I finally listened to these 7 summer releases
- tatimonty
- Oct 28, 2021
- 19 min read
This summer was a crazy one, both musically and just for me in general. I got so far behind in new music and album reviews I wanted to do and just never found the time to sit down and really get into the music. I started writing this in late September, and by the time this goes live, it's nearly November. It took what seemed like forever, but I finally carved out some time to get to these releases.
Some of these are going to be as early as April of this year (which isn't technically this summer, I know), with some being as recent as September. That's just how it is. I'm very, very behind on new music and now I really want to put my thoughts on these albums onto paper -- or electronic paper, I suppose.
So without further ado, we're going to go chronologically on this one this time. Buckle in, it's going to be a long one.
Chemical Warfare | Escape the Fate | April 16, 2021
Okay, so technically this one isn't a "summer" release. However, I did not know when this album was going to be released until like the end of May, so in my eyes, it's a summer release. But the reality is I'm just so far behind on new albums -- way more than I would like to be. And we've got to start somewhere, and that, in this case, is here.
Chemical Warfare is Escape the Fate's seventh studio album -- the sixth with Craig Mabbit as the lead vocalist.
I really don't know how much there is to say about this album. Primarily because it's 12 songs but, man, sometimes it's hard to tell that. The lyrical content shifts from uplifting to angry pretty quickly and fairly often throughout the album -- but those are really the only two types of lyrical content they work with. And the tone of the music very rarely changes too -- consistently this pretty anthemic tone laced with heavy elements.
Look, I love when bands take angry lyrical content and put it with a tone that doesn't match and makes you second guess the content -- a happy but angry song? An acoustic rager? Even an anthemic angry song? I love those contradictions. But when every song on the album fits into the anthemic tone, it gets really hard to tell if the lyrical content falls into the angry or uplifting theme.
Saying I'm disappointed feels kind of like an understatement but that's primarily because I know they have more range than this. But they're not showing it. At all.
Their album prior to this, 2018's I Am Human, has more range than that. Yeah, okay, sure, this album sounds a little heavier than that one, but I want to see tones and sounds and melodies that make the songs on this album stand apart. Some do have different elements, like "Burn the Bridges" sees a bit of rapping -- which is pretty cool, but it feels a little out of place.
And, man, that opening track is a little bit of a let down. "Lightning Strike" starts with so much potential, but it spends nearly half of the song in the chorus and it's a fairly short song. Like seriously, it's a two minute and 46 second song and one minute and 16 seconds are spent in ten lines (which is really two sets of five lines where between the two sets, only one line is different). It feels repetitive. And that's not a good feeling to start an album with.
"My Gravity" -- the second to last track -- to me, had the most potential to stand out, with it's verses that are centered on just one guitar line. But the chorus gets so big it overtakes it completely and that on its own makes it feel so similar to the rest of the tracks. It gets dominated by other guitar lines but especially the drums. I would've absolutely loved that song so much if that guitar line was the focus throughout, not just the verses. It really felt like that song was a chance to slow things down before the closing track, but it was more like a false sense of security.
There's two features on this album, one with Travis Barker on "Not My Problem" which is honestly my favorite track on the album and there's really not much to say about it. But the other, "Invincible" featuring Lindsey Stirling, had so much potential it fell short of. She's an electric violinist and also a pretty good vocalist. And although you can kind of hear her violin throughout in the background, it doesn't really get brought to the foreground until the bridge when she gets four lines of vocals as well. There's so much potential in a collaboration like this, and it just seemed to fall a little bit short of what it could've been.
Chemical Warfare really seems to be Escape the Fate's heavy roots after what could be considered a more pop rock last album. But that comes at a cost. Don't get me wrong -- every song on this album is pretty solid on its own. But together? Every song starts to feel familiar because it just reminds you of the last. I know from listening to their music that they do have range. But this album makes me start to doubt that.
Rating: 3.1/5
Listen to Chemical Warfare here:
Scaled and Icy | twenty one pilots | May 21, 2021
I will admit, I listened to the first half of the album back when it dropped in May, but I fell asleep and missed the second half. So this is my take two on that. To be clear, me falling asleep wasn't a reflection of the quality of the album, rather how tired I was because it was way too late at night and I was running low on sleep. Fast forward four months and here I am, finally sitting down at my desk to really listen to the duo's sixth studio album.
Scaled And Icy takes a step back and away from the twenty one pilots sound everyone knows. It's not at all rap-heavy in the slightest like their past three albums had been (although, I suppose you could argue that Trench saw a decrease in the rap, but with that said, it also has some of the Tyler Joseph's strongest raps in it). In fact, it's not the vibe we've grown used to at all.
