The Wonder Years - Sister Cities

Have you ever wondered what a pop punk band would sound like if they were really, really sad? Like if instead of writing songs about having cool friends and getting out of your hometown they sang about not fitting in, death and loneliness? If you ever have wondered what that might sound like, check out The Wonder Years. They are, in my opinion, one of the most important bands in their genre right now. Having transitioned from pop punk to a more post-hardcore/emo sound, their newest record Sister Cities is far more dark and melancholy than their back catalogue. I mean their entire back catalogue has elements of sadness and struggle running through it, but that's mainly in vocalist Dan "Soupy" Campbell's lyrics. On this record, the pain in the lyrics is mirrored by the music.

The lead single Sister Cities is probably the most familiar sounding track on the record, featuring their usual formula of fast paced verses and enormous soaring choruses. The rest of the album treads a number of different paths. Pyramids of Salt is a soft and sombre affair, swelling and calming in all the right places to create a moody rollercoaster ride through the senses. Heavens Gate (Sad & Sober) is a boiling pot of emotion that's spilling over the brim from beginning to end. Check out the second verse in particular. If you can't feel the emotion in Soupy's voice then you're probably dead inside (sorry if reading this is how you found out). The Orange Grove is crammed full of vocal melodies that are impossible not to love, delicately draped over tastefully written verses and punchy chorus chords. The tracks that stand out the most here, though, are the softer songs. The passion and feel that's been woven into them is impossible to ignore, and I found myself getting hung up on every single note. Tracks like Flowers Where Your Face Should Be, When The Blue Finally Came and The Ocean Grew Hands To Hold Me are all simply breathtaking. All of them create an atmosphere that completely envelops you, leaving you to drift amongst the delicate guitar tones and soothing vocals. The latter is especially impressive, utilising string sections and atmospheric effects to gradually build towards a mountain of tone and a truly moving outro section. After the final chord abruptly comes to an end, I found myself somewhat speechless. To say that it impressed me is a huge understatement. I was genuinely moved by it.

How The Wonder Years aren't bigger than they are is a complete mystery to me. They're unique, they're always grafting and pushing forwards, continually evolving. With every album they change ever so slightly, each one sounding different yet still retaining their signature sound. This record is no different. This record is truly special. It's one of those records that you can only fully appreciate by listening to it from beginning to end. Don't get me wrong, every single track is strong enough to stand alone and impress, but the journey that this takes you on is so worth keeping your fingers away from the skip button. Sister Cities is yet another diamond to add to their already glistening collection. You should add it to yours.

What I've Been Listening To - September 2017

What a month this has been for new music. What. A. Month. An incredible month for hardcore with some of the scenes heavyweights finally unveiling new material, as well as some huge sounding albums from a variety of other genres. Some of those albums have stuck with me throughout the month, snagging my attention right from the first listening and keeping me addicted. Other albums I've listened to are ones I've been rediscovering; revisiting their musical pools and going for a swim. The following albums are where I've done the majority of my metaphorical swimming.

The Contortionist - Clairvoyant

Wow. Just wow. I've been a huge fan of The Contortionist for a few years now, but this album is something else. Their most melodic album to date, but I honestly think it's their best. The way it flows from beginning to end is so smooth, transitioning from soft calm passages to dramatic flamboyant cadences, it's a real musical journey that I want to keep going on. If you aren't familiar with The Contortionist and you like modern prog, do not sleep on this album. A very strong contender for album of the year.

Seaway - Vacation

One of pop punks most underrated acts have released one of the genres best albums of 2017. The album is full of infectiously catchy vocals and bouncy posi vibe riffs that it's literally impossible not to like. If you could pack a sunny holiday into an album, this is exactly what it would sound like. Best listened to with a hatred for your home town and more pizza than your appetite can handle. Maybe listen to it with friends that you don't mind sharing pizza with.

PVRIS - All We Know Of Heaven, All We Need Of Hell

This one has been a bit of a grower for me, but after a few listens I'm in love with it. I was hooked on PVRIS after the release of White Noise a few years ago, and was so excited about the new record, but on the first listen it just didn't hit me in the same way. I left it alone for a little while and revisited it, and on doing so it all just fell into place. Lynn's vocals are powerful as ever, and the vibe of the music is just as brooding and intricate as before, just with a slightly more commercial feel. I don't think they've topped White Noise, but this album is still worth your time.

