Expire - Pretty Low; Album Review

Milwaukee’s Expire are back with their sophomore LP ‘Pretty Low’ on Bridge Nine Records. Their debut LP ‘Pendulum Swings’ caused a big stir in the American hardcore punk scene and the band have become one of the giants of current hardcore punk.

The title track kicks off the album in style, a brutal opening of throat wrenching vocals combined with ferociously fast drums and a dark guitar tone, the song focuses on the theme of how low someone’s life can go.

‘Just Don’t’ starts in similar fashion, featuring a great low bass guitar tone and a superbly delivered chorus typical of passionate hardcore punk. ‘Fiction’ is dominated by a raucous riff and incredibly aggressive vocals, the song focuses on staying away from the perception of what beauty is within society, an interesting theme. ‘Gravity’ is another huge tempter to head bang, the bass line and fast instrumentals are brilliant and the vocals are noticeably ten times as aggressive as they were on the first album which just shows Expire’s progression.

‘Nobody’ focuses on despising those who only get to big places by knowing someone and not by working hard. The message is delivered with huge intent in this vigorous number, ‘Old Habits’ is probably my favourite track on this album - it reminds me a lot of their earlier  work which shared the same incredibly fierce instrumentation. The end of this track features the guest vocals from the vocalist of hardcore band Bent Life, they blend in perfectly.

‘Forgetting’ focuses on the theme of losing memory of past problems, a little solo moment from the vocalist towards the end of the track reminds me a lot of their previous LP ‘Pendulum Swings’. ‘Callous’ continues the relentless energetic theme of the album. ‘Rejection’ has an incredibly fast drum pattern and again; deep, dark low bass lines creating a very interesting atmospheric sound.

Drawing towards the close of the album ‘If It Were Up To Me’ gives no sense of winding down, the track actually has a very meaningful theme - the song exerts anger based on the fact that one of the band member’s close friends was a victim of sexual abuse. ‘Second Face’ starts with gloomy opening reminiscent of the likes of Weekend Nachos or Xibalba, the track suddenly springs into life with another crazy chaotic vocal performance which takes centre stage even amongst the loud blaring guitars.

Additional vocals are used to good effect to close out a pounding, non-stop record which deserved it’s place in the US Billboard 200. I hope vocalist Josh Kelting had a good rest after recording this album, I’m sure he would have needed it.

Real Friends - Maybe This Place Is The Same and We're Just Changing (Album Review)

Real Friends have been hitting great heights internationally lately and they are now establishing their selves as a top player in the pop punk scene with the timely release (July 22nd) of their debut album; ‘Maybe This Place Is the same and we’re Just Changing’. 

The album starts with a brief intro and kicks into life straight away with ‘I Don’t Love You Anymore’ - what I notice straight away in this song is the extra bite on the vocals which provides a great raw sound to accompany flowing guitar riffs and upbeat drum beats.  I can already draw comparisons to the likes of The Wonder Years with this number, an entertaining opening. 

‘Cover You Up’ is a typical Real Friends song with the reoccurring theme of heartbreak and emotional feelings. Again I am impressed with the powerful vocals and the wonderful chemistry it shares with the instrumentals. ‘Old Book’ is slightly more peaceful number and gives you an insight into the softer influences that the band share, quite similar to the recent works of Fireworks and Transit, it’s a nice minute and a half of musical versatility which is always welcome. 

Next track ‘Summer’ is superb – the vocals scream out emotion and are again very impressive. A mixture of different guitar riffs makes the track very catchy. Although the track is titled ‘Summer’ the main hook of the song is ‘I’ll get through the winter without you’ – again connecting to those fans who may share similar heartbreak or tough times after relationships which was a reason why their previous works have proven so popular with fans.

Fans should already be familiar with ‘Loose Ends’ which was released before the album release. Unfortunately it’s not one of my favourite tracks on the album; in parts I find the vocals to be a bit whiny and lacking control, what is good is the additional vocals towards the end of the track which brings a hardcore punk element to the song.  It seemed to go down very well on their recent UK tour when they played it live so I’m sure it will continue to be a favourite with their fans. 

