The Chorus Music Club Society • Page 308

I've got some cheese over here that has one on it, will this work?

 

I think Smash Mouth is still on 429 Records so that'd be a good place to start

 

Maybe we could tour with them and hit up all the most famous diners, drive-ins and dives.

 

Lemme pack, can you pick me up from the airport? Also, can i crash at your house for the time being!?

 

Oh because I’m Dutch i must like cheese? Nice stereotype.

 

WOW! Thank you so much! I just saw this and it made my day! Thanks so much man!

 

...Do you like cheese though?

 

My pleasure! Let me know if you guys are ever in the Cleveland area!

 

@CSWAPPO and I have exchanged albums for the upcoming session:

He'll be listening to Teenage Wrist - Chrome Neon Jesus

I'll be listening to The Saddest Landscape - Darkness Forgives

 

me and @Patterns in Traffic are paired up.

He's listening to Carley Rae Jepsen - Emotion

I'm listening to Lights - Skin & Earth

 

I really don’t

 

Yes. But first we have to convince Smash Mouth that we're the next all-stars

 

Started at the bottom, now we’re here. Still at the bottom having to convince some band.

 

While She Sleeps Working On New Album | Theprp.com

I know someone did a review of their recent record. I am excited for this.

 

I read that earlier, always stoked for anything those guys do. They’re 3 for 3 for me and have got better on each album too.

 

Oh, I dove their discography and it is great.

 

Brainwashed is my fav. The last minute of the title track makes me want to run through walls.

 

Alright, here we go!

@anonimito

Copeland- You Are My Sunshine

Copeland is a band I am somewhat familiar with. I have reviewed a couple of their albums in the past, but they are not a band that I really dove into all that much outside of my club listens. I had a hard time remembering why that was too, before I listened to this album. I will start off by saying two things; this is a very melancholy and moody album, if you are looking to throw something on to have some fun and sing along, or ride around with your friends in a car, this is not the album for you. Second, don't let what my previous sentences said fool you, I actually do like this album quite a lot! The problem with this album though is its so soothing and mellow that its hard to articulate my thoughts on any one song, as it tends to flow together like a smooth running river. So instead, I will be saying some general thoughts of the album.

This album hits you like a ton of bricks in places. When the sad moments come along, they are incredibly sad. When the happy moments come along, you feel bright and cheery. The thing about this album is that when listening to it, you are going to be on an emotional rollercoaster from beginning to end. Its a journey through the music, really. Musically the sounds are also very mellow; but with a lot of nice flourishes thrown into the mix. Some strings are heard through the songs, some very nice guitar riffs are in songs such as 'To Be Happy Now', there's even a jazz-ish bridge in 'The Day I Lost My Voice'. These moments add some life and finesse to a soft and soothing sound that otherwise could lull you in so much that you stop appreciating the music for what it is but instead as background noise; but the lyrics of these songs working with the music and those flourishes instead make this something more of a meditative like listening experience. Vocally, Aaron Marsh is on point on this album; there were things about his voice that kind of made me take notice in past albums that I have heard; but in this one he is vocally flawless. If anything, his vocals work so well with these lyrics that the relaxing state the album builds up with you is just enhanced by his vocal work. There are some songs where a female vocalist works with him too, such as 'On The Safest Ledge' and her vocals are excellent.The only complaint I could make about all of this is that because the album is so meditative, it sometimes will blend together and become one big song as opposed to a collection of songs. You may think you are on track 4 and end up being on track 6 without even noticing. This is not necessarily a bad thing though, as I fully believe that was the intention of this album; to be so soothing and soft that it works as a whole work of art as opposed to individual songs of singles and filler tracks.

This is a good album to listen to in the dark with the head phones in and a warm cup of tea. You are going to feel things when you start listening to this album, and I mean truly taking it all in, which can take a couple of spins to happen but when it clicks both lyrically and sonically its almost breath taking. Very atmospheric and emotional, these songs are beautifully made and not over complicated. They will pull you in and let you just kind of drift off with them as you explore any emotions you may have bottled up inside of you. I recommend it if you are looking for some relaxing alone time music and just wanting to go on an emotionally induced ride. Stand out tracks are: The Grey Man, Chin Up, To Be Happy Now, On The Safest Ledge, Not Allowed, What Do I Know?

8/10

Search The City- Flight

This was a hard to find album. Not on Spotify, not on Apple Music, I had to resort to YouTube for this one. Now that is dedication (@bachna84 ). What I found when I started listening to them was an alternative rock band from Detroit, and one that is incredibly talented. Released in 2013, I am surprised that this album is so hard to find online, because its a very damn good one. This album contains everything from acapella moments, to killer verses with emotional lyrics and catchy choruses. As soon as you reach the second track, 'Syndicated Reality', you will have a feeling for what this band can do and be hooked; and that's combine alternative rock with pop rock and create a great album. These guys sit somewhere between Anberlin, Acceptance, and Boys Like Girls. The drums are well paced, the guitar riffs are on point, and vocally their singer has a melodic voice that works perfectly with this genre of music.

