Before A Million Universes by Big Ups

The long awaited return album from iconic post-hardcore act Slint... oh wait a minute, that's right, it only sounds as if this album were recorded by Slint. Instead, Before A Million Universes is the second full-length release from New York based post-punk outfit Big Ups. While the four-piece band don't bother pulling any punches when it comes to showing off their influences on this record, they also look to incorporate just enough of their own sound to allow them to make this project their own.

Let me preface by saying that I personally consider Slint's Spiderland LP to be amongst the best post-hardcore albums released, and seeing a band influenced by them isn't anything new, nor do I consider it to be a bad thing. However, it becomes immediately evident on this project that it's preventing Big Ups from defining their own sound as not only are they borrowing the vocal style, but many of the guitar riffs also seemed to be pulled right out of Slint's playbook. 

Throughout the album we see frontman Joe Galarraga uses the same lo fi, raw, loud vocals that Slint's Brian McMahan brought to the post-hardcore genre to help bring the sound from quiet, slowcore indie-rock to ruthless post-hardcore onslaught. Ultimately, Galarraga does quite well with the vocal transitions, but because they seem so familiar, and are already an integral part of a such a well-known act, it's hard to not imagine you're listening to someone else when you hear them. 

The album's opener, Contain Myself is one of the better moments on the LP in my opinion, as Big Ups balance the Slint inspired spoken word quiet to loud vocal approach with some heavily distorted guitar play and a booming bass line that plays a huge role on this album. In fact, the group's prominent use of the bass guitar is easily my favorite element from this project, as I felt it was by far the most unique aspect of their sound. After we move past that track however, the album takes and more of a dive into the same borrowed elements I've already mentioned.

The latter half of Meet Where We Are, the fifth track on the record, see's the group make a bit of progress and leave the slowcore moments behind to instead deliver a crunching, hardcore influenced post-punk sound that proves they're capable of being more than a glorified cover band. Once again on this track, it's the bass guitar that not only makes for a fantastic groove, but also gives the band a very loud punk sound. 

Unfortunately, these moments of more ruthless and angered post-punk are few and far between and instead the group dedicate most songs to following the same formula laid down by their predecessors. We do see more glimpses of their real punk side on tracks like the fast-paced chanty anthems Negative and Hope for Someone, but unfortunately about a minute in they both break down into more moments of Slint worship.

For some, the way the Big Ups chose to wear their influences on their sleeves may be an intriguing element, but personally I find the borrowing from other artists to be a little bit too heavy on this album to allow it to truly click. The album plays as a tribute rather than a unique listening experience, and while their is clearly potential with the group's musicianship and songwriting, it feels like they took a step backwards from their debut album with this one. There are a couple tracks worth hearing, and I can see myself coming back a few times because at the end of the day, it is an enjoyable record, but it fails to distinguish itself in any meaningful way which leads to dismiss Big Ups as a band who really need to discover their own sound.

Rating: 3/5

Listen to Big Ups National Parks below:

You can stream or download Before A Million Universes here.

Thought Rock Fish Scale by Nap Eyes

Nostalgia is in, and what's old is now hotter than what's new. What was once considered dated, or "so last year" is now coveted and celebrated. That can be applied to music, movies, and the majority of other art forms across nearly any platform. There is a certain demand for more acts like Zeppelin and Pink Floyd, but it's rather unfair to expect that same sound when we live in a time with a music scene filled to the brim with uniquely creative acts. However, for those into the revival of past trends and musical styles, the new Nap Eyes album Thought Rock Fish Scale is aimed specifically at you.

The sounds of Atlantic Canada flow through the folk act's sophomore release, while the band also looks to incorporate influences from the likes of iconic art-rock group The Velvet Underground. The laid back guitar play and somber tone of the album are propelled by frontman Nigel Chapman's vocal approach, which does at times feel monotonous, and yet at other times fits in just perfectly. While the album is just a mere 34 minutes in runtime, it sees plenty of repetition and longer than expected tracks. The longest cut on the album, Lion in Chains, is an example of the four-piece taking advantage of said repetitious approach and extra song length as Chapman's voice fills your ears by soaring high above the instrumentation with his story telling as he pulls you into his own little world until the next track hits. It isn't always a positive when the songs happen to drag on for so long though, as cuts like Click Clack and Alaskan Shake both feel as if they simply should have wrapped up sooner, despite both being quite a bit shorter than the aforementioned Lion in Chains. 

