Iago Speaks Music

My objective is to write about what inspires me to write: music. In this blog, you will find reviews, personal insight, and recommendations. Because I am not following a schedule, I post whenever I'm motivated. Main Blog Logo Credit

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After The Party - The Menzingers

When the opening riff crashes through, you can't help but brace yourself  for something marvelous. It's the image of vibrant years painted by nostalgia. After The Party is an album wrapped in 44 minutes of realization masked behind celebration. The Menzingers is an American punk rock band from Scranton, Pennsylvania and they specialize in energetic instrumentation and the poetic dizziness of early adulthood. After The Party is their fourth studio album and it encompasses the concept of accepting that your best years aren't permanent. The booming chorus of "Telling Lies" outcry the thesis statement of the record: "Where are we gonna go now that our twenties are over? / Everyone's asking me over and over". The party the album is named after is a metaphor for the carefree lifestyle of a juvenile adult. You have to pick up the confetti eventually.

The album's catchy, anthemic single, "Lookers", comes in at track three, introduced by a soft-spoken guitar. While also referencing a previous Menzingers song, "Nothing Feels Good Anymore", introduces an important secondary theme of the record: Julie. She is the love interest of the narrator and whether she's directly mentioned or implied in future songs, Julie embodies the naivety and happiness of nostalgic years. The line that introduces her is in the chorus: "Jersey girls are always total heartbreakers / Julie from the Wonder Bar / I still wonder where you are".

Following the single comes a mid-tempo jam that begs to be loudly sung during summer car drives, "Midwestern States", and rightfully so, as it discusses the idea of driving away from modern troubles, such as bills, rent, and other responsibilities, with someone you care for just for the thrill of having fun again. After that, Julie is mentioned once more in the playful, tongue-in-cheek "Charlie's Army", which is an upbeat tune on how her ex doesn't appreciate how Julie is with someone else.

After the slow two song punch of "House on Fire" and "Black Mass", in which the latter is an acoustic folk-esque ballad which is a bit of a deviant from the band's previous material, we're met with the aggressive "Boy Blue", which showcases demanding vocals behind energetic instrumentation. While I appreciate this three song stretch, it is admittedly my least favorite section of the album, as I feel like the release's best work is on opposite ends of this section.

The following segment opens up with the second single, "Bad Catholics", which uses religion as an example on how the narrator reminisces his rebellious youth, as he discusses how he and his love interest would always "dip out before communion started". The second verse highlights the carefree youth by telling the narrator's observations of a family who were unprepared to lead the adult life.

The album closes out with a spectacular four song stretch, starting with "Your Wild Years, the band's best song yet, sporting transcendent lyrics and well timed emotion, both vocally and instrumentally.

"We drove up to Massachusetts together. Your old house was just like you remembered. We stayed in your adolescent room, rummaged through the boxes labeled "former you". The souvenirs of happiness in a moment; your wild years that you often mention. The sands of time in an hourglass that you're always begging for back. I got drunk in the afternoon with your father in the living room. As the television broke the silence, you smiled knowing I was trying The best that I can do."

After "Your Wild Years" ends, "The Bars" enters in a seamless transition. Musically, it is the most cathartic song of the record, as it builds up to the pause of the instrumentation so that the singer can scream "What the hell have I done? Where did my friends go?". It's the realization that your life will move on without you.You'll grow up, and if you stay the same, you'll be left with yourself and the unfamiliar faces inside the same bar you've sulked in for years. It hints the closing lyrics of the opener, "Is it wrong to say that things can change?".

The closing duo presents itself as the self-titled centerpiece, "After The Party", and the campfire-like goodbye "Living Ain't Easy". The former is the closure of the themes of the record: growing up and nostalgia. It's the acceptance that the chapter of your adventurous twenties has come to the end, followed by the understanding that a new chapter will begin. "After the party, it's me and you.". The last song of the album serves as an encore and a hint of the next stage of life. It's the tune of credits rolling down as the crowd leaves the theater, eager to see what the next installment of the series will be.

[vocalbridge]

Brand New - The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me 

The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me was a pivotal record for me, channeling importance inside an array of meanings, even finding itself in memories I never thought I'd hold dear. When I first heard this record, I was afraid of it. The art, along with the dread and atmosphere of the songs, evoked a feeling of paranoia whenever I was exposed to it at night. Even in broad daylight, there were moments such as the bridge in "Luca" or the uneasiness of "Untitled", that made me second guess if they were just songs. The lyrics of the songs baffled me. How could someone ever bring themselves to sing "I used to pray like God was listening. I used to make my parents proud", let alone feel it? My fascination with the record turned into a rabbit hole of emotions. The more I learned about it, the less I was afraid, but in turn, I became more and more fixated to the record. Fear was replaced with fascination, which turned into motivation and understanding. TDAG was one of the first records, along with Jimmy Eat World's Futures, that made me want to analyze music. I wasn't satisfied with knowing just the lyrics and the obvious melodies of the songs. I wanted to know why it made me feel what I felt and how they did it. This opened the door to my appreciation for production and atmosphere. I grew a love for world building and records that painted its sonic scenery. As someone who likes to try to understand how an artist chooses the order of their track listings and why, the choice to have the two "start fast/stay fast" songs ("Not The Sun" and "The Archers Bows Have Broken") at the second half of the record, as opposed to where the front, where singles usually go, was so fascinating to me. I adore the way the record starts in a somber, broken manner, only to be shattered with the explosion of the refrain. The way the drums pound in the second verse of "Millstone", which is one of my favorite songs from the Brand New, still demands all of my attention. The journey of "Limousine" is still haunting years later (fun fact: I thought the song, and really, the album, was satanic because of the monophonic chant like introduction). "You Won't Know" still manages to cause shivers down my spine when it erupts into its second half (especially during the "I won't let you fire everything you've got" line when the song structure slightly changes). The way "Welcome To Bangkok" leads into the massive pay off of "Not The Sun", and how the record essentially builds up into what seems to be a straight forward song, but to me, is a tune of catharsis because of the massive energy of the vocals. "Luca" has a beautifully produced transition into the second verse in which the instruments compliment each other in fascinating ways. Even "Untitled", a psuedo-instrumental interlude, is a track I could listen to for hours on end. The words I have for this record are nowhere near as powerful as the art itself. For almost four years now, I have struggled to verbalize why this record is as important to me as it is. As a album reviewer and a musician, it leaves me perplexed. However, probably the two greatest things the record has taught me are dynamics and emotion, and I have future records and songs of my own to thank for that. It opened up a world for me. One that I was originally afraid of, but now, embrace with all I've got. The world I'm talking about isn't the record, it's music itself.

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Moving Mountains 

Released in September of 2013, Moving Mountains released a self-titled record that I would soon come to adore with all of my heart nearly three years later. A couple of weeks back, I was reading a thread on AbsolutePunk; I believe it was about Foxing's Dealer on the General forum. Jake Jenkins, staff member and a reviewer I hold to a high prestige, said that the aforementioned Dealer, Pianos Become The Teeth's Keep You, and Moving Mountains' self-titled were the most recent scene classics. Those first two records are albums that today, I consider some of my favorites of all time, being crucial pieces to my listening habits. Naturally, I had to delve into this record that I have never heard before, as if its quality was anything like the behemoths mentioned by Jenkins, I was in for something truly special.