It's a cheerful sounding album through-and-through. It's not that numb, dark, eerie sound that quickly became synonymous with the band's name. Take, for example, two of the singles from the album, "Shy Away" and "Saturday." They're very danceable tracks, very upbeat. They're catchy as hell, too.
And there's absolutely nothing wrong with a band experimenting with sound, or changing it up. And there's especially nothing wrong when a band just isn't in the headspace to make that dark music people are used to because, for once, they're actually happy. In fact, good on them for changing it up, for breaking the expectations of a twenty one pilots song.
It's just...sometimes they fell a little short or songs started to feel out of place. Like "Never Take It," for example. The sixth song on the album, it's the first to be electric guitar heavy. It's also one of very few (there's like one or two others). It genuinely feels the most like an alt-rock song. And that's sick! It's a good song. But in the context of this super pop, keyboard-driven album, it feels a little weird.
And they really upped their backing vocals game this album. The harmonies and melodies are pretty well developed. The backing vocals are much more prominent. But, oh boy, sometimes I just can't vibe with it. For example, the bridge of "Mulberry Street." Those gang-like vocals feel almost too chaotic and different. There's no harmony in them and it starts to make me uncomfortable.
Some of the songs on the album are pretty straight forward, simple songs. Like the opening track "Good Day" or "Bounce Man." That doesn't make them any better or worse than the others -- it just makes them different. But these tracks, they definitely feel like they fit in -- they're a breather from the more chaotic ones, the songs that have more going on. And it can be refreshing.
Truth is, I'm sure there's a lot of meaning behind these songs, good stories told and good meanings and all of that. In fact, I know that's true about a few (take, for example, "Shy Away," which was written as advice to his younger brother and "Choker" is about "choking" when the people closest to you need you the most). And I firmly believe it wouldn't be a twenty one pilots album if that wasn't the case. But the fact is, I just don't care. I don't care to do the reading about it or to watch interviews where Joseph talks about it. Fact is, I don't know if I will listen to this album again.
And if you think that's rough, you should've seen my notes while I was listening to the album. They're usually fairly detailed -- the vibe, the leading instrument, the lyrical content, how it fits into the album, my feelings on it. The notes for this one were short and sweet -- well, not so sweet.
Trust me, I didn't want to not like this album. I really didn't. I went into this with an open mind. But, man, I really don't blame myself for falling asleep to it the first time around. No matter how much I tried, I just couldn't vibe with it.
Maybe waiting so long to listen to it was my downfall, but if anything, I think it's better, because my mind isn't clouded with all the hype that led up to it or all the hype of it after its release on the internet. It's existed now for four months. And my mind couldn't be clearer of expectations.
With that said, if you haven't already, I genuinely encourage you to make your own opinion -- every song has way over ten million listens by now anyways, so maybe you're more in luck than I.
Rating: 2.1/5
Listen to Scaled And Icy here:
Ancient Dreams in a Modern Land | MARINA | June 11, 2021
Ancient Dreams in a Modern Land is the fifth studio album for Welsh singer-songwriter Marina. And let me tell you, it is an interesting one.
The front six songs on this album are politically driven tracks, they're social commentaries. They carry the signature "Marina" sound -- bouncy, kind of sassy, upbeat -- with the exception of "Highly Emotional People" who's tone matches its lyrical content: vulnerable, slow, mellow. These songs are reminiscent of the Elektra Heart era in its sounds.
And they tackle super important and influential topics. Track two, "Venus Fly Trap," for one, is a celebration of the self-ownership, confidence and joy that comes from truly being free. "Man's World," on another hand, describes the inequality faced by women and the LGBTQ+ community and references climate change and eco-feminism. "Highly Emotional People" tackles vulnerability and how as humans, we're just by nature emotional people and we're meant to feel the full spectrum of emotions in order to be able to learn and grow. "New America" is about social problems in the US, including racial injustice.
These first six tracks are heavy with deep lyrical content that is applicable to the whole world. The last four however? They're laced with incredibly personal lyrics and stories.
"I Love You But I Love Me More" is about choosing herself over her ex. "Flowers" is focused on her love of flowers while saying that her ex never bought her flowers despite knowing how deep her love of them are, and that maybe if he had, they would've still been together. And the final track, "Goodbye," is a letter to her former self, thanking her for everything they've been through, but she leaves her past self behind in order to move on and transform into a newer, better version of herself.
These tracks are more emotional both instrumentally and lyrically. With the exception of "I Love You But I Love Me More," they're mainly piano ballads. They're slower, not the usual bouncy sound associated with Marina.
