I've been MIA for nearly six months - my last post was at the very beginning of March. I've taken breaks from this blog before, but this one was a bit more intentional - I got married! I proposed to my wife back in January, and as the wedding planning ramped up, I knew I had to prioritize and put this blog on the back-burner. We got married July 28th, and took sometime for our honeymoon in Europe, but now we're back and easing into the swing of things. For me, one of those things is getting back to posting my thoughts on music here. So I'll be back to posting reviews quite soon - be on the lookout for my thoughts on the latest single from The 1975...
For now though, I wanted to play a little bit of catch up and do brief reviews of the music that's come out since my last post - it's going to be difficult to not write a lot, but there's a lot to get through and I want people to actually read this post in its entirety.
- Hi This Is Flume (Mixtape) - Flume
- I've really enjoyed Flume's more recent work, and was quite surprised when he dropped this mixtape (which in hindsight is how it should work). The mix in sounds, the variety in featured guests (slowthai is becoming a new interest of mine), all made for a release that I've been coming back to again and again these past months.
- Top Picks - "High Beams (feat. slowthai)", "Is it Cold in the Water?", "How to Build a Relationship"
- Strange Love (EP) & Special (Single) - Simple Creatures
- The brainchild of Alex Gaskarth (All Time Low) and Mark Hoppus (Blink-182) was a collabration that most definitely needed to happen. The term I've read online for their sound is (somewhat jokingly) "trashpop", but weirdly works in the best way possible. They bring their excellent writing skills together to craft songs that are catchy and fun while feeling like quality music. The first EP and the latest single show signs of a group on the beginning of their run - with lots of gas left in the tank.
- Top Picks - "How to Live", "Drugs", and "Special"
- You Are OK - The Maine
- One that I almost did a review for despite being so busy, this is an album I have been agonizing over since it released. I've talked with my wife a bit about it and what our seperate feelings are towards it, and the end result is....underwhelming, to be completely honest. I absolutely loved Lovely Little Lonely - an album that came to me at just the right time and resonated deeply with me. The expectations were thus a bit (unfairly) high, and I knew it was going to be hard for me to experience the next thing. Even this far removed from the release, I still find myself not coming back to the album too often. Don't get me wrong, it's a good album - it's exciting and vulnerable and The Maine to the core, but it doesn't resonate with me the same way LLL did. I know fans have really been enjoying the album, and I'm so happy that they are, truly. It's going to mean to people what LLL meant to me, and that's all that matters.
- Top Picks - "Numb Without You", "Tears Won't Cry (ShinjU)", and "Broken Parts"
- Violet Street - Local Natives
- An album I sort of stumbled upon from a group I had listened to a bit more in college, Violet Street is one of those albums that is just good - it doesn't have to do anything fancy or flashy to stick. Great songwriting and tight, appropriately-moody instrumentals create an atmosphere that I love being in. It's not a groundbreaking album (which is not meant to be a negative comment), but a solid piece of high quality indie/alternative rock.
- Top Picks - "When Am I Gonna Lose You?", "Cafe Amarillo", "Shy"
- Native Tongue - Switchfoot
- This album actually came out while I was still working on the blog, but (unfortunately) slipped under my radar. I've noticed I seem to be in an every other album cycle with Switchfoot - I didn't get too much into their last album, but Fading West was a huge part of my summer of 2014, between sophomore and junior year of university. Native Tongue is a wonderful mix of the Switchfoot we know and love with new modern sounds and genres that mesh together really well. The band continues to innovate while retaining their core spirit and values, which is something I very much admire about them.
- Top Picks - "Let It Happen", "Joy Invincible", "Prodigal Soul", "You're The One I Want"
- Mystic Truth - Bad Suns
- A band that I've enjoyed the past couple of years but not followed super closely, Bad Suns' latest release was another that I almost missed out on. When I did give it a listen though, I was pleased to find a truly fun record. Similar to Violet Street, this is not an album that is trying to break genres or defy expectations; it's simply a great collection of songs. It's especially wonderful when played during the summertime, in the car, with the windows down and a breeze blowing through.
- Top Picks - "One Magic Moment", "A Miracle, a Mile Away", "Howling at the Sun"
- Mother Nature - The Dangerous Summer
- I knew of The Dangerous Summer, and had listened to some of their music back in high school, but I was surprised to hear their latest record and find that the band had aged just as well as I could have hoped. I was specifically drawn in by "Bring Me Back To Life", which feels a lot like if Angels & Airwaves decided to get gritty. The album has more lighthearted moments, but it's songs like "Bring Me Back To Life" where the band shines in their emotionally charged, raw-sounding songs.
- Top Picks - "Bring Me Back To Life", "Way Down", "Starting Over/Slow Down"
- "Blame It On My Youth", "Generational Divide", "Happy Days" - Blink-182
- The singles leading up to Blink's ninth album (aptly called NINE), have been a bit hit or miss with me. "Blame It On My Youth" feels a bit uninspired and forgettable - it took quite a few listens before the melody began to stick with me. "Generational Divide" is more interesting, a 49 second, punk-inspired thrill ride of a track. Still not anything super exciting though. "Happy Days", however, feels much like the Blink that I feel in love with on their self-titled album. It's moody, it's got a catchy chorus while still feeling like a meaningful song.
- "Death of Me" & "Hallucinations" - PVRIS
- PVRIS was once a band that I was very, very into, and following quite closely. While I'm still a big fan of their work, this new material indicates a new direction that, great for them, but not quite up my alley. It's much more electronically based, something I expected of them, but also much more pop/dance oriented (which is not inherently a bad thing). "Death of Me" feels a little similar to sounds that Nero, an electronic group I greatly enjoy, has utilized before, and the song has a gritty tone much like PVRIS' earlier work that drew me to the band. I may really enjoy the rest of the album, but for now I think it will be one that doesn't stick with me.
- "No One Else" & "ULS" - From Indian Lakes
- One of my favorite groups of the past six years or so, I continue to be impressed with and inspired by the work From Indian Lakes does. These new singles are no exception - both are definitely on the chill side, and more electronic elements and influences. But that's been the natural progression of the group, and it works really well for them. The songs feel like moments, created to be enveloped by and lost in, and they do an excellent job of that.
- Sudden Sky - Crown The Empire
- One of the few "heavier" bands that I still follow and listen to, I've been eagerly awaiting the next album from this group. Their last album, Retrograde, was one of my favorite albums of 2016, and still holds up well today. This new venture, Sudden Sky, didn't quite have the same impact as that album, but it's still a really well written, solid album. The band has continued to grow and expand their horizons, and the scope of this album reflects that. Lots of huge sounds and epic moments litter this record, and the intensity stayed cranked up throughout. I'd love to see them live again - they put on an absolutely killer show.
- Top Picks - "what am i", "BLURRY (out of place)", "MZRY", "Sudden Sky"
- i,i - Bon Iver
- A group that I listened to a lot in college but didn't really follow intently, Bon Iver's new album really surprised me. My wife started playing it in the flat we were staying at in Paris on our honeymoon, and I remember being really impressed and enjoying it immensely. It's one of those front to back experiences - it's hard to listen in chunks or out of order/context. It's one long piece, from start to finish, composed of different movements and pieces but all a part of the same whole (despite saying that, I will still give my top picks). It's forever going to hold a special place in my mind because of where I first heard it, but beyond the emotional and sentimental aspects, it's a really fantastic record.
- Top Picks - "Holyfields,", "Hey, Ma", "Naeem"
It feels good to be back. Excited to review the new fun music I've been listening to this week. Thanks for coming back with me.