And that it was. My first listen to Moving Mountains was followed by my second, third, and forth listens, without a break of silence to its name. The atmosphere of the tracks perfectly suited the album art that I was mesmerized by. I felt peace. It was a record of serenity, because serenity isn't just the calm in a safe haven, it's the rush of feeling alive that tracks like "Seasonal" and "Hudson" brought, and the release that was channeled by the repose of tracks like "Hands". Every time I press play, I feel the build up that "Swing Set" carries. It is massive, in a way I didn't expect, but now, am eager to embrace. The explosions I am drawn to in moments like Brand New's "Sowing Season" and The Hotelier's "An Introduction To The Album" are what I adore about music, and "Swing Set" does the same but in a way that isn't meant to be embraced up close. It is a firework that is meant to be adored in the distance. Moving Mountains introduces you with an emotion that isn't simply felt, but reacted by. It isn't a crash like the aforementioned openers, it is a scenery. The build up doesn't lead to the push of a moment's force, it leads to the release of hand that has been holding you from a world that is beautiful, the world that was yours but you never knew.

The last time I felt this way because of an album was back in 2014, when Copeland's Ixora extended its tide to sink me into obsession. This is not to say that everything between then and now has been mediocre, because in this time frame, I have found myself in the workings of records made by The Hotelier, Pianos Become The Teeth, TWIABP, Foxing, and even Jimmy Eat World's Clarity, but all of those took time to get to where they stand now. I am passionate towards the albums we deem as "growers", and I'm always eager to find out what will be the next album that will take itself to the next level of appreciation, but the instant gratification I felt towards Ixora, and now, Moving Mountains, is a feeling that I rarely experience. It reminds me of the time where I tried combat the bore of the summer of 2011 by flickering through the television stations and I was rewarded by the music video of Paramore's “Careful”, the very music video that changed my life forever and introduced me to the world of music. It reminds me of the time where I listened to the opener of Brand New's Deja Entendu, "Tautou", back in 2013 and because it was like nothing I've heard before, I realized that music is infinite and the ones who painted that song are favorite band today. It reminds me of the feeling of urgency I felt when I listened to Jimmy Eat World's Futures for the first time, because I had to pause it half way through for a family gathering and all I could think about was returning to the album that today, is my second favorite album of all time.

The love that can be found in the ways I talk about Brand New's The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me, my all time favorite record, is an emotion I wish to find within every song I try to write. It's something I desire to encounter in any new record I listen to. When a piece of music impacts me, I want to enter the world it thrives in and learn exactly why I'm so pulled to it, because it's the feeling I want to invoke in others. Moving Mountains' self-titled record has become yet another bone in the skeleton of my inspirations, and I can only hope that if/when my ambitions become a reality that covers every inch of my structure, I'll still find security from it, and the other records, that covers my heart.

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Basement - Promise Everything

[Review]

The English alternative band, Basement, came back from their brief hiatus two years ago. A year after that, I read a discussion about them on the Brand New thread on Absolute Punk. Comments about how their pre-hiatus record, colourmeinkindness, was as good and if not, better, than my favorite band's pivotal sophomore record, Deja Entendu, was all I needed to give the band a try. Although I enjoy the astronaut covered record more in the long run, the equally orange record became an obsession of mine during the end of the year. Shortly after, the band's first album since their return, Promise Everything, was announced and with every listen of colourmeinkindness as the days crept to the end of January, my expectations for their third record was skyrocketed.

The album is their most concise work to date. Basement was foreign to boring tracks in past releases and in this record, they explain that the concept is completely out of their realm of vocabulary. Although the highs aren't as good as the ones you would see in colourmeinkindness, the best songs are spread apart within the album, as opposed to its front heavy counterpart. With every song, there is a melody that begs to pick at your brain for the rest of the week. This is the band's strongest record from a melodic point of view. Although lead singer, Andrew Fisher, is no lyrical slouch in these songs (shown in moments such as "I won't ask for love, I know it's there, just covered up" and "I'm with you when I'm by myself", from the songs "Promise Everything" and "Oversized, respecively), he trades his attention away from what he is saying and in favor of how it is said.

Whether it be the calming tone of the chorus in the Jimmy Eat World influenced "Aquasun" or the key change in the second chorus of the song "Hanging Around", I'm always fascinated with the band's execution. The instruments work in unison with Fisher to compliment the notes he sings, as noted by the constant strumming of the rhythm guitar in the middle track, "Submission", that weaves in to assist the lead guitar part later in the song. Ever since I heard colourmeinkindness'  "Comfort", and to some degree, "Pine", left  me gravitated towards the possibility of seeing more of Basement's sensitive side. I was left ecstatic after hearing the soft and alluring tone of the Brand New "Jesus"-esque "Oversized" and later, the quiet moment that appears without warning in the album opener, "Brother's Keeper".  Though, Basement isn't without its heavy hitters. Tracks like aforementioned "Hanging Around" and the title track, which is reminiscent of their debut album, I Wish I Could Stay Here, have the perfect amount of drive to keep older fans of the band interested if the 90s alt direction isn't something they are interested in.

All in all, Basement not only released their most accessible album, but an album that will be treated with many more listens to come from me. As I mentioned to a friend earlier this week, "The Basement album is short, sweet, and on repeat." Promise Everything does everything to captivate you in thirty minutes and won't let go once they manage to succeed.

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Daughter - Not To Disappear

[Review]

Three years have passed since I've decided to immerse myself in my passion for music. I've grown a lot these past years, and my music taste has grown alongside me, taking the form of many sonic styles and deliveries, but one thing has proved to be concrete: my love for the songs about being alone. I find myself taking pleasure from tales of displeasure. It's the comfort of a situation I've been in and knowing that someone has not only survived it, but bestowed the world with the beauty of music because of it. With Daughter's sophomore record, Not To Disappear, I find solace in experiences I recall too well, but also finding fear in concepts I dread to witness first hand.

These are songs of pain, sung by someone who wants to leave it but can't, as you can't leave something that has already left. When a physical presence escapes one's vision, the memories they've made with you and the thoughts you have of them stay. You lose the ones you love the most and as a result, you also lose love. You feel discomfort when you're alone, but that isn't fixed when you're with someone else, as you still feel bothered. You long for alternative methods to spend your time because everything you do is wasteful, even though the new hobby is equally as pointless as the other things you've tried. You live every day drunk, every moment sick, but you don't care. Caring is something far from capability when you're unable to feel. You want to leave it all, the social concept of belonging, whether it being in a society or with someone else, but you don't want to cease to exist. You don't want to disappear. You search every corner for the solution that can free you, but you won't find it. You can't find it, and this record is the first step to coming to terms with that.

