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‘Albums’ Category

  1. Sing It Loud’s upcoming album Come Around

    September 21, 2008 by Cassie

    Sing It Loud – Come Around

    Let me just say that I am a new listener to Sing It Loud and it takes at least a little bit of deviation from the same old release to catch my attention. This five piece from Minneapolis seemed to be able to do just that. [more]

    The first time I listened to the first track of Sing It Loud’s new album, I was instantly reminded of Motion City Soundtrack. It’s no surprise that MCS guitarist, Josh Cain was a producer for the record.

    Most tracks on “Come Around” are upbeat and sure to inspire some serious dance parties. “Best Beating Heart” is undeniably catchy with lyrics that will make you feel good and force you to start singing along. Also in this category of feel-good, head-bopping tracks is “Come Around”. “I’m all tied up and I’m trying my best to get down. Come on, girl. Come around, come around,” while not sounding incredibly profound, does accomplish the pop sound they admittedly categorize themselves into.

    This album does have some awesome guests singing on it. Alex Gaskarth of All Time Low sings on “No One Can Touch Us” and Justin Pierre of Motion City Soundtrack sings on “We’re Not Afraid”. Sing It Loud seems able to keep up quite well with these guys from more well-known bands, so their future seems promising as well.

    In general, the melodies are light and easy to swallow, with the keys only adding to that quality. This being the case, the entire sound makes for something you could easily put on for background music or enjoy for a sunny car ride. For people who need deep lyrics and complex intertwining melodies and harmonies, Sing It Loud might not be your favorite. But for those who enjoy a more care-free approach to good music, I recommend giving “Come Around” a spin.

    You can hear “Come Around” when it releases September 23 and catch Sing It Loud opening for Cobra Starship this fall on the SassyBack tour.

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  2. Portishead’s album Third

    September 21, 2008 by J-Man

    Portishead’s album Third

    I have always been a big Portishead fan.  As a band, they always seemed to care more about making music than selling albums, and it was satisfying to see such an attitude be rewarded with success.  It has been 11 years since their last studio album dropped, and I am both relieved and excited to report that Third does not disappoint.

    When I first starting looking into this album, I was a little worried about what a decade long break could do to a band.  I was worried further by the fact that, alongside their long standing “Trip-Hop” branding, they were taking steps toward other genres like “Experimental” and “Art Rock”.  Usually when someone adds the title “art” to something that is already art, and then supplements that by telling you that it’s “experimental”, they are setting you up.  They are about to show you something terrible, and then belittle you for “not understanding” it.  When applied to music, this also frequently means that every song you hear is going to sound like one long intro and never really get started.

    Third, however, delivers a very artistic sound, using some experimental methods of writing and composition, without feeling pretentious.  It is definitely a departure of sorts from Portishead’s prior albums, but it falls right in line with their “making music because we enjoy making music” method.  I don’t feel like I’m listening to someone trying to be different.  I feel like I’m listening to a band who really isn’t concerned about whether or not their music is going to get played on the radio.  A lot of the songs almost feel… stripped down.  Like seeing a beautiful girl without makeup on for the first time; it’s a completely different kind of beauty; more raw.  “We Carry On” and “Machine Gun” give me this awkward feeling that there is something missing, but I couldn’t come up with something useful to add with a gun to my head.

    I did get the “this song isn’t really starting” feeling a couple of times, but it was fleeting.  On my second listen-thru of the album, I found myself getting so lost in Beth Gibbon’s haunting voice and lyrics, and the interesting things being done musically by Geoff Barrow and Adrian Utley, that the songs seemed to bend and flow through each other, creating some sort of musical experience.  The music sometimes seems to consciously predict what you expect to happen, and then do something completely different.  The end of the first track, “Silence”, comes to mind, along with the odd drum cuts in “Plastic”.

    Alright, I’m starting to sound a bit like one of those beret wearing artsy fartsy types, and no one wants that.  Suffice to say, this is a great album.  Its simplistic departure from Portishead’s previous Trip-Hop sound sets it apart without disconnecting it from the bands roots.  Although I wouldn’t be surprised if someone told me they “didn’t get it”, I think all Portishead fans will be pleased (and seemingly, already are.  Third has gotten rave reviews, hit number 2 on the UK  charts, and 7 on the U.S. Billboard 200). I don’t know if I’d jump on the “It’s their greatest album ever” bandwagon (I love “Dummy” too much) but Third is definitely worth picking up.

