Alice Glass, formerly of the brilliant electronic duo Crystal Castles, has certainly kept us waiting. Since she left Crystal Castles a few years back, the world has been eagerly seeing what direction she would take on her own. She released the "Stillbirth" single a while back but outside of that has been quiet. However, out of nowhere, Alice here has dropped a surprise EP! So let's talk about her debut solo work.
(A Classic from Crystal Castles)
This EP starts off with “Without Love”, and I actually dig this track a whole lot. I love the unnerving intro that sounds like something directly out of the Crystal Castles playbook. To be honest, I think this is actually pretty solid as far as the Crystal Castles vibe goes. I love how overpowering and and icy the beat comes off. Then, we have Alice’s vocals, which aren't nearly as animalistic and piercing as they used to. But there is still a very sinister vibe that I’m getting from her performance, as sweet and innocent as it is at times. Overall, “Without Love” really isn’t THAT bad. The only negative is, I wish the production was a little more abrasive and experimental in feel. But outside of that, this really isn’t bad at all. “Forgiveness” on the other hand is just the opposite, and Crystal Castles fans are going to want to head for the hills on this one. This track is literally about two synth notes away from being a club hit. But to be honest, since this track is certainly a little more intense, I sort of like it. Not to mention, I seriously dig Alice’s vocals on this one. Yes, they’re so much more pop oriented and not as primal. But if this is going to be the sound of her future material, this really isn’t awful. However, this could so easily quickly disintegrate into really bad Pop music so easily. But so far, I’ve been digging on this EP. That is until “Natural Selection” shows up. This track is easily the messiest track that I’ve ever heard Alice come anywhere close to. It’s trying to be all experimental and edgy, but honestly, this one just comes off as sloppy. Alice’s continued desperate attempt to make another Crystal Castles sounding record is getting further away from the mark by the minute. And while yes, it’s certainly abrasive, there was always something very smooth and seamless about Crystal Castles. “Natural Selection” on the other hand just sounds desperate and ugly. Then we have all of these “Heavy Synths” that seriously do nothing for me, and her vocals just end up coming off annoying. I don’t know what Alice was thinking on this one, but I couldn’t wait for this one to be over.
Once again, Alice gets a little too close to the “Commercial” side of things with “White Lies” This one shows Alice is once again trying way too hard to come off as some Alternative Pop superstar. But honestly, this one really isn’t the worst thing I’ve heard for or could hope to hear from Alice. I actually really dig her sort of wild performances on the verses here. It’s mostly just the chorus that’s a little too sugary for me. But like, why am I hearing legitimate industrial metal blasts during the verses. While “White Lie” certainly isn’t bad, I feel like I’m learning absolutely nothing about Alice or the direction her solo career is going to take. Now, remember earlier when I said Alice didn’t sound so bad among these more upbeat atmospheres? “Blood Oath” makes me want to take the back. This track is basically EDM with Alice Glass singing over it. The only difference is, it’s seriously obnoxious. Once again, we get a whole lot of production quirks that sort of seems a little desperate. Overall, I keep getting this feeling that I don’t know what direction Alice is trying to take. And quite frankly, I doubt she does either. Even all the noisy and abrasive production here doesn’t do any justice. At the very least I do sort of understand what Alice was going for on “The Altar”. To be honest, hearing her among this very bare and somber atmosphere is something I really wouldn’t mind hearing from her more of in the future. Sadly though, on “The Altar”, Alice really doesn’t sound good at all. Alice used to be an anomaly of this genre of music. Here, she comes off as a reject who’s trying desperately to get her foot in the door. “The Altar” isn’t interesting, it’s not even haunting, it’s just an incomplete and total let down of an ending.
Rating: 6.1/10
Give A Listen To: "Without Love", "Forgiveness" "White Lies"
Genre: Electronic / Electro Pop / Noise Pop / Synth Pop / Darkwave
If You Dig This, Check Out: Crystal Castles "II", Sleigh Bells "Treats", Crystal Castles "Crystal Castles"
Overall Thoughts: Man, I've been waiting for this project for such a long time I can't even begin to stress. But if this is the future of Alice Glass's solo career, it's going to be a very long road back to the top. There are some decent moments on this that sound like Alice is doing the Crystal Castles sound a little justice. But then there are other moments that sound like Alice is coming off like any other random Alternative Pop singer. So no, this really isn't good.
Everything Everything a few years ago, really caught me off guard. Around the time of their 2013 album "Arc", I thought they just had such an incredibly vast and colorful sound. Now, this wasn't a perfect album, but there was so much to absolutely love about it. The performances were quirky and strange, the production was massive, and instrumentally so much of this was vibrant and so damn progressive thinking for Pop music. Now, I don't know what happened to them between then and the release of 2015's "Get To Heaven", but WOW. This album was absolutely incredible from start to finish. The production was so much more vibrant and interesting, the hooks were catchier, and Everything Everything just seemed so fearless. This album was constantly blending genres, and I loved every last second of it. Now, these new singles have been VERY different for Everything Everything. They've been a little less animated and colorful, but easily just as progressive and genre bending. Let's talk about this!
This album starts off with “Night of the Long Knives”. It’s a very sharp intro, with a seriously nice amount of tension. As far as the band’s sound goes, it’s a little less animated than I would have liked to have heard. But it’s still the very progressive, forward thinking sound that I obsessed over years ago. Now, let’s talk about these instrumentals. I love just how tense and almost robotic they are. As far as the instrumentals go, there’s actually nothing seriously bad going on here at all. When the synths burst in just in time for the chorus, however, it’s a seriously welcomed and triumphant return. But the real star here continues to be the vocals and lyrics. I actually would go as far as to say these vocals feel like they may be even more abstract and interesting than we’ve heard on the last album. And not for nothing, I continue to love Everything Everything’s very left field approach to writing lyrics. Altogether, “Night of the Long Knives” is a totally flooring and eye opening intro to this album. It’s urgent, it’s big sounding, and it’s seriously epic. “Can’t Do” is up next, and as far as a sense of urgency goes, I’ve never heard Everything Everything in this capacity. This one is a little more animated and vibrant, and I do really dig a lot of the lyrics here as well. Everything Everything continues to be so damn progressive and forward thinking as far as a Pop sound goes. There’s just enough of an off kilter dance groove on this chorus, however, to make tracks like this fun and not completely out there. “Can’t Do” is explosive, fun, and but continues to be highly experimental. Everything Everything remains one 0f the most exciting bands in Indie Pop. Now, I certainly get what the band was going for with “Desire”. But I’ll be honest, this one doesn’t nearly hit me as hard. I think lyrically this is one of the more intelligent and easy to comprehend tracks I’ve ever heard from the band, which is certainly nice. Also, I can’t deny just how explosive the chorus is here. But come on, where’s the fun here? This one plugs along so sluggishly that it’s pretty hard to really appreciate it or get caught up in anything. I do totally get what some may dig about “Desire” though. And as far as having the usual elements of an Everything Everything track, they’re all here. But for my liking, I love to hear Everything Everything a little more unhinged. It’s still a decent tune though. “Big Game” on the other hand is from start to finish a completely different animal for Everything Everything. This is easily the slowest and most patient testing tunes I’ve ever heard from these guys. To be honest, though, I really don’t mind it. It’s actually pretty interesting to hear Everything Everything in an environment that isn’t hectic and explosive. And while no, this track isn’t exactly the most memorable here, I commend Everything Everything for trying a little something different. Not to mention, that sung hook is actually really solid, and when that funky bass groove pops in nothing but good things happen.
