by Tiffany Czech | Oct 18, 2020 | albums, review
When Starwolf formed in 2016, they were creating music in rural Illinois, their sound of choice being funk/pop. Four years later, they have released their album, Astro Lobo, filled with other-worldly sounds and expressions.
Something that makes this body of wok stand out is the appearance of Tim Lefebvre on “Bad Feeling”. Lefebvre has worked with well-known artists from David Bowie to John Mayer, so his presence is welcomed. The track benefits from a catchiness that amplifies the message of losing oneself in fear and anxiety. Indeed, it is a standout on the album.
The title track happens to be the longest, reaching over six minutes long. With no lyrics, it is easy for one to create their own interpretation of what it means. Whatever the meaning, “Astro Lobo” lives up to the other-worldly name. And then comes the final track, “Real Love”. Following the theme of love that can be heard on various songs throughout the album, this song’s funk groove guides the lyrics about being in a healthy and real relationship. With this album, the funk roots of Starwolf’s music shines through on every song. The band have achieved the perfect blend of funk and pop that sounds like the quintessential 80s soundtrack with Astro Lobo.
by Tiffany Czech | Oct 15, 2020 | albums, review
It was time for the members of Old News to get more personal than they ever have before. That’s how their new album, Self-Acceptance Speech, came about. Using emo sounds hailing from the late 90s and early 2000s indie rock scene, the album tells stories of self-discovery and understanding. One of these stories can be found in the reflective rock track, “1917 Cherry St.”. Here, we find out about a significant location in the singer’s life, one that he finds himself looking back on. This leads right into “722 Harter St.”, a shorter instrumental that leaves details of the significance of this address to the listener’s imagination. The starry “Flicker” provides a similar experience. This track gives the feeling of a new beginning, perhaps following the self-reflection that takes place during the prior songs. The final track is “Sunday Suit”, a standout on the album that begins with a memorable guitar riff and is an anthem for those who feel they are hiding some part of themselves beneath, in this case, the church music.
Old News have taken the nostalgia of 90s emo rock and turned it into something of their own. Says frontman Beau Harris of the goal in creating this album: “In these very tumultuous times, I think many of us are turning inwards, and we wanted to contribute by giving people a message of healing and hope.”
by Tiffany Czech | Oct 6, 2020 | albums, review
Gray may be a good way to describe 2020, or the color of the sky on a rainy fall day, but it is also the title of the new album from Byland. Led by Alie Byland, Gray gives full permission to pace around your bedroom on your first listen, unable to believe that each song blows you away as you pace your way through the 10-track release. The first of these is “Passed Me By”, which comes equipped with a gentle drum beat and chilling piano as we hear the story of a girl struggling with her newfound loneliness. “Mine” comes along later as the singer bravely admits that she is unable to give people as much as they seem to want from her. Then comes the haunting “Grow Old With Me”, which reaches its most impressive moment during the last minute as she admits that her anxiety and loneliness have taken hold of her life. The album closes out with “Did I Win When I Won”, a raw guitar track that sounds like a voice memo recorded on a cellphone. As the shortest song, it serves as a simple outro that leaves the listener wanting more.
Lyrically and sonically, every inch of this album is chilling and beautiful. By the end, you will feel invited to start listening from the top because you want to fully immerse yourself into every word and understand the emotionally complex world Byland have created. At its core, Gray is a very human album.
by Tiffany Czech | Oct 2, 2020 | albums, review
Portland, Oregon-based rock band Last Giant have just released their stunning new body of work Let the End Begin. With influences like Led Zeppelin and Thin Lizzy, the album acts as a bridge, allowing the listener to time travel back to the 1970s and 1980s rock scene. Here, we find songs like “Sunset Queen”, which relies on an infectious guitar riff to draw the listener in. The guitar paired with the catchy chorus melody and heavy drumming help make this one of the best songs on the album. The title track “Let the End Begin” ensures you don’t forget what you’re hearing by providing a memorable hook that has the potential to stay in your head for days after hearing it. It also makes clear why the album shares the same name as it defines just what it means for the end to begin. Each song has the ability to connect with the rock fan in a real way. Whether it’s the guitar solo in “Followers” or the commanding vocals in “Letters to Lennon”, there is no shortage of rocking out to be found.
