Tag: album review

Slotface – “Try Not To Freak Out”

Posted on by kustradio

By: Ryan Smith

Norwegian based pop-punk band, Sløtface deliver their debut LP Try Not To Freak Out, with just about everything you could want from a 2017 pop-punk album. Warm reverb, a strong bassline, guitars with a comfortable edge to em and, smooth vocals with a solid range delivering personal lyrics about dating and early adulthood Try Not To Freak Out offers you nothing you haven’t heard before but instead really focuses on its common sound to realize its strengths. I don’t know that I’d say this is an essential listen for anyone looking to keep up with 2017 but if you’re a fan of pop-punk at all I can definitely recommend giving it a listen, all the songs are strong listens (particularly Slumber, it’s the most interesting song on the album to me because it draws inspiration from post rock/emo in its structure) and the instrumentation is strong, varied and well produced. If I had any criticism for the album it’d be that it doesn’t really grip me enough to make itself distinct from the figurative bassline that it’s genre expects of it but there’s really nothing bad I can say about this album as a standalone project, its solid in all aspects and I’ll be giving it further listens while looking forward to what Sløtface come out with next.

For fans of:
Paramore, Wavves, Best Coast, DIIV or Wolf Alice
If you enjoy check out:
Sunflower Bean, The Smith Street Band, The Spirit of the Beehive

Hollywood Undead – “Five”

Posted on by kustradio

By: Ryan Smith

Starting up Hollywood Undead’s “Five” is the infectious “California Dreaming”. The fun sounding pop influenced track tackles not only both sides of California (glitz and glamour vs dreaded reality), but also tackles both of the aspects of stardom. In a similar track name to 10 Year’s latest release, “Ghost Beach” takes an R&B influenced jingle to sing about the changes in life that we watch pass us by. If the sound you want to hear is some of that gritty, darker hip-hop influence, turn to “Black Cadillac”, whose featured artist B-Real get real about being a musician with fame and fortune. Bringing up a riot of a song shortly after is “Riot” itself, where electronica and hip-hop find a powerful combination to get everyone and their friends up and moving. This intense motley of sounds throughout the album produces an extreme level of sound and music that will have anyone getting hyped up, no matter where they are. Check out Hollywood Undead when they come to the Myth on 11/12!

10 Years – “(how to live) AS GHOSTS”

Posted on by kustradio

By: Ryan Smith

Being around almost 20 years means that you’ll go through changes as a musician- whether its sound, subject, or even genre. With 10 Years “(how to live) AS GHOSTS”, the group digs down to their roots while at the same time recreating a new sound. Having previous members Brian Vodinh and Matt Wantland return for the album brings in the old energy of the group, and a new energy that is shown throughout the album, starting right off the bat with “The Messenger”. Lead single and second track “Novacaine” continues this trend, touching on the dark subject of losing that childhood spark as your time goes on. Powerful drums and a dark booming bass hit the listener at the halfway point of the album with “Ghosts”-as front man Jesse Hasek says that the song can “set your soul free”. Sweeping strings and more powerful lyrics about the dark parts of life are the common theme throughout the album, but don’t think that’s overplayed- 10 Years has built a powerful lyrical and musical masterpiece- be sure to see them when they come to the Palace Theatre on 12/14.

Knuckle Puck – “Shapeshifter”

Posted on by kustradio

By: Ryan Smith

It is very difficult to listen to “Shapeshifter” without immediately making associations to acts from whom the band draws significant influence, to include ’00-era heavies like Brand New, Taking Back Sunday and The Starting Line. Knuckle Puck delivers their pop-emo hooks with such complete confidence and conviction and eventually their debts to those bands are eclipsed by the fact that they’ve written a banger of an emotional punk opus.
In fact, the title track lands so hard it is almost as if space and time have warped and we’re hearing some revisionist version of history where 20 years haven’t passed and it is Knuckle Puck whose t-shirts are flying of Hot Topic shelves.
Following up their 2015 debut, “Copacetic”, which entered five different Billboard charts in the top ten can’t have been an easy task – and apparently wasn’t as the band changed directions and producers midway through the recording process and scrapped their early efforts. The end result is the right album for this band and they make it sound effortless.
It’s easy to see why the band is one of the most beloved of the current modern emo pop genre; they’ve clearly gotten sharper and have put in the work to uncover their distinct identity.