Northlane - Singularity

Their best album with Adrian, without a shadow of a doubt. Northlane have become a powerhouse over the last few years with the addition of Marcus, adding an incredible vocal range to their sound and adapting their music ever so slightly to compliment his voice. Singularity, however, is an unrelenting beast of an album, and quite possibly the bands best. The guitar riffs are heavy and intricate, their use of dynamics is clever and tasteful, and the vocals are just so raw and full of venom. It's impossible to listen to this and not want to trash everything that's around you.

Funeral For A Friend - Casually Dressed And Deep In Conversation

I have so much love for this album. I grew up listening to this, and pretty much the entire reason I had a massive emo fringe was because Darran Smith did. The vocals are all so catchy and emotionally driven, remaining memorable all these years. The guitar work is sensational, and there wasn't really an emo band around at the time that were writing riffs like that. They were essentially a metal band that were upset about a lot of things. This is one of my favourite albums of all time, and I'll never get bored of this record.

September has been great for music, for all genres. I hope that October proves to be just as fruitful. If anyone reading this has anything they'd like me to review, be it a band I need to check out or perhaps it's your own band, let me know!

D.S

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Seaway - Vacation

Every genre of music has a few bands or artists that are hugely underrated. Always releasing solid and hard hitting material, but just never really making the same kind of waves as other bands in their genre. As far as pop punk is concerned, one of those bands is Seaway. Armed with a back catalogue of bangers, strong albums and EP's under their belt, they are often over looked and don't seem to get the same recognition as bands such as Brit pop punk heroes Neck Deep or New York giants State Champs. However, their new album Vacation may just change that. They've gone on vacation somewhere with a beach. And that beach has a LOT of waves.

On the run up to the release of this album, Seaway released a couple of tracks to give us a taster of what was coming. The first of these songs was album opener "Apartment", and what a song to start with. A bold statement, completely laying out what they're doing with this album. A nice big slice of pop punk gold, boasting an enormous chorus with an immediately memorable melody and vocal hook. The second song they released was "Something Wonderful", a more pop tinged track; noticeably more uptempo but boasting a really catchy vocal line. The bouncy feel is infectious, and would without doubt command a room full of pizza lovers to raise their slices in the air and get energetic. On listening to the rest of the album, tracks like "London", "Misery In You" and "Car Seat Magazine" all stand out as hard hitting anthems, all boasting pop punks trademark big guitar driven choruses married with hook laden vocals. Others such as "Lula On The Beach" and "40 Over" provide a slightly softer vibe, the latter displaying a real emotional side to the band, gliding through a horde of heartfelt lyrics and swelling guitars executed with precision and real passion. There was also a nice surprise on "Scatter My Ashes Along The Coast Or Don't" in the form of an absolutely stellar guest vocal performance from Caleb Shomo of Beartooth. Already being a very upbeat and bouncy track, the introduction of Caleb's vocals was immediately recognisable and really fitted with the feel, complimenting the track and really making it stand out as one of the highlights of the album. From beginning to end, there isn't one bad moment. This could be the album that really puts them in their own league.

This album is without doubt their most accomplished work to date. It's polished, clean, pristine. The songs all gel together really well. The flow and pace of the album feels smooth, no confusing surprises or loss of momentum. From start to finish, it's very well crafted. The vocals really stand out for me, demonstrating a well balanced mix of both clean and pitched rougher vocals, really driving some of the more heartfelt and powerful lyrics home. All in all, I'm very impressed by this record. This is a vacation that I would go on more than once. This will be on repeat for quite some time, I reckon. Say hello to your new favourite pop punk band.

D.S

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What I've Been Listening To - August 2017

This month has been a solid month for music. Some really strong releases from some bands I love, and I've rediscovered some absolute gems whilst me and the boys were on tour. We play this game called "The A-Z Game" when we're in the van, where you go through the alphabet naming songs but never duplicating artists or bands. Passes time in the van and also stops us from trying to murder each other (We're all friends really. Apart from Adam, we all think he's a dick. Not really. Or do we.....). The albums below are the ones that have stuck out for me the most over the course of the month.

