Another Music Blog

I don't play an instrument, I can't sing and I have no musical education, face it this blog is never gonna make it. All of the above are true but I still love my music and want to share my views on it 

[satanofsuburbia646]

amo - Bring Me The Horizon

To start this post I’d like to mention that I hate slagging off music by artists who work hard like BMTH, especially as they are one of my favourite bands with Sempiternal being in my top 3 albums to date. However, I still feel like I need to discuss “amo” which is a term meaning “master” in Portuguese. So naturally upon hearing this I was excited as it seemed in a similar vein to “Sempiternal”. I will also mention that I am not totally against an artist changing their sound, I was still a big fan of “That’s The Spirit” despite it being a progressive move towards “amo” and seems a good mix between new and old BMTH. 

From the off I was feeling disappointed when I heard auto-tune in the first song which was just Oli repeating the same line over and over again, very little change in instrumentation and vocal style left the song feeling empty to me. 

MANTRA is a special song to me, I saw the live debut of it days after it came out my first time seeing BMTH and I actually do like this song. It’s a good rock song and has change ups within it and seems to claw back some emotion into the album with signature raw vocalism, even though minor at some points, until about halfway through when it sounds like a Justin Bieber song, although when live this wasn’t that noticeable. I’d argue the sound of this song wouldn’t be out of place on “That’s The Spirit”

The rest of the songs (except for “wonderful life”) sound like they belong in a dance club to me and don’t seem to actually vocally express any emotion. In previous BMTH albums you could not actually listen to any words and still know the emotions that Oli was trying to bring across to us and these themes would be consistent across a whole album. This brings me onto my next point. While most of the songs all sound similar, which is extremely boring, they don’t seem to have any common theme between them other than that. Once again looking at “That's The Spirit” as it is the most similar album they have produced as well as being another example of Oli, post-rehab, it was a celebration of depression and struggling through life and “Sempiternal” was an album about death, Heaven and Hell, dealing with huge issues with some very poetic lyrics, another classic BMTH feature that “amo” is lacking. 

However there are some things I do like about this album and its not entirely devoid of its moments. “MANTRA”, “wonderful life”, and “sugar honey ice & tea” I can listen to and think “This is a BMTH song”. With vocal styles that sound like Oli Sykes during his peak in Sempiternal. However these moments are just too far apart as I was somewhat enjoying “sugar honey ice & tea” and thought maybe the album was turning a corner its followed by a song like “why you gotta kick me when i’m down” which sounds like the unoriginal mainstream kinda stuff I hear all too frequently on Radio 1 and my sisters playlist which I am heavily in distaste of. 

To conclude this album has it’s moments and its maybe worth a listen to pick out these songs as its got new BMTH sounding material but ultimately I don’t see myself sitting down to enjoy and listen to this album after posting this article.

[satanofsuburbia646]

Reboot?

Hey anyone remember me? So I really dropped the ball on this blog and I wanna get back into it maybe on a more casual basis where I just talk about whatever is on my mind musically speaking as well as looking into individual albums and songs. Recently I've started to listen to a lot of mid-west emo such as Free Throw and more recently Honey, Be Well which I am enjoying immensely and so I would like you guys to suggest other bands in this genre for me to listen to its a newer sound to me and a bit of variety away from the punkier music I tend to listen to

[satanofsuburbia646]

Ok I’m just gonna say, if you look at my previous post I actually kinda predicted that some sort of a story would happen in the upcoming album Trench, have yet to watch this video but I’m hoping it provides some more context to Jumpsuit which I assume is part 1

[satanofsuburbia646]

Trench Predictions

Ok so here’s a shot piece on how I think “Trench” will pan out. So it’s obvious from the two singles they’ve released that the sound will vary across the album which is arguably one of the best characteristics on all their current albums.

I feel like ‘Jumpsuit’ and ‘Nico and the Niners’ are arguably linked (as I have not done my lyrical breakdowns yet this may not be the case upon another look) and so it’s possible that this whole album could be one huge rock opera with Nico being a character leading a faction called ‘The Niners”. Of course this is hugely speculative and so there is a large chance this isn’t the case but I really like it and it’s possible soooooo fuck off and give me a break😂.

So far this is all I have on this topic without properly analysing the songs which I promise is coming. Feel free to leave your thoughts and share this amongst others and belittle me amongst yourselves.

