Tuesday’s Top Tasty Tracks
THE TOP FOUR BRAND NEW TRACKS FROM AUGUST 21ST-27TH.
I’m bringing in the big guns this week with 8 tracks, and it was hard narrowing it down to that.
Stay – Shangrila
Shangrila is a band worth keeping your eye on. This song is incredible, comparable to Boston Manor or Casey, meeting somewhere between that melodic hardcore and midwest emo sound. To me, the vocals stand out as what sets this band apart. The lead singer has an impressive range and a knack for beautiful, inventive harmonies, often working uniquely with what the guitarist is playing at the time. These guys have something special in their sound, and I hope they gain the traction they deserve.
Genre: Emo/Alternative Rock
I Don’t Wanna Love You Anymore – LANY
LANY strikes again. This breakup seems to have hit Paul really hard, but it’s given the world some beautiful break-up songs. The perspective of not wanting to love someone, but still loving them despite that is one that’s relatable, yet rarely is actually written about. Musically, the song sits back from the vocals, coming to the forefront only for the closing chorus. The vocals, either harmonized or being an octave apart, showcases LANY’s songwriting ability, as the arrangement lends itself perfectly to the overall feeling of the song. I think this might be one of the strongest songs they’ve written.
Genre: Dream Pop
Silly Me – WSTR
I was really worried about this release if I’m being honest. The singles prior to this song left a lot to be desired, especially after the incredible debut album Red, Green or Inbetween. However, “Silly Me” sees a return to form with WSTR showcasing their incredible songwriting and their knack for writing hooks. Honestly, this song stays in my head for a week after only listening to it once. It’s that much of an earworm. From my perspective, it seems they’re trying pretty hard to distance themselves from the Neck Deep comparison and going far more of a pop-rock route, and with that direction change, there will be some hits and misses. This is a hit.
Genre: Pop-Rock/Pop-Punk
She Wept As I Told Her – Atena
Blending electronic noises with metalcore is not a new thing, and yet the opening 30 seconds of Atena’s “She Wept As I Told Her” sound completely fresh and unique, unlike anything else I’ve heard before. This sound comes back in the chorus, the strongest part of the song, as a mix of layered singing and screaming shows what the band is truly capable of. The band persevered through one of the vocalists leaving and have come back stronger than ever with some of their best and most creative material to date.
Genre: Metalcore
No Way – Sylar
With each release, Sylar has moved further from their metalcore roots, and this might be one of the softest songs they’ve released as a single in their career. That being said, this is a well-written and extremely catchy song. There’s a trend in the scene for metalcore bands to move toward a more accessible radio rock sound, with a handful incorporating 2000s nu-metal stylings into that sound. Only a few have actually done it successfully, and Sylar is definitely in that category. This song showcases the best of the sing-rap style, paired perfectly with one of the catchiest choruses of the year. The song is about perseverance and standing by each other and is paired with some solid, albeit repetitive instrumentals. Though I’ll always miss the heaviness Sylar burst onto the scene with, the band is doing this style incredibly well, and is still worth listening to.
Genre: Nu-Metal
Awake – Centuries
Following in the footsteps of bands like Architects and Polaris, Centuries have a similar bone-breaking metalcore style, with punishing breakdowns and unique, blistering riffs. While the verse leaves something to be desired, the band makes up for it with the intro and outro, using a tempo change to its advantage. This song features a unique song structure, with no chorus or repetitive song structure at all, as its merely 2:30 long. However, the band leaves its mark in that short time, with guitar work that will linger in your mind long after the final notes ring out. As this band continues to grow and progress, they’ll be at the top of the genre shortly.
Genre: Metalcore/Djent
i don’t wanna die right now. – Mogli the Iceberg
Part of the indie tribe, Mogli continues to make a name for himself as he carves out his niche in the genre. Though he’s experimented with different styles over the past few releases, this is definitely his strongest direction in my opinion. Mogli’s always been a bit of an emo/scene kid, as he covered an Underoath song on his last release, so his move towards more of the emo hip-hop stylings made popular by artists like Lil Peep, XXXtentacion, nothing,nowhere. and Juice Wrld is not surprising and is definitely a welcome one. The song itself has a beautiful and uniquely crafted beat, accenting Mogli’s vocals well, and lyrically this is a song many people need right now. Depression and suicide are talked about a lot more now than they used to be, so keeping the conversation going, especially in an accessible form like this song, is critical in keeping away any kind of stigma around it.
Genre: Emo Hip-Hop
In The Drink – Justin Courtney Pierre
Like many people my age, Motion City Soundtrack was constantly coming up on the shuffle. MCS was a staple of the genre in the early and mid-2000s, bringing a bouncy, bright pop-punk sound paired perfectly with dark lyricism brought to you by Justin Pierre. While their breakup was sad to say the least, a solo project from Justin is great for those who miss MCS. This song, clocking in at under 2 minutes, showcases what Justin and MCS were/are able to do so well. Incredibly catchy and inventive, this song tells a story, accompanied by a unique music video, and has that unique MCS sound while also being a step forward in progression for Pierre. For anyone who misses those mid-2000s pop-punk vibes, this track is for you.
Genre: Pop-Punk/Pop-Rock
Thanks for checking out another post about incredible new music. Remember, it doesn’t matter what you like, as long as you support it.
If you wanna hear more, here’s a Spotify playlist with all the songs I’ve ever featured. Throw it on shuffle and find something new.
Alastair Heinrichs 