The Chorus Music Club Society • Page 330

Low teens, big dirty, gutter

 

It appears I have some work to do!

 

So I can definitely say after listening to a few tracks that The Barber sounds A LOT like ETID when they did their dipping into Southern Rock phase and bring to mind Maylene and The Sons of Disaster. I'm digging it.

@ugman_2000 should like it as well!

 

(I've given this album most of the day to sink in, and I think I'm ready to review it, too! This is my second of two reviews for @Patterns in Traffic for the new session.)


Longwave: Secrets Are Sinister

Once again, I didn't know what to expect with this album, but I knew @Patterns in Traffic wouldn't steer me wrong!

The instrumentation was phenomenal - the guitars, keyboards, and drums each played a part in making each track really stand out.

I haven't had a chance to pick up the most of the lyrics yet, but I did enjoy the ones I've heard so far. Now, the vocals and melodies were simply amazing! At times (but not always), the vocalist's falsetto reminded me of Aaron Marsh (Copeland) and Wesley Blaylock (Deas Vail), which is almost a guarantee that I'd enjoy this album. When he wasn't using his falsetto, his voice was a bit similar to Dan Haseltine (Jars of Clay) and Robert Stevenson (A Silent Film). Also, the melodies were fantastic! In fact, sometimes the melodies and instrumentation were also reminiscent of a "harder" Copeland sound at times - somewhere around the "In Motion" era, as well as Jimmy Eat World.

No major critiques here!

"Sirens in the Deep Sea" opens the album with some huge guitars! Once the vocals started (this is a track where I really hear the Aaron Marsh/Wesley Blaylock similarities, with the falsetto), I was sold. The guitars and little synth effects here and there were utilized perfectly. If it's not obvious yet, this track was a big favorite! "No Direction" is a really fast-paced track with a lot of powerful guitars and strong drumming. The vocals here had a different feel to them, and reminded me of Robert Stevenson a bit. There were some nice effects during this track, and it's a really interesting song, musically. I enjoyed the drums and guitars during the bridge quite a bit! "Satellites" has such awesome bass and guitars! The melodies here were gorgeous and catchy. "The Devil and the Liar" features some really nice guitars and is a light, chill track (musically). I'm incredibly impressed by the guitar work on this song! "Life Is Wrong" brings the falsetto vocals back for a while, over a very busy guitar and drum part. It's quite different from the rest of the album, but not in an off-putting way at all. I really enjoyed both the guitars and drums! "Eyes Like Headlights" has an opening riff that reminds me of Jimmy Eat World, which is really cool! There's some distortion in the guitars later on that also reminds me of JEW/Mae. Such a cool track - it's one of my top favorites! (I really hope this was a single, even though it appears that it wasn't.) The drums and guitars/effects during the outro are awesome! "I Don't Dare" opens with some stellar drumming and guitar/bass work - wow! It's catchy from the get-go. I just love the sound of it! The falsetto once again returns in this track for a bit, and it's fantastic. I really hear the Dan Haseltine similarities on this song, too. This is another one of my top favorites. "It's True" is a slower track, with some really fantastic drums and guitars. There are a lot of layers, and I really enjoyed listening to hear how they all interact here. Very nice! "Shining Hours" is another pretty chill track, and I heard a lot of musical similarities to Copeland (especially the guitars) - how awesome! It's a very catchy, enjoyable song. The fantastic outro (the guitars, especially) was very similar to Jimmy Eat World and/or Mae. Last but not least, the title track closes out the album with some cool drumming and bass work. The falsetto once again makes an appearance, which is awesome. This is such a fitting closer, since it has some of each of my favorite parts of the rest of the album - it's a top favorite, for sure!

Verdict: 10/10

Favorite tracks: all of them!

Reminds me of: A Silent film, Jars of Clay (vocals), Copeland, Mae, Jimmy Eat World


(Thanks for sharing another fantastic album, @Patterns in Traffic! This was a great session! )

 

Awesome! So glad you liked this one as well! This is a great band that IMO took a huge leap forward on this album. The whole thing is amazing, but the first 3 tracks especially just floor me every time. What an opening trio. This album from 2008 is the band's latest, but they've been on my mind recently because they've reunited and have been posting studio updates while recording a new album! Can't wait to hear what they sound like after 10 years away.

Also, every time you review an album you pull another band that I love that is unknown or underappreciated in these parts. A Silent Film is so great! I should recommend Sand & Snow in here sometime, I adored that album. Probably time to revisit it myself!

 

Oh wow, that's awesome to hear! I'll have to check out their new album once it's out!

Haha! Yes! I had a feeling you liked ASF. It's too bad about them calling it quits. Did you hear their self-titled album from 2015?

Thanks again for great recommendations!

 

Alright guys, last week @anonimito gave me
Taking Back Sunday - Tidal Wave

This is going to be brief review but let me just say this is an fantastic album, I'm really not sure how I really never gave it a chance. When I went through the first spin I said to myself wow this is a different direction for TBS. I got a very Gaslight Anthem vibe with this album and the lyrics are beautiful and Adams vocals have really improved so, so much ! The album opens up with " Death Wolf " this is my least favorite on the album, it's not a bad song and I do enjoy it but it just doesn't hit me with that big of an impact but it does remind me of old TBS. The second track " Tidal Wave " is a song I fucking adore ! It's such a punk rock anthem, every time I listen to it I can hear Lars Fredriksen or Joey Ramone singing it and the Ramones, Clash and Rancid influence is spot on. It's such a great and fun tune. Next up is " You Can't Look Back " and the way Adam sings on this track really captivates me, It's such a groovy tune and I feel like the band is at it's best here. Lyrically this song hits me for whatever reason and this song could have easily been a hit on the radio. Songs like " I Felt It Too " or " In The Middle Of It All " bring something to this album that I haven't really heard from TBS is sometime, the band is on fire on this album. The production is crisp and clean with so much going on. This album is pretty much perfect and a great summer album, I'll be buying it !

