The Summer Set - Legendary

 

What the hell is it with these misleading titles?

 

Well, after Fall Out Boy made me angry at pop punk, I looked at the schedule of releases for the rest of April. I saw coming up was Legendary, the third album by The Summer Set. Now, I’ve always considered The Summer Set as kind of a guilty pleasure band. They’re not amazing, but they have some very solid songs on their first two albums. So I thought, “Hmm well Fall Out Boy was so damn bad, this will probably be good compared to that!” Oh how my expectations always screw me over....

Yeah, Legendary is pretty damn bad. It’s by far the worst album The Summer Set have ever produced. At least Love Like This and Everything’s Fine had elements that made them different from a lot of pop punk bands, but Legendary on the other hand, seems to aim for pure mediocrity because of how damn generic it is. Seriously, no song on this album is about anything other than a girl or love. Not hanging out in the summer, not enjoying time with your friends. Hell only 2 songs on the album deal with self-reflection (“Someday”, “Legendary”), and they’re the two best songs on the album by far!

The generic lyricism is just downright awful in how stupid it gets (just go listen to “Boomerang” and you’ll see my point). Every song about a girl you can tell what the lyrics are going to say next! Just look at the song titles, they give away what the song is going to be about. If you look at a title like “Maybe Tonight”, your assumption is it is going to be about a one night love right? Correct, because that is exactly what it is about! There is no original idea in this whole album, and it makes it so damn boring!

Like I said in the Fall Out Boy review though, I am fair. As I said before, “Someday”, and “Legendary” are the best songs on the album. Both are songs about self-reflection (something this band should seriously do after this album) that work wonderfully. It’s the type of songs that do make me remember that The Summer Set is a good band, just when they ignore the generic tropes that make pop punk bands. The band also gets minor points for the How I Met Your Mother line in “Legendary”....what? I love that show, and the line works in the story of the song.

The final verdict:  Legendary is so bland, and generic that it is painful to listen too. The only reason I’m not giving this a totally failing score is because “Someday” and “Legendary” are very solid songs. I just wish that they weren’t on this album of crappy love songs that are so predictable that they all feel the same to me. I know The Summer Set is capable of making good music, but this isn’t it by a long shot as Legendary continues to make my month of April in music f$#*%ng horrible.

FINAL GRADE:  D-

CHOICE CUT:  “Someday”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9vUBzcJJ3s
 

 

David Bowie - The Next Day

 

 Why!? WHY DO I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!?!?

It’s time for another one of my favorite posts to do for this blog, reader recommendations! As I was working on my review for Justin Timberlake’s new album, a reader messaged me about doing David Bowie’s new album, The Next Day. I immediately took the challenge as I had never listened to a Bowie album before. I know that might sound like a travesty to some of you, but I don’t really know anyone who is a Bowie fan, so no one ever really told me to listen to him. After listening to The Next Day though, I’ve been blown away. Honestly, this review has taken a long time because I didn’t really know how to take this album at first. It was so weird, so crazy, so different, but when I was listening to it, I couldn’t turn it off! Anytime I just listen to one song off the album, I won’t stop because the next song will kick in and get me addicted before I can hit the next button on iTunes.

This review is tough because to be honest, I can’t exactly pinpoint what I love about this album, but I do! Is it the lyricism? Well, Bowie’s lyrics are some of the weirdest I have ever heard this year. One song can be totally dark and retrospective like “Where Are We Now”, while the next one could be upbeat and fun like “The Stars (Are Out Tonight)”. The album is such a strong form of self expression from Bowie that I’m so damn tempted to look a lot at his older work to see how crazy he was when he was younger!

OK so it might be the lyricism that makes me like the album! What about the musicianship? I think that might be the key here folks. The musicianship is fantastic throughout the whole album in helping Bowie create the specific mood he wants each song to convey. If a song is going to be sad, or mellow, the musicianship is toned down. If the song is upbeat, or the lyricism is poignant, he is going to make damn sure the instruments are all loud and effective. I guess it also hit a nostalgia note for me as a song like “How Does The Grass Grow” reminded me of the type of music my parents would listen to when we went on long car trips as a kid. It makes me want to ask my parents if they ever put on David Bowie on those long car trips and I just didn’t know it back then.

The final verdict:  OK, so in conclusion, I do like The Next Day for the lyricism and musicianship like many albums, but this one was a little tougher to describe why. The lyricism is all over the place, but effective. The musicianship accompanies the lyricism in its weirdness and effectiveness into crafting an album that is so damn hard to turn off once you start it. Apparently this is Bowie’s 24 album, and the first he’s done in 8 years. So I guess the two things to say right now are that Bowie has made a triumphant rock comeback, and I got a s&%t load of new music to look at from this rock legend.