“Good Shot, Good Soldier” right off the bat, however, is seriously ear grabbing. I love the seriously funky synths as well as the very sweet atmosphere on this one. The melodies on “Good Shot, Good Solider” are just so funky and memorable, and just encompass everything I love about this band. As far as a pop tune goes, this one breaks all the rules, between tough to decipher lyrics and beats that you can barely put your finger on. But I’ll be damned if it doesn’t completely stick with you. Plus, I’m impressed on this one with how once again they can be more patient and work with a longer and slower tune and make it just as interesting. Not to mention, vocally this has a whole lot of my favorite moments of the album. “Good Shot, Good Soldier” ends up being seriously hypnotic, especially with the constantly repeated “Maybe the worst is over” lyric. Then we have “Run The Numbers”, and for fans of older Everything Everything, this is this is the track for you. This is easily the most eclectic and interesting track here by far. It has all the head scratching lyrics, colorful instrumentals, and easily the most explosive chorus of the album. Tracks like “Run The Numbers” excite me so much for the future of this band and this genre. Not to mention, I love just how heavy this track is as well, especially after all of the slower tunes on this album. It’s colorful, it’s gigantic, you’ve gotta hear this one. “Put Me Together” on the other hand goes right back to bring on the slower side of things. But to be honest, this track rubs me the wrong way. I do like the very serene atmosphere of this one, which is something I feel like these guys could adapt to and master eventually. But in this instance, it really sort of clashes with the vocals and ends up making a sort of sappy tune that I wasn’t expecting to hear. Now, I’m all for a band showing a little emotion, but I just don’t feel like this is the way to do it for Everything Everything. It’s just so boring, and I can’t get around just how much these vocals clash. Then we have the jam that pops in at the end of the track. It’s certainly exciting and all, but it doesn’t last and seriously doesn’t go anywhere. Not to mention, the entire last two minutes of this track just don’t go anywhere. At the very least, “A Fever Dream” sort of brings in the experimental vibe that was certainly missing from the last track. But man, I have to ask, what is up with all of these very slow and somber tunes. What made me enjoy so much of the band’s early material is just how exciting and left field and colorful it was. I do actually enjoy when this track picks up, however. As far as a slower tune on this album goes, the pacing on “A Fever Dream” is fantastic and everything on this one is actually really well done. Plus the very synthetic, electronic elements to this one are a really nice touch. I feel like when this one does pick up, however, it’s actually really well done. But of course, it takes way too long to get there. But you have the patience, this tune is actually seriously epic. For example, some of those piano notes in the last two minutes are seriously epic, and that entire last minute and a half is just so out there that I can’t say no.
Everything Everything, however, are far from done. Out of nowhere, we get “Ivory Tower”, which is literally what I’ve wanted to hear from Everything Everything this entire album. It’s right back to the sort of abrasive, yet catchy forward thinking pop. It’s seriously exciting, however, and I just love how hearing the band among these much more lavish and upbeat instrumentals. The real sense of urgency is back in such a big way, and the vocals on this one are the sort of bizarre performance I love to hear from Everything Everything. This track is just ridiculous from start to finish. It’s bizarre, it’s left field, it’s everything I wanted to hear from this band. Not to mention, some of the breakdowns towards the finale are ridiculously intense. Then we have “New Deep”, which is honestly really hard to place. Once again I feel like these very lavish and sweet instrumentals are certainly pulled off nicely. To be honest, I really wouldn’t have minded if this was a completely instrumental track. it ends up being just sort of a sweet, straightforward interlude. The harmonies are nice, and the sense of dread underlying everything is really nice as well. My only real issue with “New Deep” is that I wish it was longer and more complete. Not so shockingly, this album ends off with another slow & emotional performance, “White Whale”. To be honest, I’m probably not giving these slower tunes enough credit, because a lot of them certainly aren’t bad. I actually really dig a whole lot of the vocals on these slow burners, and the atmospheres that they’ve been creating are really sweet. Plus, some of the more abrasive production here is actually a really nice touch and gives this just enough of an intense feeling. As far as a slow burner goes, this one is actually really stunning and almost comes off as some finale to some great rock opera. “White Whale” is a seriously beautiful way to finish this album off.
Rating: 7.9/10
Give A Listen To: “Night of the Long Knives”, “Can’t Do”, “Run The Numbers”, “Ivory Tower”
Genre: Indie Pop / Progressive Pop / Psychedelic Pop
If you dig this, you may like : Alt J- “This Is All Yours”, Animal Collective - “Merriwether Post Pavillion”, Everything Everything - “Get To Heaven”
Overall Thoughts: While slightly less adventurous and colorful than their previous work, Everything Everything show that they are still one f the most Progressive and Wild bands in Indie Pop. This album overall is really solid, with plenty of upbeat and exciting moments and much more toned down tracks as well. Now, some of these slower tunes don't hit me nearly as hard as they could, I still think Everything Everything are onto something with this much more theatrical sound.
Now, I've always been seriously picky when it comes to Death Metal. Like, INCREDIBLY picky. But Incantation has always been a personal favorite of mine. On their 1992 debut "Onward to Golgotha", I was instantly floored. I think what really blew my mind was the doom metal influences as well as the almost groove metal slickness to it all. The instrumentals were solid, the breakdowns were ridiculous, and overall this was just a really solid Death Metal album. 1994's "Mortal Throne of Nazarene" was equally as really solid. However, I still really think that Incantation's strengths came in their more Doom Metal and Groove Metal influences. Overall, I didn't really have too many complaints about this one. From the blistering force of "The Ibex Moon" to the serious groove on "Essence Ablaze", this album was once again really solid. As Incantation's career trudged on, I fell even more and love with their sound. Their 1998 album "Diabolical Conquest" was my favorite of their work yet, bringing in a lot of the same sounds but multiplying it to outrageous new levels of power. It was brutal, it was raw power, and it was also strangely catchy in parts. So far, Incantation for me had a pretty solid career. But with 2000's "The Infernal Storm", they started to lose me. I feel like this album didn't play to their strengths at all. There were no doom oriented passages, and most of this came off as painfully bland death metal. So bland, that I can't really even remember anything about it except for its seriously ugly artwork. Incantation's next album, "Blasphemy", certainly WAS an improvement. Some of the more doom oriented tracks returned in the form of "Once Holy Throne", but without letting up on any of the thrash intensity with tracks like "His Weak Hand". Overall, this wasn't my favorite Incantation album, but it showed them getting back on track. "Decimate Christendom" however showed the band seriously back on track. There were so many Over-The-Top, Explosive tracks on here like "Horns of Eradication" and "Feeble Existence", the sort of tracks that I loved to hear from Incantation. Not only that. But the album was pretty damn consistent, with only a few tracks failing to impress. 2006's "Primordial Domination" was pretty solid as well. I wouldn't say there was anything new and flashy about this album, but it showed Incantation doing what they do best. But then with 2012's "Vanquish In Vengeance", I honestly felt like Incantation once again took a big step back. I really wasn't into the production on this album at all, and once again I feel like the band didn't play enough to their strengths. To be honest, though, 2014's Dirges of Elysium" in many ways was exactly what I wanted to hear from Incantation. This album had TONS of doom influenced and was patient and sludgy. I just felt like overall, Incantation took their time with this album so much, and the results were seriously fantastic. So I never really know if I'm gonna seriously dig an album from Incantation or not. However, so far I've been really digging some of these new singles. Let's talk about this new Incantation album!