Top Tracks: Tidal Wave, In The Middle Of it All, You Can't Look Back.

 

Awesome review! I'm so stoked that you enjoyed it so much! (It's probably my favorite TBS album, but I haven't heard their whole discography (yet) - hence the "probably.")

 

This album might the bands best honestly, also great Trio review !

 

Awesome review! I’ll take a 50/50 split lol

 

Yes! This review is awesome and hope people check them out. I just stumbled on them somehow and dig them a lot. Glad you liked it! I actually thought you’d like daytrader more than this album but who knew ?

 

I did

 

Thanks for answering me!

Apparently @Bad Frequencies is ignoring me >:0

 

I'm rediscovering Billy Talent today, I honestly forgot what a fantastic band they are.

 

I updated the review to mention him!

 

How would I have known? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

No prob lol

 

I did hear the self titled and liked it but it didn't stick with me like the previous one did. I didn't know they broke up

 

I want to thank @Nate_Johnson for welcoming me to the CMCS, and for showing me the ropes! Seems like an awesome community, and I'm looking forward to joining in the discussion! Here's my first swap, based on Nate's recommendation:

Heavy Things - Glimpse


It always amazes me that it's possible to be a regular visitor to a website like Chorus.fm, where lots of like-minded people get together to discuss similar tastes in music, and still I can somehow completely "miss" a band (or album) that fits squarely in my wheelhouse of musical tastes. The latest example: this band called Heavy Things. This album called "Glimpse". Seriously...how is it possible that I've never heard of these guys?

Regardless, I'm always glad when it does happen. I love it when an album hits you completely off-guard. It's an awesome feeling. And with this album, that feeling hit me right away. Sure, it's not like there's anything groundbreaking here. But when the music is this good, who cares?

When hearing an opening like "Lately" which carefully guides you into "Missing Out", it's almost impossible not to keep listening to this album. In fact, I'd safely say that "Missing Out" is one of the best songs I've heard in a while - certainly so far this year. Great pop-rock sensibilities, with crystal clear vocals which call to mind hints of The Graduate and Gates, it's not long before you're nodding along and even singing along by the time the second chorus rolls around. OK...these guys have my attention.

The albums rolls along with catchy and well-developed tracks like "Gone Again" and "Vices", the latter of which calls to mind the songwriting structure and delivery of The Dangerous Summer. Even when the albums slows down a bit ("Last Night"), you're still right there in it...the album doesn't "lose you" the way some do. It holds your attention, if only because you're looking forward to hearing the next track. And you're always rewarded for your attention, as is the case with the title track ("Glimpse") being up next. Great chorus, and I love the wavering guitar that breaks up the song. Little things like that stand out to me, and this album is full of great moments like that.

We hit another slowdown with "Feeding Flowers" (do I hear The 1975 in there somewhere??)...with another recovery on "Worn Out", a song with a classic-sounding chorus...one that fans of this band will find stuck in their head after hearing it. "Wasting Time" is another sing-along which reinforces that "wow...these guys are good" feeling that you keep coming back to throughout this album. To close out the album, Heavy Things doesn't slow things down...instead choosing to pick up the pace for the final two tracks. It's the right decision on an album full of them. By the time it's over, you can't help but be impressed.

As mentioned earlier...there's nothing groundbreaking about "Glimpse". But when you master your sound...and master that "feeling" you want your listeners to have when they hear your music for the first time...that's all that real music fans really want.

TL;DR - If you're looking for complex songwriting and performance that is "outside the box", look elsewhere. If you're looking for a feel-good, rocking summer album by a band who knows what they are, and does it right, I would highly recommend giving this a spin.

Top tracks - Missing Out, Wasting Time, Worn Out, Glimpse, Vices

Thanks again for the recommendation, @Nate_Johnson. Hell of a first swap in CMCS!

 

Awesome first review! I haven’t written yours because:
1. My wife and I just had a baby and we have been a bit busy!
2. Your recommendation is so damn good!

I’m so glad you liked this! It is my current AOTY of the year right now and if you get paired with me and haven’t heard it you are getting it. I’ve only had one miss this with this album but everyone that listens immediately falls in love with it.

 

Ok @anonimito lets do this. This is extremely late because well I've had to work late a few times and the new xtina album dropped and stole focus. But also I liked them so I never know what to say as much!

Zealyn- Limbic System. The entire album was v dark and brooding and soothing. It was v relaxing. I kinda died tho when I realized she's that American idol contestant! The dark synthy pop can be hit or miss for me cause sometimes it comes off kinda corny and melodramatic like from a teenagers xanga account but this was v nice and grounded.

Speak Low if You Speak Love- Nearsighted. This is the side project from a person from State Champs who I've never heard either but have heard about so I was kinda like hmm is this gonna be a pop punk thing but the Aaron marsh production made me feel like it wouldn't be. It was very like indie pop rock. My fave was Mystery's Gone cause that ending. I'm a sucker for a slow build up to passionate vocals so that one def stood out. Aaron Marsh was involved in this too so it's interesting to compare both projects and see where his touch is but how both artists have their own direction with it

 

Great reviews! So glad you enjoyed them!

 

I love the fact that mine and @Anthony Brooks albums couldn’t be further from each other stylistically this week. Damn it’s great to be back

 

Let’s show him everyone !! Petition for Larry to come back!

https://www.change.org/p/the-people-of-chorus-come-back-to-chorus-larry