Posted in Album Reviews

Review: We Are Monroe – “Self Titled EP”

We Are Monroe – “Self Titled EP”

We Are Monroe

 

Released: January 14, 2013
Label: Unsigned
Purchase: Digital

The Montreal based band, We Are Monroe at the start of this year released their self-titled EP. It opens up with the track, Give Me Some… which right off the bat demonstrates their signature style of commanding vocals and post-punk guitar work. The fast paced guitar riffs and bass licks accompanied by frontman, Pat Gomes’ vocals create a catchy tune. Next up is Modern Day Gentlemen, stylistically similar to songs by Interpol and The Bravery, allows the listener to really understand and identify with the intricate melodies and percussion encompassing of the genre. The powerful vocals in the chorus highlight the undeniable passion for music that the band has. At times the pace is picked up, but this calmer listen really supplements the rest of the EP.

The third track, Old Orchard once again demonstrates the post-punk rock component of the band. It’s a personal favorite of mine, as you can fully hear the range of the vocalist, and each instrumental component is perfectly crafted to create a coherent standout track. Finally on the EP, there is Tear Yourself Apart, a perfect closing song. With a soft start up and an end that provides a bang, it allows a great finish to a fantastic EP. With intriguing powerful vocals, and catchy melodies, this self-titled EP should be appreciated due to the evident vision that was implemented into its creation. Fans of indie, post-punk, and rock will truly love their musical genius and hopefully help this band continue to grow and produce more music. Check out their website, Facebook page and Soundcloud for more information, and stayed tuned for an interview with the band in the coming weeks.

Standout Tracks: “Give Me Some…”, “Old Orchard”

8.0

Review: Sleeping With Sirens – Feel

Sleeping With Sirens - Feel

Released: June 4, 2013
Label: Rise Records
Purchase: Digital | CD | Vinyl

Sleeping With Sirens‘ latest album, Feel, is the post-hardcore band’s first release since their incredibly successful acoustic EP If You Were A Movie, This Would Be Your Soundtrack last year. The album returns to the general band’s pop-hardcore style, although certain tracks do veer off to several special creative directions, especially the tracks containing collaborations. 

Up to their standard, Sleeping With Sirens’ Feel is incredibly catchy and musically pleasing to the ear. There are the same powerful, high-pitched belts and the sanguine riffs found in the band’s earlier songs; if anything, the sound appears to be more advanced than before. The title and first track, Feel, as well as the subsequent tracks I’ll Take You There and Free Now, are especially catchy and memorable. Sleeping With Sirens also does wonders balancing between light and heavy sounds in the album; there seems to be no problems at all meshing sounds such as Satellite, Sorry, and Low with Déjà Vu, These Things I’ve Done and The Best There Ever Was. Overall, the sound of the album is satisfying and compelling.

Several tracks take a unique twist, most with surprisingly successful outcomes. Alone takes the cake with a feature from rapper Machine Gun Kelly—in the track, vocalist Kellin Quinn himself sings in a pseudo-rap style, creating a sublime and very unforgettable crossover between the two genres. Similarly, The Best There Ever Was features deathcore band Attila‘s frontman Fronz, and it utilizes his rapid-fire screaming to create a unexpectedly solid piece. And These Things I’ve Done includes incredibly gratifying electronic and hardcore sounds. Almost ironically, however, the album’s most highly anticipated collaboration with Memphis May Fire‘s Matty Mullins in Congratulations appears to be one of the weakest tracks and an example of two talented artists teaming up with mediocre results.

Compared to their earlier work, Feel appears to be an improvement and a bold attempt to distinguish themselves as the very best in post-hardcore. While individually several tracks may not be “love at first listen” and may require a few replays to fully enjoy it, holistically the album is diverse and powerful.