Liam Gallagher – “As You Were”

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By: Ryan Smith

Not much can be said about the peculiar man that is Liam Gallagher. Fans of his previous work would know him as one of the members of Oasis, famed for “Wonderwall”, continuing as a member of the group when they became Beady Eye, and finally starting his solo career with his debut solo album “As You Were”. For a man so erratic, so confusing at times, this album is one that fuels the inner workings of the mind to a level not normally accessed. The album starts out strong with the lead single “Wall of Glass”, with Gallagher showing us again that vocal power and sound that defines him as a musician. Digging through other tracks on the album, you can hear the influences of his previous musical preoccupations- from old Oasis throwbacks on “For What It’s Worth” to the everlasting comparison and grandeur he has when it comes to the Beatles on “Paper Crown”. The album continues to throw different themes at you, and leave a lot for you to think about. “Chinatown” is unusually cryptic without losing stride amongst the other songs on the album, and then there is Liam’s vocal heavy “I Get By”, which throws a whole lot of bark at you, but not a whole lot of bite- almost in the same vain of Liam spouting off about something on Twitter. But even under all the new ideas on “As You Were” this is the same old Noel slamming, willful chord progressing, “Wonderwall” set closing Liam that we are used to.

Syd – “Always Never Home”

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Released: September 7th, 2017

After releasing her debut solo album “Fin” early this year, Syd returns with more bass-heavy R&B songs about women on her new EP. Syd smoothly spits sensual lyrics over the duration of her trio of tracks. She introspectively explores relationships, often questioning their overall worth and her level of commitment.

Her EP begins with Moving Mountains where Syd reflects on the efforts she has taken to sustain her relationship when her evaluation of its value seems to come up short. The second track, Bad Dream/No Looking Back, takes a different approach and focuses on the avoidance of commitment and the physical side of relationships. Finally, Syd closes out her EP with a third track, On the Road, which exemplifies her rapping as she relays the often-lamented trials of tour life. While Syd’s new EP is short in length, she doesn’t miss any opportunity to open up about problems that so many find relatable.

Syd will be performing at The Cabooze in Minneapolis on November 7th.

 


Image Attribution: https://www.flickr.com/photos/goincase/8048748632/in/photostream/

License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/legalcode

Macklemore – “Gemini”

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By: Ryan Smith

Going solo after a long period of having someone else be a big part of your life can be tough- whether it’s a relationship, a best friend, or in this case, a musical collaborator. His first solo album since 2005, Macklemore has shown that with his solo return to the scene with “Gemini” that it’s good to go back to your roots sometimes- those roots being yourself. This isn’t to say that he’s completely alone- in fact, every song but “Ten Million” has a feature on it. But don’t let that deter you from listening to this piece of art. From the get go, Macklemore lets us know that he has returned, as the opening line to “Glorious” (ft Skylar Grey) says “You know I’m back, like I never left”- a feeling that we’ve longed for since his last solo work. The rest of the album dabbles into different vibes that change from song to song- the trap feel of “Willy Wonka”, along with the nicely delivered Offset feature, to the almost Future sounding “How to Play the Flute” featuring King Draino. But perhaps one of (if not the) most talked about song from the album is “Good Old Days”, the piano chord soul tugging song featuring Kesha, in yet another long awaited return from another well known and well liked name in the music industry. This album is not one that you want to miss out on- the different themes throughout the album that Macklemore discusses leave the listener with an urge to take a step back and really appreciate all that we have in life.

Hippo Campus – “landmark”

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By: Matthew Jadlowski

Hippo Campus’ debut album landmark is set to be released February 24. However, on Sunday, February 12, at The Electric Fetus in Minneapolis, the band had an in-store show and signing for the release of their album’s exclusive blue vinyl.

The record opens with the ethereal “sun veins.” The short song draws the listener into the newly developed sound of the band, and transitions into the familiar “way it goes.” Side A includes songs like “epitaph,” featuring vibrant synth sounds and vocal alterations, which seem to be influenced by Bon Iver while still maintaining the classic Hippo youthfulness as the song gains momentum; and “western kids,” which has the upbeat, fun summer feeling of past favorites like “Sophie So”, and a song structure that is also reflective of those on past EP, Bashful Creatures. The positive energy of this song seems to look to the band’s bright future by mentioning the love of their transition “from the ‘burbs to the streets.”