[todayalive]

todayalive/vocalbridge’s Album Of The Year List

Below, I shall talk a bit about each album. However, due to its length, I shall include it in the Read More. I go in depth and a lot of the records have a personal backstory to why I like them as much as I do. If you’re interested in just the list, here it is: 15. American Candy - The Maine 14. Shame - Petal 13. Pale Horses - mewithoutYou 12. Afraid of Ghosts - Butch Walker 11. Painted Shut - Hop Along 10. Sprained Ankle - Julien Baker 9. Peripheral Vision - Turnover 8. No Closer To Heaven - The Wonder Years 7. Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit - Courtney Barnett 6. Milk - Better Off 5. Every Open Eye - CHVRCHES 4. E•MO•TION - Carly Rae Jepsen 3. I, No Longer - Pentimento 2. Dealer - Foxing 1. Harmlessness - The World Is A Beautiful Place and I Am No Longer Afraid To Die Also, check out my Album Of The Year Playlist (ordered in the same manner as the actual list)

15. American Candy - The Maine

When I look for a summer record, I seek infectious hooks and a vibrant tone. The Maine brings this to the table with a side of introspection. The lyricism in this record is often times sweet on the outside, but don’t let John O'Callaghan’s pretty voice fool you, as his sarcasm boasts that he couldn’t care less for what society thinks of him. Songs like “Am I Pretty” and “My Hair” are great examples of how the album tears down stereotypical values with the message that you should do what you want, when you want to, as long as it’s positive.

“At the moment, any place I go is beautiful, because in my mind, I am miles away.”

Favorite Tracks: Am I Pretty, English Girls, Miles Away

14. Shame - Petal

If you’re looking for songs to listen to when the sun sets, I highly recommend this album. Kiley Lotz fronts the band with elegance, and what she brings to the table is a gorgeous mixture of soft spoken ballads and catchy, guitar driven hooks. Many of the songs are sung from the angle of intimate loss. They are about the friend or lover who gave you everything, and when they left, you felt like you could no longer see the same colors as you used to. The record guides you into love and drains it out.

“When I first heard your voice, all sound was ruined; paled in comparison. You are my greatest sin; my biggest regret.”

Favorite Tracks: Heaven, Sooner, Tommy

13. Pale Horses - mewithoutYou

When you’re met with the soundscape that this record provides, it’s often times difficult to make out what is happening. mewithoutYou brings a sound that exchanges hypnosis and destruction. When you feel a calm, prepare for the turmoil of the band to let loose. Aaron Weiss brings out a lyrical army and even today, I can’t make sense of the meaning of the words pained within the music. They remain an enigma and I hope that I continue to view them in that way. I’ve listened to this record many times throughout the months it has been out and I still don’t understand it. I gravitate towards the musical aspect of songs as opposed to being someone who favors lyrical analysis, so as the instruments twirl inside me, I’m perfectly fine with having the lyrics float in front of me as I’m left looking at it, but never really unveiling it. The scenery the band provides enthralls me and every once in a while, I dig up the ground and find one of Weiss’ poetic treasures.

“You’ll comfort your family with words like eternity and friends made in factories somewhere.”

Favorite Tracks: Rainbow Signs, Red Cow, Watermelon Ascot

12. Afraid of Ghosts - Butch Walker

At the end of last year, my taste in music took a stylistic shift. It didn’t change completely, as the sound I love still exists within my daily listens (in fact, emo solidified its place as my favorite genre and biggest influence), but my ears took comfort in the softer tones provided by Copeland’s Ixora. In the beginning of this year, I found myself taking this record under my wing, and all though I play it significantly less than I did during the nights I spent on my mother’s balcony in February, it’s a record I shall always praise. As I grow older, I have a feeling my listening habits will mold into the sound Walker has crafted in these songs. It’s an album I listen to when I need to reflect. It gives me a sense of maturity that I wish to tap into more often. One day, I’ll be sitting in my dining room, drinking some wine after a long day, with this record in the background, and everything will click. There are many tales within these songs that I’m not old enough to relate to yet, and while I’m scared to experience them, they are inevitable, and I shall have this album close by for when I need a hand to hold.

“Sunday morning: Father’s Day; the first without my dad. As I look into my little boy’s eyes, it takes all I have not to break down right in front of him when he smiles at me. You don’t become a man until you lose your dad, you see.”

Favorite Tracks: Afraid of Ghosts, Father’s Day, 21+

11. Painted Shut - Hop Along

Over the years, I’ve found myself fascinated in non-traditional sounding vocals. I love it when a voice stands out, and this year, I was captivated by the way Frances Quinlan sings. With intricate guitar riffs fiddling away in the background, Quinlan isn’t afraid to pour out her soul through her lyrics. She sings, she screams, she whispers, she wails. The tenacity she provides at the microphone works in an interesting dynamic when paired up in combination with rest of the band. All credits go to “Powerful Man”, which is far and away my favorite track of the record, as it displays everything I love about this album: Incredible musicianship throughout the entire song as Quinlan lashes out with absolute courage about a moment she witnessed in the past (ironically, the song is about how she saw a man abusing his child and she was too afraid to speak up).

“He said, ‘She’s not gonna help you.’ I just thought he looked like a powerful man.”

Favorite Tracks: Happy To See Me, Powerful Man, Well-dressed

10. Sprained Ankle - Julien Baker

If you were to ask me what my dream is, I would reply with “To play music” every single time. When I heard that Julien Baker was my age, I just had to check her out, especially after reading the praise over at Absolute Punk. I remember where I was when I put that album on for the first time. The sky was starting to get dark as I was sitting in the bus on my way home from college. Because of an incident earlier this year where I missed my stop and I had to get off at an unfamiliar place, I try to not distract myself while I’m on my way home now. With my eyes glued to the window, my ear was grabbing on to each and every song sung by Baker. The lyricism in this record is unreal. When I got home, I was left heart broken, but my heart isn’t made of glass, it’s a cocoon. After listening to the record, I picked up my guitar after a week of writer’s block and tried out chord progressions and melodies. The next day, I bought a notebook to start a new chapter of writing songs. To see Julien be able to do what she loves at such a young age is genuinely inspiring and I hope to meet her one day. It would be an honor to not only see her perform, but to hopefully tour with her if I ever get a record of my own on the shelves.

“I haven’t been taking my meds. Lock all the cabinets, send me to bed, cuz I know you’re still worried I’m gonna get scared cuz I’m alone again and I don’t like the things I see.”

Favorite Tracks: Everybody Does, Good News, Rejoice

9. Peripheral Vision - Turnover

Every year, there’s an album that doesn’t click with me until it gets colder. Peripheral Vision was in fact that record. There was always a few songs I liked off of it, but I could never listen to it front to back without feeling lost. Once I moved to Massachusetts and the warmth of the sun started to fade, the sonic atmosphere transitioned into my listening habits almost instantly. The songs rang reminiscent of my listenings in the summer, but I viewed them in a new light as I approached winter. I’m fortunate for these series of events, as that’s what the album is all about. The songs told on Peripheral Vision are about remembering vibrant relationships when the sun was out from the solitude of your room now that both of the lights of your life are gone. When a relationship concludes itself, you change. I don’t know why exactly, but you do. The other person lights aspects of yourself, puts them out when they go, and you can’t relight them anymore. They take parts of you, they leave parts of themselves in you too, but most of all, you are left with yourself, and only yourself. While it’s crucial to find confidence in your own capabilities and accept that you’re okay on your own, it’s easy to walk down memory lane and get hit by an oncoming car.

