The Linda Lindas : "GOTTA GET OUT"

Power-pop is spreading through Los Angeles faster than COVID. Not only power-pop, but queer-coded, of course. It's intersting because this album starts off with a song that is poppier than the first song I caught by this band on YouTube, which was angrier. Perhaps we will get to that, or maybe I've been sonically catfished. The second song is catchier than the first, though I did not mind the first song; I have obviously kept listening. This could have been big on 90s alternative radio in the 90s. "Helado de Limon" is sung in someone's native tongue, but it also gets closer to the punk vibes I was getting the first time I heard them, so, moving in the right direction, but the Spanish makes the vocal phrashing awkward for this sort of thing. 

"Blood on Our Hands" is the song that brought me here; it is crust punk, which makes the first few songs a surprise for me, but it sits oddly after the poppier songs, though I like this sound best for them. I don't mind the super political lyrics since the music is good. They stay in this heavier direction with the palm-muted guitar, but the vocals go into a more sugary rock purr. On the previous song, they have already proven that, despite being girls, they can bring the balls so they raised the bar for my expectations in this regard. Apparently Haley Williams is on this track, but her voice just kinda blends in, though her style is pretty generic even in Paramore. 

"Nothing Left" is more angular and new wave. "High Horse" is not a Kacey Musgraves cover, but another pop-rock song that feels like they are writing from the same formula as the two previous songs and just mixed them together. "Break" is another punk song, though not as compelling as "Blood on Our Hands"; it works well enough, and this is the direction they need to lean into. In comparison, "I Could Be Wrong" feels almost too upbeat. "Everybody Told Me" has a slight hint of pop country in the first verse that disappears at the chorus, which goes into a slick 80s-inspired melody. Hints of this guitar creep up later in the song. 

The last two songs find the gas running out when it comes to creativity; one song is sort of punk, the other is an indie rock ballad way too sappy given the tone of the album up to this point. At the end of the day, it reminds me of the 90s and 2000's, not just sonically but when I would hear one song buy the CD and then be disappointed when the rest of the album was not like that. They are not ineffective at what they do; I just feel punk-fished so I will give this album an 8.5. Don't go into this thinking they are punk band. 

pst449

Sea of Black Trees : "Cult of the Sun"

 

This album by these Australian rockers came out in May and fell under my radar, so this is somewhat of a music lull that gives me the chance to catch up with it. The songs drone with a slow burn that sprawls out into a jam that causes the first actual song to collide into the second. Some elements remind me of the band Ours. What sets the second song, "Servant of the Sun," apart is it builds into a more Opeth-like chug of metal, with growled vocals even surfacing to counterbalance the more dynamic soaring vocals. \It evolves into more Alice in Chains-like vocals drifting over a more serpentine proggy riff.

They seem to have a thing for atmospheric interludes to set the mood.. These often bleed into the actual songs. If they ever tell you they have never listened to the Doors, make sure to take a step back before lightning strikes. Continue to unfurl their brand of hypnotic grunge that is punctuated by bursts of death metal growls. In some ways in reminds me of the post-grunge band Insomniac, but a heavier, more metallic version of what they did/.The title track finds them leaning into the more atmospheric side of prog as the drummer continues to excel by stirring the pot with his winding meter. This elevates the song's dynamics. 

"Omen" is another case of where one song bleeds out of another; perhaps it's the mesmerizing vocal melodies that feel more like a texture, as it is all very fluid. The more power-chord crashes that pack a punch here bring Tool to mind. Granted, all of the bands they have drawn comparisons to are artists I like so this plays to their favor as it's familar without borrowing, though the vocals might be the exception to this rule as there is no way the producer did not comment on how they sound like Alice in Chains. I appreciate that they are willing to build things into a growl, but I am not sure is is necessary. 

"Eclipse" feels like the last song as the final track is more of an outro that hovers without the needed build into something solic. With that "Eclipse" is another song that builds with a psychedelic simmer. The vocals complement the ambiance created here. However the abstract manner in which the vocals drip into the songs is not something i would call hooky it is the sound of Alice in Chains, but not the hooks that put them on the radio. For this reason I will round this one down to a 9, which is still excellent msot of this is due to the dreamy narcotic mood they have woven here. 

 

pst448

Rebecca Black : "Age of the Exhibitonist"

Not sure why this album has not broken through to the types of audiences that top-tier pop artists like Charli XCX have. I guess it has to do with industry push. Perhaps the production dollars are not as heavilly invested in this as they are in the new Charli XCX, but Ms. Black is bringing some sultry melodies and hyper-sexed lyrics to go with her new and improved vision of hyper pop. The first three songs are pretty flawless; sure, they are more fun than they are breaking any new musical ground, but she has convincing EDM sounds dialed in behind her.

"Miss Delicious" pumps a little harder with its more festival-ready beat being banged. "Pistol" has a lighter, higher vocal apporach, though the beats are also more subtle. "Michael" has a more house-meets-disco feel. I get that she needs dynamics to break things up, but this song, while well-done for what it is, does not measure up against what she has already been doing. This leaves the song feeling more like filler. "Vision Again" is more effective at shifting the dynamic from the high-energy bangers. The vocals are more intersting than the previous song, but it does feel like 90s pop. I like when they switch it up in the breakdown. 

"Waschesalon" has a futuristic bass line that sets it in motion, while the vocal purr holds a steamy tension. It does build into the angry cheerleader chant that can be a staple of this genre. "Metamorphia" has almsot a more Britney Spears-like vibe, but it still works. "Speaker Phone" works pretty well for what it is not the album's strongest chorus. She is obviously going in a more Slayyyter-like direction for this album, and it works for her, so I will give this one a 9.5. 