This album starts off with “Muse”, and overall I really love this as an intro. Mostly for one reason, the atmosphere. The atmosphere on this track is seriously on point, and Incantation are really putting in the effort to make this as gigantic as possible. As far as the instrumentals go, this is actually really impressive. I honestly can’t remember the last time the band sounded so sonically in tact. Their instrumentals on “Muse” seem to encompass everything, and even the production comes off really spot on. Now, the vocals on this one aren't as prominent as I would have expected, but I really don’t mind it all that much. It actually gives the listener some well needed time to take in some of these very sludgy, doom oriented instrumentals. As far as an opening goes, I’m actually sort of obsessed with “Muse”. This is the level of darkness that I can’t get enough of from Incantation, where it’s so in your face that it’s almost ridiculous. For a band this far into their career, this is one hell of an explosive intro. Up next, “Rites Of The Locust” is a whole lot more along the lines of what I expected to hear from an Incantation album. This is light years more heavy and intense than the opening. That being said, it sounds fantastic. The solos are prominent, and the vocals are just as gruesome and as disgusting as you would expect them to be. It’s a whole lot more in the realm of Death Metal, but it’s where they feel most comfortable. “Rites of The Locust” is just so intense, with wave after wave of intense verses constantly bashing you in the face. But I think what makes this come off just so great, is some of the seriously great chemistry between band members. The combination of these vocals and the solos make everything much more explosive. Overall, this is one hell of a tune. Then we have “Visceral Hexahedron”, and let me tell you the doom metal is back in full force here. This track is sluggish as hell, but to be honest it’s a little too sluggish for me. I certainly dig the drums and all throughout. But I’ve always sort of been more of a fan the way Incantation only would flirt with the idea of mixing in Doom Metal. This track isn’t flirting, this IS Doom Metal. But it’s almost completely uneventful Doom Metal. Almost nothing happens here overall. The vocals come off awkward among this atmosphere because of how very little is going on. And when the rest of the instrumentals pop in around the 2-minute mark, I feel like Incantation are trying way too hard to make u for lost time. Not to mention, the mixing on this one is seriously ugly. Half the time when the instrumentals come in here I can barely hear the vocals. Even the vocals sound out of place practically. Overall, I really don’t know what happened on this one. Thankfully, “The Horns Of Gefrin” is a whole lot more straightforward. But once again, I’m really questioning what’s up with this production. I’m always down for a muddy and dense metal album. But this one just sounds sloppy. I still dig this much more than the previous track, however, since the instrumentals sound just so much more in tact. Also, the vocals once again are really not up to snuff. Half the time on “The Horns of Gefrin”, I feel like the vocals are just a complete afterthought. Thankfully, there are enough exciting instrumentals on this one to save this one a little. But still, there’s a major disconnect.
This album rolls on with “Incorporeal Despair”, and this one is basically everything I could ask to hear from with Incantations. The vocals may be totally over the top and much more in your face, but I feel like overall the time they take building this one up with a murky atmosphere works so well for them. Some of the backing instrumentals on this one we haven’t heard yet from Incantation, and it’s just something great to hear. There are literally so many layers to this one, and I can’t get enough of the very sludgy atmosphere. Now, this is far from a death metal tune. “Incorporeal Despair” is much more patience testing and sluggish, and basically a Doom Metal tune. But I honestly seriously dig it, it’s something different for the band and it works. But for all of you Death Metal fans you’ll be happy to hear “Xipe Totec” up next. This is the sort of wild, in your face track that I needed to wake me up honestly. There’s elements of thrash metal here and tons and tons of winding death metal. This is a FINE blast of power, but why the hell is this only a minute long? This easily could have been fleshed out some more, and I would have loved to hear just how intense that was. One track however that I don’t have a single bad thing to say about is “Lus Sepulcri”. For lack of better words, this track in every way sounds like Incantation in their prime and at their most vicious. The instrumentals are intense, and the vocals are unforgiving. There isn’t anything fancy here, no journeys into other metal genres, just straight up Death Metal. But it’s moments like this that Incantation comes off as their freshest sounding and most youthful. And as far as the instrumentals go, this is easily the most blistering. “Lus Sepulcri” is one HELL of a track. Then we have tracks like “Stormgate Convulsions From The Thunderous Shores Of Infernal Realms Beyond The Grace Of God” which are totally new ground for Incantation. This one dives deep into the world of Dark Ambient music, and holy hell does it ever work. It’s not a Metal tune at all. But for a track building a strong atmosphere to go off on in the remainder of the album, this track is a breath of fresh air. This is literally almost Haxan Cloak level of darkness. So for a metal interlude, “Stormgate Convulsions From The Thunderous Shores Of Infernal Realms Beyond The Grace Of God” is brilliant.
“Messiah Nostrum” on the other hand, is a little bit too Doom Metal influenced for me. I feel like that great atmosphere that was just built up was sort of thrown out completely for this one. Some of the instrumentals are impressive and all, and the vocals are just fine. But to be honest, this track is just so painfully “OK”. Plus, I feel like this one was probably thrown together in about 5 minutes. “Omens To The Altar Of Onyx” continues in the heavier realm of the album. But thankfully, Incantation here find the perfect balance between heaviness and a strong atmosphere. The doom metal influence on this one has such a dreary tone to it. The chugging guitars are explosive, the drums are intense, and the vocals are just as grizzly as you would expect. At the end of the day, this is exactly what I want to hear from Incantation. Sadly though, I can’t say the same about the finale here, “Ancients Arise”. This one is clearly going back in the direction of a more slower, Doom oriented sound once again. But to be honest, I feel like we’ve almost heard a little too much of this sound on here. Especially in moments like this, where there is virtually nothing going on. Which is fine by me, I usually love patience testing music, IF it goes somewhere. “Ancients Arise” though, goes nowhere. It honestly doesn’t even come off as an Incantation track, not even close. It just ends up being lifeless, even when it picks up, and it sadly does nothing as a finale.
Rating: 7.3/10
Give A Listen To: "Muse", "Rites Of The Locust", "Lus Sepulcri", "Omens To The Altar Of Onyx"
Overall Thoughts: There's a lot of great moments on this new Incantation album that show them seriously on their game for being this late in their career. But there are also a handful of messy moments, most of these come in the form of Incantation trying to bring in Doom Metal into their sound a little too much. However, there are also plenty of moments here where Incantation sound their most youthful in years. It's decent.
RAT BOY is a British artist who came to my attention a few years ago. Around the time of his "THE MIXTAPE" mixtape, I was actually a serious sucker for this. The material here was just so colorful and fun. Now, there were some cheesy moments here and there, and the mix of Indie Rock and Alternative Rap could very well be a red flag for a lot of people right off the bat. But say what you will, I had fun with this project. RAT BOY's next project, "Neighborhood Watch" was also seriously interesting. I loved just how vibrant and colorful this project was. Not to mention, RAT BOY was going for more on experimental tone with much more outlandish and abrasive beats. To be honest though, once again I really liked this project a lot. Then we have 2016's "GET OVER IT" EP. Now, this EP was a little all over the place. "GOOD BYE" went on way too long for an ending instrumental, and "KICKED OUT TAPE" took up a third of the EP and was damn near unlistenable. On the other hand, "GET OVER IT" and "CASH IN HAND" were easily two of RAY BOY's best tracks to date. RAT BOY are here though with their debut album, let's talk about it people!