Standout Tracks: “Alone”, “Feel”, “I’ll Take You There”, “Sorry”, “Satellites”

8.0

Track listing:
01. Feel
02. Here We Go
03. Free Now
04. Alone (feat. Machine Gun Kelly)
05. I’ll Take You There (feat. Shayley Bourget of Dayshell)
06. The Best There Ever Was (feat. Fronz of Attila)
07. Low
08. Congratulations (feat. Matty Mullins of Memphis May Fire)
09. Déjà Vu
10. These Things I’ve Done
11. Sorry
12. Satellites

Review: The Front Bottoms – “Talon Of The Hawk”

The Front Bottoms – Talon Of The Hawk

Talon Of The Hawk

Released: May 21, 2013
Label: Bar/None Records
Purchase: Vinyl | Casette [Sold Out] | Digital | CD

The Front Bottoms’ sophomore album Talon of the Hawk integrates the addition of two new members, Tom Warren (bass), and Ciaran O’Donnel (keys/trumpet/guitar) to play alongside Brian Sella (vocals/guitar), and Matt Uychich (drums). The album gives off a more band orientated sound, instead of simply a two piece bouncing off of each other’s energy. However, Sella’s familiar stream of consciousness implicit lyrics are very much so still present, alongside Uychich’s punchy drumming.

The first track from the release Au Revoir (Adios), is the most similar sound-wise to their self-titled and provides a nice transition to the fuller band sound which kicks off near the end of the song. Twin Size Mattress encompasses everything about The Front Bottoms; the repetition of a familiar melody throughout, and figurative lyricis. Sella loudly singing, almost yelling, “I want to contribute to the chaos, I don’t want to watch and then complain, because I am through with finding blame; that is a decision that I have made” enforce the sentimental connection that is almost guaranteed with each song. The track, Santa Monica incorporates the use of trumpet and synth melodies, and is reminiscent of their earlier song, Father as Sella promises”to be stronger than your Dad was for your Mom.” Funny You Should Ask, a personal favorite, is one of The Front Bottoms’ distinct obscure love songs, that provides an esoteric view of relationships. The lyrics, “Honey, you got to learn that love is simple, just like mud, if you play the dirt, and I’ll play the water, all we got to do is touch” leading to the refrain, “Because I was young and I thought I didn’t have to care about anything, but I’m older now and know that I should” provide a sense of realism differentiating the band’s style to others. Backflip, a fast paced anthem of regretting tattoos, good vibes and Sella’s familiar breathing techniques, shows the progression of the band sonically despite sticking to similar thematic ideas.

Talon of the Hawk may not have as many standout tracks as the self-titled, but in hindsight the bar was set so high that it would have been almost impossible to create two perfect albums in a row. This being said, due to the immense talent of the band this album does stand testament to their ability to continue to create captivating songs that will be adored by fans. After spending the last two years touring, (shown in their recently released music video for Twin Size Mattress) The Front Bottoms will begin their journey of touring again starting June 1st with a national tour. You can purchase tickets for the tour here and stream the album in its entirety via Noisey.

Standout Tracks: “Twin Size Mattress”, “Funny You Should Ask”, “Backflip”

8.5

“I just want this to mean something to anyone even if they don’t know who I am.”

Track listing:
01. Au Revoir (Adios)
02. Skeleton
03. Swear To God The Devil Made Me Do It
04. Twin Size Mattress
05. Peach
06. Santa Monica
07. The Feud
08. Funny You Should Ask
09. Tattooed Tears
10. Lone Star
11. Back Flip
12. Everything I Own

Review: In Fear and Faith – “Self-Titled”

In Fear and Faith – Self-Titled

In Fear And Faith

Released: 16th October 2012
Label: Rise Records
Purchase: CD | Digital

In Fear and Faith’s self-titled album is the first full-length to surface from the band since Imperial in summer of 2010. In between, In Fear and Faith released a symphony-based EP, Symphonies, utilizing a combination of woodwinds, brass, choir, and screaming, among other devices, to create a unique sound. In Fear and Faith is a return to the band’s true roots as metalcore, though it retains many of their distinctive elements they have picked up, as well as introducing new ones.

