SaviorsAlbum by Green DayReleased 19 January 2024Power Pop / Pop-PunkProduced by Rob Cavallo / Green DayRating – 6/10 Green Day are back on track…sort of… – I don’t believe in clear rights or wrongs in music, but if you’re a noteworthy musician, once you’re so far into your storied career, you should make sure you […]
Nowhere to Go But UpAlbum by Guided by VoicesReleased 24 November 2023Indie RockLabel – Rockathon / Guided by Voices – I review Guided by Voices a lot – like, a lot, like seriously, far more than I need to, and nobody, neither Robert Pollard nor the boatload of people he’s collaborated with, is putting a […]
HellmodeAlbum by Jeff RosenstockReleased 31 August 2023Power Pop / Pop PunkProduced by Jack ShirleyRating – 8.5/10 This isn’t Jeff Rosenstock; it’s his soul screaming through his body. – I’ve come to realise there’s a cliché I use fairly often; referring to this or that as an artist’s “second language”. Nose-diving into the abyss of hell’s […]
Can’t Make Any PromisesAlbum by Radiator HospitalReleased 25 May 2023Indie RockSelf-releasedRating – 6/10 Loaded with Sam Cook-Parrott’s grabby howls. – Frontman Sam Cook-Parrott was the only member of Radiator Hospital to appear on 2019’s Sings ‘Music for Daydreaming’, comparable to the act’s early days when he was the only member full stop. Oftentimes, he has […]
Nearing the bottom of a long list of social faux pas, Robert Pollard uses the bridge section – or one of the bridge sections – of Cousin Jackie to scat along with a tenuous rock rhythm, womping and humming like an uncool uncle. Why does this feel so commonplace on recent Guided By Voices records? […]
Air GuitarAlbum by SobsReleased 26 October 2022Power Pop / Dream PopLabel – TopshelfRating – 8/10 Sobs’ sound haven, revising genres and production tricks under the guise of pop music. – The title track from Sobs’ Air Guitar is a canvas intent on blowing up into greater pursuits. Kicking off the album, the second by the […]
Please Don’t Take Me BackAlbum by MarthaReleased 28 October 2022Power PopLabel – Specialist SubjectRating – 6/10 Martha are frightened, damn frightened. But they’re juggling fright with solidarity. – One accent is shared among the multiple singers of Martha. A pick ‘n’ mix of singers and players, with no through-and-through frontperson, the pop-punk-power-pop quartet has opened […]
Too Much to AskAlbum by CheekfaceReleased 2 August 2022Indie RockSelf-released / self-producedRating – 7/10 Humour and frustration find common ground on Cheekface’s third album. – Living inside of a meme of himself, created by himself, Cheekface’s Greg Katz writes songs that feast on the self-deprecation of trying, reprimanding modern social tides with self-awareness and a […]
SZNZ: AutumnEP by WeezerReleased 22 September 2022Power PopLabel – CrushRating – 5/10 Weezer have already lost interest in the SZNZ concept. – I’ll be reviewing the latest instalment in Weezer’s SZNZ serieswith some bias, not because I like Weezer – I do like Weezer though, even though [insert post-Pinkerton rant here] – but because EP […]
Emotional CreatureAlbum by Beach BunnyReleased 22 July 2022Power PopLabel – Mom + PopRating – 7/10 “I wanna kiss you when everyone’s watching”. – History is littered with rock bands adapting or dishevelling due to the advent of the synthesiser. Emotional Creature, the second album of Chicago power pop outfit Beach Bunny, has been noted as […]
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