This album starts off with the very shimmering “TURN AROUND M8”, which sort of mixes all the usual genres that RAT BOY blends. There’s some Alternative Hip Hop in there, thrown in with some Indie Pop as well. Now, I’m gonna say this right off the bat, these vocals are certainly not going to be for everyone. They are sort of snobby and obnoxious but call me crazy, I feel like they go with the instrumentals almost too well. It’s a very summery sound, that for sure. But to be honest, for clearly Pop based music, this really isn’t that bad. It’s certainly a little outdated from time to time, with me wondering where the hell RAT BOY was in 1998. But outside of that, it’s one catchy intro. Then we have “REVOLUTION”, which is enough of a throwback to sound like a Blue B-Side from one of their better albums, or at least one of the other classic Brit Pop acts. This one is a whole lot more punchy, exploding with a whole lot of attitude. But to be honest, I’m actually kind of addicted to this track. There are certainly some obnoxious moments still, and these vocals I’m constantly going back and forth between enjoying mildly and completely hating. It’s also a little cheesy since there are some honest to God rap bars thrown in. But I just can’t get around how catchy and infectious “REVOLUTION” really is at the end of the day. I dare you to try and not hum this the entire day. Then we have “LAIDBACK” which is a completely different sort of animal. This one is the sort of breezy and summery tunes that harken back to the days of maybe Sugar Ray or maybe even Sublime in a strange way. But to be honest, it’s really not bad at all. I love the carefree vibe to this one and some of the breezier instrumentals. Not to mention, as iffy as these “Rap” verses go, this is certainly one of the instances where it really doesn’t come off half bad. That’s mostly because the vocals here aren’t nearly as obnoxious, and at least don’t sound like a blatant rip off of 90’s Brit Rock. Overall, “LAIDBACK” is pretty sweet. The very colorful production continues with “MOVE”. But I feel like for every time so far that I’ve felt like this album might be a LITTLE bit cheesy, that goes a hundred times more for this. The rap verses on this one come off ridiculously cringe worthy. Then, we have the hook here which sounds like with would have been written as a sort of parody of this style of music in the 90’s. At the end of the day, “MOVE” just takes itself way too seriously, which is where I feel like a lot of tracks lose steam with at the end of the day. What made me enjoy some of the earlier tunes was just how carefree they were, and this track is so much more serious. Not my cup of tea at all folks. “BOILING POINT” however gets things back on track quickly. I do have to say, I really enjoy a lot of the very fun production on this album. But where the hell is “BOILING POINT” even coming from? Like, not for nothing, this track is seriously heavy. Outside of this almost Alt-Metal sound to it, the production on this one is just so thick as well. Once again, I have to say this certainly sounds like something people would have eaten up in 1999. But hell, I’m eating it up now. The vocals aren’t as obnoxious, the choral sample is explosive, and I love the very grungy production.
This album is a real bag of goodies of classic sounds. “FAKE ID” honestly sounds like it would have sounded like some decent commercial Punk in the 90’s. But ironically, the more Raped verses on this one come off loads better among the very hectic and vibrant atmosphere. Hell yeah, this is a fine tune, but it’s also seriously fun. Something about this actually gives me a slight Rancid vibe, or at the very least Tim Armstrong’s Transplants side project. Not, the whole rebellious vibe here comes off just alright and all. But it comes off a little cartoonish for me. Outside of that, “FAKE ID” is a blast. Then we have “SPORTSWEAR” which brings in some straight up Indie Rock sounds, and they actually don’t come off half bad at all. As far as the live instrumentation goes, I really wish they did more of it, to be honest. It makes a whole lot of these Rap verses so much easier to enjoy. On “SPORTSWEAR” I feel like RAT BOY are right back to having a blast with whatever they do. The performance is urgent, the production has just enough of an edge to be fresh, and I really don’t have anything bad to say about this at all. Sadly though, the fun is kinda over, and most of the rest of the album has me scratching my head. When it comes to “LEFT 4 DEAD”, I certainly enjoy a whole lot of the instrumentals and the upbeat atmosphere. But the entire dark and somber tone to this track is seriously not flattering to their sound at all. Not to mention, I’m not nearly as into the vocal performance on this one. I feel like with “LEFT 4 DEAD” that RAT BOY took everything I loved about earlier tracks and are just using it all the wrong way. Once again, RAT BOY are taking themselves a bit too seriously. On “SIGN ON”, RAT BOY bring back in some nice elements of Indie Rock. But to be honest, here they just come off as a serious Earache. It doesn’t come off as fun or vibrant, it just comes off as an absolutely desperate attempt to be Arctic Monkeys. Which of course, they aren’t, not even close. “SIGN ON” ends up being really boring and ridiculously cheesy to almost unholy levels. It’s tracks like this that make me look at every lukewarm review for this album and totally understand. Plus, this chorus is easily the most annoying here. “KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK” on the other hand is surprisingly really explosive and energetic. Once again, in more upbeat occasions like this one, I feel like RAT BOY can pull off some of these Rap verses so much better and so much more interestingly. Also, it’s within hectic atmospheres like this that RAT BOY’s very colorful production shines magnificently. While may not be a perfect album I’ve heard this year, there is a TON of really great potential here. I don’t even mind the constant shifting of elements between Rap and Indie, it gives this album tons of personality.
Now, while there’s tons of personality, we also have tracks like “SCUM” which is seriously all over the damn place. This doesn’t come off nearly as colorful, it comes off as a jumbled mess. The beat most of the time just comes off as annoying, and the rap verses here seem so forced. Plus, when I hear tracks like “SCUM” compared to the more care free and laid back tracks here, I’m just tempted to go listen to them. Then we have “ILL BE WAITING”, which once again sort of comes off like a Blur B-Side. But to be honest, it’s sort of bland. I do however enjoy the vocals which seem to be coming off so much more in RAT BOY’s favor, And even the harmonies and melodies are really nice. But outside of that, what makes this a RAT BOY song? Like I said though, there are a few great elements to this though, and there’s a seriously epic vibe to this that has been completely absent from the rest of this album. This album ends off with “KICKED OUTTA SCHOOL”, and it certainly contains one of the more intense beats on the album. It’s actually not half bad at all though. There are a few moments here and there where I feel like some of the instrumental is obnoxious and takes a little too much from the vocals. But for one of the more rap centered tunes, this is certainly one of the more urgent tunes here. Also, it’s one of the less corny tracks which is a huge plus. Overall, I really dig this tune and all. But I do have one major issue, I feel like this tune doesn’t wrap up anything. Like, it doesn't really feel like a finale, it feels like just another track. Outside of that, it’s a decent tune.
Rating: 7.1/10
Give A Listen To: "REVOLUTION", "LAIDBACK", "BOILING POINT", "FAKE ID"
Overall Thoughts: Ok so this isn't a perfect album, let's get that out in the open. Sometimes these vocals are borderline obnoxious and sometimes this comes off as so painfully outdated. But as a straight up, fun blend of a bunch of different breezy genres, this really isn't bad. I wouldn't mind some better lyrics and a more conceptual theme in the future, but there's certainly a ton of potential in this project.
I first came across Providence Rhode Island based Punk band Downtown Boys a few years ago, around the time they dropped their self-titled EP. This EP was a whopping 7 whole minutes, but I loved the hell out of this EP. I loved the pure anger that was backed up by socially conscious and rebellious lyrics. Victoria Ruiz just had such an unbelievable wail in her performance, with the horns backing her up giving these songs some seriously memorable and catchy grooves. Downtown Boys followed this EP with 2015's "Full Communism", and BOY was it good. The wild performances, outrageous energy, and catchy hooks were all still there. But the cleaned up production and insane instrumentals made this album freakin' awesome. And boy oh boy, these new, very political singles have been fiery and awesome. Let's talk about this new Downtown Boys album.
