I like it! Sorry it's taken me a bit longer than I'd like to get a review written. I typically aim for Mondays (so I have a full week to spend with it) but the first two days this week have been a bit busy for me. I should have something ready to go tomorrow :)
Feel free to recommend me some other post-hardcore bands Just don't let it be Underoath cause Americans have sworn blind about how good they are, yet imo they have never wrote a good album front to back and in fact I only "like" one album.
@JRGComedy and I traded a while back and he gave me: Jukebox the Ghost: Off to the Races (2018) Jukebox the Ghost are a three piece pop group from Washington D.C. and this is the bands fifth full length album. The best way to describe them is if you put Queen, The Killers, Marianas Trench and Panic at the Disco in a blender. Is the sum greater than the parts? In my opinion, no unfortunately. The album starts out very strong with the aptly titled "Jumpstarted" that reminds me a lot of the aforementioned bands with vocals reminiscent of Freddie Mercury. I was instantly excited and this continues into the following song, Everybody's Lonely. Unfortunately, after this the album starts to turn a bit stale and sluggish with repetitive lyrics and not as much punch as the opening tracks. The album does end on a high note with the songs Simple as 1, 2, 3 and Colorful but the journey to get there feels like a long one, and the whole thing is only 34 minutes. Is it a fun, happy album? Yes, but in the end I would personally rather listen to bands I mentioned previously. I will definitely keep listening to the songs I mentioned but not the album overall. 6/10 RIYL: Queen, The Killers, Panic at the Disco, Marianis Trench Favorite songs: Jumpstarted Everybody's Lonely Simple as 1 2 3
I will accept Fire/Waiting Room/Renacer/SS as all appropriate answers for favorites because all are fantastic albums.
It really is, sealed the deal of them being all time favorites for me. Also the 4 song EP is perfect too in between Fire and Renacer. I could that in that run as well.
This is starting to get to the point where we may need to move the convo to the senses fail thread soon guys
i dont know. thursday, glassjaw, birds in row, frameworks, loma prieta, circa survive, secret and whisper, dance gavin dance, touche amore, defeater, the saddest landscape, united nations, la dispute, drive like jehu, cloud nothings, envy, shizune, hot cross, mewithoutyou....there's a lot of them
@mad and I traded a while back and she gave me: Laura Stevenson: Wheel (2013) Don Giovanni Records Laura Stevenson is a singer/songwriter from Long Island, New York and this is her 3rd studio album. This is an enjoyable album that sits in the wheelhouse of folk/alternative/indie rock that reminds me a bit of Bright Eyes and The Arcade Fire. Laura has a very wispy singing voice that reminds me of Taylor Swift. I think my biggest issue with the album is the production with her vocals drowned in the mix at times and then all distorted and odd sounding the next. It also feels like a long record at only 46 minutes and I think this is because it starts to blend together after a certain point. There are definitely some highlights to the album with songs such as Sink, Swim and Journey to the Center of the Earth. I want to give myself some more time with this album in order to give it a fair shot but at this point in time it is an enjoyable album that is just "ok". 5/10 RIYL: Singer/songwriter, Bright Eyes, The Arcade Fire Favorite songs: Sink, Swim Journey to the Center of the Earth
I was talking more about if we get paired up, not right now. I made bold the ones I have listened to but I must say the only ones I'm an actual fan of are Circa Survive, who I think are patchy, Touche Amore, who I never liked Is Survived By, and La Dispute.
