Failed to get to this yesterday but just finished listening. Like a lot of other folks said, reminds me of a lot of the music of the time but the production does kick it up a notch. Couple of the songs are incredibly catchy (namely "Apology") and got stuck in my head immediately. Also I will say, and I don't mean this at as a dig, there were moments where I was reminded of Hoobastank a little bit but I couldn't quite tell you why.
I didn’t mind the Safetysuit album but at the same time it isn’t something I’m drawn towards these days
This is something I would have enjoyed at the time, but it doesn’t move the needle for me much today. It reminded me a lot of The Starting Line’s Direction at times. Overall, I think it’s a good take on that mid-late 2000’s pop-punk sound but it doesn’t go far enough to stand out from the pack.
Gave safetysuit a listen last night and today. Definitely agree on a lot of what's been said above on this. The first song almost sounded like a blend of Hum and Jimmy Eat World, but that was a short-lived optimistic feeling because there was nothing else remotely like it after; much softer than that first track. Lyrics are rough on this, but production slaps. Reminds me of Switchfoot and Skillet. Will not return but was fine as background music because it sounded so neutral.
Alright I thought way too long about this because I wanted to bring something more like... song-y but here we go. I'm bringing Jlin's Black Origami. I've been a percussionist/drummer for most of my life to the point where I started seeking out more abstract and beatless stuff as a weird internal rebellion I guess? Then this album came along and blew my skull wide open while also reminding me of my marching band days in a way. Jlin's myriad of influences (footwork, mentors and collaborators like Basinski, Glass, and Dope Saint Jude, and all sorts of other corners of music) all add up to this sound that I've never quite heard anyone else touch.
Unfamiliar with this project. Excited to throw it on tomorrow. Tonight it’s all about Éliane Radigue.
Finally listening to Safety Suit. I don't think I hate it as much as everyone else did lol. I kind of have a soft spot for that 90's-ish pop singer/songwriter stuff. Dude has an alright voice. Some songs feel kind of christian rock which I don't dig, but yeah. It's alright.
Definitely her first album and the Free Fall EP. They're both probably closer to traditional footwork than Black Origami, but you can tell the direction she's going from them. I didn't give her album from 2024 the proper attention it no doubt deserves, so will be revisiting that next.
Finishing up my listen now and overall I was very impressed by this. Excellent pick @Kistler. Lately I’ve been getting into traditional Balinese gamelan music and it reminds me a bit of that—loud percussive barrages of various metallic tones that overwhelm and mesmerize at first, but as you listen, you tune into its movements and adjust to the twining rhythms. I initially thought this might be a strange comparison but turns out a lot of this record was inspired by Eastern and tribal music—lots of eclectic instrumentation like gongs and tablas were used alongside more modern effects. Super dope record that fits within that Afrofuturist sound that I have come to really love lately.
Akoma is definitely worth spending some time with, I don't think it quite hits the heights that this record does but it's still really great.