "Berlin" and "Weapon of Choice" are nothing short of great modern Guitar tunes, and some of the more stripped down tunes like "666 Conductor" come off great too.  But way too many of the album's late tracks like the impossibly boring "Lien On Your Dreams" and the laughably cheesy "All You Do Is Talk", go absolutely nowhere.  But I think the biggest crime of "Baby 81" is just how unfocused BRMC came off.  Up until now, they almost always had one sound that they stuck with.  On "Baby 81", the band just sort of seemed desperate to hold on to their "Cool" factor.  And for the sake of my audience, I'm going to skip over Black Rebel Motorcycle Club's Noise and Drone experiments that is "The Effects of 333".  The next time we heard from Black Rebel Motorcycle Club was 2010's "Beat The Devils Tattoo", which showed them go down the same road as their previous effort.  Now, bluesy tunes like "River Styx" as well as determined rockers like "Mama Taught Me Better" and "Conscience Killer" were really REALLY good.  But outside of that, this album was BRMC at their most tame and boring to be honest.  Tracks like "Sweet Feeling" showed that the boys still had incredible songs in them, but the rest of this album quite frankly put me to sleep.  However, to be perfectly honest, I actually thought "Specter At the Feast" was a pretty solid return to form for the band.  Don't get me wrong, some tracks on here were still an absolute chore to listen to, mainly "Returning".   But tracks like "Teenage Disease" and "Hate The Taste" had BRMC working with a swagger I hadn't heard from them in years.  So yea, "Specter At The Feast" really isn't bad at all.  Now, it's been like 5 years since we've heard from BRMC.  These new singles have ranged from moderately decent to painfully boring, so I really don't know how I'm gonna end up feeling by the end of this review.  Let's chat about this.

(Atleast we can always go back to tunes like this)

    This album starts off with "DFF".  It's a very hazy, noisy intro, but it also has a seriously slick and dark vibe to it that I love.  It almost has the feel of some big budget Hollywood Horror movies.  Like, there's actually a really great tension in these slow building drums and some great backing Moans/Vocals.  I wouldn't say there isn't much to this, and I do sort of wish Black Rebel Motorcycle Club took the rest of the album down this much grimmer path..  But, it's a cool intro to say the least that offers up something different.  Then we have "Spook", which as cliche as it sounds is literally the most Black Rebel Motorcycle thing I've heard in an intro.  Those washed-out Guitars that fade in and out, not to mention the very hazy and starry-eyed vocals are pretty great.  Honestly, a LOT of these elements are what drove me to love Black Rebel Motorcycle Club in the first place.  And as an early album track, this is actually a serious stand-out.  It's got that sleek, "Rock & Roll" vibe that you knew that "cool kids" thought was totally legit, but it's more than that.  I think this is one of the band's honest to God more solid Shoegaze outings.  I love just how glistening the guitars come off on the chorus, and how they end up sounding so damn anthemic.  Not to mention, these duel vocals from Robert Levon Been and Peter Hayes have them sounding like they woke up from their usual half-stoned singing for some seriously gruff and passionate bars.  "Spook" is a great opener, not to mention I do enjoy how they're sticking with this darker sound still.  But then we have tracks like "King of Bones", which come off just the opposite in literally every way.  First of all, quite frankly the production on this one is an absolute joke.  I get that Black Rebel Motorcycle Club wanted to go for a muddier sound, but trust me there are sounds that shouldn't be touched, and this track is just gruesome.  Then we have the vocals, which just sound so outdated.  The last track here reminded me of everything I once truly loved about Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.  But these vocals here just seem so gimmicky and incredibly boring.  This whole track to me just screams to me as a desperate attempt to get the band's original sound back.  Which would usually be fine, hell, I feel like in a way it's what they've been aiming for since their second album.  But the production on "King of Bones" and the lazy vocals just make this a "no" for me.  By the time "Haunt" rolls around, it's starting to really hit me just how dreary and gloomy a LOT of this album is.  Which I'm totally up for, but let's be real, these vocals are some of the worst I've ever heard from Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.  I feel like these guys could so easily loosen up and pull off a solid performance, but they continue to just reach back way too far with these ridiculously cheesy performances.  The results are incredibly outdated, and while occasionally come off as a tasteful throwback, overall is just cheesy.  That, included with the incredibly prolonged pacing of this one, has me waiting for this one to end for almost 6 minutes.  The instrumentals aren't even enough to hold "Haunt" over.  While I do think that some of the very hazy atmospheres are still pulled off gracefully, none of this makes me really want to come back to this ever again.