The front and back halves of the album are very interesting, somewhat jarring contrasts to each other, both thematically and tone-wise. Despite the blaring differences, however, the ever-apparent focus on her vocals is a common through-thread throughout the entire duration of the album.
It's perhaps the most apparent in "Pandora's Box," which starts which just a lone vocal and simple piano notes in the background. But it's apparent in "Highly Emotional People" too, where the focus and emphasis is placed on her high-ranged vocals. And in "New America." And, well, I could keep doing this because her vocals as emphasized in every song, are the focus of every song. They're never drowned out by other instruments, never take the back burner to any other musical element. To me, that vocals-first sound, be it accompanied by a bouncy tone or a somber, mellow one, that's Marina's sound. And she really highlighted that and her songwriting capabilities with this album.
Rating: 4.1/5
Listen to Ancient Dreams in a Modern Land here:
XOXO: From Love and Anxiety in Real Time | The Maine | July 9, 2021
This summer release is Arizona rock band The Maine's eighth studio album. Called XOXO: From Love and Anxiety in Real Time, its name stems from its romantic themes, and how the first half or so of the album focuses on love and the back half deals with themes of anxiety.
The album opens with the first single from the album, "Sticky," which is an incredibly catchy song about a person or feeling you just can't shake -- quite like this song, you can't shake it from your head. It's also, coincidentally, the least thought out song lead singer John O'Callaghan has ever written.
It transitions into the second track, but third single from the album, "Lips." which is about the importance of communication in a relationship. It's a fun, uplifting song with an upbeat guitar riff to match that drives the song.
But what's really impressive about the song is how smoothly and effortlessly it transitions straight into the third track, "Love In Real Time." It's pretty difficult to tell when listening where one song ends and the other begins. Part of the reason it works so completely well is "Love In Real Time" contains the same instrumentals as "Lips" but slowed down by half. It's such a well-thought out transition and pairing that makes for a perfect, smooth, effortless transition between a banger and the song that the band considers to be the "opening credits" of sorts to the first half of the album that deals mostly with the complicated and complex feelings of love.
Not to track-by-track this review, but "High Forever," the fourth track on the album, definitely deserves a mention. It's the oddball of the album, hosting a funkier vibe than the rest of the record. It's more like the rock side of alternative rock or pop rock when the band and this album tends to sway towards the alternative or pop side more often. Besides being an incredible juxtaposition in the album, it's also pretty awesome in its meaning too -- it's about the idea that in life there's a bunch of ups and downs, which means that they (in this case, the people in the relationship) can't stay so "high" forever, and eventually they're going to come down and he'll be right there when it happens.
"If Your Life Goes Out" is the halfway point through the album, albeit it doesn't really feel like it -- the whole album is such a good listen, it's hard to believe at this point it's the halfway marker. This track employs a technique that doesn't always work well, but they do it so well. The most drum-focused track on the album, it creates this huge build-up leading to the chorus before bringing it back down as soon as the chorus hits. It creates a cool separation between the pieces of the song, and creates a pretty significant hype for a chorus that may not be instrumentally hyped, but it's an emotionally charged one. You kind of start to see the transition into anxiety themes here, but it's the next track, "Pretender," that really sees the first strong lyrical content about it.
"Dirty, Pretty, Beautiful" holds really good energy in its nearly four minutes of length. It utilizes a really good guitar line, as well as claps in the chorus. There's more experimentation with the vocals on this track than any other on the record, and it works really, really well, adding to the whole vibe of the track. And even better, it transitions so nicely into the next track, the so-called "anti-climax" of the album, "Anxiety in Real Time."
This "anti-climax" is a pretty raw track, resembling as close to the original demo as possible. It places all of the focus on the lyrics, not on any flashy production or instrumentation, which allows the powerful lyrics to speak for themselves. It's an emotional break in the album. The harmonic vocals and the guitar line at the end of the chorus both work to build that emotion along with the lyrics themselves. It's contains a long chorus, but that, because it's done well, feels so natural. It makes you contemplate "life and all that is living." The song fades out with a buzzing sound, one that can be reminiscent of anxiety, which on its own is a cool concept, but when in consideration with the flow of the album, makes the transition a little odd.
The closing track, "Face Toward the Sun," is the probably one of, if not the, most vulnerable tracks The Maine has ever written and released as a band. Although it's lyrically about death, sonically, it's a really cheerful song, creating a kind of beautiful juxtaposition. A distorted guitar plays the starring role in the sound of this track. The bridge of this four and a half minute track is quite emotional, creating this incredible build up to the outro of the track and record. Sonically and lyrically, it's an incredible conclusion to an album that deals with complex emotions.