This album starts off with “A Wall”, and right off the bat I love the sense of urgency to this track. All of the usual elements that usually make Downtown Boys’ music just so lovable are on display here, from the scratchy production to the almost slight Sonic Youth vibe to all of this. While the music of Downtown Boys is certainly wild and Punk at heart, they’ve always blended in elements of Alternative and Indie Rock as well, and here is no different. “A Wall” has these brilliant, impassioned vocal performances that have become so standard in the music of Downtown Boys, and I love how the saxophone sort of flutters outside the track for almost the entire track. Now, as far as a protest song goes, I actually really dig “A Wall”, mostly because of just how creative and well written it is. Overall, this is one memorable intro. Then we have “I’m Enough (I Want More)”, and I continue to go absolutely nuts for just how wild Victoria Ruiz’s performances are. She seems to almost constantly screaming her life out no matter what the song topics are. I love some of the straight up Classic Punk Rock elements to this, mostly due to the band’s focus on Guitar and their “nothing fancy” sound. It’s just such a simple formula, but it works great for Downtown Boys. Instrumentally though, I can’t help but feel like this one is holding back a little. But still, it’s a fine tune. On the other hand, “Somos Chulas (No Somos Pendejas)” from start to finish is absolutely ridiculous. I love the way Victoria Ruiz constantly sounds like she’s on a mission. To be honest, it’s something about her singing in Spanish makes her come off even more passionate than usual. “Somos Chulas (No Somos Pendejas)” is absolutely killer. It’s much more intense instrumentally, making for much more of a Punk track and not just an upbeat Indie jam of sorts. So hell yes, this works for Downtown boys, it’s the sound I fell in love with, to begin with. Then we have “Promissory Note”, and I love how as this album continues on it just gets heavier and more aggressive. To be honest, though, this one really doesn’t hit me as hard, for a few reasons. It’s not a bad track at all, but for some reason, I feel like the sort of Off-Kilter riff on this one doesn’t transfer well to the bands sound. And while I do love some of the lyrics here, sadly Victoria’s performance is her most subdued. Plus, I feel like while some of the earlier tracks here had a slight Classic edge to them, this is a little too much down that road. So much so, that “Promissory Note” almost sounds like a cover.
Up next is “Because You”, and to be honest, I had no idea what to think of this. Right from this intro, we see Downtown Boys going for a much drearier and slower atmosphere. But it’s something that, to be honest, we haven’t really heard from them yet. I will give the band this though, it’s certainly ear grabbing. Also, I love the much more prominent Saxophone parts on this one. But while I wasn’t too sure on what to make of “Because You” from its intro, when it picks up, I love the absolutely sludgy to this. As far as a heavy track goes, this is easily the heaviest and dirtiest thing we’ve heard yet. It may not be the most intense track, but that bass line is just so catchy. Not to mention, those group vocals are a seriously nice touch. Honestly, I wouldn’t mind hearing more tracks like this in the future. Then we have “Violent Complicity”, with another slower intro that shows that Downtown Boys are seriously taking their time with a lot of tracks here. And that alone is commendable. But it’s when this one picks up that things get seriously fantastic. I love the seemingly wailing Sax here, as well as that very simple yet determined riff. Overall, tracks like “Violent Complicity” on here are just so true to the Punk formula overall. Then we have Victoria Ruiz’s performance here, which is once again absolutely stunning. I mean, she constantly sounds like she singing from the heart, and totally invested in everything she touches. By the time we get to “It Can’t Wait”, it’s clear that Downtown Boys know how to write some serious riffs. Not only are these Guys and Gals so fantastic at bringing tracks that are important lyrically, they can make them pretty ear grabbing too. I absolutely love the instrumental on this one, as the sax and guitars buildup almost completely to the chorus, an art that just so many bands have lost over the years. Plus, instrumentally this might just be the most intense track we’ve heard here so far, with some of these breakdowns being absolutely ridiculous. For a short blast of power, “It Can’t Wait” rules. Sadly though, Downtown Boys do seem to lose their fire a little towards the end of the album With “Tonta”, all of the factors that make their music what it is are all here. Victoria once again sounds completely unhinged, and instrumentally this is easily one of the wildest tracks here. But I feel like Downtown Boys are at their best when they’re working as a unit, and “Tonta” doesn’t sound like that at all. I feel like with this one, they tried to focus completely on making this super intense. And while it is intense and wild, nothing else comes to fruition, and it ends up being way too short to be anything special.
Sadly, “Heroes (Interlude) really doesn’t do anything for me at all. I feel like up to this point, they’ve done such a good job of making this a lyrical “Must Listen”album. But mostly because they’ve been able to get their messages across creatively. But this short little speech really doesn’t do anything for me. On the other hand, “Lips That Bite” is the absolute JAM. As a stand alone single, one to recognize Downtown Boy as this track is unreal. I love the determined instrumentals, as well as that synth line that I honestly would have loved to hear more of. Everything about “Lips That Bite” is just so well performed. Victoria Ruiz’s vocals while still clearly off the all and wild, have such a purpose to it. Not to mention, I love her attitude on this track. It actually has just the right amount of attitude to be honest, just enough that it doesn’t get in the way of writing a catchy tune. “Lips That Bite” is BRILLIANT. But then we get tracks like “Clara Rancia”, which honestly has me scratching my head. I do love hearing Downtown Boys so raw and aggressive. But I feel like as far as structure goes, this track is all over the place. But I do like a LOT of the wild performances, and I once again really think that Saxophone is a great touch. But “Clara Rancia” just sort of falls short overall, especially when all of the other tracks here are so well put together. This album wraps up with “Bulletproof (Outro). Once again, I think it’s a great message and all. But I feel like some of their less obvious and cleverly written political statements just come off so much more powerful, but maybe that’s just me.
Rating: 7.4/10
Give A Listen To: “A Wall”, “Somos Chulas (No Somos Pendejas)”, “Because You”, “Lips That Bite”
Overall Thoughts: This is just another really solid release from one of Punk's fastest rising bands. The production this time around is a whole lot cleaner, and obviously, there are some Political tracks thrown in all over the place. However, they aren't nearly as painfully generic as some of the other Political Punk tunes I've heard this year. It's a really solid album overall, I just feel like Downtown Boys need to stay focused because some of those more eclectic tracks were rough. But still, solid album.
Cormorant is a San Francisco based Progressive Metal band that's been at it for a few years now. Now, I first heard about these guys namely because of the band's massive presence on Bandcamp. Now, when it comes to some of the more metal acts these days, it takes me a little longer to really warm up to their sound. However, on Cormorant's first EP "The Last Tree", I instantly loved what I heard. It had all of the usual roughness of Metal and Progressive Metal and all of its sub-genres. But at the same time, there was a serious DIY charm to it as well. It gave this EP a serious "In The Moment" sound but also showed the boys from Cormorant certainly knew what they were doing. They proved just how much they knew what they were doing with 2009's epic, gigantic "Metazoa". This album was absolutely crushing. The production worked so well with their sound, and some of the ambient passages thrown in for good measure came out really incredible. Sure, this album was massive, but Cormorant stuck with it and made a seriously easy to listen to Metal album. In 2011, Cormorant released the much more ambitious and gigantic sounding "Dwellings". Now, this album honestly took me a whole lot more to seriously appreciate. Like, tracks like "Junta" are absolutely unbelievable. But some of the early tracks on this album take so damn long to get going, and that sort of took a lot away from the album for me. However, 2014's "Earth Diver" got me right back in favor with Cormorant. This album was gigantic and dark, not to mention quite possibly the most epic thing they've done yet. But most importantly, it was just so visual. They literally took everything about their previous work and fine tuned it, and the results were absolutely bone shattering. To be honest, I haven't heard any singles from this new album, so let's dive in fresh!