    With the last two tracks being such a drag, the slightly haunted funk of "Echo" is just enough to break this album up.  It's smooth, and some of the more airy vocals here seem actually lively.  As a matter of fact, from an instrumental standpoint, this is easily one of the most shining moments of the album.  Tracks like this actually give me the impression that Black Rebel Motorcycle Club have an idea on where they want to take their sound.  It's hopeful sounding, and not nearly as much of a drag as the other tunes have been.  Not to mention, just how not-gloomy this one is for a change is a great addition.  That alongside the sheer majesty and how glistening the production is on "Echo" makes this one not really bad at all.  But alas, with all that excitement I must have opened up some hidden latch because all of that haze just blares right back in with "Ninth Configuration".   The vocals here are much more commendable than some of the band's early attempts to go for their more youthful sound.  But this is all stuff that's been done before.  At least some of the darker, gloomier aspects that came with the album's early tracks made them stand out a little.  "Ninth Configuration" sounds like it could have come off of any of the last few Black Rebel Motorcycle Club" albums, in the worst way.  The instrumentals, which only a few minutes ago were seriously standing out, are right back to being criminally stagnant.  There isn't a distinct guitar lick in sight, and everything here just blurs into every other instrumental.  And no, not in a cool way.  Even some of the "exciting" solos at the end just come off as a blatant rehashing of what made Black Rebel Motorcycle Club cool 15 years ago. On the other hand, the low key groove and sinister undertones on "Question of Faith" gives this one some real character.  Now here, the band's sort of repetitive, intense grooves come off really tasteful.  Not to mention, the atmosphere is so bare and spacious, which is totally unlike Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.  Now, the band continues to be constantly going for that ever-present "Cool" sound.  But on "Question of Faith", they seem like they really nail it.  In these vocals and lyrics, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club come off dangerous, dare I say sexy, which is something I haven't said about these guys in years.  There's a real Psychedelic feel here as well, fans of Black Angels will absolutely latch onto this on quickly.  It's moments like this that really make me feel like Black Rebel Motorcycle Club could very easily come out with a late-career album that would knock things out of the park.  But then we have tracks like "Calling Them All Away", where 20 seconds in I'm desperately looking for Black Rebel Motorcycle Club to switch things up.  These guys to me, in their older age really have an issue with knocking when to stop and when to switch things up.  The last track was a fine example in modern Psychedelic Rock.  But "Calling Them All Away" is an example of why a lot fo modern Psychedelic Rock isn't stomachable, brimming with cliche'd guitar licks and vocals that just sound bored. While yes, the vocals are bad, the instrumentals here are just about the worst, and I can't stress it enough.  All of these instrumentals just seem like they were thrown together by some Art School nightmare student.  At the end of the day, "Calling Them All Away" sounds like the worst Dirty Beaches song I've ever heard, what a freakin' sloppy album. 

    What's most frustrating about this album however, is how GOOD it actually gets when it feels like it.  Hearing tracks like "Little Thing Gone Wild" just make me so grumpy when it comes to Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.  Is this track the most unique Alternative Rock sound I've heard in the last few years?  Not even close.  But Black Rebel Motorcycle Club carry this sound like a Pro, with a cocky swagger and enough guitar licks to get anyone grooving.  It's a punchy tune, one with plenty of moments that'll really get you up and moving. In a lot of ways, I really don't have anything bad to say about this one.  But deep down, it still gets me a little grumpy, mostly because Black Rebel Motorcycle Club show that they're perfectly coherent and can easily still write a brilliant guitar jam.  Where was this sound?  Why can't we have more tunes like this?  Why do Black Rebel Motorcycle Club continue to cling to their hazy brand of Fake Psychedelic Rock?  The world will LITERALLY never know.  And let me tell you, the absolutely last thing I wanted to hear at this point was Black Rebel Motorcycle Club to take a stab at Circus music.  But that's exactly what we get on "Circus Bazooko".  I mean, I guess it's something different?  But that certainly doesn't mean it's good.  In a bizarre way, I guess I sort of see what the guys are going for, because this honest to God comes off incredibly disturbing and psychotic. So yea, if that's what they were going for, they hit a real home run.  But outside of that, no sir, I do not care for this.  Believe it or not, these repeated Circus organs get really obnoxious very fast. And the lack of anything else remotely going on here, makes this one a very awkward experiment to say the least.  I give em' credit for trying something different, but that doesn't excuse "Circus Bazooko".  Black Rebel Motorcycle Club start to wind things down with "Carried From The Start".  Now, while this is equally as spacey and pretty "out there" sounding, at the very least this sounds like a track Black Rebel Motorcycle Club can handle.  I love when they really get into grooves like this, because that's when the magic really starts to happen.  Both the vocals by Robert Levon Been and Peter Hayes end up getting right in your head and make this really cool effect, especially when matched up with these very anthemic and wide keyboards and wailing guitars.  "Carried From The Start" is such a simple tune, but it really works for Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, showing that less really is more.  This album ends off with "All Rise", which to be honest, isn't the best track here.  But this is a gamble that sort of works.  Once again, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club are just so obsessed with being this "cool, retro band".  And on this one, they literally sound like they're trying their very hardest for a track sounding directly out of Pink Floyd's "The Wall".  The result isn't exactly exciting, and it's certainly not original.  But it's a big gamble that in a sense does really come off sort of epic.  I do wish they sort of went all out with this and made it even more lavish with instrumentals and made it even grander.  But still, "All Rise" really isn't that bad of an ending at all.  

Rating: 6.7/10

Give A Listen To: “Spook”, “Echo”, “Question of Faith”, “Little Thing Gone Wild”

Genre: Shoegaze / Psychedelic Rock / Garage Rock / Alternative Rock

Overall Thoughts:  Let’s be real, this isn’t the worst thing Black Rebel Motorcycle Club have done, not even close.  But since we’re being honest with ourselves, did anyone actually think that Black Rebel Motorcycle Club would really reinvent themselves on this one?  No, not at all.  This album is an absolute mess most of the time, with Black Rebel Motorcycle Club clambering for anything remotely close to the sound that got them noticed in the early 2000’s.  Which usually wouldn’t be bad, but for the most part, it comes off vastly dated.  Instead of coming off effortless, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club often sound absolutely exhausted.  But, I will say this, there are some really decent gloomy atmospheres here and an experiment or two that come off well that makes this album good enough to listen to once or twice.  

