Recent reviews

Our latest album reviews, featuring the records we've most enjoyed (or not) over the past few weeks.

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Browse our album reviews according to score: Highest (9.5/10 or more) or Lowest (2/10 or less)

Caves

Betterment
Bombed out (2013)

I’d call Caves frantic punk rock, if not for the title track on Betterment actually being a casual acoustic affair. Other than that song, though, the eleven songs on the UK’s band’s latest offering are non-stop energy, complemented by vocal trade-offs, relentless percussion, and a whole lot of screaming. The press sheet drops the term “urgent,” and it’s precisely that, taking only 26 minutes for the record as a whole. If not for that song, the band never eases off the gas pedal.There are mid-tempo songs, like “<3 Koala” but, even there, the drumming has an anxiety that permeates the song, even while Lou Hanman sings “You’re changing me for the better” at an easier pace. As a whole, the record alternates between these anxious yet arguably mid-tempo jams and melodic, upbeat, and chorus-friendly punk. For a reference point, I will mention RVIVR and that likely won’t be their only mention in this review. Caves has a strong melodic core, with “whoa-oh” style choruses minus the literal “whoa-oh.” It’s sing-a-long at heart with vocal back-ups to pick up the elongated notes and trade-offs in between choruses that keep the pace moving. The vocal trades also serve a more technical point: … Read more

Various Artists

Circle & Mamiffer - Enharmonic Intervals (for Paschen Organ)
Sige (2013)

Try to imagine that two of the most interesting experimental acts out there not only decided to collaborate for a … Read more

200 Words Or Less

California X

Self Titled
Don Giovanni (2013)

It seems the term “grunge” is getting thrown around again quite a bit these days when it comes to describing … Read more

Future Virgins

Late Republic
Recess (2013)

After how hard Western Problems hit, it would be hard for Future Virgins to deliver another punch-out of similar quality. … Read more

Seven Sisters Of Sleep

Opium Morals
A389 (2013)

Think long and hard and decide just what it takes for a band to enter your own personal rarified air … Read more

30,000 Monkies

Somewhere Over The Painbow
Consouling Sounds (2013)

Somewhere between rock, stoner, sludge and noise, 30,000 Monkies manage to find a point of equilibrium and they are now … Read more

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One from the archives

Cross Examination

The Hung Jury
Organized Crime (2006)

Everybody's so political these days. Protesting this, boycotting that. Hell, there are more hippie protest songs out now then there ever was in the 60's. Who cares if it's warranted - shaddap, Commie! Cross Examination harkens back to the good ol' days of drinking, moshing and puking, and not even knowing who the president is, let alone organizing marches over his or her policies - it's a guy in charge now, right? Believe me when I say this, my peers, with the Hung Jury album, ignorance has never felt so blissful. It's been a long, long time since I've heard an album that addresses both the ever-topical issues of gathering for a party ("Party Squad Unite!"), the hazards of the pit ("Mortal Kombat") AND include a cautionary tale of what … Read more

More album reviews

Pinkish Black

Razed To The Ground
Century Media (2013)

Last year's self titled record from Pinkish Black was a distinctly (un)pleasant surprise from a duo that have been making music together for a substantial length of time. Pinkish Black took the critical world by storm with their debut and the record was, quite rightly, considered a breath of fresh air within the darker confines of the musical spectrum. Pinkish … Read more

Janelle Monáe

The Electric Lady
Wondaland Arts Society (2013)

It's encouraging that after releasing one of the best records of 2010, Janelle Monáe wasn't rushed into releasing the follow-up album to The ArchAndroid until she was good and ready. Three years have given her and her Wondaland Arts Society time to regroup and evolve and the range and talent of her collaborators this time around reflect the maturity Monáe's … Read more

Worriers

Cruel Optimist
Don Giovanni (2013)

Worriers are yet another Brooklyn band to note, made up of former members of some higher profile DIY punk bands from the area. Most noteworthy in terms of sound is vocalist Lauren Denitzio, previously of The Measure [SA]. Obviously, her familiar voice and vocal style will bring a number of comparisons, including within this very review, and it should serve … Read more

Radioactivity

Radioactivity
Dirtnap (2013)

