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.

The Wonder Years - The Greatest Generation review

The Wonder Years are back with their eagerly awaited fourth album. The Greatest Generation follows on from the band's most successful album ‘Suburbia: I’ve Given You All and Now I’m Nothing’

The album starts with the impressive ‘There, There’ - a soft opening develops into a mild introduction of the instruments. The mid to the end of the song produces a mix of passionate vocals from Dan Campbell and hard drum beats. The second track ‘Passing Through A Screen Door’ was the first single released from the album and is typical Wonder Years style, fast instrumentation and raw strong vocals from Dan Campbell. At the end of the track Soupy talks about how different the lives are of the people he graduated with.

‘We Could Die Like This’ is another fast one, very similar in nature to songs on the previous two albums released by The Wonder Years. Again the drum and guitar combination is impressive and blends well with the vocals, which makes this track especially catchy particularly in the chorus. The hook ‘I wanna die in the suburbs’ adds to the contagious nature of this song.

‘Dismantling Summer’ has been described by others as the best The Wonder Years song ever written; well it’s certainly one of the best. Again, superb chemistry between the instrumentation and the vocals creates another infectious number; this track reminds me a lot of the previous album which had a number of similarly catchy tracks. I would go as far as saying the chorus is possibly the best The Wonder Years chorus I have heard in their discography.

‘The Bastards, The Vultures, The Wolves’ again is a fast number, again a great combination of raw and softer vocals throughout. Again the riff is very potent, there is also a religious element in this song with the lyric ‘I’m waking up to gospel radio’ this follows on the number of religious elements that appeared in some songs in the ‘Suburbia’ album. ‘The Devil in My Bloodstream’ is something completely new from The Wonder Years, the song has a piano introduction and a combination of Soupy and Laura Stevenson, the song has an unexpected explosion midway through with a sudden vocal burst from Soupy and the introduction of the guitars and drums, this continues throughout to the end of the song, a hugely impressive track.

‘Teenage Parents’ is a much faster track, it is one of my favourite tracks on the album as it reminds me of the first few releases of The Wonder Years because of its style, I also enjoy the drum patterns used in this track. ‘Chaser’ is one of the less frantic numbers on the album; it is much more straightforward and contains a number of hooks which maintains the catchy nature of the album. ‘An American Religion (FSF) begins with an interesting riff, fast drum beats and flowing vocals. It is another catchy track with the frequent hook ‘Does that make you happy’ it is also nice to hear Josh Martin’s vocals being incorporated into the album. ‘A Raindance in Traffic’ again is a fast number, this track features a number of ‘woah oh’s’ combined with Soupy’s ever aggressive vocals and potent drum beats.

‘Madelyn’ is the only acoustic track on the album, and brings an interesting change to the album. The vocals sound distant in this track which adds something new, this track will undoubtedly draw comparisons to ‘Hey Thanks’ but the maturity and development in Soupy’s vocals can be heard in comparison to the naive vocals in ‘Hey Thanks’.

‘Cul-de-sac’ returns the fast nature of this album; the drum patterns and almost high vocals are impressive in this song. Soupy’s vocals are superbly consistent throughout the album and even with the high notes in this song, he excels. ‘I Just Want to Sell Out My Funeral’ is the concluding track on the album and the longest track on the album. The lyrics are sung very strongly in this track; the addition of other vocals is also a pleasant one and keeps adding new things to the album, as the track progresses Soupy’s vocals get even stronger. The ending of the song features lyrics taken from a number of songs on the album combined into a sort of medley to finish the album, very appropriate seeing as they used four of the best songs on the album to create the medley.

Another impressive and brilliantly consistent album from this band, another reason why they are considered to one of or the best pop punk bands in the world in recent times. 

The Story So Far, The American Scene, Gnarwolves @ Clwb Ifor Bach

This was The Story So Far’s third appearance in Cardiff, it is clear that they have made an impact on Wales as this Clwb Ifor Bach sold out prior to the event.

In support were California’s indie rockers The American Scene and UK’s rising pop punkers Gnarwolves.

Gnarwolves kicked the night off around 8pm with their own aggressive take on the genre of pop punk. They played a varied set with songs from their EP’s Fun Club and CRU as well as including three new songs. They received a very positive response from the crowd throughout who sang along to their songs and took a shine to Gnarwolves unique sound. They provided a perfect opening to the gig and successfully warmed up the crowd for the other acts to follow.