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  3. Jack’s Mannequin’s upcoming album The Glass Passanger

    September 21, 2008 by Steph

    Jack’s Mannequin’s upcoming album
    The Glass Passanger

    Andrew McMahon,  former vocalist and pianist of Something Corporate, released Everything in Transit as Jack’s Mannequin in August of 2005.  Since this album, excitement and hype for this piano rock outfit has continued to build.  Then McMahon’s battle with Leukemia worried fans and delayed any new releases or touring until this summer 2008.  A tour with Paramore and the release of The Ghost Overground EP and In Valleys EP are leading up to the highly anticipated sophomore album The Glass Passenger, to be released September 30th. [more]

    At first listen to the new tracks on The Ghost Overground EP, “The Resolution” and “Bloodshot,”  I was a bit perplexed and worried for what was to come with the full length album.  My fears were completely quelled at first listen to The Glass Passenger.  A story, not to be listened to out of context, Passenger tells of hope, determination, and the everyday.  True to McMahon’s former releases, his lyrics are full of beautiful simplicities and down-to-earth narratives of life.  Musically, the new release finds itself halfway between Something Corporate piano-saturated Leaving Through the Window and poppier keyboard/drum machine tracks of Transit.

    The album opens with “The Resolution,” a piano-heavy track from beginning to end filled with a desperate and determined McMahon singing “I’m alive, I don’t need a witness to know that I survived.  I’m not looking for forgiveness.”  While it seems a definite reflection on his struggle with cancer, it also seems a reflection on life and its journey in general.  This seriousness segues into a very Transit-like rock “Miss California” of sweet simple romance and a frivolous, more electronic “Spinning.”  “Swim” is the heart-wrencher of the album.  The most musically reflective of Something Corporate, “Swim” again returns to this lyrical life struggle in which he is instructing what seems be himself to “just swim” despite any obstacles.  Andrew sings, “I swim for better days despite the absence of sun.  Choking on salt water.  I’m not giving in.”  The rest of the album continues with this balance along the line of philosophical and flippant, delicate, personal stories and lunch table gossip.  Two personal favorites help round out the end of the album.  “Lullaby” tells a story that is specific yet relatable.  Truly a tragic lullaby, filled with swelling piano and a light snare, McMahon sings the listener to sleep with the story of a conversation with an old friend.  The friend begs, “Come on write me a song. Give me something to trust.  Just promise you won’t let it be just the keys that you touch.  Give me something to believe in.”  It gives this sense of connection, a sense of confiding and trusting.  “Caves” finally finishes this tour de force with an uncharacteristic intro reminiscent of a Broadway solo in Les Miserables that converges into a light piano fluttering perfectly typical of Andrew.  This works it way into a more rock and firmer sound.  “Walls are cavin’ in.  Doors got locked for sure.  There’s no one here but me.  Body like a rag doll.  You stuck the needles in my hip.”  A song of loneliness but not hopelessness, “Caves” again straddles struggle and determination closing the album with a positive we-can-make-it-through-this attitude.

    An album about life filled with highs and lows, piano ballads and pop rock melodies, Andrew McMahon as Jack’s Mannequin has perfected this sophomore album in every sense.  You can enjoy it this September 30th.

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  4. Anberlin’s new album New Surrender

    September 21, 2008 by Kristyn

    Anberlin’s New Surrender

    Anberlin’s rise to success has been a slow but steady one. Their latest release, New Surrender, is their fourth full-length album, but only their first major label release. Many fans have expressed worry that Anberlin’s move from indie label Tooth and Nail to major label Universal – hoping that the unique sound that Anberlin has developed for itself would persevere through the changes. [more]

    Well, not to worry, fans – New Surrender has all the makings of the old Anberlin we have come to know and love. The album opens with the explosive track, “The Resistance,” filled with powerful guitars and the emotional lyrics and vocal styling of Stephen Christian. Perhaps the most explosive part of the opening track is the wild guitar solo in the last 30 seconds of the song. This track sets the tone for the record, promising an energetic and powerful album.

    And the listener will not be let down. If the album sounds familiar, don’t worry – “Feel Good Drag,” is a rerecorded track from their earlier release, Never Take Friendship Personal. Tracks like “Burn Out Brighter (Northern Lights),” and “Disappear” also channel the original Anberlin sound, with upbeat choruses, fast drums, and heavy guitars. But other songs, like “Younglife,” and “Breathe” have a softer feel, with acoustic guitars and quieter, more melodic vocals from Christian.

    The release ends with “Misearbile Visu (ex malo bonum),” a track whose sound seems a little out of place with the rest of the album. But the slow, dramatic track seems to bring the album to a perfect close – both with its slightly dismal lyrics and song tempo.

    The variety in this album is greatly appreciated, personally. I am an Anberlin fan of old and love that I can get some of the old mixed with some new sounds. So pardon me, I’m taking off my mourning veil and going to listen to “Breathe” all over again.