Like In Fear and Faith’s other albums, the lyrics of the self-titled album revolve around a single theme: mankind’s self-created apocalypse. The intro number opens with sounds of gunfire and helicopters, setting the mien of the entire album, which takes place after the world has been destroyed. The lyrics as a whole leave something to be desired, feeling a little weak in originality and employing several cliché phrases such as “I can’t last without the ones that left me/I regret the times I couldn’t see” in Last Man Stranded and “If I fall asleep, please don’t let me dream/I keep on wishing that I’ll forget those awful things I’ve seen” in Dream Catcher. However, there still are several standalone notable lines that will leave strong, positive impressions on the listener (“I’m just a sliver of the system that feeds on broken men;” “Now my lungs are filled with a creeping dose of bitter disgust for the world I used to trust”), although these pop up less often. The interesting personification of Earth in You Had Your Chance is also refreshing and a good attempt to separate the band’s lyrics from that of others in the metalcore genre.

Musically, In Fear and Faith is exceptional. Singer Scott Barnes displays an incredibly powerful voice that feels more confident than that in the songs of the band’s previous albums. Furthermore, while the band continues to encompass their unique blend of symphonic elements (seen in the ending of Self Fulfilling Prophecy as well as other tracks), other pieces experiment with electronic sounds in auto-tune and melody. The metal and screaming are not lacking in the album either; in fact, Look What You Made Me Do is one of In Fear and Faith’s heaviest tracks, and the breakdowns in some of the songs, such as A Creeping Dose and A Silent Drum, are satisfying. The album’s eighth track, Enigmatic, is actually entirely piano (played by the band’s keyboardist, Ramin Niroomand, an expert in the self-proclaimed “pianocore”) and symphony, its eerie tunes somewhat reminiscent and yet contrasting to the band’s original sound.

Since the release of this album, In Fear and Faith has been relatively silent regarding new work. So, if you’re looking for a relatively idiosyncratic band in an otherwise invariable genre, be sure to check this album out and listen to a few of their interesting tracks. It is, holistically, a symbol of their incredible talent and growth as a band.

Standout Tracks: “Look What You Made Me Do”, “A Creeping Dose”, “Self Fulfilling Prophecy”, “The Calm Before Reform”

8.0

 

Track listing:
1. Intro
2. The Calm Before Reform [ft. Dave Stephens of We Came As Romans]
3. A Silent Drum
4. Look What You Made Me Do
5. Soul Survivor
6. A Creeping Dose
7. It All Comes Out (On The Way Down)
8. Enigmatic
9. Dream Catcher
10. You Had Your Chance
11. Last Man Stranded
12. Self Fulfilling Prophecy

Review: elvis depressedly – “holo pleasures”

elvis depressedly – holo pleasures

holo pleaures

Released: 16th April 2013
Label: Birdtapes | Orchid Tapes
Purchase: Vinyl | Casette [Sold Out] | Digital

holo pleasures is the sixth release by lo-fi pop project, elvis depressedly and marks the first time under this moniker that there has been a full band effort. The trio that contributed to the record includes Mat Cothran on vocals, drums, and guitar, Eric Jones on guitar and bass, and Delaney Mills playing all the keyboard parts. Like most of Cothran’s work, there is the familiar lo-fi analog comfort layered on top of warbling vocals to create unparalleled mellowness and melancholy.

The first track, okay, a pop number, encompasses Cothran’s simple yet poignant lyrical style including the lyrics, “I remember becoming winter, haunted by light, true love turned to sickness in my body, stayed up all night.” The album has the some of the same vibes as Coma Cinema, Cothran’s other outfit, however what sets them apart is the difference in the coherent aesthetic of the albums. The harmonies and hooks of this release contain a medley of droned keyboard, blown out guitar strumming, and muted percussion followed by refrains such as “If there’s a cool spot in heaven, I know you’ll get in” in weird honey and “Always real, always right, always alright” in pepsi/coke suicide. The six songs that run a total of twelve minutes are meant to be listened as one in order to gain the full experience of the record.

Mat Cothran and his band members are always constantly progressing and a new release is never far away, or from any of the groups in the scene such as Julia Brown, R.L. Kelly, and Pussy Wizard. The casette form of this release is currently sold out, but you can still pick up the 7″ vinyl in either blood red or swamp green from Birdtapes, or give it a listen over at the Bandcamp page.

Standout Tracks: “okay”, “weird honey”, “pepsi/coke suicide”

8.5

“never quit, there’s always a reason to try.”

Tracklisting:
1. okay
2. pepsi/coke suicide
3. inside you
4. teeth
5. weird honey
6. thinning out