Neck Deep - The Peace And The Panic

Possibly my favourite album of this genre to have come out so far this year. I've followed these Mancunian pop punk heroes for a number of years now, ever since the Rain In July EP. The absolute balls to the wall punchiness about them is what made them stand out for me. Compared to all the other pop punk around at the time, they stood out and started to carve their route to the top of the game very much on their own. If you listen to their back catalogue in order, you can hear the progression and development of their sound creeping in with every single record. And they have absolutely found it with The Peace And The Panic. Without a doubt, this is their most polished record, seamlessly weaving from the punchy, anthemic choruses of single Happy Judgement Day to the stripped back, emotive heartbreakers like Wish You Were Here with absolute ease. I was also excited to hear Don't Wait when I saw that Sam Carter of Architects had done guest vocals on it, and my God it's good. I wasn't sure how it would come across, but Sam is nothing short of perfect and his vocal sits on the track like icing on a cake. Only the icing is cheese and the cake is a pizza. If you're a fan of the genre and haven't given Neck Deep a spin yet, start with this album and work your way backwards. You will fall in love with this record.

Wage War - Deadweight

Good Lord. What. An. Album. Tinged with Nu-Metal stylings throughout but retaining a solid modern metal tone and an absolutely punishing pace, Wage War have smashed it out of the park with Deadweight. If I had to describe it in one word, that word would be HEAVY. And that word covers every aspect of the album. Firstly, I want to mention the production, which is one of the best I've ever heard. You can literally hear every single instrument. It is so unbelievably weighty, but you can hear everything breathing, and it completely adds to the impact. Secondly, the songs. Two Years and Southbound are perfect album starters, setting the tone for how the rest of the record is going to progress, effortlessly combining crushing riffs and soaring melodies, a taste of what's to come. Tracks like Deadweight and Disdain have an almost Slipknot punch to them (which is absolutely NOT an issue), whilst tracks like Witness and Gravity provide a sense of calm amongst all the chaos. This record literally has everything. Like metal? Don't ignore Wage War.

The Gospel Youth - Always Lose

This is the first album I checked out by these guys, but I'd been hearing good things so my expectations were pretty high. This album has become one of my most regularly listened to since its release in July. Hailing from the South Coast of the UK, The Gospel Youth have made their debut very hard to ignore. Right from the off, I Will Deliver You To The Fireflies is a beautiful, heartbreaking start, and perfectly sets up the rest of the album. The dynamics are on point, rising and falling in all the right places, really keeping you on the edge of your seat throughout (unless you're stood up when you listen. Edge of the curb maybe?), and you continue to do so with everything that follows. Gin And Black Coffee has some really smart songwriting and intricate melodies, almost Disney-esque in places, both vocally and instrumentally. Songs like single Moods Like English Weather really pulse and breathe, constantly changing pace and exploding with a huge chorus. The album as a whole really reminds me of Fools and Worthless Liars era Deaf Havana, but with a slightly softer and less harsh tone throughout. If you love that album (I certainly do, it's my favourite Deaf Havana album), then this might become your new favourite album.

Reuben - Racecar Is Racecar Backwards

I remember when I first discovered this album. I bought an issue of Rock Sound, and this particular issue came with a compilation CD. I don't remember what it was called, but it was blue, and the first track was No One Wins The War. And thus, my love affair with Reuben began. I still think they're one of the most underrated bands of their time, and this album is still one of the most underrated albums in existence. It's in my top 10 albums of all time. Without a doubt. The album showcases so many different sides of the band, but without straying so far away that songs sound out of place. Blending absolute radio anthems like singles Freddy Kreuger and Moving To Blackwater with heavier hard hitters like Our Song and Missing Fingers, whilst also slotting in slower soothers such as Song For Saturday and the album closer Dusk. They are the post hardcore band that didn't get enough attention. In my opinion, there's no one like them, they're so unique, and this was the album that started it all. They split up a number of years ago after releasing their 3rd album In Nothing We Trust, and their loyal following has been dreaming of a reunion. I am a part of that. If you've never checked them out before and you like bands such as Alexisonfire, Poison The Well, Taking Back Sunday and The Bled, give them a go. You won't regret it.




I'll do another one of these next month. If anyone has any music they'd recommend, let me know, I'm always open to give anything a go. Literally anything. My iTunes has everything from Drake to Dying Fetus.

Thanks for reading!

D.S
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