“I close my eyes, and suddenly, we were attached. You stayed with me after the moment passed. I felt you buried deep under my chest, like my lungs when I’m breathing in, and I was not myself when I opened up my eyes again.”

Favorite Tracks: Cutting My Fingers Off, Hello Euphoria, New Scream

8. No Closer To Heaven - The Wonder Years

As you age, things become distant. Friends leave you and are replaced with burden. Spare time is taken in exchange for responsibilities and a new perception of the world. There is no ultimate qualifier to pain, but throughout your life, the moments you swore hurt the most in your past pale in comparison to whatever you’re experiencing in the present. To pull from the title, this record is about watching the things in your life pass away, whether they be literal or metaphorical, and having yourself feel stuck where you are, unable to prevent the things you love from leaving you. As you age, the concept of a heaven becomes distant. It doesn’t have to be the religious term to ring true. The record talks about looking at genuine happiness and feelings of accomplishment become rattled up and barely functional once held in your hands when before, they seemed so promising and perfect. The record looks for symbols of encouragement and inspiration (such as Patsy Cline and Ernest Hemmingway), but they too have left. Everything that Dan “Soupy” Campbell sees has hints of death in it; the airbag lights, the harbors, and even the birds. When I first heard this record, I felt like there was no genuine theme, but every time I listen to it now, just like Soupy, I can’t stop thinking of death. There are songs that tell you make most of your life while you still have it (“I Don’t Like Who I Was Then” and “I Wanted So Badly To Be Brave”): listen to them and take their advice before it’s too late to try.

“Put my past self in the ground; I’ve been dancing on the grave. I’m not the person that I was then, you’re standing in the way. I was bitter, I was careless, I was nineteen and afraid, but you deserve more from me. I don’t know why I would say those things, but you deserve more than me, and I’m trying every day.”

Favorite Tracks: Cardinals, Cigarettes and Saints, I Don’t Like Who I Was Then

7. Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit - Courtney Barnett

Monotony is a bitch. A week before I heard this record, I was living in Brazil, doing the same thing every single day for an entire year. I had no sense of responsibility and because of it, the motivation to do anything productive closely followed. The week after I heard this record, I was in the US, but I wasn’t doing new things. I had just moved and I had no sense of purpose. Transportation was limited, as my Dad would be at work all day. College didn’t start until next month, and other than my god brother, I had no friends in this new town. Even staying at home was a bore, as I didn’t have internet or cable installed for a solid week. For the first time in my entire life, I would sleep to get rid of the day. I was asleep more than I was awake. I’d go to sleep at night, wake up, eat breakfast, “idle around insignificantly”, go back to sleep, wake up again, take a shower, and make my way to back to the bed. To pass the time, I would listen to this record every single day, practically on repeat. The deadpan approach that Barnett uses fit right into my lifestyle in a way that felt almost planned. The lyrics are captivating to me because they are taunted in a way that makes them appear to be meaningless. At first glance, a lot of what Barnett says can be glossed over, but the beauty of her lyricism is that if you can relate to a simplistic sentence in a song, the rest of the empty, directionless statements come flocking in to create a plethora of meanings. I’m thankful for this record as it hit me at the right time. Listening to her talk about her aimlessness made me feel a bit more at peace with my own. Fun fact: I have two chairs in my room that look just like the one on the album cover. They were the only pieces of furniture I owned during the first two weeks of moving in. Yes, I did listen to the record while sitting in them. It was my favorite way to experience it actually.

“Tell me when you’re getting bored and I’ll leave. I’m not the one who put the chain around your feet. I’m sorry for all of my insecurities, but they’re just a part of me.”

Favorite Tracks: An Illustration Of Loneliness (Sleepless In New York), Depreston, Elevator Operator

6. Milk - Better Off

This was the first record I’ve ever purchased. I bought it off Amazon the week before the album released as an early birthday present for myself. Not only did it spark my love for collecting records (CDs and LPs alike), but I had no idea what I was getting into. I promised myself that I’d only listen to one song from the record and that song was the second song in the tracklisting, “Dresser Drawer”. It was what convinced me to embrace the record with all I had. With hints of my two favorite bands, Brand New and Jimmy Eat World, I was left dazzled and my expectations skyrocketed. I have many bands that I adore that put out records in the past, but none of those records left me hooked on anticipation as this one. I heard the single in August and I listened to it every single day until the album came out in September. Even today, four months later, my face lights up as soon as the song transitions from the opener. When the album arrived at my door step, I rushed to put it on and I didn’t leave my room for the rest of the day. The album consists of catchy alt rock (with emo and pop punk sprinkled in) pushed by Luke Granerd’s excellent vocals. His voice is so diverse that I originally thought Better Off had two singers. I put this record on today so I could write this review, as I wanted to listen to each album while writing about them as a sort of tribute to each work, and I had to resist pressing repeat once “Myself In A Pill” ended the record. The grand majority of the albums in this list are a product of the musical taste I’ve developed last year. Give those records to the fifteen year old me and I probably wouldn’t have enjoyed them. However, I have no doubts that I would’ve absolutely adored Milk in my early musical stages. It’s as if the band took everything I loved back then and drenched it with my current taste in music. The album is both nostalgic and refreshing, but no matter how you approach it, it is always satisfying.

“Cause evolved; a catalyst to be unhappy. We played the game. We all have everything but a reason for us to stay. We’re beautiful, but we’re lonely. It’s such a shame that I built you up this garden and you do nothing but complain.”

Favorite Tracks: Dresser Drawer, Myself In A Pill, Whatever I Don’t Care

5. Every Open Eye - CHVRCHES

In a scene where women go through insane amounts of sexism and are either silenced or disregarded, it’s refreshing to put on this synthpop record and be amazed on how Lauren Mayberry shows absolute dominance and confidence in her abilities. Every note is sung with certainty and let me tell you, Mayberry has a message, and she won’t put her mic down until you’ve heard everything she has to say, and then she’ll drop the microphone for emphasis as she walks away with pride. The grand theme of the record is self-worth. Every song is an anthem of independence and it’s exactly what we need out of the scene. Cut out the toxic relationships. Don’t let others question your worth. If you’re not happy, then it’s not worth it. This album is inspirational, relevant, and a battle cry of validation. Honestly, if I ever have a daughter, I’m going to try my best to get her into this record, as these are exactly the words girls should hear when they’re growing up. Sonically, this record is massive. The album demands to be blasted and sung at full force. As someone who enjoyed their first record, it’s a grand virtue to see them display mastery at what they do. Mayberry is commanding, the melodies are infectious, and the songs soar. I’d like to give an honorable mention to Martin Doherty taking the lead on the track “High Enough To Carry You Over”. With a voice like Mayberry’s, you would think that putting Doherty right after the strongest moment of the record (Clearest Blue) would make the song flop, but with the combination of his soothing, deep voice and the groovy, driving bass line in the chorus, you’re actually left with the perfect track to take a breather and ready yourself for rest of Mayberry’s energy.

“I will show restraint just like we said we should. You think I’ll apologize for things I left behind, but you got it wrong, and I’m as sane as I ever was. You talk far too much for someone so unkind. I will wipe the salt off of my skin and I’ll admit that I got it wrong, and there is grey between the lines.”