FINAL GRADE:  A

CHOICE CUT:  “How Does The Grass Grow”

(Unfortunately there is no link on Youtube for this song :( )

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Fall Out Boy - Save Rock And Roll

 

...You didn't

So a couple weeks ago, I did a little column on the return of Fall Out Boy. Everyone was excited! Fans have been clamoring for the album since it was announced. The album, weirdly titled Save Rock And Roll, is an album meant to put Fall Out Boy back on the map! So does it do the job? In my opinion...hell no...

Ok, I’ve already accepted I’m going to get hate for this review from the FOB fans, but at least hear me out before you come to me pitchforks and torches a blazing. I can’t take an album that seems like it’s something greater than it really is. Albums that ooze arrogance is one of my biggest pet peeves when listening to an album (hence why you don’t see much mainstream rap reviews on this blog...). Is it a personal criticism, yes it is, but I know it is one I am not the only person on this planet has. FOB for some reason has developed a staggering new found arrogance that the band seems to have that they are one of the best rock and roll bands ever. Newsflash guys...you’re not even close. You are famous and successful yes, but that doesn’t mean you’re the best. Songs like “Young Volcanoes”, and “Rat a Tat” (featuring an appearance by Courtney Love....wow I should have seen that the song was arrogant just from seeing her being on it) just make the band come off as arrogant and douchy. It’s not flattering to listen too. Frankly, it’s just boring since I hear that enough in mainstream music today.

Remember how I said a couple weeks ago in that editorial that I didn’t really relate to FOB anymore because most of their songs were about not getting girls, or love songs? Well besides the new found arrogance, that’s really all you are getting from Save Rock And Roll lyric wise. Most of the songs are about loving girls such as, “Alone Together”, “Just One Yesterday”, and the atrocity to rock that is “The Mighty Fall”! Actually, lets stop and just talk about this song. FOB, you don’t say you are going to “save rock and roll”, and then have one of the worst rappers (Big Sean) in mainstream music come do a guest spot, and make a song that is straight up arrogant, and honestly kind of degrading towards your main fan base. Seriously, get NAS, or Jay-Z, or hell Lupe Fiasco, not a dude who just got famous by saying ASS ASS ASS over and over again!


Now lets move onto the production aspect of Save Rock And Roll. The album is unfortunately produced by Butch Walker. I say unfortunately because I usually love the work he does with pop punk bands! He’s done amazing albums with Bowling For Soup, Lit, and Panic! At The Disco, but I don’t know what happened with him here. I could be wrong by thinking that FOB controlled most of the production and that he was just overseeing the project, but my suspicions might be correct since the only song he helped the band write, “My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark” is the best one on the album by far. The truth is I could be wrong, but the album just seems like it’s trying too hard to be bombastic using orchestral sounds that are repeated in multiple songs. I get the idea of sounding epic, but don’t repeat your sounds! That just defeats the whole point of using them in the first place!

Ok, I’ll backtrack and give the fans of FOB a little positive because I always do want to be fair. The bands performances are all fine. Stump gives great vocal work as always, and the band do their job in crafting the songs. I’ll even give it to the band that the first two songs (“The Phoenix”, and “My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark”) and the last one (“Save Rock And Roll”) are great. Honestly though, that’s as far as I can go with the compliments.

The final verdict:  Save Rock And Roll does anything but save rock and roll. The album really just does what every other FOB album has done, except it has an arrogant edge that just made me mad because I hear that enough in other music to find it edgy or interesting. I know people aren’t going to like me for this review, and I know fans won’t give a damn since they already bought the album and love it, but I wanted to be truthful in my opinion. If you want an album that does sound like it’s saving rock and roll, go look up Young Guns, or Twin Atlantic, or anything the Foo Fighters have ever produced. Those bands are saving rock and roll, not Fall Out Boy.

FINAL GRADE:  D

CHOICE CUT:  “My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkIWmsP3c_s

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Paramore - Paramore

 

 

Lookin at the Farro Brothers like what up we got a new album...ok that joke

was terrible

I feel like I should start this review like an episode of Behind The Music with all the S$*t that has happened to Paramore since the release of Brand New Eyes all the way back in 2009 (damn I’m getting old). As most fans know, in 2010 guitarist Josh Farro, and drummer Zac Farro left the band. If that wasn’t bad enough, they released a scathing blog post that accused singer Hayley Williams of being controlling of the band since she was the only one signed to Atlantic Records. Turns out the accusation was true about Hayley being the only one signed to Atlantic, which put the remaining members of Paramore in a negative light. Jump 3 years later after the drama, and the trio, consisting of singer Hayley Williams, bassist Jeremy Davis, and guitarist Taylor York, have finally put out their album, Paramore. To myself, it was a make or break album for Paramore. Could they keep up the great standard of pop punk that they established without 2 of the bands founding members? Could they show fans that they weren’t some band controlled by the label, and that they were going to show that the blog post was wrong in thinking that they were? The answer to both of those questions is a very loud F%*K YES! Call me girly, but i really don’t care! Paramore kicks all kind of ass, and proves that this band is not going to slouch in quality any time soon.

