The Chorus Music Club Society • Page 251

My favourite true pop punk releases last year. I love Atlantic, Beautiful Things and Echoes a LOT.

 

Last week I was paired with @anonimito and was recommended Tunnels by Jome. I had never heard of Jome, but they are an LA synthpop duo and Tunnels is their debut album from last year.

tl;dr this is a good album



I could tell about a minute into track one on my first listen of this album that @anonimito had killed it with this rec. The sound is spacey and drenched in reverb. Rhythmic guitars complement electronic drums and a variety of synth sounds. The vocals are smooth, powerful, compelling, and catchy. It reminds me quite a bit of SYML, another great synthpop act, but it is for the most part more upbeat and energetic. Like the spawn of Copeland and the first Two Door Cinema Club album, perhaps. Clumsy comparisons aside, this is my people.

Opening track "Hollow" starts off quietly with crooning vocals over a staccato guitar riff. The sound opens up in the chorus with a wall of synths and the vocals move to a higher register. Pop bliss ensues.

"Don't leave me, don't leave me hollow
I'll find a new star to follow
You up and you left me stranded
It's not the way that I planned it
Don't leave me, don't leave me hollow"

"Thread" is the second track and it has more of an R&B feel, in both the beats and the sway of the vocals. This song also breaks out a catchy chorus melody with slightly processed vocals and an arpeggiated synthesizer providing playful accompaniment. "Vapor" is a more gentle, piano-based tune that shows the group's range. It breaks out into a rhythmic, almost tribal refrain of "I'm gonna let you down" to close out the song and provide the hookiness that can be found somewhere in every track of Tunnels. "Once Red" might be my favorite song on the album with a chorus that is so smooth and flawless that it's kind of unfair.

At the end of the album, the one-two punch of the hypnotic "Cinnamon" and the hauntingly-layered closer "Branches" provides plenty of motivation to hit play again once this record ends after a brisk 10 tracks and 32 minutes. It always left me wanting more.

This one is taking over the mantle of my favorite CMCS discovery (sorry @Bad Frequencies). If any of what I wrote above sounds intriguing to you, do yourself a favor and check out this album. It is just really freakin' good. Thanks a lot for the rec, @anonimito!

 

I will be listening to

Black Foxxes - reidi
Gang of Youths - Go Farther In Lightness

@disambigujason Will listen to

Bitter - Bitter
Vivian Girls - Everything Goes Wrong

 

Spoiler alert bitter is already good

 

@disambigujason those are some excellent picks!

 

Wow, I'm honored! So glad you enjoyed it this much! "Once Red" is one of my top favorites too, but every time I listen to a track, I think to myself, "This is a favorite, too!" Haha.

In case you're interested, the vocalist Jesse Epstein has another project called "Imaginary Future." It's more of an acoustic ballad-type style, but it features his vocal, melodic, and lyrical skills, just like Jome.

 

Heh it’s out of our hands now and up to kiana to decide!

 

And I will be RUTHLESS

 

Lol jk half of the recs I give never even receive a write up I like to consider terrible recs a special talent of mine so I got no room to judge!!

 

This week @broken22 recommended Sum 41's 2004 classic Chuck. I am, of course, familiar with Sum 41, but outside of owning All Killer No Filler and keeping up with their singles, I was not well-acquainted with any of their other albums.



From the instrumental intro and first track "No Reason," you can immediately tell that this is a darker, more mature Sum 41 than what I heard on All Killer No Filler. The singalong pop-punk style choruses remain, but the riffs are heavier and the music leans more into metal territory. Frontman Deryck Whibley's gruff yell is on full display, and most of the tracks utilize gang vocals for additional effect. "We're All to Blame" was a song I recognized as a single, which features very metal-influenced verses and a chorus that is slower and utilizes clean vocals. It almost sounds like two songs stapled together, but the band manages to mesh the parts pretty seamlessly.

"Some Say" is probably the most pure pop-punk song on the album, with catchy, clean, simple melodies and a chorus in the same vein as "In Too Deep." The next track "The Bitter End" returns to the fast-paced drums (there's some double kickdrum and guitar soloing on this track) and guitar chugging present on most of the album. "Open Your Eyes" features one of the biggest and best choruses on the album, though it also features Whibley's rap-like delivery in the verses, which is not an aspect of the band that I find particularly enjoyable. "I'm Not the One" strangely reminded me of Linkin Park, with rap-style verses transitioning into a more anthemic chorus. There's even some screaming in the bridge. It is proof of Whibley's dynamic range as a frontman that he can capably cover all of these vocal techniques on his own. "Pieces" is another throwback pop-punk style track which I recognized as a single from the album. The last track, "88," goes full metal in the middle, which is pretty cool.

Overall, Sum 41 isn't my favorite heavy band nor my favorite pop punk band, but they do an admirable job combining their disparate influences into a fun melting pot of sounds. Whibley is a strong songwriter and always manages to make the songs memorable and include a nice hook no matter which genre he's embracing at the moment. As a heavier, more mature album, Chuck is a great mid-career highlight for Sum 41 that retains signature elements of their sound while also expanding into new territory.

 

Good write up. Chuck is a classic.

 

Oh hell yeah. Now I just have to figure out which of the 5 Imaginary Futures on Google Play are him

 

I stanned Chuck so hard as a youth. Pieces is still A+. I brought in as a musical show and tell at school once and this guy SCOFFED at me smh. I don't remember his name but I'm still scorned.

 

Lol! Yeah, I know. He used to be called "Imaginary Friend," but there were copyright issues or something, so it switched a couple years ago.

Basically, most of them are him, lol! (I use Google Play as a store, not a streaming service, but this should point you in the right direction, I think): Imaginary Future - Music on Google Play and Imaginary Future - Music on Google Play and Imaginary Future - Music on Google Play

 

There's no scoffing during show and tell. That's just cold and very impolite.

 

Black Foxxes are fantastic.

 

i'll listen to the first album someone recommends to me right now. please be nice.

 

Hawthorne Heights Skeletons

 

ugh. fine. haha. :)

 

Alternatively, Remo Drive - Greatest Hits as the person I gave it to in here went AWOL haha

 

Who was it?

 

It’s a good album I think you’ll be surprised :)

Existence reminds me of some of the songs from it

 

I got 3 write ups to post tomorrow so that is good.

 

Aha I was only joking, I presume they are just busy, it happens!

 

Ya both records!