Last Giant have created a modern rock and roll triumph. While many people depend on earlier decades of music to get their rock fix, they have made it clear that the current decade has more than enough to offer.
by ImperfectFifth | Sep 25, 2020 | albums, review
by: leigha stuiso
A good album doesn’t always have to be a grand release that tries to pull out all the stops. Sticking to what works for an artist and being cohesive can lead to their best work. Anya Marina’s new album Queen of the Night is exactly that. It is a cohesive piece of work where Marina’s voice floats over the lyrics like she is tracing them with her voice. 15 years after the release of her first album, this might be her best album yet. Queen Of The Night was written and recorded in part in Nashville with several producers (K.S. Rhoads / “Love the Most”, Katie Herzig / “Lucky Star”) and San Diego (with Brian Karscig of Louis XIV and Nervous Wreckords on “Just Calling”) but mostly in NYC with producer/artist Miles Francis (Last Word, Creeps, Can’t Nobody Love You, Nothing, The Man, 16 Letters, Ain’t Misbehavin’) and Christopher Kuffner (“Broken Bottles”) from A Great Big World.
Opening with the title-track, “Queen of the Night”, was a strong choice by Marina. Listening to the song, you can picture it becoming an anthem. “Last Word” is a hazy dream where her voice drags through the pain of pretending. Things pick up with “Broken Bottles” as Marina sings, “hard to be wrong, worse to be right / stuck in the middle of a losing fight,” over a mid-tempo beat. Similar to the sound of artists such as Ingrid Michaelson and Regina Spektor, Marina has a certain characteristic to her music that is present in every song. There is an unmistakable quality that you have to admire in Marina’s work.
“Me and My Phone”, one of the singles off the record, jazzes things up. The chorus has a deep bass that feels nostalgic. “Can’t Nobody Love You” is a testament to the love Marina gives, no one can compare. It is the perfect slow dance song for a wedding. “Lucky Star” combines all the elements used in the album, but with layered vocals for an echo effect. It is the most ambitious song on the album, and might be a fan favorite. Similarly, “Just Calling” has echoed vocals but takes on the story of a breakup. Marina is known for pulling off great covers of songs, like T.I.’s “Whatever You Like”, and she does it again. This time she slows down Taylor Swift’s “The Man”, but does it gracefully. If you weren’t a fan of the song, you will be now. Overall, there wasn’t a single song that made you want to skip over or made you think it was a throwaway that snuck onto the tracklist. Everything makes sense and is in its place.
The prolific singer-songwriter is no stranger to success as she was a part of the platinum-selling soundtrack to Twilight: New Moon, her music appeared in TV shows like 13 Reasons Why and Grey’s Anatomy and she opened for Nikki Glaser in theaters across the U.S.. Marina has been independently releasing her music and will continue to do so with Queen of the Night. With great style and sound, Marina didn’t need to do anything except be her authentic self for this album.
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by ImperfectFifth | Sep 25, 2020 | albums, review
by: leigha stuiso
They’re genre expansive, gender expansive and multi-instrumentalists. They’re LE FOMO and they’re back with their new album Swallow Me Whole. The electro thrash pop duo is releasing nine tracks that are bound to get you out of your seat and onto your feet. The driving bass lines, catchy guitar riffs and punchy vocals will give you a feeling of nostalgia, but still giving a new and fresh sound. Ess Nelson (Vocals, lyrics, synths, bass, beats, arrangement) and Kai Hofius (guitar, drums, lyrics, bass) are based in Oakland, CA.
Swallow Me Whole was recorded and mixed by Maryam Qudus at Tiny Telephone and Best House Studios and mastered by Piper Payne at Infrasonic Studios. “NOTDF (Nip on the Dance Floor)”, is one of the three singles off the album and has been gaining traction through the press and from fans. “Tiny Anchor” at the core is all about loving someone, while letting go of the fears it might bring along. The song was accompanied by an animated music video that ends with the sailor letting someone in.
Although their beats may be lively and easy to lightly listen to, if you really pay attention to the lyrics, they are very clever and full of emotion. The title track, “Swallow Me Whole”, is a prime example of this especially with the verse, “Infuse your bloodstream / infuse your heart / bathe every organ, every soft weathered scar / won’t you swallow me whole, so I can sing to your guts / fill your tenderest parts, and rub up on your heart.” In “We Were Never In Control”, there’s a great combination of elements that are reminiscent of something that you might hear in the 80s. “Heedless Velvet Moonshine Rocket” is a nice transition in the middle of the album, it is a prime example of their smooth production and arrangement. “Corkscrew Hourglass” continues this sound but with Nelson’s vocals flying high over the song. Things slow down slightly with “Parabolic Rinpoche”, but still continue with the upbeat tempo that they are known for. On a less serious topic than pain,“Spoon Revolt” is about switching up who is the big and little spoon. The album wraps up with “Hot Whiskey”, it’s a slow burn that stands out on the album. It ends how it begins, with original style.