My biggest qualm about the album is that, for an album that claims to be half about love and half about anxiety, save two or three tracks, it really feels like it mainly just deals with love. And even the songs that are definitely laced with the themes of anxiety still take the love angle to it. Do not get me wrong: it's really not the end of the world! I would, personally, just like to see stronger themes of anxiety laced throughout some more of the songs.
With that said, XOXO: From Love and Anxiety in Real Time is a true summer album. It's perfect for the summer days, with just the right amount of good vibes and danceable tunes. There's really not much about this album that I'd change.
Rating: 4.6/5
Listen to XOXO: From Love and Anxiety in Real Time here:
Fever | Against the Current | July 23, 2021
This midsummer release is Against the Current's fifth EP. Fever comes nearly three years after the trio's sophomore album Past Lives. The era began back in October of 2020 with the release of the EP's first single, "that won't save us."
That single is what opens up the EP with some big drums and the electric guitars that Chrissy Costanza promised would be back this time around. It's a huge track that -- along with the track that follows, "weapon," promises to be even bigger when performed live. However, after having nearly a year with "that won't save us" and six months now with "weapon," it's the other five tracks that I want to focus on because they really take the cake.
"again&again" bolsters a huge feature with guardin that flows so seemlessly. The hook is one that sticks with you and his part really rounds the song out perfectly. "jump," like the rest of this album, is a look right into Costanza's mind. It's like a letter to herself, a reminder to just jump right in and go for it, a reminder to take a risk. It's a big track instrumentally, perfectly matching the emotional content of the lyrics.
"shatter" takes a step back. It's a break in the big heart pounding energy this EP really delivers on. It's the song that's built from its lyrical content down to the instrumentals to really pull at your heart strings.
"burn it down" brings the energy back up. Not quite all the way back up to the 10 the EP was at during the first four tracks, but it brings it back to a sound and energy that's very similar to some of Against the Current's earlier stuff. The bridge sees Costanza flexing her vocal range in a way that hadn't really been showcased on this EP -- or even perhaps in all of their discography.
If you didn't believe in Costanza's claim yet that this EP sees a good modern blend between the synth sound they introduced in Past Lives and the electric guitars they and their audience loves so much, then "lullaby" is a must-listen. The verses are dominated by that synth sound, but the chorus is dominated by the electric guitars. The song builds so beautifully through the pre-chorus into this strong chorus that feels like it will translate so effortlessly into a big live sound. The blend of the two sounds -- one softer and synth dominated, and one heavier and guitar dominated -- is genuinely impressive. The transition between the two sections working flawlessly, never feeling out of place.
You really want that modern blend of all of their sounds? "lullaby" is the song for you. You really want a big, powerful sound that's going to hit hard live? "that won't save us" or "weapon" are your songs. Want a song who's hook is bound to stay with you for a while? That's "again&again" for you. This EP packs a lot into just seven tracks. It's a beautiful look into Costanza's mind that doesn't fall to deliver on all the things that make Against the Current the band that they are.
Rating: 4.7/5
Listen to fever here:
The Band CAMINO | The Band CAMINO | September 10, 2021
Perhaps an album that dropped in September isn't exactly what one would consider a "summer" release, but technically summer goes through September 22, so it counts in my books.
The Band CAMINO is the 14-track debut album by, well, you guessed it, The Band CAMINO. This self-titled album starts with an existential crisis in "EVERYBODYDIES." It's a cheery sounding take on the fact that, well, as the title suggests, everyone dies. That we don't know how many days are left so if you're waiting for a better day, you might be waiting forever. It's a pretty profound song in its lyrical content, but its paired with the Band CAMINO's typical cheery, upbeat sound. The contrast between the two is absolutely lovely.
The album is laced with upbeat songs that just make you want to get up and dance around in your room like nobody's watching. Take, for example, "I Think I Like You" with its 80s, roller rink vibes and incredibly impressive high-ranged vocals in the chorus. Or take the super beat-driven single "1 Last Cigarette" with its melodic electric guitars.
It also has its fair share of more mellow, low-key moments that really keep you on your toes and keeps the energy fresh. Like tracks six through eight, the real slowdown of the album.
This three track sequence starts with "Who Do You Think You Are" which is a self-reflection of who they've become, but mostly who lead singer Jeffrey Jordan has become and how that compares to who he thought he'd be at 17. It features and focuses on this super unique synth sound throughout. The next track, "Sorry Mom" is a powerful, emotional acoustic track that's a letter to Jordan's mom -- one he wasn't sure could ever actually be released. The final in the sequence, just before "1 Last Cigarette" moves to revitalize the energy of the album, is the powerful "Just a Phase," who's lyrical content is about confusion and concern about the future, about not knowing exactly where you're going.
