Tuesday’s Top Tasty Tracks
A day late, a buck short (I’m writing the report) but it’s holidays so give the man a break.
Oxygen – Oh, Sleeper
This shouldn’t really come as a surprise to anybody. I love Oh, Sleeper, and it’s been a little over 3 years since they’ve released anything. Oxygen picks up right where these guys left off with the Titan EP. Full of riffs, this song powers through at breakneck speed with the same style that many have grown to love. They absolutely bring it on this track, and it makes me very excited for the upcoming album. Many were worried when Shane began singing with Wovenwar, but it seems that it hasn’t affected them in the least. The off-tempo drum bits show how technical this band is, and the fact that I didn’t pick up on the off-tempo bits until probably my tenth listen of this song proves they can do it extremely well. While a song about rising up against some power may seem very vague, in the current state of the world, it can be applied to many different walks of life. Regardless, this is a song worth checking out.
RIYL: Silent Planet, August Burns Red, I The Breather
Sold – Heavy Things
New InVogue Records signing comes out of the gates swinging with this incredible track. This dude played/plays in pop-punk band City Lights, and so IVR is a very familiar place for him to be.While this definitely isn’t a pop-punk sound, it is very catchy and holds a great feel to the track that many singer songwriters can’t seem to get. This song starts a little slow, but the chorus is great, and it builds from there into the great bridge. I’m very excited for this style of music to enter the quote-unquote scene in a more real way. Looking forward to more from Heavy Things
RIYL: Dashboard Confessional, This Wild Life, City Lights
Leave Me Alone (Feat. Caitlin Henry of Eat Your Heart Out) – Stepson
This new EP is a huge departure from Stepson’s earlier work, and while it is shocking, it is definitely welcomed. Stepson is known for their emotional melodic hardcore, featuring passionate screams and yells throughout. This EP does not feature those vocal stylings, instead having layered soaring melodies. The lyrical content is pretty heavy, talking about the ridicule many people feel about their bodies, their choices, and their lives. The noodling guitar work and more electronic drums make this feel like they should belong more to a indie electro pop group at Coachella or an R&B duo instead of a melodic hardcore band. The addition of Caitlin’s emotional melody adds a depth to this song it would otherwise have not reached. Having both a male and female perspective on ridicule reaches everybody.
RIYL: Being As An Ocean, The Weeknd, Lorde
Something To Call My Own – Summer Wars
I need some pop-punk every single week, and Summer Wars definitely delivered. The dissonant chords are a welcomed different approach from the straightforward approach many pop-punk bands take. This is more of an emotional style than the happy-go-lucky pop punk that tends to be popular lately. Summer Wars really shows a maturity they don’t deserve to have, as they are still a fairly young band. They have a great musical ear, as this song shows, and on all accounts, they present themselves as professionals. This song has great production, vocals, instruments, composition (both musically and theoretically) and this song will easily stand up to anything that gets millions of plays like State Champs or Real Friends these days. I really look forward to watching where these guys go.
RIYL: State Champs, Real Friends, Knuckle Puck
Have a Merry Christmas everyone!
Alastair Heinrichs 