This album is split into 4 massive tracks. The first track here is “Preserved In Ash”, and right off the bat, this one will certainly wake you up. One thing I’ve always enjoyed about Cormorant is their massive blend of Metal genres. Here, we’re getting some Black Metal, Death Metal, even a little Doom Metal all thrown together. Shockingly, it really doesn’t come off as mess though. Just the opposite actually, “Preserved In Ash” comes off gigantic and epic. There’s almost a certain grandness to this track, this whole album as a matter of fact. I absolutely love the way the members of Cormorant play off each other. Between Marcus Luscombe's vocals and the triumphant blast of guitars, I can’t help but seriously get into this. The vocal layering also gives “Preserved In Ash” such a sinister feel to it. But to be honest, that’s what I love in metal. I want this love to hear metal at its most over the top and ridiculous, and that’s what I’m getting here. The epic guitar chords soaring over these intense drums and explosive vocals give this such a great atmosphere. And of course, the progressive elements continue to be very strong in Cormorant’s music. Thankfully though, it really doesn't ever come out too full of itself. The acoustic passage as well is just to die for and brings me back to the old days of listening to Cormorant’s material as if it was some epic, Black Metal storybook. Now, like I said, we’re dealing with a lot of seriously beefy and gigantic songs here. But they really honestly don’t feel drawn out. No, there really isn’t a single moment here where I’m not completely engaged by these very grand atmospheres. Some of these wild crescendos that lead up to these stunning and explosive breakdowns are simply awe-inspiring. Even some of the slower moments in the last few minutes come off as strong as epic as some of the heavier moments, including that one piercing guitar line that keeps getting repeated. “Preserved In Ash” is an 11-minute epic, and it’s one hell of a way to start a metal album. Up next, “Sentinel” has a much slower introduction. But with some of these track lengths, including this one at 16 minutes, can you really blame them for taking their time? Even as far as instrumentals go on this one, they’re so much more sluggish and doom metal oriented. I wouldn’t say that’s a bad thing, as Cormorant can certainly still pull everything off well. But I feel like, for me, I’m much more interested in the band's Black Metal material. I do get my wish, however, because 2 minutes in and this one picks up fast, and it’s GOOD. I’m actually seriously digging a whole lot of these vocals on this album. Not only are the band’s black metal growls coming off more spot on than ever, their sung vocals are coming off seriously amazing. Up until that point, we haven’t heard a ton of their more sung vocals, but it’s great to hear. And to be honest, they take an already pretty strong Doom Metal vibe and make it even stronger, Pallbearer fans will certainly enjoy. Now, I didn’t know how to take their more Doom oriented material at first, but “Sentinel” certainly works in my book. Especially since Cormorant is still doing their thing and blending all of these different genres at a rapid pace. It’s overwhelming sometimes and may take a moment for you to take it all in. But for metal this heavy, it’s also strangely inviting and easy to digest. Some of these extended solos as well are just so masterful. For example, the drumming on this track is constantly really stunning, and of course, the guitars that constantly seem to get more and wilder. But I think what really makes Cormorant stand out and break away from other artists, are their progressive elements. The more Folk-Metal passage here brings me back tot he days of listening to artists like Panopticon, and Cormorant pull it off amazingly. The fact that this very pummeling band can also be this beautiful makes this serene passage even more mind-blowing. The string here is beautiful, and some of the distant Metal instrumentals are a great touch. Not only that, but Cormorant easily ride this Serene Folk-Metal passage for 3-4 minutes and make is constantly gorgeous. It sets them aside as musicians, and it’s great to hear. Not to mention, I continue to seriously love the sung vocals during this portion which sound so tortured. But what’s most masterful is the way they bring back in the crushing Black Metal aspects for “Sentinel”’s remains 4 minutes. This track is absolutely masterfully crafted.
This album continues on with “The Devourer”, and let me just say, you know you're dealing with a true monolith of an album when the shortest track is 8 minutes long. Vocal wise, this is absolutely brilliant. Between the usual Black Metal holy and the more Death Metal grunts, this track is brutal all around. And while I’m on the topic of vocals, the sound vocals here continue to be some of the most breathtaking moments from this track. They aren’t perfect, but they tie things together really well. Overall, “The Devourer” is the most straightforward track of the bunch. Listening to this, you really don’t even get the feeling that you’re in the midst of some Progressive Metal Epic. That is until the 2-minute mark, where Cormorant brings in some elements of Technical Death Metal which is solid. The breakdowns here are solid as well, and of course, the solos by this point have become ridiculous. Overall, this album is exquisite. Some of the Folk-Metal passages on “The Devourer” continue to be truly chilling, especially with just how well some of the distant instrumentals intertwine. It gives this track something that I really wasn’t expecting, and that’s a serious human aspect, and a sense of longing. But don’t worry metal fans, these quiet passages don’t last long. Actually, just the opposite, since the final 3 minutes here are some of the darkest and most hellish we’ve heard on this entire album. This continues to be a metal album with something for everyone, and that’s wild. But we’re not out of the woods yet, because we’ve yet to talk about this album’s 26-minute long finale, ‘Migration”. I have to continue to commend just how these really strong these atmospheres continue to come off. This track is by far the slowest and most sluggish here by far, but it has these great accompanying guttural vocals that sound like they were ripped from hell itself. But it’s the sort of Over-The-Top, brutal atmosphere that I love to hear. It’s intense, with some of the biggest and boldest instrumentals we’ve heard yet here by far. Each guitar chord and cymbal crash is just so HUGE sounding. But as far as “Migration” goes, the pacing is the name of the game. Being a 26-minute long track, you have to have your pacing down and trust me Cormorant do it justice. Then we have once again the sung vocals, which for me add just enough human tendencies to this one. But as a whole track, “Migration” comes off to me as some gigantic and twisted storm, with the band performing in the midst of this gigantic swirling mass of hellish debris. Some of these drum and guitar solos are just THAT intense. However, Cormorant do a really fantastic job of keeping things level and under control. But just when I thought by this point I’ve heard everything this album has to offer, some of the animalistic shrieks around the 7 and a half minute mark are absolutely chilling. I also have to commend the guys on their Progressive elements, because these transitions between these different portions have been nothing sort of seamless. The breakdowns on “Migration” continue to be gigantic, but at the same time, the sheer epic ness of this continues to make this one digestible. All of these passages end up making me feel like I’m watching some ridiculous medieval battle taking place over a dozen lands, and it’s great. Not only that, but these passages all have their own very distinct personalities. All I can say is this album is brilliant. Every vocal screamed or sung, is spot on. And these more Folk Metal passages are simply to die for and show off just how great musicians the boys from Cormorant are. And remember when I said earlier that the name of the game is pacing? Well, Cormorant actually take the last 13 minutes of “Migration” to wind things down slowly. That’s all I really have to say, I don’t want to spoil this because this album demands a listen.
Rating: 8.4/10
Give A Listen To: Just man up and listen to the whole thing.
Overall Thoughts: Ok, so this album is massive. Clocking in at over an hour, if you're not into very lengthy Progressive Black Metal albums, this is going to be literal hell for you. But if you're into very visual and grand Metal, this is something you have to listen to. From the very exciting and intense Black Metal passages here to the more beautiful and serene Folk Metal passages, Cormorant have a little something for everyone here. Not to mention, they pull it off in such grand fashion that even though we're dealing with 10-15 minute tracks, it's all easily digestible.
