I shouldn’t need to tell you how good The Black Keys are. Normally I’d start a review by commenting on an artist’s past successes and the present results of those successes. That doesn’t seem necessary here; you’ve likely listened to The Black Keys before and chances are you enjoyed it, and although Turn Blue is… Read More The Black Keys – Turn Blue (Review)
I haven’t posted much over the past week, mainly because I finally got around to buying Assassins Creed: Black Flag (I know it took me a while) and then spent the week living as a pirate. Anyway, here’s some brief write-ups of music I was sent and wanted to feature. If you’d like to send… Read More Music Submissions 6: Monterey / Euryale / EdTang & The Chops / Bateman / The Chewers / Chasing Dragons
Bury Tomorrow have become a force to reckon with over the last few years since the release of second album The Union Of Crowns, a record that placed them well and truly at the front of the British metalcore scene, leading to a number of highly successful tours and putting the band on everyone’s radar.… Read More Bury Tomorrow – Runes (Review)
Very few releases have made a mark on the melodic hardcore scene over the past few years in the way that 2012’s Dear G-d did, putting Being As An Ocean on everyone’s radar regardless of whether they wanted them there or not. After a few line-up changes How We Both Wondrously Perish marks the bands… Read More Being As An Ocean – How We Both Wondrously Perish (Review)
A few more pieces of music that’ve made their way to me over the past two weeks that I wanted to feature. If you’d like to send anything for consideration there are a few ways to do so via my contact page. No Tide – Daydream (EP) I’ve covered a few Take This To… Read More Music Submissions 5: No Tide / Select All Delete Save As / Shellshock Lullaby / Whose Hearts Were His
Transient is an EP born out of frustration with the world surrounding the musicians that created it, and vocalist Dorian Cooke said that the EP was given this name because every time the band tried to find structure and comfort in one location of their lives it transcended to a feeling of discontent and longing… Read More Battleghost – Transient (Review)
Record Store Day has become a big deal over the last few years, and I think it’s fair to say that 2014’s one-day event was the biggest in the events history, which was to be expected. I was speaking to somebody on the day who was saying that a few years ago, if a store… Read More Record Store Day 2014: My Thoughts and Purchases
There’s a brilliant stereotype to pop-punk that exists in 90% of releases from the genre. You get similar themes, with a similar sound, with the same bummed out dude on vocals. Not that any of that’s a bad thing of course, and when you go into a record that openly labels itself pop-punk chances are… Read More Northbound – Death Of A Slug (Review)
I’ve been away for the past week, hence the lack of activity, and in that time there’ve been a few more submissions sent in, the majority of which are featured below. Now that I’m home hopefully I’ll be posting ‘regularly’ again, although unless something relatively big streams this week I’m a little lost until Record… Read More Music Submissions 4: Sinai Vessel / House Olympics / Elenora / Depths / Books On Fate
This is the second time I’ve written this review, and initially I tried to be objective and write about Rented World without dwelling too much on its predecessor, which is arguably the best punk-rock album of the last decade, and one of my favourite records of all time behind The Gaslight Anthem’s The ’59 Sound. I wanted… Read More The Menzingers – Rented World (Review)
I’m beginning to find the entire ‘emo revival’ debate slightly tiresome, but if there was, or is a movement in progress then Two Knights are spearheading it. The bands past releases blew me away, last years A Lot Of Bad Things Have Happened, But We’re Still Here namely, and their debut full-length Shut Up builds… Read More Two Knights – Shut Up (Review)
It seems like bands playing music similar to Life On The Sideline are coming to fruition on an almost daily basis, attempting to strike a chord with fans of older emo-infused punk bands like The Early November. Not that that’s a bad thing, but in a scene that’s becoming increasingly congested it takes a really… Read More Life On The Sideline – Honesty Is A Dying Breed (Review)
Pylo – Young / The Woman (Song / EP) I really enjoyed this track, and it struck me as Kodaline but much better. Young is an excellent pop song that unfolds a little more with each verse, complemented by gorgeous male vocals and building instrumentals which reach a euphoric and sparkling climax. The track is… Read More Music Submissions 3: Pylo / History Majors / Lost Swimmer / The Vals and more…
This is less of a review and more of a promotion piece for a project I approve of wholeheartedly. I’ve had the pleasure of writing about the work of A Lonely Ghost Burning for over four years now, observing the evolution of the project during that time. Founded by Jamie Downes in 2013, the project… Read More Project Spotlight: A Lonely Ghost Burning (Carefully Curated Compilations For An Explorative Audience)
The Used are a band who’ve built their career by doing things their own way, and their records have always been memorable in distinct ways, but Imaginary Enemy is their most concise and rallying yet, taking the voice they’ve established over the last decade and giving it renewed purpose. In this sense Imaginary Enemy is… Read More The Used – Imaginary Enemy (Review)
There was a time when I used to like Steel Panther, which seemed increasingly strange to me the more I listened to All You Can Eat. When I was 14, admittedly, I probably used to find dick jokes funny, and there was probably something crudely interesting about Steel Panther and their authentic yet twisted take… Read More Steel Panther – All You Can Eat (Review)
‘Being cool means fucking up / hanging out means getting drunk / what was wrong with the way it was?’ The above lyrics are taken from the opening track on Rose, the aptly named Dead Days, and they set the stage well for the nine that follow it. Picture Perfect aren’t particularly happy with the way… Read More Picture Perfect – Rose (Review)
I don’t think there’s been a pop-punk album in my library that’s been played more than Gospel since its release back in 2011. That record seemed to capture everything I love about the genre and display it brilliantly, making for a catchy and relatable good-time all round. Fireworks’ third album Oh, Common Life is slightly… Read More Fireworks – Oh, Common Life (Review)
Prepare to forget the Seahaven you know and probably love, because they aren’t the same band releasing Reverie Lagoon: Music For Escapism Only. When a group decides to change their approach the result often garners a mixed response, partly because of jaded fans and also because of sceptical critics. Thankfully I am neither, and I… Read More Seahaven – Reverie Lagoon: Music For Escapism Only (Review)
Here are a few more submissions that I’ve received over the last week and won’t be covering in my usual amount of detail. I wanted to mention each of them anyway because I appreciate them coming my way, and also because failing to do so makes me feel a bit shitty. All of them are… Read More Music Submissions 2: Growing Up A Ghost / Ready Never / Phooey! / Locktender and more…
Craig Reviews Music 