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  5. Anarbor’s EP “The Natural Way”

    September 16, 2008 by Brianna

    Every once in a while, a good band comes along and makes an amazing EP that no one really gets to listen to it because it’s not really out there. Anarbor’s new EP, The Natural Way is definitely one of those that could definitely skyrocket in popularity.  With their catchy riffs in songs like “The Brightest Green” with the escalating scales during the chorus that I absolutely loved and their infectious vocals in songs like “Right there with you”, I definitely see this song being a top 10 single. I’ll have to admit songs like “Passion for publication” didn’t quite grab my attention, but it did convey a story of a person that begins to struggle with naivety and the truth that I appreciated. The first song off their EP is “Love Instead” which, at the beginning, sounded like a much more pop version of Hoobastank’s “Same Direction” but I was pleasantly surprised to hear that wasn’t the direction they were going in. The backing vocals added a depth to each verse and I liked the fact that it had a different electric sound compared to the arrangements that are in today’s music.

    I can definitely see this EP going places. It has the perfect mix of pop vocals with alternative/pop punk instrumentation that makes people want to listen. It makes for a familiar sound, as if I’ve heard some aspects of it before, but I still loved it. The Natural Way is to go online and get their EP now!

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  6. Portugal the Man’s new album Censored Colors

    September 14, 2008 by Colleen

    Portugal the Man, an alternative rock band from Alaska, releases its third album,  Censored Colors.  The band, comprised of John Gourley on guitar and vocals, Zachary Carothers on bass and vocals, Jascon Sechrist on drums, and Ryan Neighbors ..board and vocals, fuses elements of psychedelic rock, soul, and electronic to create their newest album.  Their sound, resembling that of Radiohead and a softer version of Muse, infuses each song with different sounds to create a somber and somewhat eerie instrumental beneath their hushed and harmonizing lyrics.

    The album opens with “Lay Me Back Down,” a song that begins with a spaceship-like sound and continues with a mellow psychedelic undertone that continues to resurface throughout the album. Personal favorites include “Salt” and “New Orleans” which capture a unique New Orleans jazz style.  Each song subtly flows into the next, incorporating not only the same instrumentals, but lyrically picking up where the song before left off.  This album instantly puts your mind in a tranquil state while keeping you interested in hearing more as more intricate hooks and harmonies continuously evolve from the next.

    http://www.myspace.com/portugaltheman

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  7. The Sound of Animals Fighting – The Ocean and the Sun by Josh

    September 6, 2008 by Steph

    How do you begin a review on such an album?  Perhaps, I’ll start with my feelings.  Androgyny here we come!  Modern rumor states talking about your feelings is a positive mode of expression.  I feel . . . I feel mislead and teased.  Like a bad acid trip.  Like I was a five year old kid mistakenly pursuing that guy in a trench coat with some candy, suddenly realizing I was not getting any candy today.

    Okay, maybe that’s cruel.  Maybe I should objectify this review.  Let’s start with the labeling.  Opening the album in my itunes I immediately see the album labelled as Punk Rock.  The ex-punker in me is stoked.  The Sound of Animals Fighting?  That’s pretty punk, a little pretentious for any punker I’d known, but it’s got that raw touch to it.  This could fly.  “The Ocean and the Sun”?  Hold the phone.  The Exploited called, they want their punk label back.  No self-respecting punk in America would push for such imagery, but hey, these might be enlightened punks.  By definition, no longer punk, but grown from the roots perhaps.  Let’s listen . . .

    Let’s pretend I didn’t hear the intro.  Let’s slide right into the first track.  Oh, it’s the title track.  Lovely.  The beginning brings in a reminiscence of Portishead.  Some raw bluesy vocals overlayed on a simple set of instrumentals.  Beautiful.  Not punk, but genuinely good music.  Starts out timid, working it’s way up, knowing it’s got to sneak past your walls, it maintains steady and clean transitions with a touch of distortion on the vocals bringing a balanced sound.  I’m finding myself forgetting the punk labeling as the quality can clearly be felt.  Wait, what’s this?  Silence.  The track is ending, and there are two minutes left of track.  No! Don’t do it! Oh, The Sound, you’ve broken my heart.  Again.  Line after line of awkward questioning towards the listener, idealistic pretentious strivings, subdued just to the point that you question the intentions.  One line stands out, “Do you…have to save the world…all by yourselves?”  There it is, our theme revived!  I had my candy, it was within my grasp, the world was beautiful for a split second there, I had hope in the band, and SNAP! It was taken away, corrupted, twisted.

    The album continues on in a similar mode.  Beautiful, artful expanses of music, pulling inspiration from a diverse plethora of influences, touches of Muse, moments of Tom Waits, indie pop from the nineties, brief teasings of Scandy, sublimations of Incubus, even a set of chords directly influenced by the Reverend Horton Heat, each one after the other destroyed by random bursts of scream-o, whining pithies, and bleak attempts at pretentious artful excerpts.  This album is not only not punk, but not for me.