Ever since I was in high school, Guided By Voices has been one of the most important bands in the world to me. These highly prolific gentlemen got started in 1987 with "Devil Between My Toes". Overall, this album is seriously messy. Singer and Lyricist Robert Pollard didn't have nearly as many good ideas, and the grimy sort of Post-Punk instrumentals that followed weren't really that much better. However, there WAS a whole lot of really shining moments that foreshadowed the greatness that would come from GBV. For example, tracks like "A Portrait Destroyed By Fire" were the sort of epic over the top jam that would rule albums like "Propeller", while tracks like "Hey Hey, Spaceman" and "Dog's Out" were catchy and retro sounding enough to please any GBV fan. GBV though quickly started picking up the pace with 1987's "Sandbox". This album wasn't lyrically perfect, but showed the band in a much more wild light. The songs were energetic, and began to reflect Robert Pollard's appreciation for 60's British Invasion bands. But GBV still had a ways to go, as they prove on 1989's "Self-Inflicted Aerial Nostalgia". This album had some great moments like "Short On Posters" and "An Earful O' Wax". But most of the rest of the album showed the band and Robert Pollard at a serious disconnect. By 1990 though, GBV were clearly starting to get rolling with the release of "Same Place The Fly Got Smashed". This was a seriously harsh, dark, and much heavier album as a whole for GBV. But it was seriously well done, with catchy tracks like "Pendulum" and much more longer and intense "Local Mix-Up/Murder Charge". Even Robert Pollard's lyrics were taking shape nicely. What GBV needed now was an album that they could start to finish be remembered by. And that's exactly what they made in 1992. "Propeller" is Guided By Voices truly fantastic album. It's just such a seriously cohesive album. From start to finish there are barely any weak spots. I love just how chaotic all of the instrumentals seemed to come off, with Pollard's very catchy pop hooks keeping things together just enough. But oh BOY, did GBV still have some kinks to iron out. 1993's "Vampire on Titus" was a mess from start to finish. I'm all for gritty, Low-Fi rock. But this album just sounded awful to be honest. There wasn't a single track on here that I found to be nearly as compelling as anything else they had done recently. Guided By Voices now needed to make an album that would stand the test of time, a truly stunning work. The band got that with 1994's "Bee Thousand". This album from start to finish is nearly perfect. It showed the band instrumentally all on the same page, creating catchy retro tinged tracks like the far out "Hot Freaks" and my personal favorite "Echoes Myron". But it also showed Robert Pollard to be maturing into a thinking man's songwriter, namely on the flawless "I Am A Scientist". In 1995, GBV dropped another stone cold classic with the much longer but just as concise "Alien Lanes". This album showed the band working with a much grander set of tunes, like the huge "Motor Away" and the classic "Game Of Pricks". But most importantly, it showed that Guided By Voices could very easily fit 28 songs on a 40 minute album, and not have it all come off like a compilation of sorts. By the time 1996's "Under The Bushes Under The Stars" came out, Guided By Voices clearly had a their formula down to a science. This album was 56 minutes long, their longest yet by far. However, this album came off just as seamless, catchy, and intriguing of an album, with a seriously low amount of flops. But when it came to 1996's "Tonics And Twisted Chasers"...what the hell happened? This album was muddy as hell, and not even in a Guided By Voices way, it just sounded thrown together. There were great tracks like "Top Chick Silver Chord" and "Dayton, Ohio/19 Something & 5". But the amount of truly forgettable, poorly produced tracks was overwhelming. However, Guided By Voices bounced back with one of their best records to date, "Mag Earwhig!". This album was one of the most consistent, catchy, and instrumentally powerful GBV had tackled to date. From amazing fan favorites like "Bulldog Skin" to criminally underrated deep cuts like "Jane of The Waking Universe", this album seriously had a little something for everyone. Then we have 1999's "Do The Collapse", an album that quite frankly a lot of people try to forget. It's a messy album for a whole different reason. On here, Guided By Voices decided to clean up their production and brought in The Cars' Ric Ocasek to help. The result was just so clean and shiny, it barely sounded like Guided By Voices at all. But on top of that, Robert Pollard's lyrics just seemed exhausted. For the most part, this album sounded like a newer indie band trying desperately to sound like Guided By Voices. Now, when we get into the 2000's of Guided By Voices, things get a little weird. 2002's "Universal Truths and Cycles" was fine and all, with great tracks like "Cheyenne" and "Everywhere With Helicopter". But other tracks on here seemed on the bland side. There was nothing actually wrong with a lot of these tracks, but there wasn't anything very memorable either. But then we have 2003's brilliant "Earthquake Glue", which had Guided By Voices sounding more focused than they had in years. Tracks like "She Goes Off At Night" and "The Main Street Wizards" just sound so huge, and "The Best of Jill Hives" is one of my all time favorite GBV tunes. By the time we get to 2004's "Half Smiles of The Decomposed", GBV was really starting to sound lifeless. Robert Pollard's lyrics here seemed so directionless and bland. Not to mention, the instrumentals on this were just so boring and toothless, even for the band's usual Low-Fi style. But there were still a few moments on here, like "Huffman Prairie Flying Field" and "Closets of Henry" which showed us that Robert Pollard was far from done with us. It would be 7 years until we heard from GBV again. 2011's comeback album "Let's Go Eat The Factory" had a lot of great things going on, but also a lot of iffy material. For example, I love the return of the original lineup as well as the more Low-Fi production. But lyrically and structure wise, a lot of this album came of as incomplete. However, 2012's "Class Clown Spots a UFO" I actually enjoyed quite a bit. I'm not saying this was completely old school GBV. But this was the band seriously having fun, and making the music they wanted too, and it sounded pretty damn solid. Even 2012's "The Bears for Lunch" was pretty damn impressive. Once again, I wouldn't say this was a rebirth, but for a band over 20 album's in, this was far from bad. 2013's "English Little League" on the other hand, was absolutely awful. I feel like there were just too many shallow aspects to this albums, like an overly hazy atmosphere. It just seemed to me like GBV were trying way too hard once again. So if you haven't realized, the 2000's have been a back and forth struggle for Guided By Voices. This continued with "Motivational Jumpsuit" in 2014, which was strangely crunchy and heavy sounding. Once again, GBV really didn't seem like they had anything to prove.But because this is the 2010's Guided By Voices couldn't stay on track. 2014's "Cool Planet" might be their worst album. While early tracks like "Authoritarian Zoo" were great, almost every track after that was seriously painfully bland and seriously questionable. Not to mention, Robert Pollard just sounded bored. And let's not even talk about 2016's "Please Be Honest". So to be honest, at this point in Guided By Voices' career, the last thing I wanted to hear was a DOUBLE ALBUM. But that's exactly what we got with "August By Cake" earlier this year. I'll be honest though, this album was actually pretty great, with really solid singles like "Overloaded and "Absent The Man" that once again showed Guided By Voices to be pretty damn rejuvenated. And then we have this this new single from GBV. And to be honest, I dunno, it's alright? Like not bad, but certainly nothing to write home about either. So that being said, it's taken me 2 months to prepare for this album. So let's talk about this thing finally, shall we?