One of the most intriguing aspects of the project is just how prominent Josh Salter's bass is. It comes through both groovy and mellow, and on the opening cut Mixer, feels louder than any other instrument featured, which helps make it one of the best songs on the whole album. The project can only be explained by calling it the soundtrack to cracking open a cold beer on a sandy beach, thanks to the warm and welcoming guitar riffs and soothing, laid back drum patterns. 

As far as the local Nova Scotian music scene goes, I haven't heard many acts that are worthy of discussion. Nap Eyes however, have proven themselves deserving of anyone and everyone's time of day with their latest release. It isn't anything new, and in fact it feels quite old. The album gives you that same feeling as finding an old childhood toy, or flipping through a photo album filled with pictures of your favorite summer. It's that atmosphere and sensation that not only keeps the album from being just another indie folk record, but also allows it to be accessible to music fans both young and old.

Favorite Tracks: Mixer, Lion in Chains, Trust

Least Favorite Tracks: Click Clack, Alaskan Shake

Rating: 3.5/5

Listen to Nap Eyes track Mixer below:

You can download the band's album Thought Rock Fish Scale here.

I'm Up by Young Thug

Recently I reviewed the newest Future album EVOL (a review which you can read right here) and during that review, I mentioned the subtle subtweets and disses exchanged between Future and fellow Atlanta based rapper Young Thug over the last year or so, thanks to the two rappers embracing the state of 21st century hip-hop where all "rap beef" takes place on Twitter. Regardless of the words exchanged between the two, the true showdown came this past Friday as both artists released their own respective projects. While Future's EVOL was an average trap project that gave us the same Future we've been seeing for his last few releases, I was hoping Young Thug would seize the opportunity to capitalize on his seemingly always growing momentum, and finally prove himself as a rapper.

Originally, it was Slime Season 3 that was planned to be released this month. Instead, however, Young Thug, claiming inspiration from Kanye West and all the name changes his upcoming release (now titled Waves, incase you weren't sure) went through. Under the name I'm Up, Thug has released his 10th project since the beginning of 2014, and yet still, Thug fails to prove that he's deserving of his popularity.

The promising opener F Cancer, is a tribute to rapper Boosie Badazz, who had announced his diagnosis of cancer back in November of last year. The bass driven, upbeat production coupled with Thug's flow and simplistic lyrics and a feature from Quavo (of Migos fame) actually helps build an enjoyable, catchy cut that Thug has proven he is capable of doing in the past. Unfortunately it is one of the few songs on the album that actually manages to do enough to standout. For My People and Special are two other moments on the project where Thug is able to make a slight statement, thanks to the spacey trap production and intriguing features. Aside from that however, I'm Up is a collection of generic, boring, subpar trap songs. Thug's exuberant personality is no where to be found on the project, and much like I mentioned in my review of Future's EVOL, Thug is becoming another artist who is putting out far too much material and rather than impressing like he did when he first blew up, he's slowly assuring his fate as just another musical fad rather than a truly enjoyable act.

Each time I listen to I'm Up, I can't help but struggle to pay attention once I'm four or five cuts in. There's nothing impressive or enjoyable being shown aside from the few decent cuts I mentioned previously. If it comes down to Future or Thug, I'm listening to EVOL over I'm Up any day of the week, and that's not necessarily a compliment to either artist, but more so just proof that both are beginning to overstay their welcome thanks to the far too frequent releases.

Favorite Tracks: F Cancer, For My People, Special

Least Favorite Tracks: King TROUP, Hercules

Rating: 2/5

Below you can watch the F Cancer music video, which is co-directed by Thug himself, and also features the rapper/now director(?) being dressed head-to-toe in a set of pink scrubs.

Emotional Mugger by Ty Segall

Over the last 5 or so years, Ty Segall has been one of the most prolific and enjoyable acts in the garage rock scene. With 9 studio albums, tons of collaborations, and recordings done with a multitude of other bands, he has cemented himself as a very talented multi-instrumentalist already, at the young age of 28. So, with all of this experience and work under his belt, how would he approach the music on his 8th solo album, Emotional Mugger?

