Posted in Folk/Acoustic

Review: Yellowcard – “Ocean Avenue Acoustic”

Yellowcard – “Ocean Avenue Acoustic”

Yellowcard Ocean Avenue Acoustic
Released: August 13, 2013
Label: Hopeless Records
Purchase: Digital | CD

Pop punk band Yellowcard have been considered by many to be one of the most iconic pop punk bands of the new millennium, their powerful melodies and catchy choruses taking the country by storm. The same people almost all agree that their 2003 album Ocean Avenue is their most memorable work; songs such as Only One, Breathing, Back Home, and (of course) the title track itself topped the playlists of our childhoods. And to celebrate its 10 year anniversary, the band have decided to release a “re-imagining” of all thirteen Ocean Avenue tracks in a new acoustic album–a piece of art that invokes both nostalgia and innovation.

One of the most impressive features of Yellowcard songs has always been the inclusion of the violin (thanks to Sean Mackin), a long-considered classical instrument that meshed perfectly with the band’s modernized songs. Ocean Avenue Acoustic continues to masterfully use this amazing instrument, from the strong notes in the beginning of Believe and in the chorus of Breathing to the much more reserved but equally impactful tunes in Only One and Empty Apartment. All in all, the violin that got us loving Yellowcard in the first place does not disappoint in the new album and continues to add strength to each song.

Regarding the songs themselves, Yellowcard manages to create a new breed of intensity in some of their more explosive songs. The sound of the acoustic Way Away is just as enormous as its older counterpart, but in a different way; while there isn’t as much overwhelming noise that highlights pop punk, the speed and brawn of the acoustic instruments evoke a sense of desperation and excitement that is just as empowering as the feelings received from the original 2003 version. The same can be said for Miles Apart, Life of a Salesman, View From Heaven, and Ocean Avenue itself. And on the other side of the spectrum, emotionally riveting tracks such as Only One, Back Home, and Empty Apartment have become even more moving. Their softer melodies paint the message of their songs, whether it’s loss of love or the falsity of an expectation, in a way that feels even more genuine and true than before.

Holistically, Ocean Avenue Acoustic takes thirteen amazing songs and alters their sounds to make dissimilar but equally powerful songs. Not only do the songs lend heavy doses of nostalgia and remembrance for the songs that help define a decade, they feel refreshing and new when one listens to them. Overall, this album, being both the same and different as the groundbreaking album ten years ago of the same name, deserves a rating equivalent to the original Ocean Avenue.

9.5

Standout Tracks: “Back Home,” “Only One,” “Empty Apartment,” “Breathing,” “Miles Apart,” “Ocean Avenue”

Track listing:
01. Way Away (Acoustic)
02. Breathing (Acoustic)
03. Ocean Avenue (Acoustic)
04. Empty Apartment (Acoustic)
05. Life Of A Salesman (Acoustic)
06. Only One (Acoustic)
07. Miles Apart (Acoustic)
08. Twentythree (Acoustic)
09. View From Heaven (Acoustic)
10. Inside Out (Acoustic)
11. Believe (Acoustic)
12. One Year, Six Months (Acoustic)
13. Back Home (Acoustic)

Listen: Suntrapp – “All The Seas”

Suntrapp - "All The Seas"

All The Seas is the debut single from Newcastle indie-folk outfit Suntrapp. The song is from their forthcoming EP titled Yannina, “inspired by Neil Young’s emotive narratives and The Beach Boys’ carefree pop but most importantly, the overlooked simplicities of day-to-day life.” Singer-songwriter Jake Houlsby delivers a soulful acoustic number with light relaxing melodies and vocals throughout. Alongside the release of the single, All The Seas is also accompanied by a music video which you can watch here. Stream the track below and for more information check out their Facebook and website.

 

Listen: Lucy Wilson – “Wake up Alone”

Lucy Wilson by Ian Laidlaw

This September Jackknife will be releasing the debut 7″ from Lucy Wilson titled Full To The Brim. Known for her collaboration with Wil Wagner as the second member of Mulder & Scully and on The Smith Street Band‘s track The Belly of Your Bedroom; Lucy has also been performing solo in the pub festival circuit at The Poison City Weekender in her hometown of Melbourne, Blood Sweat & Beers in Sydney and All Tomorrow’s Shoeys in Tasmania.

“Drawing inspiration from the present day Bic Runga and Gillian Welch to the past in Hank Williams, Lucy Wilson frolics between folk, pop and poetic storytelling with a seemingly casual ease. . . Arming herself with a six string acoustic and her trusty ukulele, Lucy recently headed south for the hills of Hobart to record her debut EP with Lincoln LeFevre at The Infirmary studios, built on the grounds of the old Tasmanian Women’s Prison. . . From the nonchalant narratives to the raw romance of her lyricism, the strength of Lucy’s music lies in its honesty and openness.”

Full To The Brim will be available to pre-order with an instant download in August through Jackknife. The 7″ will be out this September but for now you can stream a song about a dead beat dude, Wake up Alone below. For more information check out her Facebook page.

Watch: Alasdair Bouch – “Bed Of Happiness”

Alasdair Bouch

Folk blues artist Alasdair Bouch has released a music video for Bed Of Happiness a track off of his debut album titled First Person Singular. Bouch’s work is a combination of urban folk and blue-eyed soul which in turn produces melodic hook-filled tracks. With twenty years experience, his trademark confessional autobiographical tone is very much so present in his slower track, Bed Of Happiness. Watch the video below!

Alasdair Bouch has three albums in his discography so far which you can stream selected tracks of here and purchase on iTunes. Currently living in the Czech Republic, Bouch has played more than four hundred shows across Europe and has just released Third Time Lucky, which sees him take a more rhythm-‘n’-blues-infused rock style approach to his songwriting.

“Fans who came regularly to shows would pester me doggedly about particular songs by name, asking me when I would commit them to disc,“ says Alasdair.  “I’d been sitting on a lot of songs, waiting for the album with the right vibe, but the audience definitely helped out with the tracklist!  Then once I got the band in the rehearsal room, it quickly took shape.  Our new drummer Míra is a powerhouse – it clearly wasn’t going to be a quiet album!” Pick up a limited edition hand-numbered CD in record stores worldwide or get the digital version here. For more information follow him on Facebook and check out his Twitter and be sure to catch him on his European Summer Tour!

 

Listen: Gogol Bordello – “Lost Innocent World”

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Gypsy Punk band, Gogol Bordello, is set to release their sixth album Pura Vida Conspiracy on July 23rd. Gogol Bordello is not your everyday band. Rising from the New York underground scene, frontman Eugene Hutz hoped to mix his Gypsy heritage with an energetic punk style. Gogol Bordello has a very wide range, they can bring an electrifying stage presence or turn the volume down a bit and play a sweet acoustic set. Whether you feel like moshing in a giant pit of sweaty bodies or just head bobbing in the back, you’re bound to have a good time. I’ve found that the album work doesn’t always convey the intensity that they can bring to a live concert but the message the band hopes to convey through their work is always refreshing.   If you even slightly dig their recently released single “Lost Innocent World” it’s worth the effort to see them live.  Their summer tour dates are available through their website. You can also stream “Lost Innocent World” and “Maladrino”  below. Even if you don’t enjoy the music, you have to respect a man with a wonderful mustache.