[satanofsuburbia646]

An Update

Ok so amazingly I’ve had one of you guys ask me about why I don’t post as often as I say I will and the reality is right now I’m working as much as I can which often involves 10-12 hours shifts and on top of this I need to try to keep my body healthy and be social which doesn’t leave me much time alongside being very tired. I go on holiday this Thursday and so posts may not be a thing that happen but I will try to get at least one short one out but it won’t be great as I don’t intend to bring my laptop out with me. When I come back hopefully I’ll have some more energy and can pull back my work hours a bit now the major summer events there are finished. I intend to do some work on Hawthorne Heights, The Wonder Years, and Taking Back Sunday as well as discussing my thoughts for the new 21 Pilots album which I already have some ideas on and may well be my next post as it will be short. So please bear with me and I will have much more regular content coming up soon.

[chidi-anagonye]

Tyler: *starts screaming in Jumpsuit*

Me:

[satanofsuburbia646]

Love this shit, anyone that’s seen my posts may notice raw vocals get me going

[satanofsuburbia646]

21 Pilots New Music

Ok so TØP have release new music and I will do like a full kinda post about it, maybe not a lyrical breakdown but what I think it means for their new album, but this may take some time because I’m very busy with work at the moment so I don’t know when my next post will be

[satanofsuburbia646]

Rookie of the Year - Funeral for a Friend

The shorthand for this song is that there are two people one has been hurt and damaged by past relationships while the narrator loves them and wants to help them, ultimately it doesn’t work out but I still consider this a fairly happy song. 

The first thing I’d like to mention is the lyrical basis being very unstructured with no clear verses or chorus which could possibly resemble how the character that is damaged feels. Their life is a mess and their not quite sure what to do with it. 

The song starts fast as if the narrator is angry at the person that abused the other character they love. The idea of this person being no good is apparent from the lines “The promise that he made//left broken on the floor” showing that he couldn't deliver and hence they broke up. The character who is damaged is hurt as shown by reference to a bruise on their heart yet they don't want to end the relationship as she is “begging for more” and this is the repeated. 

The next verse is full of emotion with the first line containing some very raw vocals in which the narrator sarcastically thanks the girl and says how she made him feel worthless which could possibly be a nod to how he thinks she felt and maybe even guilts her into trying things out with him which he is desperate for as the second line directly shows. He intentions are clear in that he wants to marry her as he makes reference to wedding dresses.

Cut to the following verse and the lyrical structure is exactly the same except this time it is happy. He makes reference to it being the best day of his life which is commonly a wedding day and this is confirmed by the reference to wedding dresses again and how it’s his only light.

It is now that the relationship goes bad and they begin to admit that maybe this isn’t the best idea with the lyrics “And in the mess of all we’ve see//I am open to everything” the second line shows that he wants more than anything for it to work despite the first line showing that in reality it was a bad decision. 

The next two lines are whispered which represents the narrator eventually comes to the realisation that they may have to divorce and it is a painful idea followed an interlude that both confirms the idea of them splitting up and shows the passing of time. 

After time apart she moves back towards her old, toxic relationship which she feels will be better; as it is said that time will drown us in its wake and old habits die hard it eventually goes toxic again. However the narrator is still faithful and wants to help her survive the relationship as he says that he will clearly stay. and wipe the blood from her wedding dress showing the abuse is still prevalent. 

Overall I think this song is a happy one as the narrator doesn’t ever stop caring for this girl and allows her to make her choice but swears to help her when she needs the support ultimately making this song a lesson about love and friendship.

[satanofsuburbia646]

Colourblind - Movements

So this is a song about love and emotions and right from the off I think its fair to say that the idea of colour hear represents emotion and so by calling himself colourblind the narrator is hinting at the idea of being emotionally numb.

We join the story during a deep discussion with the narrators character and their partner which is shown by the lines “Breath in” and “...breath out” which sandwich a series of lines that I think relate to self harm with reference to scarred skin. However the narrator does anything but justify this and clearly is against by calling themselves a hypocrite. 

The second half of this verse gives us more context, the narrator’s partner is clearly concerned and saying that the narrator is not putting in the effort, “About how I’ve been distant lately” a statement that obviously hurts the narrator shown by the lyric “...they [the words said by their partner] probably sting”. Finally we see that the narrator clearly is struggling with something and are by some means lost as even when the supposed love of their life is talking they aren’t listening which the narrator self confesses. 