(One of any reasons why GBV means the world to me)
This album starts off with “The Birthday Democrats”, and it’s a pretty standard intro from GBV. But to be honest, it actually in more ways than one comes off as a much older GBV song. From the very crunchy instrumentals to the very melodic vocals, which recently haven’t been nearly as focused on, are on display here in a big way. Lyrically, of course we have a lot of the same elements that Pollard’s been working with us for years. But that’s not bad at all, and I can’t help but get excited over lines like “Your dream is a dust speck in your eye”. A lot of “The Birthday Democrats” just comes off really refreshing, to be honest. It even has a sort of bizarre, off kilter finale that will have you craving some more. It’s a great start from Guided By Voices. Then we have “King 007”, which is totally different for GBV. It’s not nearly as scratchy or as Low-Fi, it’s actually very elegant and clean sounding. But it’s not enough to sound like Guided By Voices are a little too far from their roots. Robert Pollard sounds actually right at home among this sort of disjointed riff. When things pick up into a much more explosive track on “King 007”, this easily comes off as powerful and forward thinking as some of the tracks on the legendary “Mag Earwhig!” or “Isolation Drills”. Most importantly though, it still contains that great, legendary Guided By Voices mysticism amongst all of these solos and breakdowns. “Boy W” however brings the boys of Guided By Voices into some new territory. This one is so much more stiff sounding and almost robotic, to the point where this almost sounds like some Proto-Punk. But Pollard’s very rigid performance on this one actually makes “Boy W” almost danceable. It’s certainly new ground for Guided By Voices, but it works actually really wonderful, you’d think they had been doing this for years. Instrumentally this continues to be solid, but I think the real story is just how incredibly youthful this album sounds so far. I’m not sure how they got this music to sound so youthful, to be honest, but it’s great to hear. Then we have tracks like “Steppenwolf Mausoleum”, which is a whole lot more somber and dark sounding. It’s a sound that we’re going to be hearing a whole lot more of as this album goes on, so you better get used to it. Now, as far as an emotional tune goes from Robert Pollard and GBV, I can’t remember the last time I heard such a deep tune. Between the chugging riff and the very explosive verses, this one is just massive. “Steppenwolf Mausoleum” is sluggish, and far from the once vibrant and upbeat Low-Fi Jangle Pop that GBV used to dish out. But this one hit you really hard, and up to this point, I’m impressed with just how many risks the band is taking here. Guided By Voices, however, starts to slip up with “Cretinous Number Ones”. Instrumentally this track is just as crunchy and classic sounding for Guided By Voices. Some of the later moments, when it picks up for the chorus are actually magnificent, and some of those handclaps were a great little detail boys. Sadly though, I’m not nearly as into Pollard’s performance here. Lyrically, he brought his A-Game clearly, because I’m still scratching my head in a way only Pollard can do. But vocally, he just sounds so we are here and so unbelievably down and out. And to be honest, I’m not really sure where that’s coming from. So I’m torn on this one, because all of that being said, it’s also easily the catchiest tune here. Meh.
This album rumbles on with “They Fall Silent”, and I continue to seriously be on the fence with Pollard’s deeper register vocals. And ugh, that’s such a damn shame because lyrically we’re getting into some truly deep, personal and dark territory. Instrumentally, it’s so bare and lonely sounding. With Pollard busting out these much more personal lyrics, I really wish I could be into his deeper vocals. “Diver Dan” on the other hand, continues with Pollard’s more deeply delivered vocals. However, amongst this much more fleshed out instrumental and more upbeat atmosphere it comes off so much more enjoyable. This one is really snappy, with the band sounding seriously unified here. Not only that though, it’s got the sort of Jangly hopefulness that I’ve always loved about GBV. Not to mention, “Diver Dan” has such a great energy overall. But this upbeat nature doesn’t last long sadly. “How To Murder a Man (In 3 Acts) is up next, and I seriously wish I could be into this. Pollard’s performance here is once again more emotional and incredibly heartfelt. And when you add in these much more somber toned instrumentals, you have a pretty heavy piece. But I seriously just can’t get into these performances. However, there’s a whole lot about this track that I do like. For example, some of these instrumentals are actually really intense. And lyrically, I do have to say it’s nice to be able to read into Pollard’s lyrics a little bit more. Overall though, I just can’t get into these much more dreary performances, it just sucks the life right out of me. Then we have “Pearly Gates Smoke Machine”, which is once again a little slower paced. But the guitars are right back to being nice and crunchy and a whole lot more interesting. This one actually has a whole lot of great pacing to it and shows Guided by really working well with creating an atmosphere. For a four minute instrumental, “Pearly Gates Smoke Machine” is actually really impressive. The solos are great, the pacing continues to be spot on, and I love how sonic this all comes off. It’s massive, it’s explosive, and most importantly, it’s one of the nicer surprises I’ve heard here. But then they have to follow that up with something like “Tenth Century” for some reason. Once again, lyrically I feel like I totally get this, almost a little too much for a Robert Pollard penned tune. Hell, the instrumental once again even comes off as sort of mystifying and old school for the band. But once again, I’m really not into Pollard’s vocals once again, mostly because of just how tired and dreary he comes off sounding. I continue to enjoy a lot of the instrumentals as “Tenth Century” goes on, but man do I ever wish these vocals did more for me.
The album continues with its title track “How Do You Spell Heaven”. Now, from this intro, this really isn’t hitting me too hard at all. But as the instrumentals pop in around Pollard’s performance, everything gets pretty smooth. Now, this is a real exception as far as Pollard’s more somber material goes. On this one, it actually comes off really nicely on all cylinders. This one from start to finish comes off truly sentimental, but still has a whole lot of the same vibes we’ve gotten from Guided By Voices for years. And while I wish maybe it was a little rougher sounding and a bit more upbeat, this one is seriously decent. But then we have “Paper Cutz”, which sounds decent enough to be a straight up classic Guided By Voices tune. The instrumental here is straightforward enough, with just the right amount of roughness. But at this point in the album though, there really isn’t that much more I can say about “Paper Cutz”, and that’s not a bad thing. Robert Pollard sounds great, the writing is spot on, and overall I’m seriously into this. Guided By Voices, however, in their old age have gotten a whole lot less consistent. Tracks like “Low Flying Perfection” honestly confuse the hell out of me. In the past, Guided By Voices have done plenty of more low key and quieter tracks. But this track just sounds completely outdated to me, and once again it sounds like Guided By Voices are trying way too hard to be themselves again. Even lyrically, “Low Flying Perfection” comes off as some cheap imitation of what made Guided By Voices sound so different back in the day. Instrumentally, it’s bland. Vocally, it’s weak. And lyrically, it’s not nearly as impressive as it could have been. Then we have “Nothing Gets You Real”. Now, while this isn’t the most stunning and perfect track here, at the very least this sounds like Guided By Voices being themselves and not playing to any gimmicks. Pollard may sound a little shaky from time to time. But the smooth atmosphere and straightforward instrumentals really make this one work well. In a lot of ways, some of Guided By Voice’s more recent albums have shown them branching out into a more mainstream sound, and I feel like this is what they were going for. “Nothing Gets You Real” is a solid tune ladies and gentlemen. This album ends off however on a really bizarre note. “Just To Show You” honestly, is bland from start to finish. The fact that this was the one track they released from the album early made this album really hard to get excited for. It’s not bad, it’s just so painfully OK. And to end off the entire album with this track boy? Not good, not good at all.
Rating: 7.6/10
Give A Listen To: “The Birthday Democrats”, “King 007”, “Steppenwolf Mausoleum”, “Diver Dan”
Overall Thoughts: I mean, what the hell else can I even say about Guided By Voices on their 26th album. This album here isn't inventing any wheels as far as the band's sound goes, and for the most part, it's business as usual. However, this album is certainly one of the better of their recent string of new albums. But it also contains some of Robert Pollard's most personal material ever, which to some extent is a real treat. I just sort of wish that some of his vocals were a little more concrete in areas. Overall, this is still pretty decent.