Jeff Rosenstock - "POST-"

Wherever you're from, if you've been into Punk at some point in your life, you know exactly who Jeff Rosenstock is.  Whether you're more of an Arrogant Sons of Bitches guy/gal or grew up listening to Bomb the Music Industry, Jeff's music is special.  But, he's also in a sort of bizarre situation.  He's started his solo career only recently, well into his 30's.  And if you heard him on his "I Look Like Shit" solo debut, you really would get the impression that Jeff didn't know what the hell he was doing.  The lyrics remained witty and the focal point of Jeff's work, as it has with all of his former projects.  But musically this was a mush of an album.  Jeff seemed so intent on bringing in a mixture of Folk Punk and Ska among other Punk genres, something he would eventually master.  But Jeff on "I Look Like Shit" seemed dangerously unfocused, and sounded like it was recorded in his bathroom (In the worst way).  But around that time, Jeff must have realized exactly what I said, he had NO idea what he was doing.  He took that sound, and made it into one of 2015's best surprises, "We Cool?".  Jeff painted a portrait of himself on this album like nobody really expected.  Tracks like "Nausea" showed Jeff to be getting up there in age, not knowing about what he wanted to do in life and not wanting to hear any complaints about it either.   Tracks like "Beers Again Alone" painted Jeff as a sad sack of a man who looked forward to having a few drinks and that's about it.  But as "Pathetic" as Jeff often came off, he painted himself in this light so damn well.  The tracks were all so well written, from the blistering and hazy "You, In Weird Cities" to "I'm Serious, I'm Sorry" which you know Jeff absolutely wrote after a rough night at a friends house.  My only slight complaint was that honestly, I thought Jeff could go for something bigger and better.  And that's exactly what Jeff did on his 2016 Magnum Opus "WORRY.".  This album wasn't only by far the best Punk album of the year but was one of the best Rock albums of the year.  On top of that, "WORRY." quite frankly rewrote the book on modern Punk.  This album took the slacker, burned out vibe of Jeff's earlier work but added in a strong Socio-Political theme.  Tracks like "HELLLLHOOOOLE", "June 21st", "The Fuzz", and "Bang On The Door" had Jeff screaming for the common man.  While tracks like "...While You're Alive" and "I Did Something Weird Last Night" painted Jeff in the same awkward and sort of goofy vibe that made me enjoy Jeff in the past.  Needless to say, "WORRY." is an absolute masterpiece, and if you haven't listened to it yet, you really ought to.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JidJV1ue1lI

( A personal favorite of mine from Jeff!)

    So I’m just gonna get this off my chest, Jeff, “Mornin’!” wasn’t necessary in the slightest.  But I’m not gonna dwell on it, it certainly doesn’t take anything away from the album as a whole.  Jeff, however, wakes us up quickly with “USA”, emphasis on “Wake up”.  Quickly, Jeff’s blaring vocals and equally blaring lyrics really get you into the mood and feel of this album.   Now, a lot of the same elements that showed up on “WORRY” are here in full effect.  But as far as the production goes, as well as the attention to detail, I can’t help but be seriously impressed.  Outside of the ridiculous, 7 minutes runtime, some of the little details within the instrumentals and just how fleshed out they are is remarkable.  Jeff has obviously always worked with musicians that have given him a lot of great moments in brief, but here, they really have room to breathe.  Now, let’s chat about these lyrics.  Obviously, Jeff’s toyed with talking Politics for years now, but this is a completely different game.  Not only that, he blends in chatting about politics with his usual very paranoid, slacker image for a really charming and unique feel.  Jeff’s lyrics are as witty and clever as ever, as he blasts “I saw the sign but it was misleading, I fought the law but the law was cheating”.   As a whole, “USA” is all really bold for Jeff.  But he ends up handling himself so well, and the results are quite frankly mesmerizing.  I can’t remember the last time I heard a Punk Epic come off as just that, epic.  Jeff’s repeated lyrics of “We’re tired and bored” add such a hypnotic element, and even the few minutes of an instrumental interlude we get comes off as enchanting.  Jeff somehow turned his disapproval of the world and the way things are going and turned it into a 7-minute instantly catchy and quite frankly groundbreaking Punk Epic, and it’s amazing.  “Yr Throat” on the other hand, is a LOT more straightforward and instantaneous.  I love the intense strumming here, and the chaotic instrumentals seemingly surrounding Jeff from every angle.  Lyrically, I think it goes without saying, but Jeff is truly a gift and his lyricism remains his greatest strength.  He constantly brings up points that we’ve all felt, about not having a voice when it comes to certain elements of life.  Yes, Jeff’s talking about Politics again, it’s a trend that’s not going anywhere either.  But his personality also bleeds through wonderfully, as Jeff paints himself as this truly paranoid individual, something we’ve seen countless times from him through the years.  “Yr Throat” is catchy, intense, instantaneous and totally Jeff Rosenstock.  Then we have “All This Useless Energy”, and I always love when Jeff slows it down just a touch like he does here.  It really brings back that great, slacker feel of “We Cool?”.  This one, while it’s slower, is also a little more rough around the edges as far as production goes.  But it still comes off with this very grandiose feel that we’ve heard so far.  As a whole though, interestingly enough, a LOT of this track reminds me of some lost B-Side from “We Cool?”.  Even the lyrics harken back and give me that feel that Jeff is still just a big teenager, as he blares out “I haven’t found the rhythm yet to anchor down my life.  I didn’t know I needed one, to hold me through the night.”.  It’s sort of weird to hear a track like this on what is essentially a pretty “Grown-Up” album otherwise.  But I think it’s a great addition, it really gives you that feeling that Jeff really does feel hopeless when it comes to so many things.  Not to mention, his vocal performance on tracks like this always end up coming off so raw and passionate.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJC7tZsGw64

