Time to get caught up! There’s been so much good music in the past month, and nobody has been here to show you. Don’t worry I’m back.
Here are the top 4 songs from the week of Aug 9-15.
In Bloom – Neck Deep
I’ve been hyping these guys up a fair bit over the past few months as I’m highly anticipating their new release. I hadn’t planned on pushing this song forward due to the fact that I’ve featured them a fair amount already. However, this song is worth promoting. I would argue it’s the best song Neck Deep have ever written, and because of that, you need to listen to it. It’s a softer song than they usually write, and the fact that this isn’t A Part Of Me 2.0 proves they’ve matured heavily as a band. The approach to the lyrics and melodies in this song heavily emphasizes that this band deserves all the success that has come their way. The opening line about letting things get to all of us is relatable and draws a listener in without being too cliché or cheesy. The chorus shines through, utilizing a Matt & Kim-esque synth behind some straightforward strumming over octave chords. It’s bouncy, but not poppy. It’s moody, but not too emotional. It’s an awesome song about letting things lie instead of always digging up the past. The Neck Dep boys prove they are here to stay by branching out from the straight-forward pop punk that got them here. And stop comparing this song to the Nirvana song. They don’t own the title.
RIYL: Matt & Kim, Blink 182, Good Charlotte
Deadset – Noble
This is a new band featuring members of Oh, Sleeper, At The Skylines, Confide, Attack Attack!, and In Fear & Faith. While all decently successful, they are all bands either part time or on hiatus, so starting a new band to fill up the time makes perfect sense. If you love the mid-to-late 2000’s metalcore, this will be right up your alley. The sing/scream dynamic is alive and well in this band, and while that’s definitely become a crutch in the scene, Noble proves it can still be done tastefully. They’re bringing back the production style that was widely associated with Rise Records a la Memphis May Fire that created the “Rise-core” sound. However, they have sludgier guitars, adding a rawness to the production like Norma Jean and The Chariot had. Although this isn’t the most ambitious song in terms of breaking the mold, Noble proves with their debut single that the sum of all the parts (current and previous bands) adds up to more than a glorified breakdown. There are moments in this song that shine through. The vocals are a highlight. Mark Barelaii has an original voice, really adding that grit to the top of his range, which flies in the face of all the clean singers in the genre right now. It’s riffy, heavy, and has enough to stand out a bit from the monotonous, breakdown ridden scene that is metalcore. I look forward to seeing where these guys go, and I’m especially excited for the deeper cuts on the album/EP where they experiment more.
RIYL: Woe, Is Me, Like Moths To Flames, Attack Attack!
No Place Like You – Thousand Below
Thousand Below continue to impress me. Just when I think I have them figured out, they toss another genre into the mix. The lead singer really reminds me of Nick Moore from Before Their Eyes at peak BTE. The right amount of scream and powerful, clear clean vocals. There’s a driving power behind this entire song that pushes it forward, like the engine of a train, and you feel it building and building before slowing down right at the end with some soft piano chords. The drummer flexes his chops with some syncopated polyrhythms in the verses. There’s no question that there is something special about this band. The final line of the chorus, “How did you even love me anyway?” is so relatable, and is thrown away with such disdain and disgust that the singers agony shines through, even in a line with less emotion than the rest of the song. The content is really what’s so powerful about this. It’s not a song about how you hate the girl who broke up with you, but rather acknowledging all of the shortcomings you bring to the table. Such a powerful song, with a take that feels more mature, and therefore means more. Haunting.
RIYL: Before Their Eyes, The Plot In You, Our Last Night
Here For Nothing – With Confidence
After going out on an Australian tour with 5 Seconds of Summer, it seemed the world was With Confidence’s oyster, and they could have easily rode the 5SOS coattails to success. But they wanted to do it on their own terms and prove they can make it on their own. After releasing their debut album last year, they’ve decided to put out the b-sides/unreleased portion of the album, which includes this song. And this song is the strongest song I’ve ever heard from these guys. The guitar riff that feels like it could be the beginning of a John Mayer song, and it really tricks the listener into thinking its a standard pop-punk acoustic song. But the chorus kicks in, and Jayden’s vocals just light up the song. He finally pushes himself to the limit and has some serious grit in his voice, and it’s some of the best music With Confidence has ever made. It’s ambitious, it’s pushing their boundaries (especially for the fanbase they have) and that’s what I like to see. It’s a driving song, with the chorus verging on breakdown territory, only to be balanced out by some light pop-punk guitar work in the verses. Needless to say, this impressed me immensely. Well done.
RIYL: State Champs, As It Is, Waterparks
Alastair Heinrichs 