@nickyeatworld and I traded a while back and he gave me: Good Ol' Joel: Good Ole Joel (2018) Good Ol' Joel are an indie rock/math rock band out of Flagstaff, Arizona. They fit right in with the emo/indie rock scene that is hugely popular right now and are definitely a band to watch. The production on the album is top notch and I really enjoyed the mathy instrumental track seven four (sure). The band members can't be identified on their band camp page but the singer alternates between typical singing and screaming at times. The screaming I could do without but it is rarely used. This a record I will definitely pick up from band camp and keep in my rotation. There really is not a single track I didn't enjoy although it can get a little "samey" which is my biggest overall complaint with math rock in general but it's a minor one. 8/10 RIYL: Indie rock, Math rock Favorite tracks: Living at Home Seven Four (sure) Dark Room in a Bathroom
@Kiana and I traded and she gave me: Kacey Musgraves: Golden Hour (2018) I think most people are acquainted with Kacey Musgraves. To those unfamiliar with her, she is a country artist and this is her third full length. 2015's Pageant Material was a record played almost NONSTOP in my house upon release. This new release continues to follow her trend of crafting amazing pop country hooks while also paying tribute to country artists of old from the 60's forward. Her voice is just incredible and even when she does dabble in pop, such as in the fun "High Horse" it just puts a smile on your face and makes you cling to every word she says. I really have nothing bad to say about this record and don't want to ramble on other than saying that everyone should check this out. This is one I will continue to listen to quite a bit and can't wait to see where it falls at the end of the year. 10/10 RIYL: Country Favorite songs: THEY ARE ALL GREAT!
A long time ago in a galaxy far away... @Larry David gave me: Cecil Frena: The Gridlock (2018) Hovercraft I believe this album has been reviewed quite a few times in here so I won't bore everyone with the history, etc. Cecil Frena mixes poppy electronics with indie rock and it actually works really well for the most part. Here is how I see it: he is the Reggie and the Full Effect of indie music. Reggie handles the pop punk side of things while Cecil handles the indie rock realm. Sounds good right?! My only complaint is when he screams I instantly become disconnected from the song. Take a song like Die Old, which is great and then in the last couple of minutes he screams. Other than that it is a very good record and keeps you guessing what he is going to do next. Maybe with time I can move past the screaming but on something like this that is so pop oriented I believe it is unnecessary. 8/10 RIYL: Indie Rock, Electronic, Pop Favorite Songs: I Want to Guard You From Boredom My Good Grades I Believe in Dancing
I love this album, I’ve listened to it a hell of a lot since it dropped last month. There’s also a fair chance it’ll make my top 5 AOTY come December.
The Soft White Sixties - Get Right (2013) @Kiana Gave me this album last week, I decided to roll with it because I wanted to go outside my comfort zone. I've honestly never heard of the Soft White Sixties. While this album wasn't for me it was a super fun listen ! The first three tracks off the album called City Lights, Up To The Light, Lemon Squeezer are a great way to kick this album off. They are some pretty funky tunes and set the tone of the album, and the first thing I noticed is that these guys can jam and play. The fourth track " Don't Lie To Me " is pretty cool as well, it's very Muse influenced and it has a pretty sweet solo in it. " Rubber Band " is a pretty stellar track because the vocals are out of this world and that rhythm is pretty groovy. As for the production, it's super crisp and clean. You can hear everything going on and these guys just have so much going on ! They have a heavy blues and jazz influence. This album wasn't my thing, but it was still a fun listen and these guys are super super talented. I have a lot of respect for them !
@SaveTheEarth and I have traded. He gave me Turnstile - Time & Space Turnover - Good Nature And I have given them: Yellowcard- Lights And Sounds Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness- S/T
@JediMasterKevo182 sent me the following last week: Senses Fail - If There is Light, It Will Find You (Pure Noise; 2018) So much has already been said about this record since it's been slowly making it's way through the majority of the members of this group so I will keep it brief. I've never properly listened to a Senses Fail record even though I've been listening to their style of music since before their debut record came out. For some reason I always viewed Senses Fail as a second tier band that would eventually fade away but I was wrong in one of those respects...they never went away (hot take in this thread). I didn't connect with this record at all. Musically I found it to be quite blah with nothing really sticking out to me and vocally Buddy's voice did absolutely nothing for me. I have read various reviews that point out the lyrical content but I am the type of listener that lyrics don't stick out to unless I've sat with the record for awhile or the style of music lends itself to the lyrics (i.e. singer-songwriters). Maybe I started with the wrong record but I stand by my initial thoughts back in the early 00's that Senses Fail is a second tier band in their genre. 4/10
Yeah the strong point of this album is it’s lyrics. In hind sight now I should have gave you Still Searching. Thanks for trying!
I always felt like Still Searching is a great album to start someone with that isn't framilar with the band. They were firing on all cylinders at that point.