The fusion of lo-fi garage rock and psychedelic punk-rock found on Ty's latest release is something that really took me by surprise. Not because of the influence itself, as the garage rock wonder kid has always been known for his risk taking and fusion of other genres, but instead I was surprised by just how heavy and dirty the production on this album was. It's raw, it's out there, and it's loud as hell. The use of heavy distortion layered with the bluesy, psychedelic hard rock guitar makes for my favorite aspect of the whole album. Throughout the track listing, we get multiple instances of Ty jamming out on the guitar, messing around with different techniques and approaches to playing, which when fused with the distortion makes for some amazingly raw solos.

The mixing of the vocals on many of the tracks is also worth praise, as it manages keep Ty's voice evident and easy to hear, without having it float over top of the rest of the instrumentation, something that happens way too frequently in cleanly produced rock music. With that being said clean is really as far opposite as you can get from what this album is, and that's what makes it stand out so much. The biggest problem that comes with this, for me personally at least, is how wrapped up and engulfed by the musicianship I am while listening. It's not a bad thing to focus on the instruments being played when listening to an album, but in the case of Emotional Mugger, it often times has me completely ignoring the vocals, that as I mentioned are actually mixed quite well. It does seem evident to me however, that the vocals were never meant to be the star of this album, as with many if not all of Ty's older projects, it's his talent with the guitar that really shines through. Tracks like the first two in the listing Squealer and Californian Hills are perfect examples of tracks where I simply find myself ignoring the vocals, because the guitar is so damn enjoyable. When we hear Californian Hills breaking down slowly, and then being built back up to an epic display of fast-paced noisy guitar work and loud booming drums, it's a perfect summation of what I enjoy my garage rock to be.

The only track throughout the listing that I can't see myself keeping on repeat, is W.U.O.T.W.S that sees a very experimental approach, as your hearing a layer of noise on top of clips and pieces from earlier songs on the album. I'll admit, maybe I just don't understand the purpose of including it on the album, but that's the exact reason why I find myself struggling to enjoy it. There's just too much going on, and while I respect the effort to be different, it just doesn't fit in with the rest of the album, and for me at least, is a questionable inclusion in the track-listing. Especially when you consider it comes in at over three minutes long.

At the end of the day, Ty Segall came through with what is yet another fantastic album by one of the better solo garage rock acts out there at the moment. If you like noisy rock music, this is surely something you need to check out.

Favorite Tracks: Squealer, Californian Hills, Emotional Mugger/Leopard Priestess, Breakfast Edge, Diversion, Candy Sam, Squealer Two.

Least Favorite Tracks: W.U.O.T.W.S

Rating: 4/5

7 Releases From 2015 You Need To Hear If You Haven't Already

First and foremost, let me just say that the chances of you having heard at least one or two albums on this list are very high. Rather than focusing on plucking 7 artists from complete obscurity and dropping them onto your radar, I figured it'd be better to take a mix of popular and underground artists from some varying genres, because chances are there will be at least one or two that you aren't familiar with, and that you might truly enjoy. With that being said, in no particular order, 7 albums from 2015 you need to hear.

1) Blood by Lianne La Havas

UK born singer-songwriter Lianne La Havas stormed onto the scene this year with her second full length release Blood, an album that saw her blend soul and R&B among a few other influences in what made for a great showcase of her talent. Not only does she have a fantastic voice, but her ability for writing catchy lyrics cannot be overlooked, and she's also a very gifted multi-instrumentalist. If you're looking for something new and refreshing, yet still catchy and upbeat, Blood is sure to lift you up have you singing and dancing in no time. 

2) Get to Heaven by Everything Everything

Everything Everything's contribution to the music scene in 2015 was a very welcomed one, as the band delivered some of the best indie pop-rock I've heard in quite some time. Not only was it's release a very pleasant surprise to me, but it also ended up being one of my favorite album's of the year as well. Lead singer Jonathan Higgs' vocals may take a little bit of getting used to, but once you hear a few songs from the band, and see just what his vocal range is capable of alongside their ability to craft catchy pop tunes, you'll be blown away.