‘Short Song’ is another brief number, the opening sounds very similar to the opening of ‘Loose Ends’ which is a little confusing – after a promising opening I find the track concludes abruptly after numerous outburst of ‘but that’s how it’s gonna be’ – I can imagine though that hook being screamed back to them on upcoming live tours. Next track ‘Sixteen’ is intriguing, the vocals seem to have a distant sound effect which is different; from the instrumentals I draw comparisons to again Transit and a little bit of Into It. Over It. This is probably one of my favourites on the album a very calming and welcome change to the much heavier instrumentals and prominent vocals. 

‘Spread Me over Illinois’ returns to the fast paced nature of  the majority of the album, throughout there is a change of drum patterns and the much more potent guitars, which have been somewhat lacking so far in the album finally has a chance to shine; a much more edgy track with more potency. ‘To My Old Self’ has a much more indie-like introduction with much softer vocals, again this track shows the growing maturity of the band’s sound, also showing that Real Friends aren’t just another pop punk band, they like to have a variety which is a good sign for them. A constant drum beat towards the end of the song leads into a vocal explosion which provides a great conclusion to the track.

A lyric in ‘I Think I’m Moving Forward’ backs up my suggestion of more maturity with this band. ‘I smile and think about how much I’ve grown this year’ – although the lyric suggests it’s a single person’s thoughts I believe it reflects the whole attitude of each member of the band. I think this track also suggests the band is moving forward positively and this song sums up the reception and success they’ve had over the past twelve months. 

The album comes to a close with ‘...And We’re Just Changing’ – this is certainly an uplifting number to end on, the instrumentals seem to have a summery feel to them and the vocals seem just slightly more relaxed and are not as angry as previous. Again I enjoy when the guitars and drums take centre stage and there are not just constant pounding vocals which can always get enough for any punk music fan. 

Overall I believe there is undoubtedly some progression in this release and should take them on to larger ventures. The album should prove popular in their homeland and overseas. A nice combination of energetic and driving vocals and continuously consistent instrumentals provide a pretty strong album which the band should be delighted to kick off their studio album career.

The Wonder Years, A Loss For Words, State Champs and Light You Up @ Great Hall 2, Cardiff.

 

Birmingham’s Light You Up took to the stage first on a bill packed with pop punk talent. Light You Up are one of only a few UK pop punk bands and they certainly done the UK proud tonight, all members of the band showed excellent energy and chemistry on stage to provide a strong performance, vocalist Tom Napier put a lot of effort in trying to encourage the quiet crowd besides a few fans. With a new album coming out soon, there are certainly positives for this particular band to look forward to.

There was more anticipation building before State Champs took to the stage, a band who have seen a meteoric rise in popularity since the brilliant ‘The Finer Things’ album was released. In fact the whole seven songs in the set list were all from the recent album. For their first ever UK show, the band showed absolutely no nerves and were immediately involved with the crowd with the start. The crowd responded greatly with all seven songs having at least 30-40 fans singing along, the band responded positively and provided an excellent showcase of their own brand of angry and passionate pop punk. The crowd were able to catch their breath before the delivery of the final song ‘Elevated’ turned the crowd into a pack of wild animals, the band could not have expected so many ferocious fans and numerous crowd surfers making the security guards earn their pay. This tour can only push State Champs on to bigger opportunities in the future and I wish them all the very best.

Unfortunately it seemed that the crowd were conserving their energy during Boston’s A Loss For Words set who received a mixed reaction throughout, they played a great blend of their last three studio albums and threw a Jackson 5 cover in which took everyone by surprise. It was my first time seeing the band and I personally was not disappointed, I’ve always enjoyed the soulful vocals of Matty Arsenault and rhythmic instrumentals. The crowd came to some life when Matty demanded a circle pit during ‘Stamp of Approval’. A Loss For Words remain one of the most underrated pop punk bands in the American scene, I hope they come back and do a headline show soon to hopefully get a better reaction than this particular night.

Finally, The Wonder Years took to the stage. A band who have gone from headlining Le Pub in Newport to headlining the small CF10 in Cardiff to headlining Clwb Ifor Bach to now headlining the Great Hall 2. The venue seemed pretty full to see them play and there was much excitement amongst new and old fans. I personally thought they played a fantastic set list it had everything ranging from the latest songs like ‘Dismantling Summer’ and ‘Passing Through A Screen Door’- back to the superb Suburbia with tracks such as ‘Came out Swinging’ and ‘Local Man Ruins Everything’ and then back all the way to The Upsides with ‘Melrose Diner’ and even ‘Dynamite Shovel’.