LE FOMO has created an amazing piece of art inspired by pain and healed their wounds in the process. With diversified musical influences from artists like Prince, Karen O, Devo and Janelle Monae, they have created their own unique sound. Swallow Me Whole calls on us to become our fullest, most expansive selves and to find authentic human connection in that place, together. It goes beyond just an album and is a piece of the journey for LE FOMO.
by ImperfectFifth | Sep 25, 2020 | albums, review
by katy mombourquette
A darling of charts and critics alike, Bette Smith is back with her wonderfully ferocious new album, The Good, The Bad And The Bette. Intrinsic to the wild rock and soul singer’s music is the connection that she made between the gospel she heard in church and the soul music she heard on the corner growing up in the rough Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn. Throughout her childhood, Smith was steeped in gospel music. She remembers, “My father was a church choir director. I was singing since I was five years old. I take it to church. I just break out, start speaking in tongues.” She also heard gospel around the house every weekend. “My mother listened to nothing but gospel,” she recalls, citing Mahalia Jackson and Reverend James Cleveland. “Every Sunday morning, she would get up and put on these records while dressing and praising the Lord.” In The Good, The Bad And The Bette, Smith and producers Matt Patton and Bronson Tew explore the power of soul and match it with the edge of rock music, going for a Southern rock soul/Aretha Franklin/”I once was lost but now I’m found” vibe. Sure enough, this album feels very much like rock, but with a blues/gospel attitude, with tracks embodying various feelings of comfort, anger, passion, friendship and even vulnerability in the form of rock-centric bangers, powerful gospel anthems, and even a few tracks that have the taste of a ballad.
But before we can delve into the tracks, we must take a moment to praise Smith’s lustrous vocals. She is gospel, through and through, and you can hear it in the way she sings, but more than that you can feel the years of immersion in gospel and soul that she experienced growing up. Her voice is rough, raw, and absolutely delectable.
But it’s amazing to hear the ways she can apply those vocals to so many different emotions. There’s the groovy comfort in lines like “Don’t be afraid, all is well, I’m here” in “Signs and Wonders” that guides you through the classic blues-rock harmonies, which are revitalized by fresh guitar sounds and colours from the brass. But there’s also the touch of anger that emanates from “Fistful of Dollars” that then diffuses into the passion of the sparkling “Whistle Stop.” Smith sprinkles some sweetness in “Song for a Friend”, complemented by the satisfying backing harmonies in the chorus. But even in the vulnerable, stripped back state of “Don’t Skip Out On Me” she maintains the attitude that can be so central to both rock and soul music, which is quite admirable.
Even in the softer songs, The Good, The Bad And The Bette has this incredible energy to it. This is an album of dance songs, and its magnificence desperately calls out to be heard live (please, COVID…) . Smith herself values the redemptive experience that touring has given her. “It’s amazing, like a dream come true,” she says. “It’s very spiritual and I go into a trance when I’m singing. The fans are like family. I feel very loved. They are very present. I went through all of this so I could sing and now that I can sing I’m finding the love that I’ve been looking for all my life.” Some of the anthems like “Pine Belt Blues” and “Everybody Needs Love” also hold some of the greatest lines that one could belt out with Smith as you watch her on stage. The sultry gospel singing in “Everybody Needs Love”, along with its anthemic harmonies and lines like “Everybody needs love, just like they need the sun and moon and stars above” create a beautiful and totally universal sentiment that would be so powerful in a live setting.
To finish things off, Smith offers “Don’t Skip Out On Me.” The track slows things right down, beginning with just Smith and some acoustic guitar. As more instruments are threaded in, touches of effects create this resonance that makes the space she’s singing in feel so much bigger. Midway through the song, there’s an echoing trumpet solo, which takes individual segments, offsets them and then weaves them together to make beautiful patterns of sound that ring out in their own world before joining the rest of the music once again. It’s this gorgeous interlude that comes as a surprise yet fits in perfectly with the album as a whole that makes the final track on this album the standout. At first the choice to end off with a slow song was surprising, but after listening through, the majesty of this track proved to make perfect sense as an ending.