Unfortunately, The American Scene received a very different response from the crowd. The American Scene’s sound was refreshing but felt somewhat out of place between two bands with an aggressive and in your face sound. Their set consisted mostly of tracks from their Safe For Now LP. I personally enjoy their music on record, but live their songs lacked the energy that was needed for a pop punk show. The band were consistent throughout their performance, but I feel it wasn't the right show for them to be performing at, they would be much better suited supporting acts such as Into It. Over It. or Hostage Calm.

The Story So Far have been complimented for their live performances, tonight is no different. Their setlist was a perfect mix of songs from both LP’s and with the addition of 680 South the crowd definitely had a night to remember. Every song sparked a frenzy in the crowd, constant crowd surfing and stage diving certainly made it a an active set for all fans, it may have gotten out of hand when a dude received an unfortunate injury while attempting to get on stage; this did give everyone time to get their breath back before the onslaught of crowd activity continued. The tracks from their recently released album ‘What You Don’t See’ went down very well and the crowd were very familiar with the new album, ‘Empty Space’ was a particular favourite of the night for my personally. The set concluded with ‘Quicksand’ which sent nearly every single person into delirium which it so often does in The Story So Far shows. It provided an excellent ending to a very fun show. 

Daylight - Jar review

After releasing three EP’s, Daylight are back with their highly anticipated first full length album ‘Jar’.

‘Sponge’ is a very powerful opener. A perfect opener to the album, big sounding guitar riffs mixed with very clean vocals which add an almost eerie effect to the song. The song ends in typical Daylight style with an experimental riff, low guitar tone and heavy drumbeats. ‘Life In a Jar’ erupts with a very grungy introduction, very similar to the likes of Nirvana. This grungy sound is present throughout with a very low bass tone. The vocals are much stronger in this song, much like the vocal style heard in the ‘Dispirit’ EP.

‘Outside of Me’ and ‘Sheltered’ again show the soft side of Daylight’s vocalists. These two tracks are very flowing in sound and structure and don’t have as much instrumental activity as the first couple of songs. Both songs are very effective at keeping the album rolling onto the next tracks. These tracks will undoubtedly draw comparisons to the sound of bands such as Balance and Composure and Citizen.

‘Crawl’ is my personal favourite on the album, again the use of interesting guitar riffs provides something new, the emotionally charged vocals in this song is what makes this song so likeable. ‘Last October’ continues the powerful theme created by ‘Crawl’ - again the vocals are very emotionally charged and very meaningful, so similar to previous works of Daylight. The potent drums and guitar complements the strong vocals perfectly, the bridge again gives the listener a new experience.

‘Youngest Daughter’ slows down proceedings; it’s a much slower songs than previous on the album. This track is very reminiscent of post-grunge band Sunny Day Real Estate. It provides a nice break in-between the album and shows the variety of sound that Daylight is trying to showcase on their first LP. ‘Knew’ is the first short song that Daylight have ever written, again it shows their progression in sound and their experimentation of new ideas.

‘No One’s Deserving’ is another slower number; again I’m picking up vibes of 1990’s grunge and emo bands, a sound that Daylight draws much comparison too. The vocals are consistently impressive on this album and blend in wonderfully with the sludgy guitar sound.

‘Hole in the Ground’ gives the listener another example of experimenting with different sounds. The guitar and drums are much less potent on this track and the vocals take front stage which is very interesting to hear, others may say that it is a dull number which does not fit on the album but I believe that is encouraging to hear a band experimenting so much on their first full length album.

‘In On It’ was the first song released prior to the album and again in my opinion resembles grunge legends Nirvana. This track is the catchiest on the album and is one of my personal favourites. I have no doubt this track generated great anticipation for the whole album. ‘Around The Railing’ repeats the same nature of the songs towards the start of the album. The vocals are dominant throughout this number until the last couple of minutes which is full on guitar riffs until the end of the track, and the end of an excellent debut album.

It was my most anticipated album of 2013 and it hasn’t disappointed a refreshing combination of a range of different sounds rolled into one album, it will be probably end up as being my favourite album of the year. 

The Rival Mob - Mob Justice review

The hardcore punk scene in recent years is beginning to grow as popular as it was in the 80’s and 90’s. Boston’s The Rival Mob are are just one example of a number of bands that have started up in recent years with heavy influence from early hardcore bands such as Chain of Strength, Insted and Youth of Today. The Rival Mob are back with their second LP ‘Mob Justice’ after releasing their first full length ‘Raw Life’ in 2009 and their ‘Hardcore For Hardcore’ EP in 2010.