The key factor to this album is that you don’t know what the heck is going to hit you next. It’s like many of the albums I’ve looked at this year, where the album doesn’t stick to one genre, but experiments with many. Paramore let loose on this album, exploring how they would sound if they did power pop (“Anklebiters”), country (“Hate To See Your Heart Break”), straight up pop (“Still Into You”), I could go on. The album is just unbelievably fun to listen to, as you can tell that the band just didn’t care about making their label happy. They just wanted to make the music they wanted to make, and they succeeded with flying colors. You honestly have no clue what you are going to get with any of the songs. A freaking ukelele pops up on multiple occasions and leads to one of the best interludes I have ever heard (“Interlude: Moving On”). It’s this sense of freshness and surprise throughout the album that makes it so fun!

As for the lyricism and performances, everyone brings their A game as always. Hayley once again proves that she is one of the best front women in the rock genre right now with her control and wide range of vocal talent that she showcases. York and Davis also get time to feature their skills as they both have solid solos throughout the album. The lyricism could easily be associated with the breakup, but it doesn’t make up the whole album. Songs like “Still Into You” and “Ain’t It Fun” show that Hayley is happily in love and confident about it. Songs like "Proof" also tell the listener that the band isn't going to let all the drama deter them from delivering quality songs.

The final verdict:  Paramore shows that the band’s quality of great modern rock isn’t going anywhere. The band have realized that they are talented musicians and they are willing to experiment with their sound to look at different genres and see how they sound. The payoff is an album that is fun in guessing where it is going to go next. I’m happy to say that Paramore is back with full force, and everyone should take notice.

FINAL GRADE:  A

CHOICE CUT:  “Anklebiter”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4h_v71TNCxo

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The Color Morale - Know Hope

Huh....it must have been shipping one big F$&*in tree....

When you are an established band, it’s hard to take your sound and drastically change it. Whether it’s because your fan base might get upset, or your label might get upset. So how does that come into play with today’s review? Today we are looking at the third album from Rockford, IL rockers The Color Morale. The album, Know Hope, is the third one on Rise Records after 2009's We All Have Demons and 2011's My Devil In Your Eyes. The third album sees a drastic change from the band that might irk some fans, but I see it as a drastically positive step in progress that will help the band in the long run.

So what is this change? Well, it comes from vocalist Garret Rapp, who decided to go for a more live tone with his voice on Know Hope. The last two albums from the band have had bassist Justin Hieser doing unclean vocal work, but this time around Rapp takes a good amount of the duties. Some people might find his voice odd, but I love it. It’s different, it’s fresh for a genre that has a good amount of generic voices, and it gives The Color Morale that push to make them different from their competition. Major compliments to the band and Rapp for making this decision 3 albums into their career. It’s a bold idea that pays off very well for making a distinct impression on the listener.

As for the lyrical content and musicianship, lets start with the musical style. Know Hope is like a melting pot of all types of hardcore. You’ll definitely hear traits of metalcore, regular hardcore, post hardcore, and djen metal. Just look at the song “Silver Lining,” which starts out as a straight up hardcore song, but brings the breakdowns hard! Guitar solos from Devin King and Aaron Saunders fly all around the album mixed in with crushing breakdowns to great effect. It’s just another aspect that gives the band a distinct sound above their peers. The drumming by Steve Carey and bass work by Justin Heiser are also excellent as they each get moments to show they are talented as well.

The lyrical content is some solid work as well. The band take a Christian mindset with their lyricism, but don’t become excessively preachy that some bands do. They make some very solid points with some songs. A perfect example is again “Silver Lining” which Rapp calls out the people who are just being fake in believing a religion. It’s an idea most people don’t want to talk about or admit, but being a person who has seen this happen, I give the band major points for taking a bold topic to talk about.

The final verdict:  Know Hope is a bold, and strong step for The Color Morale. The band has always been talented, but just needed a push into becoming different from their peers. They’ve discovered it with Know Hope as Rapp’s vocals, and the bands idea to mix so many ideologies of hardcore together make for a lasting impression on the listener. It might not work on every song, but it hits more than it misses, and when it does hit, it hits HARD!

FINAL GRADE:  B

CHOICE CUT:  “Saviorself”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34xveem-Sqw

P.s. I found this looking for the album picture...I'll leave this here...