The Good, The Bad And The Bette is a vivid marriage of rock and soul music that displays Smith’s rich background in the genres and envelopes the listener in a variety of emotions by means of colourful bops and sentimental ballads that are united in their unrelenting attitude and firepower. One can’t help but yearn for the day that these tracks can be heard in their full glory, on stage.
by ImperfectFifth | Sep 25, 2020 | albums, review
by: leigha stuiso
After a major shift in her life, including a divorce and personal upheaval, Lydia Loveless returns with Daughter, her first album in four years via Honey, You’re Gonna Be Late Records. Across 10 songs, she goes beyond her comfort zone to tell her story through heartfelt lyrics. This is a new side to Loveless, but all a part of her journey. With her unmistakable voice and alt-country sound, Daughter is the cathartic release that’s been trapped inside all along. On the album, Loveless explains, “I felt frustrated with myself for going straight from my tumultuous teen years into a marriage so that I could feel safe, and right when I was getting out of the situation, people around me were settling down and having kids. I felt lost and inexperienced, meanwhile the political landscape was turning even bleaker. Many men were coming around to feminism because they had just had a daughter. I’d see billboards on the side of the road imploring people not to hurt women because they were somebody’s daughter or sister or mother. And I was living as an individual for the first time, and don’t have maternal desires. My family was in turmoil so defining myself as a daughter or sister didn’t give me much comfort.”
Starting the album with “Dead Writer”, Loveless wastes no time getting right into the fallout of her divorce. The track is mellow and the lyrics address the end, which previews the vibe for the rest of the album. The singles “Wringer” and “Love Is Not Enough” have already started to gain praise from fans and critics. The singer-songwriter struggles with conflicting desires on “Can’t Think”, continually building until the end of the track. In working on this album, Loveless found unexpected inspiration in learning new techniques and gear and it shows. “Never” can be traced back to her George Michael phase, built on a foundation of synthesizers. The title track can be described as a meditative song where she reckons how her place in the world is defined. “September” is a somber, piano-led arrangement, featuring cellist Nora Barton and guest vocals from her friend Jane Grace. Finally, “Don’t Bother Mountain”, the longest track on the album, is built on drum machines and keys. Her sound is refined and all of the different elements blend together to create a collection that exhibits the true Lydia Loveless.
Lydia Loveless has found a new side of herself and it only is up from here, for both her personal and musical journeys. Daughter was recorded at The Loft in Chicago with Tom Schick (Wilco, Mavis Staples, Norah Jones). She has gained an untapped sense of self that shines throughout the album, unable to hide the emotion behind the lyrics. There always is a light at the end of the tunnel, and Daughter is Loveless’ light.
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by ImperfectFifth | Sep 21, 2020 | albums, review
by: leigha stuiso
Melted Bodies released its full-length debut album, Enjoy Yourself, via Sweatband Records. The energy is high and there is a groove that flows through each song into the next, although each has its own unique style. The Los Angeles-based band creates music that goes beyond just the genre of rock, there are different elements throughout that make their sound unique. For those who might not typically listen to metal, it can be hard to differentiate from the music in the genre, but Melted Bodies stand out. Whether it is elements of traditional heavy metal, thrash metal or small hints of electronic and indie rock, the quartet will surprise you with each song.
The production across all 10 tracks is consistent and binds everything together. Starting with a crescendo into “Eat Cops”, sets the tone for all that follows. “99 Scents” raises the bar; ramping up the speed and aggression. “Phone Tumor” is less aggressive and a song I would recommend to listen to first if you aren’t familiar with metal. Similarly, “The Rat” has a chorus that has a riff reminiscent of rock bands like The Strokes, but quickly transitions back to their metal comfort zone. It is the song that I think will stick out to people and one that will call them back to listen closer to. “Ad People” comes with a clever video on YouTube that spoofs vapid Internet content spewing culture. “The Abbot Kinney Pedophiles” flows into “Helplessness” without you even realizing, with a slow tempo opposite of the typical fast-paced sound. “Meat Cleanse” is the perfect finale for the album. It is seven minutes long and encompasses each of the elements visited in each song, without being too much. With solid riffs and true consistency between songs, Melted Bodies created something bound to leave an impact. Enjoy Yourself isn’t just the title, it is a message from the band.
Sit back, relax and dive deep into the new album.