Soupy was his usual emotional self describing stories between songs and informing the crowd that they had travelled 20 straight hours from Germany, they showed no sign and fatigue and connected superbly with the crowd. One particular highlight for me was the spectacular sing along provided by the track ‘Devil In My Bloodstream’ the whole crowd seemed to be in perfect harmony which echoed joy and passion across the venue. It had to be the most powerful and emotive moments of the night with aggressive and controlled vocals and an excellent keyboard solo from Nick Steinborn.

The Wonder Years remain kings of the pop punk genre in my opinion, it’s great to see them taking younger US bands on tour with them like State Champs to help the scene grow worldwide. The Wonder Years are definitely on the path to enjoying the same success as previous pop punk bands have in the last fifteen or so years.

Real Friends, Modern Baseball and You Blew It! @ Clwb Ifor Bach

You would think the atmosphere would be low with it being an early show, not in this case. A packed Clwb Ifor Bach crowd gathers to view the first band on the stage, Florida’s You Blew It! - there doesn’t seem to be much enthusiasm in the crowd for the band’s first time in Wales. They waste no time at all launching into a couple of songs from their new record ‘Keep Doing What You’re Doing’ recently released by Topshelf Records. The band also throw in some tracks off their debut LP ‘Grow Up, Dude’ which draw some interaction from the crowd with a couple of fans singing along. Out of nowhere in the middle of the set a mini circle pit forms during ‘Pinball House’ which is superbly delivered. Despite the standstill of most the crowd, the band produced a solid showcase of their angsty emo influenced and they certainly left the crowd with something to think about. 
 
As Philadelphia’s Modern Baseball came on to stage, there seemed to be more shuffling in the crowd. A huge movement of bodies began as the band opened up with ‘Re-do’ which was shouted loudly back at the band by the crowd throughout the song. The first few tracks flew by and the whole set had this basement show sort of atmosphere to it, the faster tracks started an influx of crowd surfers and stage divers even in what seemed a very confined area. The venue suited the band perfectly, a packed crowd singing along must have made the band feel like they were back in Philly playing to a local crowd, it was very interesting to see a band who have not been talked about much in the UK get such a fantastic reception. I’m sure they would
have left Cardiff with some great memories and an incentive to return in the future. 


Finally the Windy City’s Real Friends take to the stage facing a crowd ready to tear the place up and ready to break their vocal cords. I remember the band getting a rousing reception when they played Clwb last time and I expected no different and more. What was to follow was to exceed my expectations; an hour of pure emotion and a whole lot of sweat. Straight from the off with the fantastic ‘Floorboards’ the young girl fans were getting peppered and bruised by dudes diving off speakers and the stage, there were several moments in the set where vocalist Dan Lambton stood back and smiled in amazement at is his own voice being drowned out by a fully charged and hectic crowd.

Real Friends gave a taster of what’s to come with a new track ‘Loose Ends’ which several people in the crowd had already known off by heart. The performance of slower numbers like ‘Hebron’ and ‘I’ve Given Up On You’ proved to be memorable highlights from the set with everyone present in complete unity and showing raw emotion. The set closed with ‘Late Nights In My Car’ which sparked a frantic frenzy which provided a perfect end to a special gig. Real Friends release their highly anticipated new album ‘Maybe This Place Is The Same And We’re Just Changing’ in July. I think their South Wales fans including me will hope that they return later in the year with an album tour.