The order of songs on this album is refreshingly good. Just look at how "Damaged" follows "Song About You." It's a really good and honest response to the song that precedes it. While "Song About You" is about how writing songs is his way of coping of the loss of someone's presence in his life and how he doesn't know how to let them go, "Damaged" is about not wanting to change the past or how something ended even though it may not have ended well. "Song About You" is such an emotionally charged song and following it up with a song that feels like finally letting go it is a perfect pairing. It really, really is.
Pretty close to all of, if not all of the tracks on The Band CAMINO feature pretty huge choruses as far as sound and meaning goes. The album takes the classic "The Band CAMINO" sound they created from their 2019 EP tryhard and expand on it with this album. Jordan's soul is really bared throughout the lyrical content of the album while the band's range is pretty safely demonstrated. It's safe to say that some tracks, like "Help Me Get Over You" and "Who Do You Think You Are" and "Look Up" are really going to stick with you for their blatant honesty. With that said, like many albums, there are tracks that kind of begin fade to the background a little bit.
Rating: 4.5/5
Listen to The Band CAMINO here:
Wish I Missed U | Concrete Castles | September 17, 2021
Technically, once again, a mid-September release isn't what one would typically consider a "summer" release, but, like The Band CAMINO, I'm getting off on a technicality that this dropped just days before fall started. Wish I Missed U is the debut album for the band Concrete Castles -- the band that came from the mainly-a-cover-band First to Eleven. The new name came from one of the first songs they ever wrote together, "Thrill," which does make this album, only a little bit different this time around.
Truth is, I did want to love this album. But it kind of lacks depth -- at least, good depth. Many of the songs on the album have the same vibe, same tone, with some differences. "Hidden Faces," for example, has an odd country sort of twang to it. "Say It" has a completely different song structure than the rest of the album, which creates a lovely contrast -- except it's the second to last song and the way it's written just feels like it's all chorus.
There's some issues that I have with the vocals not fitting quite right. Like the chanting in the chorus of "Hidden Faces" that just don't fully feel present like it needs to be and the main vocals are sometimes hard to understand, or in "Half Awake," lead singer Audra Miller's vocals just don't fully feel like they match the music, or in the pre-chorus of "Thrill," her vocals just feel too big for the moment and don't quite match the instrumentals. And even though I'd consider it vocally one of the best performances on the album, the same thing happens at the end of the chorus of "Holding On" -- her vocals just feel too big. Same thing in the closing track "Mess" -- when you pair her vocal performance with that acoustic guitar, it feels too grand. And perhaps that's not a problem to some listeners, but to me, it just makes it feel off.
Perhaps, as well, they were written and performed with the idea of the live show, where big vocals often win out. And that's great, and I'm sure they sound so good live. In recording though? That big performance just doesn't quite fit right with everything else.
"Atmosphere," though. The vocal performance on that song is probably the best all album, even beating out "Holding On." It's clean, it works perfectly with the tone and instrumentals. It builds when it needs to, it's big when it needs to be. It hits all the right notes throughout the entirety of the song.
And although lyrically this album is riddled and laced with songs written about relationships and breakups, that's not all the album has to offer in terms of lyrical content. Take, their second single ever, "Half Awake," for example. The lyrical content of that song is about having self-confidence, about believing in yourself even when other people tell you you're wrong for living more unconventionally. "Suburbia" captures a similar theme, utilizing the suburbs as an example of that perfect life the world lays out for you and rejecting that concept. Or there's "Porcelain," their third single, about the idea that women are made of porcelain, that they're so fragile, and that they're not allowed to be brave or their own person. "Thrill" is about living for yourself and in the moment.
For a debut album, Wish I Missed U is pretty good! But the truth is, if it demonstrates anything to me, it's that Concrete Castles have a lot of room to grow. And that's not a bad thing! The album is still their own and it's a pretty good work of art. I just wished that they'd have demonstrated some more of their depth, even if that would be something as simple as a fully acoustic track.
Rating: 3.4/5
Listen to Wish I Missed U here:
There you have it! It was a long road here, but I finally, several months later, listened to these seven summer releases -- some better than others.
There are still so many new records I've yet to listen to, from both this summer and now this fall, but I needed to cap this list somewhere in order to actually get it done. And seven still took me over a month -- being a college student isn't such easy work sometimes.
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