The chorus is fairly simple and the first two lines indicate the narrator feeling hopeless by saying they are “...not worth the time” and that “This failure is built deep into my design” and these thoughts of mine are solidified by the line “Is there something wrong with me?” indicating it is in fact a mental health problem. Their annoyance at this is also displayed with the vocals being very raw and screamed. The final line of the chorus goes as follows, “Cause you were gold but I’m colorblind” the idea of their partner being gold comes from gold traditionally being one of the best things ever and this person was obviously very special but being colourblind meant the narrator didn't notice. 

Verse two is initially about the narrator trying to justify this apparent change in their character and I personally get the vibe that he has fallen out of love with this person but doesn’t know why. The clear desperation is shown right from the off with the lyric “Find a reason” after which he lists several possible factors even suggesting that love just isn’t for them which gives the idea of them giving up on the relationship. This was prefixed by the line “Maybe its just a colour I can’t see” which plays into the idea of not being able to feel it. Later on in this verse they call it “an artificial enemy”. In my head the idea of it being artificial implies that it is forced and maybe they don’t see the point in it but get pushed into it.

Once again the chorus comes and has the same message as before and is then followed by the bridge which is as follows: “And this complacency just seems to get the best of me// As I wander aimlessly back to everything I left behind// A new face, a different story, the same mess of me// And I never learn my lesson ‘cause I’m blind”. This whole bridge is sung in the same raw voice as the second half of the chorus once again showing the raw emotion and sadness. The first line indicates that they end up breaking up and he feels it was through his own fault. After this he walks back to his life before his now ex-partner. Not long passes before he finds a new lover and while not the same story he is still the same as before indicated by the phrase “...the same mess of me”. The final line of the bridge indicates that this is a repeating cycle from which they don’t learn and so the pain continues. 

The song ends with the chorus again which could hold the same message but aimed at a different partner as they and their old one are now obviously broken up and the bridge indicates that this is a cyclic manner. 

Thus ends my interpretation of this song and I hope that you can all enjoy this band as they are brilliant and I would argue that on the album “Feel Something” this song is just the tip of the iceberg.

[satanofsuburbia646]

Punk Rock Around the Corner

This is a rushed post as I’ve not had time yet to fully put together something like yesterday. However I decided to take this opportunity to just point out that normally an LP will take a year minimum, normally closer to two to fully produce from start of writing to distribution. This means that the music that is coming out this summer will likely by based around the huge political upheavals that have taken place with Brexit and the fact that trump is president, least we forget that a year ago we were the closest to nuclear war since the Cold War and so these factors are going to start being fed to us. While not a garuntee I think it worth pointing out that music coming out now may be based around this and so it may be worth looking at some of these LPs especially from politically charged bands and just see if there is a link as to better understand what is going on.

Tomorrow or Saturday should hopefully bring a detailed post about Colourblind-Movements or Dance Dance-Fall Out Boy

[satanofsuburbia646]

Lead Feet - Boston Manor

So I'm done with exams and I now have more free time so hopefully I can keep this running more regularly. I’ve decided to come back and discuss one of my favourite songs by Boston Manor who are part of a local(ish) scene from Blackpool who I have seen perform live twice. 

Henry Cox says this song “Is about how two people’s lives can begin so similarly but the choices they make take them in totally opposite directions.” This is a very real concept for me as it heavily applies to me and my twin sister and so this song does hit home. 

In my opinion this song is like a discussion between two people. One of them is leading a normal life who is represented in the chorus and bridge, the other is represented in the two main verses who has made the wrong decision. 

So the song starts slow and clearly shows the two people have not been keeping in touch with the opening two lines stating how its been a long time, this is shown by the fact he notes how their voice sounds deeper. This implies to me that they are old school friends possibly parting ways before college/sixth form. The use of the phrase “I’ve been moving around a lot lately” implies that this person is making mistakes and running from them once again amplified by the following line “I’ve got all the pieces but not the order they’re in” which in my head means that their life is a mess at that point.

Cut to the chorus and the character whose life IS together clearly shows empathy but feels like the mistakes are holding them back undeservedly. This is represented by the concept of the character swimming against the current which I would argue is symbolic of the ongoing battle of fighting your way from rock bottom. The lead feet they are said to be swimming with is the added challenge of doing it with the baggage the person has acquired which in this case is the mistakes that follow them.

Back into the second verse and I think it shows that the character who made mistakes has been to prison and regrets it, “Forgive me father for I have sinned”. The idea of them going to prison is shown by “Left me here for over two years//I counted every day”. 

The first two lines of this chorus are the same as before but the next two show another insight into the choices made by the main character. Clearly with an alcoholic and violent history with reference to a “bottle of rage”. 