 

pst447

Azure Emote : "Cryptic Aura"

 Not my first rodeo with this death metal project, as I reviewed their 2020 album. They are on the more progressive side, highly technical and experimental, and not afraid to throw in sonic shades outside the bounds of death metal. I made it a point to listen to this album because Andy Larocque plays on it. He lends his fret skills alongside James Murphy; obviously, Andy's solo stands out more. A sax also appears on this song, helping it to stand out from your typical death metal. The second song finds a darker mood merging often sandwhiched between rapid-fire blast beats. 

Two songs in it's perhaps too soon to say, but it feels like the experimentation is more focused on this album, and they are not throwing as many styles at you but working things into a more cohesive sound. "Bleed With the Moon" is technical but still carries a darker groove that is more memorable than the chugging of "Aeons Adrift," which gets the job done but leaves less of an impression. Perhaps this is because the vocals on this one are also more memorable. "Defiance Infernus" makes me think of Dimmu Borgir, though less symphonic even with the solitary violin; "Disease of the Soul" varies from a Morbid Angel-like groove to a more chaotic, jazzy abstraction; the drummer is excellent but sometimes seems to be ringleading the chaos. 

"Return to the Unknown" is more on the progressive side of things, with the vocals of Anna Murphy helping to provide greater depth to the song's mood. "Writhing Lunacy" is more like the background noise at a haunted house, with a woman screaming and darker ambiance cast over it. Its more like an outro than a song, so I won't count it when scoring this album. This album improves over what this project has done before and feels more focused; I will give it a 9.5 , making it a top-tier death metal album to pay attention to. Out on Testimony Records.

pst446

Tårfödd : "En Känsla Av Hopplöshet"

At this point, I've heard so much noise rock and metal core I will go back to black metal. I found some depressive black metal because, when it comes to this genre, it's what I want most. It tends to be the darkest and most melodic. This album starts with the lingering strum of acoustic guitars. It eventually does lead to a flurry of blast beats, but they have already given it more to contrast with. Like Shining, this band is Swedish, which to some extent plays into the dense guitar sound. The vocals are in a Gullom-like rasp.It is emotive enough to fit the bill, so that makes up for some of the more textbook blast beat dynamics. There are lots of layers to the guitars, 

The second song sounds like they are just modulating the riff from the first song. The blast beat that possesses it is a little more rabid. More double bass and a soaring gallop propel " A Dark Cloudy Dream"; it is more memorable than the previous song. It has a brighter, almost Deafheaven-like sound. I am impressed you can hear the bass player on this album. The blast beats work a little better than they might on your typical black metal album here, though a little goes a long way. They do kick into a more Marduk-like riff on the song after this, but it gets caught up in blast beats.

"Hajartesong" is more of a straight-up classic metal sound, with the scathing vocals the main element that keeps it rooted in black metal. Its deliberate riffs carry more of a stomp.It builds up effectively. "Never Goes Away" finds tremolo-picked guitars carrying the melody while the drums crash around it. Closing the album like it opened it with an almost ten-minute song that allows the acoustic guitars to sprawl out for the first half of the song. It transitions into clean singing that flows through the rest of the song even as it builds back up. I will give this album a 9, it's more postblack metal at times than depressive black metal, but they have solidified themselves here as a black metal band to watch. Coming out on Purity Through Fire

pst445

Dummy : "do you love the color of the sky?"

 

Not sure how much indie rock I have covered this year; it feels like not enough, as every album turns out to be noise rock or metalcore these days, so here we go. It starts with a driving pop ditty with electronic drums dancing around it, then mellows out for the second song, which has the more indifferent male vocal tones you associate with indie rock. In some ways, it makes me think of a less depressed, more electronic version of Jesus and Mary Chain. The poppier opening trakc wa more unique.

 There are more 90s dream-pop things going on with "Full Spectrum Dominance" that did not match up with that song title. It's a good song, though. When it comes to the quirky Squeaky Wheel," the emphasis seems to be on the beat rather than vocals, going for more of a sound than songwriting. "Touch the Perfect Speed" finds the male vocals returning. It's more upbeat and closer to what you expect from this sort of thing. "Song of Mana" is moodier and more intersting than the previous song. It wanders out into re-mix like jam. "Omen Globe" is another dancey tune. It's more upbeat, like the Sugarcubes. 

"N of 1" has more of that 90s breakbeat. Her vocals balance it out. She is, in fact, not ready for another one of those block rocking beats. She is singing about the anti-Christ, which is intersting. "Heavens What You Make of It" sounds like it came from the more stoned side of 90s alternative radio. I like what they are doing here; I'm unsure how much I will listen to this one, as I am loaded down with dream pop, but I appreciate the thoughts. Enough, in fact, to give it a 9, putting it in the upper tiers of this year's indie rock so far. 

pst444

Sicksense : "Funerals"

 This had been on my to-do list for a second, but it is going to be the last nu-metal-to-metalcore album I review for a while unless something really wows.  Canada jsut loves this shit; it has all the elements from this era of the 90s that you could want: rap and female pseudo-goth drama. The first song works for the novelty of what they are doing, but I'd like to see different sonic colors. 

"Newsflash' starts off more like 311. It is almost too upbeat when left to its own devices before the crunch kicks in with its detuned weight. It is not as effective as what they do on the first song, but doesn't suck either."Sellers Remorse" feels like it's a continuation of the previous song, as they really have two major dynamics to employ, then things begin to sound the same. The riffing is generic and carries the typical nu-metal bounce even if it is a well-produced take on the genre.

The last song is a power ballad of sorts that no one really needed. It drags on for little reason and feels like an interlude in a Disney musical even when the drums kick in.I will give this an 8, as they are good at what they do, the chick has a decent voice, and it kinda hot. The rapping works most of the time, theey could stand to be a little darker, but oh well, I am sure some kid will like this.  

 

pst443