Side B of the vinyl opens with singer Jake Luppen’s smooth falsetto on “poems” which transitions into a beautiful instrumental and later adds a powerful vocal with heavy guitar. This dynamic song introduces the both more somber, and up-beat pop rock sound of Side B which includes already released tracks “monsoon” and “boyish.” The vibrant lyrics and steady drums of “vacation” tell a story of struggle and mystery of finding one’s self cloaked in a dreamlike, but positive sound. “interlude” then offers a pause in the album that includes deep drums as well as brass by DeCarlo Jackson, with an overall feel of freedom and passion that sounds much more like an old Edward Sharpe song. The album concludes with “buttercup” which has all the elements of any favorite Hippo song; upbeat and robust guitar riffs, a rhythm that can be danced to, and passionate lyrics and vocals which eventually lead up to a powerful yell of “I’ll be fine, I’m alright, it’s my body/gonna stick to my guns like you taught me.”

The album overall has a new and polished sound compared to past EPs. The lyrics are deeply poetic and the music is both nostalgic and hopeful for the future. Though the band has grown and matured a lot since Bashful and South, the songs are all authentically and distinctly Hippo Campus. landmark is available everywhere February 24. The band kicks off a spring tour in support of the album on February 15.

Glass Animals – “How to be a Human Being”

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By: Liz Legatt

If you haven’t engulfed yourself in the latest Glass Animals album yet, I recommend doing so ASAP. “How to be a Human Being” is the perfect blend of Alternative, Indie, and Hip Hop. Needless to say, I am obsessed and have been since day one… Which was back on August 26th, 2016. Four months later and I’m still listening just as much as I did the week of its release.

Glass Animals’ second full-length album grasps inspiration from the real-life interactions of lead-singer Dave Bayley, with fans during his travels across the world. The album features 11 banger tracks, each detailing the story of 11 different characters that Bayley has come across. Every character has their own personality; therefore every song has its own flavor. This genius idea creates a diverse album, drawing me back in and causing me to love it more with each listen. I can’t tell you how many people I’ve recommended “How to be a Human Being” to, but I can say that I have no plans to stop.

My favorite track off the album is without a doubt “The Other Side of Paradise”, which tells the story of a man who heads to California in search of fame, leaving behind his lover and resulting in him losing himself amidst the ambitions of Hollywood. The emotional build up as the woman he leaves behind repeats over and over, “I know you don’t but I still try, / my thunder shook him down, / that girl is gone but I still try, / I think it’s over now…” sends heart-wrenching goose bumps shooting down my spine without fail EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.

I had the unforgettable opportunity to see this group at the Myth Nightclub back in October and can say that not only was I not disappointed by any aspect of the night, but also that this experience is now ranked in my top concerts. The amount of energy, combination of new and old music, and connectivity with the crowd made me feel as much a part of the performance as the band. My friends and I were able to reach front row for the encore, when Bayley personally grabbed our hands before heading offstage. The post-concert-depression I experienced was the worst I’ve had to date. I definitely have plans of seeing them again next time they roll through town and highly suggest you do the same!

Lil Yachty – Teenage Emotions

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Released: May 26th, 2017
By: Elli Dubanoski

Lil Yachty’s lengthy debut album is a colorful and catchy demonstration of the importance of individuality in the hip-hop industry. There is something very charismatic about Lil Yachty’s comfort with his own uniqueness as he introduces his own interpretation of rap music, something he calls “bubblegum trap”.

Teenage Emotion provides its listeners with a variety of tracks from heavy rap tracks to upbeat party tunes to solemn heartbroken songs. “Teenage Emotions” is a collaboration between Lil Yachty and his alter ego Lil Boat, immersed in Auto-tune. Lil Boat proves his ability to hold his own on his more aggressive rap tracks but the album feels most authentic on Lil Yachty’s more romantic, pop-inspired songs. While Lil Boat raps about not caring about the haters and other more stereotypical topics, Lil Yachty balances the album by singing about loving girls and his mom.

At only 19 years old, Lil Yachty creates a youthful well-rounded representation of recent radical originality in the genre caused by shifting trends, changes in influences, and the impact of the Internet. He is part of a new generation of hip-hop stars who find themselves less influenced by legends such as Biggie and Tupac due in large part because they grew up in a later era. More inspired by Kanye and Coldplay, Lil Yachty makes music with different melodies and subject matter.

Lil Yachty proves his place in the modern day rap industry is earned not because he follows a set mold, but because he is courageous enough to be himself. Love or hate his music, Lil Yachty at least deserves respect for his individuality alone.