    Now, as far as an instantly memorable and catchy tune here, not to mention important, it really doesn’t get much better than “Powerlessness”.  Jeff here sounds at his most agitated and absolutely his most paranoid, the latter which I’m surprised has become such a part of him over the years.  It’s almost hard to keep up with everything going on here, but Jeff amongst all of this almost sounds like his head is at it’s most clear within this absolute onslaught.  We forget that at the end of the day, Jeff writes Punk Rock, great Punk Rock at that.  And this is, quite frankly the best standard Punk Song that Jeff has released in years.  It’s intense and memorable, but it’s also just so damn obvious and simple.   If I had to choose one song on here that I really wasn’t 100% into, it would be “TV Stars”.  That’s not to say there isn’t a ton to enjoy on it still, I really love Jeff’s very sincere performance that comes off much more heartfelt than any of his early slow-jams like this.  Even lyrically, I think this is one of the most compelling tunes that Jeff has penned here.  But I can’t help but feel like this one just gets me out of the flow of the album.  Don’t get me wrong, there were slow songs on “We Cool?” and “WORRY.”.  But they had a little grit to them when needed, plus they just seemed so welcomed.  Stylistically this track really does stick out like a sore thumb.  Am I being a big baby?  You’re damn right I am, and I still do like a lot about this track.  From the harmonious chorus to the very grand feeling of it all, I certainly get why a lot of Jeff’s fans would dig this.  But for me, I can’t get into it completely.  On the other hand, “Melba” is the triumphant blast right back in the right direction that I was dying to hear.  Jeff here sounds so much more determined.  Not to mention, this one contains some of the album’s more Pop-Punk and Power Pop elements, which are always welcomed.  “Melba” is just so catchy and jolly throughout.  Not to mention, I’m going to sound corny as hell, but just how adorable this track can be a times is absolutely charming.  In an album overflowing with “why bother” lines, to hear a line like “Let’s go back to Melbourne, we can start over. Because mistakes get forgotten, dreams get remembered” is reassuring and sweet.  Honestly, there may be some of the most hopeful lyrics we’re going to get from Jeff in a really long time.  It’s a brilliant tune honestly, with Jeff remaining as one of Punk’s finest poets.  Then we get songs like “Beating My Head Against A Wall”, which are so simple in the best way.  It’s nothing short of a catchy, memorable, short Punk tune.  It’s a little too short to be a real standout, and it may be a little repetitive.  But still, Jeff really knows how to get inside your head even on his slightly less creative moments. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soQ2w4fiwzg

    “9/10” is up next, and this is another slow one for Jeff.  But it comes off so much more effective and gives us the feeling that deep down Jeff is an absolute mess.  This may be Jeff’s most focused work as an album, but he’s still living in a time that he is losing hope for by the second.  He may be jamming out to some of this generation’s catchiest Punk tunes, but 9 times out of 10 he’s sitting at the bar afterward (see what I did there).  As far as a slower tune goes on this album, this is easily one of the more interesting and instrumentally sound.  Not to mention, it just seems to really fit the mold of what Jeff is doing on this album.  This album ends off with “Let Them Win”, which is surprisingly a very grimy and grungy track.  Like, this is so incredibly dense sounding that it’s almost refreshing.  Not only dense instrumentally, it packs a lyrical punch as well.  It’s anthemic, and just as concerned with modern politics as the majority of the rest of the album.  But here, Jeff seems so unified and in a really weird way, hopeful for the future.  I love just how passionate Jeff ends up sounding in these tracks that hit so close to how he’s feeling.  Not to mention, let’s address the elephant in the room.  Jeff has been able to really start taking his songs to greater lengths and seems totally comfortable with it.  Jeff Rosenstock remains one of modern Punk’s greatest gifts.  

Rating: 8.4/10

Give A Listen To: “U.S.A.”, “All This Useless Energy”, “Powerlessness”, “Melba”

Genre: Punk Rock / Pop Punk / Power Pop / Indie Rock

Overall Thoughts:  I stand by my original thoughts, that Jeff Rosenstock did sort of come through with a less instantaneously pleasing album this time around.  But in it’s place, has come out with a true Thinking Man’s Punk Album.  Yes, the guy who a few years ago who was sitting at the bar and didn’t want to hear shit about being 30 and not knowing where his life was going, is now making a seriously thought provoking and quite frankly epic Punk album.  Like I said, some of the more Pop Punk elements that made “We Cool?” and “WORRY.” instant classics.  But the incredibly passionate performances, thoughtful lyrics, and Jeff’s booming personality makes this one a classic in it’s own right.  But I think what makes this album truly powerful, is it’s lingering hope.  Deep down on countless tracks, Jeff urges us to stand together, and reminds us no matter what, we will get through this all.  2018 just started, but Jeff may have already made Punk album of the year.  