As I stated before, 'Syndicated Reality' is a damn good starting point if you want to know how this band sounds on the whole. If you want to see how they sound when they are firing on all cylinders though, look at 'Heart Strings' a song that combines some of the catchiest choruses with extremely melodic verses, ambient background effects, and lyrics about the loss of love and how it pulls at ones heart strings and doesn't let go remembering the one you no longer have in your life. Some songs stand out better lyrically than others though, and one of the better ones is 'Whispers and Memories'. This song contains some of the most haunting lyrics on the album and as my favorite line goes "I'm haunting this place of whats left of me, until I am finally free". This song is great and filled with nice hooks, melodic vocals and an anthemic chorus that will have you singing along in no time. This song is probably my favorite song on the album to be honest, and is the most Anberlin sounding track. The verses in some of these songs have just as much power as the catchy choruses as well, look no further than 'Rewriting The Ending' for an example of that. There is something for everyone on this album who is even remotely a fan of any of the bands I compared these guys to in the first paragraph. 'The Runaways' is a great build up verses to an explosive singalong of a chorus, 'Watch The Stars Fall' is just right in that sweet spot of pop rock that you might get a cavity from the melodic vocals, and those beautifully strummed guitars mixed with the rolling drums that this song sports. All in all, the album in itself is a good ride and I am hard pressed to find anything to really critique about it. 'Light The Fire' is as catchy as one could have asked for on an album like this. Every song on this album has something to say and executes it well for the most part.

I highly recommend this album if anything I have said caught your eye. It may be a bit of a pain to look it up and listen to it on youtube, but the experience is well worth it in my eyes. They set a high bar with this one, and the album of theirs that is actually on Apple Music, A Fire So Big The Heavens Can See It, is just as much of an earworm (Yes I did the extra credit and looked into the one album of theirs that is actually on Apple Music, oddly enough that's the first album, Flight is their second.) Give this album and their first album a spin, and you will be pleasantly surprised with what you hear!
Stand out tracks: Heart Strings, Whispers And memories, Rewriting The Ending, The Runaways, Watching The Stars Fall, Light The Fire.
9/10

 

Awesome reviews! I'm stoked that you enjoyed these (plus the extra credit album) as much as you did! You mentioned most of my favorites, except for "Should You Return," which is actually my top favorite Copeland song. "Whispers and Memories" is my favorite STC song, so that makes up for it.

STC had an EP prior to their first full-length, called "Ghosts." They actually had a different vocalist prior to "Flight," but Travis' vocals on "Flight" are pretty close to his. Both the EP and "Flight" can be found on bandcamp! Ghosts E.P., by Search The City

 

And here is one from @ugman_2000

Enter Shakari- The Mindsweep

Enter Shakari is a band that I am actually familiar with, to an extent. I used to listen to them way back in high school thanks to a girl I knew at the time and I stopped after that period of my life ended. So lo and behold, one night @Larry David and myself were talking about these guys and he was encouraging me to check out some of their later work, that same night I am paired with Uggs and he recommends this album to me. It was a perfect storm to get me to check out this release, and I am glad I did. This band has changed from what I remember in high school, they have become a lot more melodic and a lot more accessible; its very similar to the same path that Bring Me The Horizon took with their most recent album to be honest. I knew this was a different beast than what I was expecting as soon as I heard the insanely catchy yet gritty opening track 'The Appeal & The Mindsweep I'. This album's cover art was eye catching, but once you listen to the album it has a whole other meaning; these aggressive, melodic, well written songs both lyrically and sonically will have your brain lighting up and your senses flaring while you experience this.

Second track 'The One True Colour' is where this band really starts showing their melodic side. These verses and the chorus are so well done, incorporating rich guitars, melodic clean vocals and some well placed and powerful screams along with some string instruments and thumping drums; this song is a huge milestone to set this early in the album. By the second track they are already showing such gumption and flare that you find it hard to match what you are already hearing. 'Anaethetist' is a different monster than the previous two songs; featuring a bit of a hip hop and electronica influence than the last two songs, at first I thought it was something I would find annoying but that chorus is just so damn catchy I was soon singing along with it by the end of my first listen. This take even another sharp turn when you get to the next track 'The Last Garrison', which is explosive in its aggression and its rhythm. And yet, the chorus is very smooth and catchy. "This could be the end, he said, the end my child. So I made good use of my face and I smiled" was a line that stuck with me through this song, something about it just stuck with me. I also had to sing along with "We're part of the last garrison" every time it was sung. Some of these songs have a trance feeling to them, melody wise and vocal wise, and it adds to the effect of the songs that make up this 13 track album. For example, 'Mytopia' opens with creaking stairs and a huge organ piano before incorporating the sounds of water dripping into a rhythmic beat while the vocals come in very soothing and melodic...and then the timer goes off and the song explodes into the ferocity of a mosh pit. It is literally insane to hear unfold in your ears, and I absolutely love it. 'Torn Apart' contains some of my favorite melodies in the entire album, and its one that I found myself wanting to play as soon as I was done with my first listen of the album, theres also some very cool background effects with electronics and synths going on with this one, along with an anthemic and gang vocal chorus that is very melodic. Then you get to a song like 'Dear Future Historians..' which is a delicate piano ballad, compared to the beautiful insanity of the tracks before it; and it works so well, also containing some of the most beautiful earnest lyrics on the album, before the last two minutes of the song where it erupts into an epic and extravagant full band chant of "put your weight on my shoulders" in a grand finale to the track. Honestly this should have been the closing track of the album in hindsight. The actual closer 'Slipshod' is aggressive and insane, kind of reminding me of mewithoutYou meets dance electronica; and while I like it and its weird dance DJ break downs, it would have been better in the middle of the album and DFH being the closer.