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Tyler, The Creator - Wolf

WHO'S READY TO ENJOY WOLF (Only Tyler fans will understand why that's in caps)

Alright, I know that whatever I say in this review, Tyler, The Creator won’t give a s%$t. Over his last two albums (Bastard and Goblin), and the one in question today, Wolf, he has made it clearly obvious that he’s not a fan of angry kids who just blog to criticize and hate. Here’s the thing though, I’m not here to hate on Wolf. In fact, I’m here to say that Tyler has created a rap album I’ve wanted to listen to for a very long time. One that, for the first time ever, I actually have gone back and listened to multiple times. I didn’t listen to it multiple times because that’s what I do for this blog, but because I loved it so damn much. It’s an album that is crazy but structured, angry but positive, silly but sincere, it’s one big paradox that somehow makes sense like only Tyler The Creator can.

Like his other albums, Wolf has a central story that weaves the songs. While Goblin and Bastard dealt with therapy sessions with Tyler’s conscious (Dr. T.C., Tron Cat), Wolf takes a different approach and tells the story of one of Tyler’s alter ego’s Wolf. Now, I’m going to explain the story, as it will help with my arguments later. As I go through the story, I’ll explain the story then put in parenthesis at the end what song this takes place in. IF YOU DON’T WANT THE STORY SPOILED. SKIP THE NEXT PARAGRAPH. IF YOU READ IT, YOU WILL SPOIL THE STORY, DON’T SAY I DIDN’T WARN YOU!

Wolf is at Camp Flog Gnaw for the summer with only his clothes and bike, Slater. As soon as he gets there, he meet Samuel, the camp bully (“Wolf”). Samuel is dating Salem (“Cowboy”), who Wolf immediately develops a crush on (“Awkward”). As Wolf is trying to fit into camp, he rides his bike to feel better (“Slater”). At a campfire, Wolf and Salem start to become attracted to each other, and then go off on their own (“PartyIsntOver / Campfire / Bimmer”). Samuel finds out and gets F$%&ing PISSED and vows revenge on Wolf (“IFHY”). Wolf asks Salem why Samuel is such a d#*k and she explains that he came from a bad area where he was bullied a lot (“Pigs”). Wolf realizes that Samuel has found out he is hanging out with Salem and vows to fight him (“Parking Lot”). Samuel finds Wolf's friend, Earl, and shoots him, killing him (“Rusty”). At the same time, Salem is at a performance Wolf and his friends are performing. They hear the gunshot, but don’t think about it (“Trashwang”). Salem and Wolf head to Salem’s tree house for alone time (“Treehome95”). Later, Wolf is caught having some hanky spanky, self-pleasure time by the camp counselor. He is then sent to the counseling office to visit Dr. T.C. (“Tamale”). As he sits down with Dr. T.C., he explains that he is still upset about the death of his grandmother who raised him, and that Samuel is going to pay for killing Earl (“Lone”).

When I got Wolf to listen to, the first two songs (“Jamba”, “Cowboy”) got me very nervous. Tyler was acting like most other rappers, just bragging about how fame gets him money and girls. This wasn’t the Tyler I knew from Bastard and Goblin. The Tyler that was very different, rapped about his problems, and his imagery and dark humor made the songs compelling. After the first two songs, the album kicks into high gear and never lets up. Tyler becomes the Tyler we all know, rapping about his problems and demons, but having a sense of snark to the lyricism. He deals with such strong topics such as his coming to terms of the death of his grandma, the fact his father still hasn’t contacted him, and how he doesn’t want fame and just wants to be a normal kid. Hell, the song “Colossus” about a fan at six flags, goes from normal to messed up quicker than you can snap your fingers, but for Tyler fans, it’s all normal.

The other major aspect is that, unlike his other albums, Tyler has solely produced Wolf all on his own. It’s easy to tell that this album is meant to be listened to in the summer, outside. It feels like a rap album that has meaning, but is fun to listen to on a summer day. For Tyler’s first time producing, he does a great job of setting up the aesthetic of each song. You look at a song like “Answer” which starts out with a simple, slow drum beat and guitar hook. You realize quickly that the song is going to be personal, and probably a little sad, but it works wonderfully with the lyricism. Then you get a song like “IFHY” which starts out with a weird carnival-esque beat that sets up the song perfectly to sound like some dark messed up carnival ride of love that you, the listener, are going to go on. While some of the songs do use the same sounds, it’s really hard not to give Tyler props for taking the initiative to try production for the first time.

The final verdict:  When I was thinking about what was bad with Wolf, I realized I was getting really nit-picky. Yes, the first two songs, and “Trashwang”, are not good, but the rest of the album is so fantastic that I really forgot how bad they were. Tyler takes a bold step in his career with Wolf. Not only does he show that he can produce and tell a messed up summer tale, but he is still the same Tyler, The Creator we have fallen in love with and respected since Bastard...just not worshiping the devil as much anymore. Even though Tyler probably doesn’t give two s^%ts as to what I think, I can say that you all should give this album a chance. You might find it weird, or disturbing, but it will charm you after a while

FINAL GRADE:  A

CHOICE CUT:  “Rusty”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yS1ay045B4





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