Cupcakke - "Ephorize"

CupcakKe ladies and gentlemen!  AKA Miss Elizabeth Eden Harris.  This young lady has been making her rounds on the internet like crazy the last year or so releasing a couple of Mixtapes and Albums and such.  Her first project, early 2016's "Cum Cake", served as quite an eye-opening intro to CupcakKe's music.  First off, if you're not familiar with her style, miss Cake has a bit of a potty mouth and doesn't censor herself to anyone.  From viral hits like "Vagina" and "Pedophile" to deep cuts like "Juicy Coochie" this obviously isn't a Tape for everyone.  However, I did end up enjoying most of this project.  Sure, it's basically Porn for a good chunk of the project, but CupcakKe has so much character it isn't even funny.  Tracks like "Pinocchio" and "Yo Lost" showed CupcakKe going for a slightly more aggressive sound that I wasn't that into.  But even more of the personal tracks like "Exceptions" and "Pedophile" which go deep into CupcakKe's youth in often depressing fashion showed that she was on to something a little bit larger in scale to a few sex tunes.  Her next Mixtape "S.T.D." was pretty solid as well.  The shocking, raunchy tunes continued with tracks like "Doggy Style" and "Best Dick Sucker", but the personal tunes continued as well with "Opportunity".  Now, I still had a hard time taking tracks like "Motherlands" seriously.  But I had a bigger issue.  A lot of these tunes seemed incomplete to me.  Hell, even going back to her previous tape after listening to this, a lot of these tunes still sounded incomplete.  CupcakKe's late 2016 "Audacious" on the other hand, DID feel complete.  The production on this project was so much more impressive and interesting, and the beats from start to finish had just as much character as CupcakKe.  But of course, CupcakKe remained the star, whether it be on Raunch-Rap tunes like "Spider-Man Dick" or deeply personal tracks like "Ace Hardware".  Overall, "Audacious" was the first time I felt like CupcakKe had given us a complete project.   CupcakKe continued to grow with 2017's "Queen Elizabitch".  Sure, there were still some tunes on here that could make a Soccer Mom reach for the skip button, "Cumshot" of course being the main offender.  But the production was glamorous on here and the beats were pretty much exactly where I wanted to hear Miss CakKe.  Now, these new singles from CupcakKe have been average, certainly nothing absolutely mindblowing from her.  But still, certainly decent.  Let's chat about this new CupcakKe album.

This album starts off with "2 Minutes".  It's a very sweet piano intro, which is something I feel like we haven't heard to this extent from CupcakKe.  It's a solid start for the most part, with CupcakKe dropping some surprisingly current bars.  It's a nice switch-up from her usual blast right into a ridiculously raunchy sex tune.  As a whole, "2 Minutes" is actually seriously commendable really, as CupcakKe really starts to go deep into her own psyche about who she is and what she represents.  It's certainly refreshing from CupcakKe, even though I do wish it was longer and made a bigger statement.  Up next is "Cartoons", which on the other hand is the sort of banger that I've really been waiting for CupcakKe to come through with.  I love the beat here and the wildly colorful production.  While coming out with a banger like this after that truly heartfelt intro may be a little counter-productive, I actually really love this tune. Some of CupcakKe's one-liners are as hilarious as ever, and all of these cartoon character references one after another is nothing short of seriously creative.  CupcakKe remains after all of these years, absolutely brimming with personality.  This is just the sort of creative, colorful banger I really wanted to hear from CupcakKe.  Up next is "Duck Duck Goose", and so far I feel like the production on this album has been a serious standout, with a lot of this actually reminding me a lot of what CupcakKe's dear friend Charli XCX has been up to.  Now, this is a real throwback for CupcakKe, with her going hard on all of the Raunch-Rap that she's overlooked the past few tracks.  But this one is so unbelievably over-the-top, even for her standards, in the best way.  So much so, that I seriously can't help but burst out laughing every time I hear this, mostly because of all of these ridiculous images.  I'm just gonna come out and say it, "Duck Duck Goose" is one of the most hilariously enjoyable CupcakKe tunes in years.  On the other hand, "Wisdom Teeth" is going for a totally different style and beat.  It's alright and all, but it's not nearly as colorful as the material CupcakKe usually works with, which does bug me a little.  So let's chat about CupcakKe's performance on this one.  In all honesty, I don't think I've ever heard her with such hunger and such an aggressive performance.  Honestly, she ends up sounding straight up dangerous.  But I still feel like I'm not completely into these more aggressive tunes compared to her more flamboyant performances, but that's just me.  I do have to say though, she's come a long way with her more vicious bars.  And the production on here is still REALLY solid. "Crayons" is up next, and right off the bat this beat goes with CupcakKe's performance so well.  Honestly, this one took a little while to grow on me.  And as far as a tune for supporting the LGBT community goes this is probably one of the more anthemic and creative ones I've heard recently.  CupcakKe has obviously touched down on  a lot of these themes in the past, but this is still really refreshing.  Of course, CupcakKe brings in a few raunchy sex lines that'll most likely make you blush.  But outside of that, this really works wonderfully for CupcakKe. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bD7jC-qL9h0