Favorite Tracks: Bury It, Clearest Blue, Leave A Trace

4. E•MO•TION - Carly Rae Jepsen

Carly Rae Jepsen is an artist I grow more and more proud of with each passing day. I follow her on every social media account you can imagine and to see her make waves with her phenomenal record this year leaves me overjoyed. Every photoshoot, video, and status update leaves me with the biggest smile. I was a fan of her first record, but althought it was catchy, it had immediate flaws. I felt like there was clear cut filler tracks and even the highlights of the record weren’t as massive as I wish they could be (even if it is home to the ever present “Call Me Maybe”). When “I Really Like You” came out, I listened to it a half a dozen times in my bed, causing tremors on the mattress as I bounced around in a sitting position. Then I listened to it a dozen times at full blast through the speakers in my living room when the rest of my family woke up. Jepsen’s naive way of songwriting sprinkled onto a carefree pop song was exactly the type of thing I needed to introduce in my life again. When E•MO•TION came out, I was blown away. I have never loved a pop record as much as this one. In fact, it isn’t just a “pop record” to me, so let me rephrase that: it’s been almost a year that I’ve been mesmerized by a record as good as this one. In fact, prior to Jepsen’s album, none of the albums that came out this year really took my attention for hostage. The records that I loved before E•MO•TION were good, but at the time, I was missing crucial, personal aspects to them (the relevence of Peripheral Vision, the maturity of Afraid Of Ghosts, and the nostalgia of Sometimes I Sit and Think). With this album, everything flashed by so fast, and while I admit that I lost a bit of interest in the release of the record right before it came out, as soon as I got around to putting it on, I’ve never had as much fun dancing around to songs in my entire life. I’m a firm believer that “Run Away With Me” is the paramount of pop songs. I’m a firm believer that E•MO•TION is everything that Carly Rae Jepsen needed it to be. Even if she continues to be viewed as a one-hit wonder, the quality of the songs in this record beg to differ, and even if the masses don’t appreciate them as much as I do, I can proudly say that Jepsen has a carved a home in my heart with this release.

“I’ll run away with you, cuz you make me feel like I could be driving you all night, and I found your lips in the street lights. I wanna be there with you.”

Favorite Tracks: Boy Problems, Making The Most Of The Night, Run Away With Me

3. I, No Longer - Pentimento

I started a big chapter in my life this year. I moved back to the US. I started college. I had and lost my first relationship. I took steps so big during these last four months that I question if I was ever the same person that I was in the beginning of the year. This year was the first time that I ever had to live on my own for an entire month, and while the rest of my family will be back this week, I felt a sense of independence and responsibility that I have never felt in my entire life. I did it: I became my own person. I have defined myself. However, it wasn’t easy. It was the farthest thing from it, actually. There were many times throughout the fall where I was so close to giving up. There were days where I wasn’t emotionally available to do everything I needed to do, but I got up and did them anyway, because who else would do them? When I, No Longer came out, I felt reassurance. Every time I listen to it, I find another lyric that I could relate to, even if I heard it dozens of times before having it click with me. When I was talking about mewithoutYou’s Pale Horses, I mentioned that I’m not one to gravitate towards lyrics. They’re usually the last thing I truly comprehend when I listen to an album. I, No Longer spinned that around. Each lyric proving to be accessible and understanding, yet so thoughtful, clever, and genuine. I’m certain there’s a song for everyone on this album. The maturity of the band is also a thing to note. They too started a big chapter this year, and while their self-titled was good, this record is transcendent. The way the songs flow so well into each other, whether they’re intentional transitions or excellent placement, is just so captivating. The first five songs of the record demonstrate a spectacular entrance. In fact, “My Solution Is In The Lake, the second song out of the release, is my song of the year, and the way it works in combination with the intro, "Small Talk For Strangers”, and how its defining chorus is reserved to a single repeat convinces me to revisit the album again in the near future every single time I hear it, and that’s only by track two. The rest of the record proves to be no slouch, but that moment alone is massive. If you check out the record, take a moment to read the band’s track by track on Absolute Punk. It really helped me connect to the record and furthered my appreciation to the songs I already loved. Cheers to the guys in Pentimento. It was a pleasure meeting you all and I can’t wait to spend a night with you guys again (Also, shout out to their Tumblr and whoever runs it. It brings a smile to my face to see the account like my posts about the band. Y'all are solid).

“Tell the truth, do you just need someone or do you need me? My eyes are barely staying open and I can’t bring myself to do anything but sleep. When did I become so reprehensible, so irresponsible? Now, when I wake up, I’m just disappointed that I did.”

Favorite Tracks: My Solution Is In The Lake, Sink or Swim, Stuck Forever

2. Dealer - Foxing

One of my favorite aspects of music is how they can paint worlds if done properly. This year, Foxing illustrated a universe. The landscape they create on Dealer are simply eloquent. The sonic scenary is simply wondrous and while it can be appreciated casually, the record won me over through its shading. When I heard the pre-release stream, I was beyond excited for Dealer to officially come out. I limited myself to only 3 listens and I rushed to The Albatross to keep me busy while I waited. When October 31st came along and Dealer was open to the public, I lost the urge to listen. I don’t know what happened. I was dazzled by the songs on the stream, but they stopped grabbing me when I had them in my hands. I put the record away and promised to give it another chance before the year ends. I bought tickets to see Foxing and TWIABP shortly after. Even if Dealer wasn’t as stellar as I hoped it would be at the time, I still wanted to see them execute the songs on stage. A week before the concert, things clicked again. It’s as if they never left. Every song came back at full force and just in time too. I played it a lot that week, but once I saw Foxing live, I just couldn’t put it down. Dealer, to me, is the definition of a grower. No matter how excited I was for it to come out, and no matter how much I liked it on my first listens, there was many aspects of it that I couldn’t even dream of understanding until I gave it time. Out of all the albums in my top five, Dealer is probably the one with the least history, because to be perfectly honest with you, its placement on the list is a recent adjustment. It’s still fresh in my ears. I’m still learning about what the record is about. I got my LP earlier this year and I am so pumped to put it on my turntable after Christmas and spin it until I truly have a firm grasp of why the record interests me now. It might be the cold, it might be my emotional state, it might be me just paying more attention. I was guilty of thinking this record was boring for a while, but it was only because I mistook the subdued explosions of the record to be concealed misfires. Every song has given me goosebumps at one point. Dealer is gorgeous.

“I replace your face with flowers; sow seed in the hem of your dress. In glowing favor you’ll bloom, so I can scatter you around the room in hopes to keep love near the places we once kept warm.”