Each time I write the phrase “garage-punk” I like it less and less. Still, how else to describe a band that blends pop-punk and garage so well? Actually, in recent reviews I’ve taken to simply comparing bands to the Marked Men, which takes us directly to Radioactivity.Radioactivity is Jeff Burke and Mark Ryan, half of Marked Men, joined by Gregory … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Nö Pöwer

No Peace
Sorry State (2013)

No Peace is the debut LP by Charlottesville, NC’s Nö Pöwer. There are subtle elements of garage and psych at play here but it’s primarily raging hardcore punk, with a noticeable emphasis on the noise. It's a primitive and blown-out style of D-beat that’s been injected with a distinctive dose of artiness and then drenched in feedback. Although he’s not … Read more

AFI

Burials
Republic (2013)

As a zine built on the foundation of loving AFI, it would clearly be remiss not to talk about their new record. We try to pretend that Decemberunderground and Crash Love never happened - the first rule of AFI fandom is.... - but it would be silly to think that AFI made it to Burials without having to go through … Read more

Hope Drone

Self Titled
OSCL (2013)

Heading over to their Last.fm account, the light hearted description ‘Australian for Deafheaven’ doesn’t exactly seem to serve as an appropriate designation for Brisbane based black metal troupe Hope Drone. Sure, the atypical approach towards standard genre fare is evident, and the lush, wide production on this 4 track release certainly draws parallels. Though it is likely more of a … Read more

Papermoons

No Love
Deep Elm (2013)

The press blurb that accompanies Texas-based indie folk duo Papermoons' sophomore album No Love claims that "the idea that you can say a whole lot more without screaming or shouting" is solidified in this LP. No Love is 10 tracks of smouldering, cleverly composed melodies with occasional gushes of shimmering electric guitars. Written during the five years after Papermoons' debut … Read more

Steve Adamyk Band

Third
Dirtnap (2013)

Sometimes calling something the “[insert record label]” sound is meant in a derisive way. Before the clichés came home, however, it was also used to complement a label’s stable for having some unique defining qualities. That’s where Steve Adamyk Band fits with their Dirtnap Records home. The general style that SAB plays can be summed up in a few distinct … Read more

Castevet

Obsian
Profound Lore (2013)

When I first came across Castevet’s debut album I was hooked with their sound. The hybrid post metal/black metal band was very innovative with their musical structures and their complex, outside of the box thinking when it came to their technical side were just some of the highlights of Mounds of Ash. Unfortunately back then; the other release of the … Read more

Frank Turner

Tape Deck Heart
Interscope (2013)

Tape Deck Heart is a transition album for Frank Turner. Not only for his music career, but it seems like a transition album for himself too. When asked about the theme of this album, Turner said, “This album is about self-examination, running through your own faults, about change, and about ending. Something like that”.Turner starts with his most adverse yet … Read more

Bangers

Crazy Fucking Dreams
Beach Community (2013)

Bangers are a punk band from Cornwall, but they don’t play to expectations in their second full-length Crazy Fucking Dreams. Instead, the record starts with the mid-to-slow tempo “A Curious Mix,” with speak-sing vocals and a trumpet. Singer Roo Pescod’s voice remains confrontational and direct, and that’s the most “punk rock” thing about “A Curious Mix.” From there, of course, … Read more

Coleman Hell

Stark Raving
Independent (2013)

Coleman Hell is a three-piece Canadian band from Northern Ontario. It consists of vocalist Coleman Hell along with Rob “La+ch” Benvegnu and Michah “Dustbuster” Dowbak. Along with being a band, it is a project that experiments with sound and also consists of their “behind-the-scenes” engineer Brendon “Stretch” McDonald, whom all together help to create, produce and perfect the beats and … Read more

Seagraves

Weight of the World
Witchhunter Records (2013)

It turns out that in the time I decided to write about this record (approx one million months ago*) and actually writing about this record, that Seagraves have chosen to call time on the band. Which is a massive shame because Weight of the World is really great and I feel terrible about being so tardy with this review. Sorry … Read more

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Browse our album reviews according to score: Highest (9.5/10 or more) or Lowest (2/10 or less)