    Now, I don’t like saying this, I really don’t.  But Cinnamon Toast Crunch” is straight up awful, and the exact direction that I’ve always feared CupcakKe would go down.  Quite frankly, this track is obnoxious.  And it’s a shame, because that beat is absolutely ridiculous and booming.  I give CupcakKe credit because she does somehow keep her personality in check.  But I just really wish she took this a whole different direction.  Not to mention, in an album filled with tunes that I wish were a minute or so longer, why the hell is this track so long?  Now, for a more low-key, introspective and personal tune, “Exit” is one of the better ones CupcakKe has come up with.  I mean, she’s made a career of freaky tunes about sex in every way, so it’s honestly refreshing to hear her stand up to a dude that’s mistreating her, especially after hearing her early tunes about some of the abuse she’s dealt with.  There are a couple of super cheesy lines that are a little tougher to get through.  But still, I’m nothing short of impressed with “Exit”.  Not to mention, the very smooth, pristine beats continue to be a serious standout.   But then I hear “Self Interview”, which really sadly, I can’t take seriously.  Now, lyrically this may be the most important tune here.  CupcakKe drops line after line that makes you think about who she is, and the world in general, and how we treat others (mostly women).  And as far as that goes, honestly, I have nothing bad to say.  Just the opposite honestly, I’m seriously impressed with CupcakKe for penning such a sincere tune.  But the whole concept of a “Self Interview” is so damn cheesy.  I feel like it easily could have been packaged slightly differently and it would have come off so much better. I still enjoy this tune for the most part, but I do wish structurally it was switched up a little.  On “Navel” on the other hand, CupcakKe just sounds so much more in control of her performance in every way.  She sounds so much more confident here.  To be honest, it’s tracks like this that impress me the most on the album.  Here, CupcakKe continues to drift away from her constantly raunchy lines, in exchange for a more aggressive banger.  On “Navel” though, I can easily take her so much more seriously.  CupcakKe sounds so fierce in her performance, and some of her one-liners actually come off as dangerous sounding.  The very whimsical beat, the very glitzy production, this one works on every level.  Not to mention, when she does drop the occasional kinky line, it comes off so much more effective.  Up next is “Spoiled Milk Titties”, and I don’t know about you but that title does nothing for me.  Now honestly, with all of the more mature tunes here, a track like this quite frankly seems out of date.  There are some good elements here and there, like, it’s certainly sexy, and I do love the wailing guitar in the background.  As far as the instrumental and the beat goes, I actually dig a lot of this.  But some of these lines just seem tasteless after so many of the more forward-thinking tunes here.  I get it, every album has to have its more serious moments and some fun moments too.  But moments like this make me feel like CupcakKe is running out of things to say. 

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

    CupcakKe however has, believe it or not, saved some of her better tunes for last.  When I hear beats like the one on “Total” I really can’t help but get into a great mood.  I have to hand it to CupcakKe, she really chose a LOT of very vibrant beats that go with her personality wonderfully.  Now honestly, this is a really great sound for her as a whole.  It’s much more down to earth, even adorable at times.  But it’s not too much where it comes off as eye rolling or cheesy.  “Total” is easily a major standout for the album.  For me, a track like this is so much more impactful than a track like “Self Interview”.  But at the same time, as more mature as it is, it still seriously bangs and is a pretty damn explosive pop tune.  Honestly, I didn’t think CupcakKe had this in her.  The very sunny, bouncy production continues to be a major selling point of this album with “Post Pic”.  To be honest, it’s a spectacle to see just how far CupcakKe has come just from a production stance.  Her performance once again is charismatic as hell, filled with personality, and cocky in the best way.  I mean, if she’s going for a more sexy tune, this isn’t nearly as over-the-top as some of her early tunes, obviously.  But at the same time, there’s even an element to this that’s sort of empowering.  It’s bizarre, but it works really well for CupcakKe.  Now, I honestly really got hyped from hearing the intro to “Meet and Greet”.  But follows is just so bland.  I love just how vicious CupcakKe still comes off.  But this, to me, just doesn’t sound like a track she would write on her own.  This just seems so influenced the current Trap nonsense happening that I’m trying to escape by listening to CupcakKe.  There are some great one-liners throughout, but most of this track is just repetitive and annoying. It’s moments like this that make me think CupcakKe still has a long way to go when it comes to maturing.  Sadly, “Single While Taken” really isn’t that much better.  I have no issue whatsoever with CupcakKe going for a more aggressive sound.  But here, I feel like CupcakKe is taking herself way too seriously.  Even on some of the more mature tunes earlier, at the very least they were fun.  And once again, I do have to commend CupcakKe because lyrically once again this is deep and really touches down on topics that need to be talked about.  Not to mention, we’re getting to know her more than ever.  Honestly, I just really wish “Single While Taken” was more colorful.  This album ends off with “Fullest”, and as cheesy and poppy as this is, it absolutely first CupcakKe’s very colorful personality.  Not to mention, her very bubbly personality is on display at its finest.  But on top of that, this just sort of rounds up a lot of ideas that CupcakKe has brought up on the last few tracks, but puts them together more interestingly. 