Favorite Tracks: Glass Coughs, Night Channels, Three On A Match

1. Harmlessness - The World Is A Beautiful Place and I Am No Longer Afraid To Die

Are you capable of controling your own life? Are you willing to change? Are you ready to exist? My questions are fears that hide behind shadows, but when met with clarity, they’re harmless. The songs that connect this record are coated with fascination, if not in its lyrical content, then in the instruments that weave in and out of each piece. I feel like this record is curiosity in its purest sense. It never takes a solid form; it’s always eager to strip itself from whatever defines it and take a new form. The music shall shift multiple times per song and when the song ends, it’s likely that it’ll smoothly transition straight into the next track and extend the musical exchange even further. This is the quality that I find the most enjoyable within Harmlessness. My favorite way to listen to music is through complete, front to back album listens. I like a sense of completeness. I’m fond of coherence, and when TWIABP writes the record not song per song, but moment per moment, I’m left elated and grateful. The record flows as if there was no end to each track. It’s one of those albums for me that makes me want to distance myself from other tasks so I can immerse myself within the music. There is just so much depth to this record and it’s filled with so many intricate moments and to not give the songs your full attention at least once would be a great injustice to the art the band has created. Each song is crafted by the nine members of the band. Since TWIABP consists of an array of members, and the fact that they all play some sort of instrument, there will always be something interesting going on. There is not a single moment in this record that feels stale. While every song compliments each other, none of them feel painted over. While I am always excited to get to the next song, I’m just as fufilled living in the moment of whatever song is playing at the time. When listening to a new record, I always hope that it is written to mean something. The records that feel like its own entity, connected by its own ambience, existing as not just songs, but as art, shall always be my favorite. TWIABP wrote the albums of the year for me, not because the songs were great or the lyrics were introspective or the instrumentation was refreshing (even though Harmlessness has all of those things), but because it presents itself as a living being. The record showcases a myriad of shades, moods, and ideals. My first listens were an adventure and I never knew what to expect. Harmless taps into my sense of adventure and as someone who finds extreme value in discovery, I’m glad the band found such a grand sound within themselves. May this record be viewed as the scene classic that it deserves to be.

“We set out to make up all the mistakes of our parents and their friends. We set up a safety net, but it was above our heads.”

Favorite Tracks: I Can Be Afraid Of Anything, Rage Against The Dying Of The Light + Ra Patera Dance, You Can’t Live There Forever —-

Honorable Mentions

Leaked Demos 2006 - Brand New (I have such an emotional attachment to the original demos that it would’ve been unfair to include it. Also, it’s not an actual album)

Movement - All Get Out (if I allowed EPs, this would probably be in my top 10)

Studio 4 Acoustic - Tigers Jaw (Didn’t count this as a real album, but man, did it resonate with me)

To Pimp A Butterfly - Kendrick Lamar (I recognize the importance of this album and I span it a lot early in the year, but it never clicked as it just isn’t within my musical tastes)

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Foxing Live Assessment

Man, do those songs off of Dealer translate well in a live setting. “Redwoods” was a song that I overlooked on the record, but as it was used as an introduction to the show, I was shown that the instrumentation was actually quite explosive once the calm fades. Really caused me to appreciate that song more now that I have Dealer on daily rotation again.

“Three On A Match” had this eerie feel to it that I still can’t explain. It felt personal and exposed but also it was mysterious and haunting. Both of these polar qualities were woven into an alluring atmosphere that I almost wish I recorded (glad I didn’t though, as letting the song exist in the moment has had this appreciative, residual impact on me, much like how a towel will drip water if not properly dried).

“Glass Coughs” was the one song I recorded as it was my favorite off of the new album and I just had to keep a digital copy of the performance for the road. While I expected erratic moments from Conor Murphy showcased both in songs off of The Albatross and “The Magdalene” (which was an experience of great virtue), I was instead met with calm precision, bound to the presence of the microphone stand, and it allowed me to focus more upon the deeper message of the song.

What a phenomenal display from the band and I hope to see them again next time they come around. Conor coming on stage to play some songs with TWIABP was incredible, and the songs off of The Albatross, while they are ones I’m not as familiar with, were definitely paramount in terms of emotion and presentation. “Inuit” and “The Medic” were beings of catharsis as they invited me to shout the lyrics off of the balcony. The closer, “Rory”, was extravagant, as not only did the band’s display woo me, but the fans down on the floor pulsed into waving motions during the emotional finish. I honestly did not know which one to watch! Conor crowd surfing at the end while playing his trumpet was also quite the gem. Definitely took me by surprise as I didn’t see any hints of that from the rest of the set (though, in hindsight, he did get extremely close to the fans near the stage during the louder moments of The Albatross songs).

All in all, I have been left in awe and the concert was just what I needed to motivate me to continue my analysis of their new record, Dealer. Loved it before, and now, I foresee a transcendent layer of appreciation for it, especially once I get my turntable so I can spin that gorgeous record in my room.

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Tigers Jaw - Charmer [Throwback Review]

I’d like to discuss an album that I’ve recently come back to this past week. It’s not out of character for me to come back to an album I previously liked and dig up a new layer of appreciation for it. It has happened far more times than I can count. It’s how Paramore’s All We Know Is Falling became a staple of late night autumn listens. It’s how Futures by Jimmy Eat World turned into one of my favorite records. It’s how I’m left unable to put down Tigers Jaw’s discography.  Because I have been on a huge Tigers Jaw binge recently, I was having trouble deciding which album from their stellar discography to actually review, but ultimately, I decided to go with their fifth and most recent (non-acoustic) studio album: Charmer.

The record starts off with the track “Cool”, which was originally released as an acoustic song on their Hum EP, which was released a year before Charmer came out. As someone who listened to the EP prior to the album, I can say that the new style that the Scranton group showcases in this opening sequence fits the song perfectly. Fierce drumming takes the lead before ex-member Adam McIlwee sings his confessions in a morose manner. The theme of not only this song, but the record as a whole, is that “It’s a cruel world, but it’s cool”. The songs that reside in this album are often times reflective. They take you back to a memory or remind you of a mistake that you once made, and makes you ponder about if you could have done something differently before letting you know that it’s okay to be at fault. In the single, “Hum”, which showcases a highlight moment of guitarist Ben Walsh and keyboardist Brianna Collins taking turns on the microphone, Walsh sings “You are the leaves at my feet. You are the hum of electric heat. I kept myself away, but I’m starting to like the pain.” “Hum” does a good job of grabbing the listener with its fuzzy, slow sound. That’s what Tigers Jaw does best in this record. Tracks like “Teen Rocket” and “What Would You Do” are the ones you would listen to late at night after a disappointing day in attempts to feel comfort. In fact, the former has the lyric “Locked up with my thoughts in my head again” to really push that sentiment even further. The title track of the record, “Charmer”, demonstrates how band synergy should be done. Throughout the song, the instruments will come to a halt as it allows Collins’ keys to mark its presence before allowing the bassline to rise as it fades out. It’s a chilling moment that left my mouth hanging open last year, and even today, I still feel my world come to a halt when it happens.

The album isn’t without its fast songs though. One of the most memorable moments of the record is when the previously mentioned album opener, “Cool”, ends, and the next track, “Frame You”, comes crashing in with guitars at full force. It’s an energetic feeling that works well along side the softer songs. The lead single of the record, “Nervous Kids”, takes a page from the Pop genre to write the catchiest chorus of this Emo/Indie Rock record. I dare you to resist singing out “We’re just nervous kids. We’re just over it” at the top of your lungs after multiple listens. It’s an accessible lyric that can be sung  to yourself for reassurance or out loud as you and your friends boast about how, in that moment, you’re in control of your life.