3) Meow The Jewels by Run The Jewels

Ever since the group's formation and debut album back in 2013, Run The Jewels, the hip-hop duo of Killer Mike and El-P has been one of, if not the most entertaining and enjoyable rap ensemble in all of hip-hop. So it's only fair that the two combine their oftentimes aggressive and overly violent rap style with the soothing sounds of cats, right? Well, whether you answered yes or no to that, they did it. Thanks to a fan-funded kickstarter campaign, Killer Mike, El-P, a few lucky cats, and a large number of gifted producers got together and created perhaps the weirdest rap album ever made when they remixed RTJ2 with the inclusion of cat sounds.

4) Hyperview by Title Fight

Title Fight's transition from run of the mill Hardcore-punk act to shoe-gaze inspired indie rock band made for one of, in my opinion, the most pleasantly surprising releases of 2015. While the album received fairly decent reviews, it didn't quite achieve the popularity that I personally felt it deserved. The music on the album ranges from noisy and emotional, to quiet, sparse, and depressing, and really just hits the right note when you feel like listening to an album that feels like it belongs in an low-budget indie drama soundtrack (and I mean that in a good way.) The album has a wonderful flow to it, and once you press play on the first track, you'll have a hard time turning it off until it's finished.

5) Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit by Courtney Barnett

Courtney Barnett took on 2015 with momentum on her side, as her debut album Sometimes I Sit received quite a bit of exposure thanks to websites like Pitchfork and the Rolling Stone promoting the release. The reason such high profile music sites went out of their way to showcase the Australian born singer-songwriter is because put simply, she's on her way to becoming one of the best indie rock musicians out there. On her debut album she introduces us into her own signature style, a style that sees her combine very catchy indie rock style guitar riffs, with weird, quirky, story telling that see's her range from rambling about her societal views, to her delivering repetitive and catchy choruses. Her speak/sing style of delivery is something seen quite a bit more in the folk and country scene, but she works it very well into her sound, and it's definitely something worth checking out.  

6) Today, I Wrote Nothing by Billy Woods

Billy Woods approach to hip-hop is quite unlike anything that's popular within the genre now. He doesn't use club anthem instrumentals, he doesn't rely on the popularity of the trap scene, and he doesn't try to be relatable. Instead, Billy Woods uses his immaculate vocabulary, and snail speed slow delivery to make for what was one of the most intriguing rap releases of the whole year. The songs are short and to the point, the instrumentals are some of the most diverse and fleshed out of any rap project I've heard recently, and the track-list comes in at 24 cuts. How Billy Woods managed to take on a project of that length without seeming repetitive either lyrically or instrumentally is far beyond me, but for a day where he wrote nothing, he sure did write a lot (not funny, I know.) 

7) O∆ by London O'Connor

Your first question, I'm sure, is what kind of album name is that? Well, the album name seems to describe London O'Connor perfectly, because both he and the album are quite frankly, just different. The young musician assembled a project this year that is an ode to growing up and missing your childhood, or maybe just never growing up at all. I reviewed the album in full previously, and my thoughts still remain the same. While London dabbles in many different genres, it seems very clear that he is creating his own sound, and his own style to accompany it.

GO:OD AM by Mac Miller

Mac Miller is a rapper/producer from Pittsburgh, PA. He broke out back in 2010 with the release of his mixtape KIDS, and ever since has been one of the most popular rappers on the scene. His ever changing sound has led to some excellent projects, and some projects that aren't quite as great. Nonetheless, the 23 year old as compiled a very versatile discography. 

Mac's second full-length album, Watching Movies with the Sound Off was released back in 2013, and while it was seen by many as a sign of maturity in his sound, I personally did not enjoy it as much as I had enjoyed his earlier work. He followed that up, however, with what is probably my favorite project in his discography Faces, a more laid back and unique, at times even comedic approach to rapping by the emcee. On his newest album, I wasn't sure what to expect. Would we get a continuation of the style seen on Faces, or would he continue to alter his sound on every project he releases, like he has done in the past?

On GO:OD AM we get a sound that hovers somewhere between his last two previously mentioned projects Watching Movies and Faces. While Mac certainly takes a similar approach to rapping that we see on Watching Movies, the instrumentals are much more reminiscent of those you'd find on his last project. I can't say that his lyrical approach on Watching Movies was bad, but I did personally find it much less entertaining than how he handled Faces, so coming into this album that was an immediate disappointment.