Rating: 7.5/10

Give A Listen To: “Cartoons”, “Duck Duck Goose”, “Total”, “Navel”

Genre: Hip-Hop / Pop Rap / Pop

Overall Thoughts:  This is obviously CupcakKe on her best behavior and a collection of her most mature tunes yet.  That goes without saying.  She also pairs that with some very clean production as well as colorful beats that work tremendously alongside of CupcakKe's wild personality.  There are some Raunch-Rap tunes thrown in to keep her older fans happy, and some surprisingly current topics as well.  But for me, it's the latter I have issues with at times.  CupcakKe brings to the table a lot of topics and scenarios that haven't been discussed much in Hip Hop, which is fine.  But the total package on a handful of those tunes falls criminally flat.  Outside of that, this is a very vibrant and colorful project from CupcakKe.

Watain - "TRIDENT WOLF ECLIPSE"

Sweden's Watain has been delivering crushing Black Metal since the early 2000's.  Their debut album, "Rabid Death's Curse", is considered by many to be one of the genres shining moments from this generation.  And I do certainly get that from listening to it a few times.  But I also have some issues with is.  I do love the absolutely visceral, all-out attack of Watain's music.  But the production to me, is a little suspect, being oftentimes muddy and almost Low-Fi.  Also, and I know this is just me, but I prefer my Black Metal to be much more grand and epic, which we did get a little taste of on the album's phenomenal closing track "Portem Sibi Consciscere".  But for me though, hearing 2003's "Casus Luciferi" instantly turned around my entire opinion of Watain.  This album was triumphant and much more grand in sound, and yes, the production was much cleaner.  But I wouldn't say that Watain suffered from that at all. As a matter of fact, this album is easily just as demonic and soul-crushing as the band's first album.  But just how driving and triumphant tracks like "The Golden Hors of Darash" and "Devil's Blood" are just made this album a blast to listen to.  Plus, tracks like "Puzzles ov Flesh" even brought in some slightly more melodic moments as well.  In 2007, Watain continued to get more polished with "Sworn to the Dark".  By this point, the production was squeaky clean and the vocals were more pronounced than ever.  Now, I still loved a lot of the very brutal, throttling tracks like "The Light that Burns the Sun" and "Underneath the Cenotaph".  But tracks like "Sworn to the Dark" and a few others flew right by without leaving any mark on me whatsoever.  Also, Watain on this album did seemingly start expanding their sound, bringing in some elements of Thrash Metal as well as other Metal sounds.  But when it comes to 2010's "Lawless Darkness", once again I'm sort of really not into what Watain were doing here.  Let's be clear, this is still a big, vicious Black Metal record.  But the absolute darkness that swept over the Swedish band for years seemed to be all but gone.  The resulting tracks are certainly alright, but that's about it.  To my shock though, I really didn't mind Watain's 2013 album "The Wild Hunt".  As a matter of fact, I ended up loving the hell out of that album.  Now, let's be real.  This is far from the abrasive and sinister Blackened Metal Watain once offered up.  As a matter of fact, this is easily Watain's most polished and ridiculously digestible album yet.  But it also contains some of the groups most epic and grand tunes yet.  And if you know me, you know I love my metal Cheesier than a Lifetime movie about Pizza.  So yea, Watain's "The Wild Hunt" really isn't bad at all.  So it's fair to say that my relationship with Watain is certainly complicated.  But surprisingly, these new singles from these Black Metal legends are really....solid?  They've taken the grandness I enjoyed on their last effort and combined it with the grittiness they burst on the scene with.  Let's chat about this album as a whole.

This album starts off with “Nuclear Alchemy”.  It’s a very determined intro, as Watain doesn’t waste any time.  But some of the details in the background are actually seriously nice, especially those keyboards of sorts (or at least it sounds like keyboards).  It ends up giving this track a very grand and majestic feel to say the very least.  It’s primal and aggressive, and the screams we’re hearing from Erik Danielsson are easily some of the most vicious I’ve ever heard from him.  I love just how grizzly “Nuclear Alchemy” is, with half of these guitars sounding like chainsaws in some sick movie.  Even the breakdowns just have this unbelievable grandness to them, especially with those subtle backing choir vocals.  It maybe isn’t as devilish as some of the band’s early material.  But still, this is a real jolt of quality Black Metal.  Up next is “Sacred Damnation”, and one thing I do have to say about Watain on this album is that they really are respecting the true greats of Black Metal.  Hell, bits and pieces of this track sound directly out of Emperor’s “In The Nightside Eclipse”.  The guitars are anthemic in a way that’s over-the-top as anything.  But the breakneck drum passages and vicious vocal performances are enough to rip everything melodic right out of this.  However, don’t be surprised if more than a few of these passages really stick with you.  Surprisingly enough, Watain actually pull out some sharp Progressive Metal elements as well, as “Sacred Damnation” as well as other tracks seemingly have a whole lot of passages with different personalities.  Now, let’s talk about the elephant in the room, the production.  Yes, it’s still very clean.  But it’s nowhere near as profiting as the last Watain album, even the mixing is a little grimier.  So far, it seems to me that Watain has really found a great balance between Melodic Black Metal and some of the grimy stuff that got them famous in the first place.  With “Teufelsreich” up next, Watain refuse to slow down.  While this isn’t as much of a crippling display of brute force, it does remain determined.  I absolutely love Erik Danielsson’s performance on this one, as his vocals here sound like he’s chanting some sacred text that’s just moments away from summoning some evil being.  It’s grizzly moments like this that make me come back to Black Metal albums, however.  The drums here are thunderous, and, the soaring guitars here are just the melodic touch that this one needed to help it stick with you.  Of course, if you’re not into Black Metal, this is all still going to be a lot to take in with a lot of these instrumentals seriously pummeling through everything in sight.  But for a band this far into their career who certainly have gone through some rough passages, this is brutal in all the best ways. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGPYb2y_PDA