My favorite quality of the record is how it presents itself. I have a fascination for records that start out loud and end with a calm. The one-two punch of the las two songs, “Distress Signal” and “What Would You Do”, show both extremes as you prepare yourself to leave the soundscape of Charmer. The former is a hard hitting song that puts Brianna Collins back into the vocals for the harmonies and later, the paramount bridge. As Collins repeats the phrase “I don’t want to be lost like this anymore”, Walsh peeks in after every repetition with the urgency of the words “Distress signal”. This is what really ties the record together. After going through so much and having too much free time on your hands to repeat those moments filled with mistakes over and over again in your mind, wouldn’t you want to find a way out too? The band wants nothing more than to let go and be free, and before you could even have time to reflect upon that sentiment on your own terms, the latter track comes in. It’s a slow burner that could be played on a loop without me minding. Like a lot of the thoughts that Tigers Jaw has put on this record, “What Would You Do” does a good job on emulating that sonically. The album ends with the lyric “What would you do?” repeated over and over as the song fades out. Charmer, plain and simple, is an album that questions if you’re okay with yourself and either provides reasons to convince you otherwise, in the case that you are, or comforts you, in the case that you aren’t.

“I want to feel you. I mean the real you. I’m under your skin like I want to be you. What would you do?”

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The World Is A Beautiful Place and I Am No Longer Afraid To Die - Harmlessness

 Review

When I first made this blog, I knew that I wasn’t going to be as active as the many reviewers who already exist in the scene. Though, as I’m writing this album review weeks after it came out, I’ve found out that maybe I’m not as predictable as I think. I thought my gaps between reviews would be hiatuses fueled by procrastination and the lack of interest. I was wrong. The reason why it took me so long to write about Harmlessness is because you don’t put a brick on the floor and call it a home. The World Is A Beautiful Place and I Am No Longer Afraid To Die (which will be shorted to TWIABP from here on out) were negotiating with my ears and in exchange for time and attention, they promised a musical mansion for me to write about. To write about this record the week it came out would be illogical, as even as I’m writing this twenty two days later, I feel like I’m still working out the blue prints of what this album is all about. 

Sometimes, life isn’t okay, but ironically, that’s okay. It’s a bit simplistic and probably even silly to say out loud, but it’s true. I have to tell you though, however monotone that mentality may appear to be, TWIABP weaves that sense of insecure comfort like a needle and thread while they stitch up a bridge to cross. On the track “I Can Be Afraid Of Anything”, they pose the grand statement “I really did dig my own hole; I’m climbing out”. It is moments like those that bring a sense of instant relief.  If catharsis is the fabric that the lyrics set out to create, then the instrumentation is the hand that carries out the whole sequence in a graceful yet unpredictable manner. I rarely listen to this album while attending other tasks because the musicianship is so persuasive with its demands. It asks for one thing and one thing only: attention. With the constant musical shifts and transitions, you will have no choice but to let the record carry you out into its tide. Let it do just that. I’ve been swimming in it for almost a month now and I have no intents of getting out now. This record is something else. I have nothing but positive opinions about it. Buy this record. Tell your friends that this record hit someone else hard at the right time and you heard it’s true. Allow yourself to test the validity of my words because I have no doubt that the songs will enamor you like they did with me.

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Better Off - Milk 

Review What would you say if I told you that I could serve you a mix of Deja Entendu era Brand New and Futures era Jimmy Eat World, sandwiched into a crisp album filled with jams? If that’s what you crave, then look no further than Better Off’s sophomore album, Milk. The rock songs with alternative, emo, and grunge spices sprinkled into the sound make a musical cuisine fit for anyone who appreciates this style of music.  What compelled me to pre-order the album was the explosive hooks of “Dresser Drawer”. I mentioned both Brand New and Jimmy Eat World in the beginning of this review and if you know me, you would be well aware that those two are my favorite bands. “Dresser Drawer” is the track that transcends my expectations for mash up of those two bands, whether it be riff that resonates like Jimmy Eat World’s “Work” or a chorus that sounds like it could be sung by Brand New’s Jesse Lacey himself in 2003.  What caused me to keep the album though, was everything else. “Dresser Drawer” is my favorite song and I don’t think anything could make me forget the first time I listened to that song, but every other track on this record grows side by side it like a tree expanding its branches. The ear catching opener, “Empty Handed”, propels this album into full motion. It leaves me with satisfaction and relief.  “Whatever, I Don’t Care” showcases my favorite lyrical efforts of the band. The booming chorus practically screams out a distaste for dying family structures. “Keep the money, spend to death A rebel dare Whatever, I don’t care Split in two Divide the family 'til they’re not there Sell the kids to the neighbors They don’t care “ One thing that really grabbed me with this band is how different each song is but they never feel out of place. This is greatly noted by the Luke Granerd’s vocals. I took a double take when I found out the entire album was sung by only one person. The diversity in his voice truly shines in the slower songs such as “Unhappy” and “A Lesson In Life”, the latter track proving to be cathartic bomb as the rest of the band tears the acoustic setting in half during the last part of the song.  That’s what I love most about the second half of the record: You never know what to expect. “Bella Disorder” is another slow track that follows “A Lesson In Life” that mesmerizes me with the dark undertones. After that, we’re followed with “Spinning”, a track that at first sounds like the third slow song in a row until you’re met with the aggressive “You try to walk on broken feet / But you need crutches as much as me”.  All in all, I spent a lot of time with this record and I strongly believed that I shall be spending even more time with it as the weather starts to get colder. I find myself listening to the album’s nuances, expecting them before they appear, and still getting floored by them as if I was listening to the album for the first time. Try it, I insist and I guarantee you’ll crave the catchy bass line of “Mary In Chains” or the satisfactory relief given to you by the guitar solo of “Myself In A Pill”. I wish nothing but the best for this band and if 2015 brings me nothing else of importance, that’s okay, because Milk made the year worth it.

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Brand New - Daisy

[Throwback] Review

This album was released six years ago. I didn’t know who I was six years ago. If I were to guess, I was just a kid in 6th grade with my biggest worry being whether or not I should procrastinate homework for another hour or two. Things change. Brand New isn’t a band who is foreign to that concept, as their namesake should hint. Six years ago, Brand New released their most controversial album, Daisy. For reference, this album was the follow up to their masterpiece, The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me. Anything they would’ve done after that would definitely be regarded as inferior to their third album, so Brand New had a different idea in mind. In a band’s story, a lot of people view their choices in two manners: progression or regression. This is why many people see Daisy as a bad album. I am of the minority that Daisy is proof of a third option: rediscovery. A band should not be afraid to experiment if they have the ideas to back that urge up.

Press play and you’re met with a woman singing about God in an old fashioned manner. This is a theme of the record. Daisy is about the old and what they’ll become. It’s about growth and destruction. It’s about nature and fire. So when I tell you not to get comfortable, take my advice and don’t, because if you allow yourself to be immersed in her song, you will be caught in the explosion of the guitars that shortly follow. “Vices” is what opens the record and it makes sure you won’t forget it. This is only the beginning of the loudness, as a few tracks later, you’re met with the aggressive howls of “Gasoline” and “Sink”. When the album wants to be angry, it will show no remorse. Lyrics like “You think that no one else is lonesome / You think you’re the only one” and “If you want to sink / Then I’m gonna let you” have no problem spelling that out real clear.