‘Intro Grunt’ works as the perfect introduction for a hardcore album, slick guitar riffs and a slow drum beat, the album jumps into life with the explosion of the fast drum beats in the second track ‘Mob Justice’ supported by another memorable guitar riff and ultra aggressive vocals. ‘It Must Be Nice...’ has the same nature as the previous track, fast and furious with very sincere lyrics.

‘Boot Party’ begins with another memorable riff, this track may not be as fast and hard hitting as previous but is extremely catchy to the ear thanks to the occasional gang shout of ‘Boot Party’. The vocals are again impressive and remain potent. ‘Life or Death’ - one of my favorites on the album begins with a vocal outburst of ‘Life or fucking death’ which sets the aggression for the song, again the instrumentation remains tight and coincides with the pissed off attitude of the vocals.

‘Fake Big’ is another breakout of anger, I imagine this track will work well with fans of hardcore, and should send crowds into a frenzy at their shows.The lyrics ‘Z list celebrity. Talk of the town,riding the wave until you drown’ would seem as if the band are aiming the track towards celebrities. ‘Be Somebody’ again goes back to the style of the first couple of tracks on the LP, fast and ferocious instrumentation, again Brendan Radigan’s vocals are imperative in delivering the perfect level of aggression.

‘Friendly Freaks’ has repeated gang vocals, consistent instrumentation and is one of the most catchiest tracks on the album. This catchy style of hardcore is what has worked so well for bands like Rotting Out and Cold World. ‘The Brutes Of Force’ repeats the gang vocals and slick guitar riffs that are present throughout Mob Justice; the bridge provides time for Brendan to get his breath back and launch a final outburst to end the track.

‘Self-Esteem’ tells anyone simply not to fuck with The Rival Mob’s self-esteem. It is probably the most impactful song on the album, short sharp and powerful, this is my favorite track on the album simply because of it’s resemblance to early hardcore punk bands. ‘Cheapo Grosso’ is another short punchy track with gang vocals; the bass is very present in this track which provides the listener with something new. The album ends with the longest track ‘Thought Control’ begins with a fast guitar riff and flowing bass line which both link perfectly with the vocals and gang shouts, a factor which has made the album so enjoyable to listen to. The tracks ends with much darker vocals and a low bass tone similar to likes of Naysayer and Weekend Nachos, it’s a perfect ending to a spectacular album.

There are a number of positive adjectives that could be used to describe this album. ‘Mob Justice’ will be and will remain popular within any hardcore scene in America, this may prove to be one of the best releases of the year. I also hope The Rival Mob take a trip to the UK soon.

Touché Amoré/Pianos Become the Teeth split review

Touché Amoré and Pianos Become the Teeth are back with one track each on their new split release. Both bands have had success with their sophomore releases, Touché Amoré’s ‘Parting the Sea between the Brightness and me’ and Pianos Become The Teeth with ‘The Lack long after’. Both bands have a distinct raw emotion in their songs which makes them powerful to listen to, this raw emotion is heard in both tracks of this split.

Touché Amoré are first up with their new track ‘Gravity, Metaphorically’ – the track with begins with a powerful intro with the sound of pounding drums and low bass line.  Jeremy Bolm’s emotion drilled vocals blend beautifully with the instrumentation, to create a song so typical of Touché Amoré’s raw sound. The track has a slight interlude which teases the listener; the track is then built back up again to its powerful status with Jeremy’s vocals again dominating the sound. Fans of Touché Amoré will not be used to songs being as long as four minutes, but this track has just as much potency as the short punchy tracks that make up their two full length releases. This track is confirmation of their growth as a band, and works as another step to further success, fans are now anticipating a new full length hopefully in the near future.

Pianos Become the Teeth ‘Hiding’ showcases a different side of their sound. ‘The Lack Long After’ was successful because of the piercing instrumentation and intense vocals. ‘Hiding’ retains the same emotion but has a much softer riff and the vocals are not as strong in comparison to the tracks on their sophomore release.  The drum beats are most impressive in this song, blending with the occasional full release of emotional energy of Kyle Durfey’s lyrics, the front man is known for producing lyrics that are personal to him and his personal feelings and emotions are reflected through his fervid vocal performance. This track is very well written and put together very cleverly, the band seem to have a found a new sound which they are very comfortable with and should bring them more success with new releases in the future.