    Watain rage on with “Furor Diabolicus”, which certainly has a lot of the same elements which made some of the earlier tracks really likable.  But on this one, Watain does seem a little bit unfocused.  Too much of this track is all over the place, with some passages being on the more melodic side, while other instrumentals are straight up vicious.  Usually, that's fine by me, I’m always up for that sort of all-out assault.  But so many of the instrumentals on this one just seem like they’re playing on separate tracks with completely separate intentions.  “Furor Diabolicus” is quite frankly ugly, but not just in the usual Metal “IN YOUR FACE” ugly sort of way.  I do feel like a lot of the ideas on this one however are solid and could have been much better on another track, like those wailing guitars for example.  Watain does rebound quickly with “A Throne Below”, one of the more all-around perfect tunes here.  Everything about this one is Watain exactly where I want to hear them.  Every instrumental is right where it needs to be, pummeling everything in sight together.  I love just how brutal the drums are within this very dark and ridiculously over the top atmosphere.  And speaking of that atmosphere, it just gets bigger and better as those truly epic guitars blast in and soar over everything.  For me, “A Throne Below” in every way is exactly what I want to hear from Metal.  I love just how triumphant the instrumentals are and just how visual the lyrics are, not to mention the swirling and grandiose feel.  While yes, the production on this album could have easily been more grizzly, this is by the books Black Metal in the best way.  Then we have “Ultra (Pandemoniac)” which has a brilliant intro, as Watain end up painting the absolute perfect portrait of a barren wasteland after some grueling fight.  What follows is easily some of the heaviest material here, almost bringing in some elements of Thrash Metal.  Everything about this one just seems like the next level for Watain, like someone took some of the best moments here and soaked them with blood.  Some of the little details, like the staccato growled chorus just reels you in so well.  There’s little about “Ultra (Pandemoniac)” that isn’t grizzly, but it certainly works.  My only slight complaint is that I really wish this was a little more epic in feel.  But we even get that eventually in some of the late, unhinged guitars.  Even those maniacal laughs at the end are so campy and cliche.  But to be honest, in Metal that's what I want to hear. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULpXfXb2QuE

    “Towards the Sanctuary” is up next, which once again has a much more intense and straightforward feel as far as the instrumentals go.  But it’s moments like this that quite frankly miss the mark for me in a big way.  The instrumentals are intense and commendably vicious.  But there’s not nearly as much personality, which is something I crave in metal.  So yes, the drums are just as brilliant and intense, and the guitars are occasionally melodic and always crushing.  But for me, “Towards the Sanctuary” is a low point. “The Fire of Power” up next, on the other hand, really takes another direction.  This track is so much slower paced and calculating, but in the very best way.  Erik Danielsson’s performance once again is a real standout, as he comes off almost like some Satanic preacher.  That, among other elements, makes “The Fire of Power” absolutely bleed with personality.  It’s grizzly, over-the-top and evil to almost a cartoonish level.  But that makes “The Fire of Power” come off as so much more captivating to me.  The instrumentals around Erik Danielsson’s performance are often tightly wound, but come alive just enough to bring out some of the album’s more ridiculously epic moments.  Watain, for the future, some more of this please, even if it isn’t nearly as intense and throttling.  This album ends off with “Antikrists Mirakel”.  Once again, it shows Watain going for a much more sluggish and brooding sound.  It’s not nearly as pristine or as clean as the rest of the album, however, just the opposite.  The instrumentals on this one are actually seriously muddy and ugly.  Now, I do really get what they were going for with this, because “Antikrists Mirakel” is straight up chaos.  Controlled chaos maybe, but chaos nonetheless.  Even though this one is sluggish and much more tame on its surface, there’s just so much going on underneath.  Erik Danielsson’s performance is hypnotic, even though most of the track his vocals are practically inaudible.  But outside of that, all of these instrumentals just sort of bleed into one another in this very grizzly display.  Overall, “Antikrists Mirakel” comes off as some deranged Black Metal nightmare.  But man, does it ever work for Watain.  I wouldn’t say this is a real standout of the album, just because a lot of this does still blend together in a very muddy mess.  But, it ends the album off solidly and proves that Watain still has plenty of gas in the tank.  

Rating: 7.8/10

Give A Listen To: “Nuclear Alchemy”, “Sacred Damnation”, “A Throne Below”, “The Fire of Power”

Genre: Black Metal

Overall Thoughts:  Watain on this album in a way do really grab a sort of the best of both worlds as far as their sound goes.  The production here is easily just as polished and finely tuned as some of their more recent output, and even still has some of the more melodic passages that have shown up recently.  But this is also easily the darkest and most sinister recording Watain have whipped out since their early days.  “Trident Wolf Eclipse” is equal parts a grand and epic Black Metal album that salutes the true classics, while bringing in just enough raw power and vicious performances that gives this album some real teeth. Is it anything truly new for the genre? No, not at all.  But it’s a refreshing album for some Black Metal veterans.