2016 September and October Releases

Light We Made- Balance and Composure

I was worried about this album after hearing the first single. It didn’t sound like the Balance and Composure I knew. Thankfully, the album wasn’t as big a betrayal to their sound as I thought it was going to be. However, I still wasn’t impressed. Both the lyrics and music sound and feel half-hearted and lazy. Overall, the album is boring, samey and forgettable. The band is moving further away from their original sound, but somehow fans don’t seem to mind.

Standout tracks: Afterparty, Call It Losing Touch

Much Love- Microwave

Much love is exactly what I have for this album. Microwave’s first full length Stovall was simply amazing and I’m happy to report that they have delivered another solid album. While Much Love is more mellow than Stovall, I still loved it just as much. Microwave is coming into it’s own as a new band and I can’t wait to see what they do next.

Standout tracks: Lighterless, Drown, Vomit, Homeboy

Things Will Matter- Lonely The Brave

This sophomore release from Lonely The Brave was one of my most anticipated albums of 2016. While it lacks some of the punch that their debut album, The Day’s War, had, this new album is still a very strong piece overall. The vocal styling of Lonely The Brave help bring an odd sense of calm to music that has a sense of urgency and importance which makes for a delightful listening experience. I would describe the overall sound of this album to be somewhere in between Manchester Orchestra’s Hope and Cope albums.While both of those albums show two extremes of calm and intensity, respectively, Things Will Matter finds a solid middle ground between the two, a place where I feel the band is at their best. Lonely The Brave has yet to break through to a wide American audience but I think Things Will Matter is the perfect vessel for them to try to do so.

Standout tracks: What If You Fall In, Radar, Rattlesnakes, Dust & Bones

Act V: Hymns With The Devil in Confessional- The Dear Hunter

The Dear Hunter is widely known for their concept album saga: The Acts. While I don’t really know enough about how this album fits into the complex story it tells along with the other 4, from a strictly musical standpoint this Act V is phenomenal. The Dear Hunter’s music is brimming with complexity and originality which does nothing but support the well-written and beautifully sung lyrics. My only complaint about the album was that the ending was the big, loud, crescendo I thought it would be. Instead of a sweeping finale, The Dear Hunter chose to bow out quietly and gracefully which upon reflection and discussion seemed fitting as this chapter of the band’s history draws to a close.

Standout tracks: The Moon - Awake, Gloria, The March, The Most Cursed of Hands (Who Am I)

Cody- Joyce Manor

Never Hungover Again helped Joyce Manor burst onto the scene back in 2013. Their debut album showed that they had a lot of promise and potential. The band’s latest effort Cody is clear proof that they are capable of living up to the hype. Cody still utilizes the band’s short-n-fast punk style, but with a more mature approach. The band has clearly grown up in a sense and it becomes evident in their musical choices as well as the vocal performance. The more mature sound works wonders for Joyce Manor which made for an excellent album.

Standout tracks: Last You Heard of Me, This Song Is A Mess But So Am I, Stairs, Do You Really Want To Not Get Better?

“Technicolor”- Sainte

We Are The In Crowd parted ways last year when two founding members decided they wanted to pursue other things. Luckily, the remaining three members decided to regroup and work on a new musical endeavor. Although the new band, Sainte, only has one new song, I think it's safe to say they will retain most of the WATIC fanbase. Their sound is reminiscent of what once was, but lacks that spark that made me like WATIC. While I understand that they are a new band now with a new direction, part of me is very disappointed to see all the progress they made during the production of WATIC’s Weird Kids album. Even though I was disappointed by the single, it was received very well by the fans. Tay Jardine’s vocals are as powerful as ever which ultimately helped sell me on the song. Overall, the song sounds like it would fit perfectly on Paramore’s self-titled album, which is both good and bad. Good because it means the band will gain traction and be able to continue to make music since indie-rock is always a crowd-pleaser. Bad because the Paramore self-titled (if I’m being honest) was just okay at best. I won’t make a final call until there is a full album out, but for now I remain a little skeptical about Sainte.

#BalanceandComposure #Microwave #LonelyTheBrave #JoyceManor #TheDearHunter #Sainte