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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