Top Ten Albums and Top Five EP's: 2013

TOP TEN ALBUMS: 2013

1. The Swellers - The Light Under Closed Doors
2. Touché Amoré - Is Survived By
3.  The Rival Mob - Mob Justice
4. State Champs - The Finer Things
5. The Wonder Years - The Greatest Generation
6. The Story So Far - What You Don't See
7. Daylight - Jar
8. Balance and Composure - The Things We Think We're Missing
9. Citizen - Youth
10. Rotting Out - The Wrong Way and Modern Life Is War - Fever Hunting

TOP FIVE EP'S: 2013

1. Self Defense Family - The Corrections Officer In Me
2. Touché Amoré/Pianos Become The Teeth - Split
3. Real Friends - Put Yourself Back Together
4. The Menzingers/The Bouncing Souls - Split
5. Turnstile - Step 2 Rhythm

 What to listen to in 2014;

• Seahaven - Reverie Lagoon [TBC]
• Self Defense Family - Try Me [January]
• Backtrack - Lost In Life [January]

Album of the year 2013: The Swellers - The Light Under Closed Doors

 

If I thought 2011 and 2012 were tough decisions, this was even tougher… so many good releases this year. My album of the year is one that has not been talked about much since it’s release but should be considered at the top of punk lovers lists. So here goes, my album of year 2013 is awarded to ‘The Light Under Closed Doors’ by The Swellers [No Sleep Records]

The album picks up where the EP ‘Running Out of Places to Go’ left off. I’ve selected this album because of it’s simplicity and it’s addictive nature. The album kicks off with ‘Should’ - a typical Swellers number this one with it’s numerous hooks, slick guitars and simple vocals. ‘Big Hearts’ is very similar with it’s infectious hooks and simple but brilliantly delivered vocals.

The momentum continues with ‘Got Social’ - again the repeated verses makes it very memorable and so easy to listen to. Although the guitar riffs are fairly safe they compliment the strong, passionate vocals perfectly. ‘High-Low’ reminds me of some of the old slow, bassy songs produced by The Swellers, it brings versatility to an already stellar album.

If you’re head doesn’t nod at the start of ‘Great Lakes State’ there is something wrong. Another of the many highlights on the album, sounds very much like a classic Bouncing Souls number. ‘Becoming Self-Aware’ is the best song vocally and is more like the previous album ‘Good For Me’.

’Friends Again (We Can't Be)’ reminds me of older Swellers. The guitars are much more experimented with in this track; again the vocals and on point and the production is faultless. ‘Designated Driver’ begins with pace and settles into the usual Swellers rhythm, this track has an excellent chorus again showcasing the catchy nature of the album. ‘Favorite Tune’ is another highlight, sounds very much like early Jimmy Eat World. Again the constant hooks used are just so addictive for the listener. So, The Swellers ‘Call It A Night’ on the album. The track starts soft but builds up into one of the more passionate songs on the album, the vocals are superb on this track.

Overall, an excellent album and it had to be to claim my top spot for 2013. If you haven’t listened to this album yet then you’re missing out. One of the best pop punk albums you’ll hear this decade.

Watch the video for 'High/Low'


2012 Winner: The Menzingers - On The Impossible Past

The Menzingers/The Bouncing Souls split review.

The Menzingers and The Bouncing Souls are back with a new split release on Chunksaah Records.

The Bouncing Souls kick off the split with new song ‘Blackout’ - the track kicks off with repeated ‘woah oh’s and a very upbeat guitar riff, the fast pace of the song gives it such a classic feel, although the vocals are not as strong and likeable as they once were, the chorus is typically addictive and so reminiscent of older material. The bridge works well as a pause and allows the song to pick up pace again and have an upbeat ending.

The second Bouncing Souls song is a cover of The Menzingers ‘Burn After Writing’. I am not a fan of opening which sounds very disjointed and the vocals make a dull beginning. Greg Attonito finds comfort with the chorus and ends the track strong but I feel the band fail to make the track their own.

It’s so nice to see The Menzingers back with new song ‘The Shakes’ and they do not disappoint, the track starts with typical gang vocals mixed with aggressive vocals and contagious hooks. ‘I’ve Got The Shakes Baby’ is repeated throughout to create the perfect classic pop punk track. The aggressive vocals and mellow instrumentation always combines well in Menzingers songs and again works well in this one.

The final track on the split is the Menzingers cover of ‘Kate is Great’ originally by The Bouncing Souls. The Menzingers seem to attack the song straight from the start and vocally and instrumentally it sounds faultless, this song is utterly catchy and The Menzingers show their incredible ability as a band with a well delivered and almost identical cover of the original, I’m sure The Bouncing Souls would have enjoyed hearing one of their classics being covered so well.