But sometimes, Daisy doesn’t want to yell. Sometimes, it’s afraid of itself and shows the fear of not what it can become, but the moments we’re taught to admire. “At The Bottom” is a track that highlights that worry. What’s your ideal goal in life? To marry and spend your whole life with the one you love? Okay, Brand New knows that. In fact, they feel the same as you. But consider this: During your last days, you find yourself alone. Everyone you have ever loved is in a coffin. You have nothing to do but waste your last moments in alcohol, contemplating whether your life was worth it if all that brought you up is the reason why you can’t be happy on your own. Nothing in this world is innocent. A deer can be shot. A dog can be run over. Joy can fade. Another track that shows the cruelty of life is the slow song “You Stole”. “We all go to sleep in the same place / And in the morning hope that we’re all the same / Just sit around like broke down cars in the lot waiting for repairs”. This song showcases one of my favorite moments in the album, because even though this song isn’t lacking in ways to show the listener that the calm can’t exist forever, they choose to ignite the song with beauty. Shortly after the song bursts into flames, it is doused by the sound of rain, letting us know that things will always go back to normal.

That’s the second theme of the record: monotony. In this record, we are taught that we will leave this world in the same state it was from when we found it if we decide to do nothing about it. The title track does the best at describing this to us:

“Well if we take all these things

and we bury them fast

And we’ll pray that they turn into seeds,

to roots and then grass

It’d be all right, it’s all right,

it’d be easier that way.

Or if the sky opened up and started pouring rain

Like he knew it was time

to start things over again

It’d be all right, it’s all right,

it’d be easier that way”

So let this be a message to you all. Brand New can stay the same or they can change. If it all depends on them, then they chose to go against the grain. They will either grow a forest for us to thrive in or burn it all down if they can no longer create. 

“Trees can make a forest / Trees can make a bow / These are all the harder words you have to know” - Bought A Bride, Brand New

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Have Mercy release new single “Collider”, which will be sold  as a limited edition 7" on the band's upcoming USA headlining tour with Transit, Somos and Microwave.

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The Wonder Years achieve career best in album sales with their new record, No Closer To Heaven, selling 22,987 copies in the first week of sales, placing them at #9 on the Album Sales chart. Congratulations to the sextet and Hopeless Records!

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The Wonder Years - No Closer To Heaven

Review

2013 was the year I started to care about music. The concept was with me before then, but I viewed the medium as just sheet music and hooks. I listened to a handful of bands and that’s it. Today, I listen to that many new bands per month, or even per week, but why? What caused me to change my listening habits? Two big things happened that year: AbsolutePunk and The Wonder Year’s 4th album, The Greatest Generation. This was the album that motivated me to learn more. I analyzed reviews of this album, read discussions from others, and even listened to artists that were brought up in comparison to the record. The Greatest Generation was huge for me, and while there are more albums on my shelf that I love more or have even influenced my musical taste more, it would be an injustice to turn a blind eye to what the band has done for me.

In 2015, I’m presented with the direct follow up of that record: No Closer To Heaven. Like anyone would be, I was excited to delve into what I hoped would be my new favorite record. If I could, I would take those expectations back, because that same drive that propelled me to adore the album with everything I had was the one that almost caused me to leave what I heard. To quote Jason Tate, owner of AbsolutePunk, in his podcast: “This record is no Devil and God”,  and I agree. I expected the album to blow me away like a storm, but maybe that isn’t the mindset here? If The Greatest Generation was a record that taught me to endure the hurricane inside myself, No Closer To Heaven is that moment in which you go outside to see the aftermath. I have a devil in my bloodstream, I’ve been aware of this for years now, so instead of trying to hide while I let my internal chaos do as it pleases, it’s time to come to terms with it and realize that perfection isn’t possible. I might be the best I’ll ever be today, I might become better, but will I ever really reach the idealistic version of myself that I swore to become? I kept pushing my problems away so that when I become that person, I would deal with them. I’m realizing now that I should be picking up the broom myself and sweeping off the debris I’ve been afraid of. 

The album commences with “Brothers &”, which serves as the first raindrop into the tempest “Cardinals”. I’m not a fan of these type of introductions because if the album is meant to start that way for the second track to make sense, then why isn’t “Cardinals” a five minute track? “Brothers &” provides nothing to the album that I wouldn’t have gotten had I started with the song that proceeds it. That aside though, the second track is grand. As he describes the death of the bird that stumbled upon his life, he says “I know what he saw in that reflection of light / On the glass was a better life.” This is the introduction to a huge theme of the record: desire that can never be acquired. As front man Dan “Soupy” Campbell yells out his struggles in the following section of the song, we’re left with a form of catharsis that stings even more as we enter the huge chorus. “We’re no saviors if we can’t save our brothers”, a lyrical theme found in the bridge of this song, is what I thought would be the focus of the record, but other than the premiere ballad of the record, “Cigaretts & Saints”, which showcases some of Campbell’s most touching lyricism yet, the chant defined by the singles is nowhere to be found. 

Instead, the album touches on the concept in opaque ways. Soupy’s loss isn’t a theme of the album, it’s one of the ideas behind never achieving the perfection you crave, possibly because of death itself. Tracks like “A Song For Patsy Cline” or “A Song For Ernest Hemingway” touch on this perception of life. The former describes a car mechanic, the airbag, that is designed to cushion the impact of one who experiences an accident, as a faulty resource in his life, yet he has nothing that drives him to fix it. In “Ernest Hemingway”, the band takes a page out of Brand New’s book and describes the relationship of Soupy and a friend to be damaging, and at best, a matter of interest. “I’ll be your dead bird / You’ll be my bloodhound / You’re just doing what you’re told / Gonna make your master proud”. If he hasn’t done anything of importance in his life, at least his death shall aid the life of another. This type of metaphor can be explored upon even further and could even be seen as two friends cutting ties because of someone else. 

The album closes out with two tracks: “Palm Reader” and the titular track, “No Closer To Heaven”. The first of the two starts out with impressive instrumentation from the rest of the band, which has easily become one of my favorite moments of the record. The main riff paints the scenery of the track while the feedback causes the imagery to bleed into the rest of the song. After the anthemic “Palm Reader”, the album closes out with the quiet murmurs from Campbell under the guidance of an acoustic guitar, and later, a piano. While the album presents its closer in a manner contrary to previous Wonder Years work, lacking a grandiose, memorable exit, the song highlights the acceptance of where the members of the band are in life. “I may never reach the gates / I’ll keep walking anyway” is the answer to the philosophy that the album presents us. We may never achieve perfection, but we should always try.

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CHVRCHES release new song “Clearest Blue”, which will be on their new album Every Open Eye on September 25th.

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Copeland has put out VIP packages for their first headliner in five years. Visit the site below to order while you can or to purchase tickets for the show: http://www.thecopelandsite.com/

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Better Off Releases New Album "Milk"

Today is Friday, September 11th of 2015, and that means the Nashville quartet has released their sophomore album “Milk”. After listening to it a couple of times, I strongly recommend picking it up. Tracks like “Dresser Drawer” and “Bella Disorder” are phenomenal. Expect a review of this in the future once I have a better grasp of what I’m listening to. Just like the album cover, this record is not lacking in jams.