Perhaps my biggest problem with this album, and rap music in general at the moment, is the ridiculous 17 tracks and 70+ minute run time of the album. I know what you're thinking, why am I mad that Mac Miller provided more tracks to listen to, isn't that a good thing? It is, to an extent. But something that's happening time and time again in hip-hop, is that artists are adding additional tracks to the listing just for the sake of using tracks. Much like I mentioned on A$AP Rocky's latest project, so many of these tracks are throwaways that, if left out of the listing, would have probably led to a more positive listening experience. I think it goes without saying that the inclusion of two or three "bad" tracks, is going to really hurt someone's perception of an album. 

As far as what Mac did well, is his experimentation production wise on this project. He continues to get away from producing his own tracks under his Larry Fisherman allias, as all the production is done by other producers on GO:OD AM. We do get some very unique instrumentals on the project, like the one found on Time Flies, a track that also features cult legend rapper Lil B. Another instrumental worth mentioning is Jump, a very electronic based track that sounds much more like something you'd find on a house album than a hip-hop album. With that being said, Mac does a great job of making the most out of the track. ROS can also be added into the discussion of more interesting instrumentals, as it kicks off with Miller singing over a piano ballad before transitioning into a very sparse and laid back beat, where he even does his own backing vocals. 

The features are another thing of note, as throughout the album only 5 of the tracks contain guest features. Half of which are singing contributions (done by The Weeknd and Little Dragon), meaning Mac Miller takes on the majority of the 70 minute project all by himself. The guest verses we do see come from Chicago based trap artist Chief Keef, who delivers a very typical trap verse on the track Cut The Check, which is a below average cut. Lil B's appearance on Times Flies sees him simply talking in the background of the track, nothing more. The one guest verse worth noting, is that of Ab-Soul, who appears on Two Matches, a sequal of sorts to the track Matches by the two rappers that appeared back on Watching Movies. While Matches ended up being one of my favorites on it's respective project, Two Matches is also one of my favorites on this album. We see Soul deliver a fantastic verse as per usual, and Mac Miller keeps up quite well, seeming a little bit more focused than he does throughout the rest of the project. 

If Mac had have made the decision to leave a few of the subpar tracks out of the listing, cuts like Clubhouse, In The Bag, and Cut The Check, then I believe it would have made for a much more focused and well put together finished project. Instead, we get a project that's way too long, drags in parts, and at times seems as if it was just thrown together. That's not to take away from how many good songs there are on the album, because there are plenty, but unfortunately I can't only judge it from the good ones. 

Rating: B-

Favorite Tracks: Brand Name, Two Matches, Perfect Circle, The Festival

Least Favorite Tracks: Clubhouse, In The Bag, God Speed (the second half of Perfect Circle,) Cut The Check

90059 by Jay Rock

Over the last few years, Top Dawg Entertainment has been one of the most important labels in the hip-hop genre, as it's helped stars like Kendrick Lamar, ScHoolboy Q, and more achieve tons of mainstream exposure. However, since the label's rise to fame, it's been LA based rapper Jay Rock who has failed to reach that same level of success that his other three Black Hippy collective members have achieved. That can be in large part due to the fact that in his career that stretches back to over a decade ago, Rock has released just one full-length album, 2011's Follow Me Home, and while it was a solid release, it's been completely forgotten about thanks to the albums his label mates have released. 

Without a doubt, this new album was Jay Rock's big chance to prove that he is able to deliver on the same level of his label mates. At 30 years old, it may also be his last chance to do so before it's too late. With that being said, there are tons of rappers who don't come across their sound until later in their career, for example Danny Brown didn't release his breakout project XXX until the age of 30, and has went on to, in my opinion at least, be one of the more consistent mainstream rappers out. Jay Rock was able to prove a bit of his skill on the singles released for the album, but it wasn't until the third single, Gumbo, which was released in early August, that Jay was able to get me truly hyped for his newest project.

On 90059, Jay Rock does not attempt to completely overturn his style, as his sound is still a very much 'gangsta' rap west-coast influenced sound. He does however rely on a bit of a different production style than what we've seen him use in the past, and he does a great job of balancing his trade-mark story telling ability with a good amount of word play and braggadocios lyrics on the very laid back production throughout the track listing. Rock kicks the project off with a hard-hitting lyrical display on Necessary, a track that features an instrumental reminiscent of something you'd find on an early 2000's G-Unit album. Near the end of the project, Jay Rock does lean a little bit more on his story telling ability, especially on the tenth track Money Trees Deuce (an ode to the Kendrick Lamar song he featured on back in 2012) where he discusses friends trying to hold him back on his road to success. Even though the topic matter is serious, Jay Rock rides the line between topical rap and boasting, as he avoids getting too serious on any of his cuts. 