    Review by Josh Taylor

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  8. Valencia, We All Need A Reason To Believe

    August 27, 2008 by Kristyn

    Valencia, a five piece outfit from Philadelphia, has garnered the attention of some of the industry’s most influential people. With folks like Jason Tate of AbsolutePunk.net and Robb Hitt, formerly of Midtown and currently of I Surrender Records as fans, and having toured with some of the biggest names in the pop punk/rock scene like Boys Like Girls and All Time Low, it’s not surprising that Valencia’s sophomore album and first major-label release has attracted the attention of many.

    We All Need A Reason To Believe is an eleven-track piece that tells a story of perseverance and positivity. The album comes after the loss of lead singer Shane Henderson’s close friend and girlfriend, whose tragic passing in 2006 inspired many of the tracks on this album. The first page of booklet of the CD reads, “This album was inspired by the loss of a great person. It’s dedicated to those who’ve unexpectedly passed and anyone who has ever loved, lost, and gained a new appreciation for life. We hope everyone continues in the constant pursuit of love and happiness.”

    With this in mind, one can clearly hear the emotion that inspired this album. Songs like “Where Did You Go?” and “Carry On” speak to the importance of holding onto positive memories of those who are gone and emerging from experiences stronger than when you came in.

    But the album is not filled with just haunting, sad ballads of lost loves – tracks like “Holiday,” “Better Be Prepared,” and “The Good Life” embrace the essence of pop punk music. Shane Henderson’s powerful vocals, coupled with exciting guitar riffs from Brendan Walters and JD Perry, along with great rhythm from bassist George Ciukurescu and drummer Max Soria give each song its own dynamic energy. It’s impossible not to sing along with this record.

    Only adding to the authenticity of this album is the raw sound it brings. In days where Auto-tune is a lead singer’s best friend, Valencia proves to the listener that a real band can record an album without coming across as over processed. The talent of these five guys really shines through and makes me itch to be in the same room as them performing live. It doesn’t hurt that they are five of the most genuine, humble people you could ever meet, spending hours chatting with fans online, responding to Myspace messages personally, and always out after a set to meet and thank their fans.

    I have to echo the sentiment of many reviewers of Valencia before me – in an age where true pop punk is quickly dying and being replaced with synthesized beats and auto-tuned voices, Valencia is reviving it.

    Valencia is currently touring .. dates on the east coast and will be heading on a cross-country tour with Oakland rockers The Matches and headliner Bayside in the fall. Be sure to check them out on at least one of the dates, I promise you will not be disappointed.
    Photos from: valenciamusic.net, mtv.com, and absolutepunk.net

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  9. Fast Times at Barrington High – The Academy Is…

    August 24, 2008 by Cassie

    I had been eagerly antici­­pating the release of Fast Times at Barrington High, the 3rd full length release from The Academy Is…, since one blistering hot June day at Warped Tour Pomona. William Beckett, TAI’s lead singer, had led on that things had strayed from their origins on their sophomore album, Santi, but–not to fret–would be back to normal for this new CD.

    Fast Times… does indeed stray from Santi , but not in a way that is reminiscent of Almost Here. It almost seems as if this new release was crafted in order to be a little more mainstream for a more diverse (perhaps younger) group of listeners. Some tracks are downright poppy, like “Summer Hair = Forever Young” and “The Test”. With lyrics that reflect the high school anguish of growing up, many tracks seem to coincide well with the title of the album.  Beckett begs “Tell me you’ll remember forever young. I’ll never let you fall, it’s not over yet. You and me forever, forever young” and I am surprisingly convinced to remember those days like they were yesterday.

    It seems that Beckett was willing to do a little experimentation with his voice on this record. One song that stands out is “Crowded Room”. The intro he sings is different from  the vocals on any of TAI’s other tracks and I think it’s interesting and not comparable to any music around these days. Unfortunately, that intro only lasts for 15 seconds and then we are back to normal Beckett.

    In general, the beats on Fast Times… are lighter than on TAI’s previous releases. I would even go so far as saying that some are dance-able. Take, for instance, the chorus of “Beware! Cougar!” when Beckett sings, “Do you wanna tie me up? Do you wanna tie me down? Go ahead and do it now.” I could definitely see people in a pit dancing, jumping around, and having a grand time to this song.

    While seemingly not too lyrically or melodically complex, the beats and nostalgic, carefree lyrics are infectious enough to keep me listening over and over. And while some might believe this release could never live up to the hype of being a throw back to Almost Here, if you can just delete your expectations, you might be in for a nice surprise of a very pleasing summer album that is sure to be topping your last.fm artist list for a while to come.

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