The bridge comes next and once again showing the emotions of the character who hasn’t made the mistakes and they appear to be breaking down, in the actual song you can hear Henry Cox cracking up while he repeatedly screams, “There’s no words”. Once again this is followed by the chorus which maintains the same message as before possibly showing how this story is affecting them and he cannot think straight. 

After the lyrics the song ends with 40 seconds of pure instrumental, half of this time is just an epic build which then slowly fades to a soft guitar riff for the remaining 20 seconds. I like to think of this as a representation of the mind of the character who hasn’t made mistakes, as shown by the bridge their mind is a mess of thoughts and it builds until eventually thinking of it just makes them numb about how it could have been them that went down that route but also how this old friend they were so similar to and close to fell down from such great heights. 

Anyway that's my thought on Lead Feet I hope I didn’t bore you all too much and that you’ll find time to enjoy this song and share this blog and even suggest ideas for how to make it better and even some songs or albums for me to cover.

[satanofsuburbia646]

Deaf Havana

So I don’t know if any of you (all 0 of you😂) actually know this band I’m don’t wanna spoil them too much but they are incredibly heartfelt in everything and I feel like anybody that is a fan of the Wonder Years would enjoy them. Particularly the song “Caro Padre”

[satanofsuburbia646]

Music and it’s role in friendships

So today I wanna talk about the effect of music in a very rushed manor. Now I recently just bought my ticket to go to Reading Festival I will post a full thing about who I think will be the best (in my opinion) acts to see live. However obviously I’ve had to find people to go with and so it’s forced me out of my comfort zone socially and I’m finding more and more people I’m getting along with and in turn they are suggesting more and more music for me to listen to. I would argue that for anyone that maybe isn’t as socially confident going to a concert or festival where you know people will be going to will be beneficial. I’m actually going to a concert in a few weeks by myself cause I love the bands playing and I’m hoping that there I will meet new people that I will become friends with. I guess the overall meaning of this post is that possibly one of the best way to make friends is to use music as a means of bonding over. Sorry for the short not entirely relevant post, been super busy today.

[billieway-blog1]

Sister Cities - The Wonder Years

So yesterday was the long awaited arrival of Sister Cities by my short term favourite band, ‘The Wonder Years’.

Now this album was always going to be different to what they usually play, this much was obvious from interviews etc. However what is in my opinion the trademark vocals of Soupy are ever present and this album is still very much a Wonder Years album with traces of classics like ‘Cardinals’, ‘I Don’t Like Who I Was Then’ and ‘Came Out Swinging’.

My favourite song from this album is Pyramids of Salt. Simply put a song about two people one is haunted by past mistakes and regrets that were out of their control. The narrator wants nothing but to help and as you can probably tell by the lyrics “I drew a line in the sand with the worthless fucking hands” they feel hopeless and lost in the situation with the delivery showing how it’s tearing the narrator apart. I think it also links towards ‘Stained Glass Ceilings” with the lines:

“They were cutting your wings off

I was staring at my idle hands

Maybe I could’ve done something

Maybe I could’ve made a difference”

Being very similar to the aforementioned chorus. I highly doubt that these songs are part of a story similar to Panic! At The Disco’s currently trilogy but I would love that to be the case.

Anyway that is my opinion on the new album I hope you guys liked this and found it interesting please get involved and share your own opinions with me as I love things like this.

[satanofsuburbia646]

So basically I posted to the wrong blog, great start for this new thing I’m doing

[satanofsuburbia646]

I’m gonna start being competent

So I normally do f*ck all with this blog so I’ve decided that each day I will make a post where I discuss an album, song or artist starting tomorrow where I give my irrelevant opinion on The Wonder Years new album Sister Cities

[fuckyeahpop-punk]

The Wonder Years announce new album

“I left pins on a map. I’m handing you the string. Tie them together. Unite us. withpinsandstring.com”

The Wonder Years have announced their 6th studio album, Sister Cities, due out April 6th, 2018, along with a limited edition book. By clicking the link above, you gain access to a website (password: starttolevitate) that will describe the feeling of the new album as well as the writing process and themes. 

[satanofsuburbia646]

The new music video for sister cities is out and they have taken a really interesting turn lots of people out there saying it’s better or worse than their old sound but personally I find it non-comparable

[satanofsuburbia646]

Is it just me that finds it weird how I can barely know someone but as soon as I find out they listen to similar music I feel a much better connection with them especially after discussing it, just came about from an experience earlier today