The features on the album are, of course, in large part done by TDE label members. The only non-TDE affiliated artists who pop up in the track listing are Inglewood based singer-songwriter SiR (who I first heard of on TiRon & Ayomari's Wonderful Prelude) and veteran hip-hop artist Busta Rhymes, who provides a very unique spin on the track Fly On The Wall, where he essentially spends his verse both praising and advising Jay Rock on hip-hop culture. While it isn't Busta Rhymes' best verse, it serves the purpose of further establishing Jay Rock as a rapper who is respected in the rap community. 

It's the TDE features however, that I was most excited for. We get a feature by 24 year old emcee Isaiah Rashad on Wanna Ride, and while he doesn't get the chance to drop a verse of his own, he does provide an excellent hook on the laid back beat. We also see a feature from singer SZA on the track Easy Bake that also features Kendrick Lamar. While the track is easily my least favorite cut on the album, she does do a fairly good job of providing a nicely sung verse that helps the instrumental transition into track's outro. Lastly, we get a rare Black Hippy collaboration on the song Vice City. Kendrick Lamar takes the lead on the track as he opens it up and also lends his voice to the hook. The production is fairly sparse which allows the focus to lay on the lyrical content that the four-piece rap collective provide. While the unique flow that the rappers use takes a couple of listens to get used to, it certainly is something different, which all four rappers aim to do on a constant basis. The only downside to this feature is that Jay Rock's verse is easily the most forgettable of the four, something that happens seemingly every time the group gets together. 

That leads into one of my complaints of the album, which is Jay Rock's inability to stand out on tracks that feature TDE members. Even on Wanna Ride, a track where Isaiah Rashad only sings the chorus, I find myself paying more attention to him than to Jay Rock. I'm not sure what it is that makes it so hard for Rock to stand out on a track with features, but it's a problem that's occurred time and time again ever since his signing to Top Dawg Entertainment. I also feel as if Rock will continue to be overlooked because of his lack of a clear cut "style." While Kendrick is known for his lyricism and ability to create conceptual story based tracks, Q has a gift for making very accessible party tracks, and Ab-Soul has established himself due to his unique lyrical approach and delivery. Meanwhile, Jay Rock doesn't seem to stand out in any specific way.

Still, those things don't take away from the experience of listening to 90059 too much, as it does come together as a very good listening experience. I do still believe Jay Rock will be the most overlooked member of the core four of TDE, but at least now he has delivered a major label project that proves he's worth a mention when discussing the artists on what is, as I mentioned, perhaps hip-hop's most important label.  

Rating: B+

Favorite Tracks: Necessary, Gumbo, Vice City, Fly on the Wall, Money Trees Deuce

Least Favorite Track: Easy Bake, The Message

That's The Spirit by Bring Me The Horizon

One of the faces of metalcore over the last decade, British metal band Bring Me the Horizon have compiled a discography 4 full length albums in their career, all of which cracked the top 100 charts in the UK. For the most part however, I've found their music to be rather basic and generic. It wasn't until their fourth album, Sempiternal that the band delivered a project that proved to me that they do have some potential to be more than just your run of the mill metalcore act. That's largely due to the band's continued experimentation with electronic elements that gave an added dimension to a genre that often times can feel very one dimensional, at least on the mainstream level.

Going into the release of their newest album That's The Spirit, I was fairly excited to see what kind of progress Oliver Sykes and co. were going to make, and if they could actually win me over with an album that actually felt as if the band were passionate about the music that they made. Instead of that however, the singles released before the album Drown, Happy Song, and Throne, made it evident that the band was headed in a very different direction than that of their previous output. While the electronic elements remained in their sound, any previous elements of the metalcore genre, or metal for that matter, were left in the past. Instead, on their latest release Bring Me the Horizon ditch the screaming vocals, hardcore guitar riffs, and booming drums, in favor of a much more radio friendly rock sound. While the electronic elements, like the use of a synthesizer remained, that was really the only element that carried over, aside from Oliver Sykes subpar song writing ability. 