The production on this album is great, and really plays well into what the band was going for with this robust sound they have. This band goes all over the map on this one, touching a lot of different genres and a lot of electronic experimentation that I truly did not expect to hear from them. Its a clear showing that these guys are not the band I thought they were back in high school. Just like Bring Me The Horizon, they have changed and evolved their sound into something that oddly really suits them. I look forward to checking out more of their releases past this one, and seeing what the band has in store in the future. I highly recommend this one if anything I said caught your attention. While I did not like this album as much as I liked BTH's change of sound, this album is still damn good and something I will be revisiting for a while. Stand out tracks are: The One True Colour, Anesthetist, The Last Garrison, Mytopia, Torn Apart, There's A Price On Your Head, Dear Future Historians...
8.5/10

 

(This was yet another bonus trade, so this review is also bit more informal than usual.)

Shakey Graves: Can’t Wake Up

I found this album to be a bit challenging, but enjoyable overall. There are some R&B elements, as well as folk, which puts it within my tastes most of the time.

I enjoyed the melodies and the vocals quite a bit, and the instrumentation was great! His vocals reminded me of Sir Sly's Landon Jacobs. As far as critiques go, I felt like some of the songs blended together (and got a bit irritating at times), and I also am not always in the mood for this style of music.

"Counting Sheep" opens the album with a lazy feel, which I really enjoy. The percussion was also really great. "Kids These Days" is pretty catchy. It reminds me of a pop song from a few years ago, but I can't pin it down. "Climb on the Cross" has a vintage feel to it - it makes me think of the 60s. There's a nifty breakdown toward the end of the song. "Dining Alone" was a pretty chill track that I quite enjoyed. "My Neighbor" has some nice drums! "Excuses" also showcases the percussion and was probably my favorite on the album. It even has some piano! "Cops and Robbers" was another vintage-type track. The guitars were pretty cool, especially during the bridge. "Mansion Door" has such cool percussion work! It might feel a little busy at times, but I dig it. "Aibohphobia" - a fear of palindromes, haha! Anyway, it reminds me of the soundtrack to "Dumbo" for some reason. There were some nice guitar parts! "Big Bad Wolf" is more subdued and again features some cool percussion. I enjoy the use of guitars here as well. "Back Seat Driver" has a chill, laid-back sound to it, which I really enjoy. It sounds like something from John Mayer's "Born & Raised" album. "Foot of Your Bed" is really subdued and has a harp! Very interesting. "Tin Man" has a "jangly" feel to it, and it's pretty catchy! It's a nice way to close out the album, since it features a good sampling of the styles present on the entire album.

Verdict: 7/10

Favorite tracks: Counting Sheep, Dining Alone, Excuses, Mansion Door, Big Bad Wolf, Back Seat Driver

Reminds me of: John Mayer (musically), Sir Sly


(Thanks for sharing another enjoyable album, @Nate_Johnson!)

 

Great review and I agree that this is a really challenging listen.

 

Awesome review Kev, glad you enjoyed it. Yeah they’re a band that’s changed their sound up from album to album really (while still managing to keep a bit of their core sound).

I think you may have heard either a special addition or possibly their remix album (says hospitalized after The Mindsweep and has a red cover) as the actual album finishes on The Appeal & The Mindsweep 2. If my memory serves me right Slipshod was released a bit after the album. If it’s a case of the remix album sorry for not making it clearer, still awesome review mate.

I really love their album before this (A Flash of Colour) it’s a good blend of their old sound and their new sound where they go all in on the electronics and really politically charged lyrics (a bit like Mindsweep).

I think you’d really like their new album (The Spark), they go all in on their more melodic sound on that.

If you ever get the chance to see them live do it, they put in such an amazing show. I’m seeing them headline a festival next month and can’t wait for it.

 

'Slipshod' was released as a one off single before the album was released, but it did making its way on the the iTunes version of the album (and a few other versions).

 

Ah that explains it, I checked Spotify this morning and didn’t see it on the actual album so wondered if Kev had reviewed the remix album as that had Slipshod at the end.