Let me just say, there is nothing wrong with bands making big transitions in their sound, and in a lot of cases (Radiohead's Kid A, The Velvet Underground & Nico's eponymous album, and even more recently, Kanye West's Yeezus) a transition can lead to a band/artist putting out some of their best material. However, as far as Bring Me the Horizon's 180 turn in musical direction goes, it does absolutely nothing for me. Sonically, the band sounds different of course, but the same reasons why I couldn't get into the band before remain. The guitar riffs are recycled and often times boring, the vocals are also boring and frankly, the lyrics are even worse. Not to mention how lame the background chanting in tracks like True Friends are now that they've lost all of their previous edge. On the note of lyrics, I can't count how many times I found myself shaking my head at the lyrics on this project, the previously mentioned True Friends is a perfect example of that, as on the track Oliver Sykes sings the incredibly childish chorus of "true friends' stab you in the front." I'm not saying that the band has ever been poetic by any stretch, but they could at least get away with it when the lyrics were being screamed with a little bit of passion, on a rock song however, lyrics that sound as if they were written by a 12 year old just aren't going to fly.  

In all honesty, it's hard for me to pick out any positives on the band's newest release. It really sounds as if the band is going for a lighter, less entertaining version of what they were doing on their their first few albums. As tired as I am of the typical metalcore sound of hardcore verses that are met with cleanly sang choruses that see the vocals soar over the rest of the instruments in the most corny of fashions, this album is not much more entertaining than that. Part of me really wants to like this album, because I do think that the band has much more potential than just playing to crowds of teenage girls and selling t-shirts at Hot Topics. With that being said, if they're ever going to reach that potential, they're going to need to progress and mature, instead of doing whatever it is they did to create this disappointment. 

Rating: D

Favorite Tracks: What You Need, Drown

Least Favorite Tracks: Happy Song, Throne, True Friends, Avalanche, Run, Blasphemy

Too by FIDLAR

FIDLAR are a Los Angeles, California based skate/garage punk band who formed back in 2009. Since their inception, they've released only one full-length album back in 2013, which was of course their eponymous debut. On this album, the band blew away both critics and music fans alike, as they were able to blend together genres like skate punk, garage rock, surf rock, and more, with their own lo-fi sound. While the album was able to bring together comedy with some rocking musicianship from the band members, it's their latest album Too that has me really excited to see what the four-piece is capable of.

The album's lead single, 40oz. On Repeat would lead the listener to believe that the band is delivering an album much like their first, only slightly more produced and cleaned up. That however, is far from the truth. While the lead single does carry that same garage punk ethic that helped the band's first album become so popular, they quickly shift styles when the second track Punks rolls around. This track is a hard hitting, at times psychedelic cut, that features vocalist Zac Carper screaming at the listener.

If I was to simply list off the best tracks and talk about what makes them so enjoyable, I'd be here all day. To understand the versatility of FIDLAR, you really need to give the album a listen. There's a handful of classic punk cuts like 40oz, Sober, Drone, and more, but you also get some songs that can't easily be described by a genre classification. Tracks like Punks, Why Generation, and Overdose are perfect examples of that. Overdose stands out as one of the best tracks in the listing for me personally, as the song kicks off sounding almost folk-ish, with a very Tom Waits inspired guitar riff that transcends into pure chaos within the last thirty seconds as we get shrieked vocals, distorted guitars, and a heavy drum beat to lead the track out. The album's strength, in my opinion, lies in the band's diversity, as they really make an effort to keep any two songs from sounding too similar. 

Labeling an album as "skate-punk" can often times be a big turn off for music fans, who will then expect a project the likes of something done by Avril Lavigne or Simple Plan, but this album is so much more than that. While much more produced and less lo-fi than their debut, Too is a step in the right direction for the very talented young band, as they've shed the label of being a local punk band, and instead are throwing their name into the hat of best up and coming bands in the music world right now. If you need any more proof that punk isn't dead, take a look at FIDLAR's latest release, because you're bound to be surprised.

Rating: A-

Favorite Tracks: 40oz. On Repeat, Punks, West Coast, Why Generation, Sober, Overdose, Stupid Decisions

Least Favorite Tracks: None