The Chorus Music Club Society • Page 204

Could be that he's still pretty fresh singeing a lot of these songs whereas he's been performing some alakleine trio songs for two decades.
Maybe it'll take time but he could just be getting older and losing control of his voice

 

don't let someone not liking something make you not like it either

 

And YET


He’s still better than post reunion tom

 

the bar is barely off the ground

 

I mean he did just have throat surgery.

 

On the auto tune thing, I don't hate it but it really depends on how it sounds imo.

 

I think he is saying he only listened once and didn't give a fair review from that. He liked what he heard so it passed it along. Have you heard it? If not, next time we get paired up I will send it your way.

 

This I can agree. I mean there’s clearly used for some as effect in Starset’s vessels but it’s not over abused. @anonimito and @bachna84 would agree

 

That was where I was going with it. I don't hate it but it has to be in the right setting for it to really make me like it. Like @Kiana said, it is great in some of the 80's throwback bands.

 

I remember when Avenged Sevenfold used it and I was completely against it before I heard it. Than I heard it I was like this really does work.

 

Haha I've heard a few songs it's okay. I'd rather get sent albums you like!

 

Hope he recovers lot of singers are never the same after they get surgery see: m shadows

 

Shadows, to me has gotten more stronger over time. When I saw them in June he tore it up, I mean it really depends on what era of the band you like because he went thought a lot of changes as did Skiba over time.

 

I think shadows has sounded worse and worse on every album since self titled, but musically the band still kills it

 

@thenewmatthewperry and I traded a while back and he gave me:

Braxton Burks: Johto Legends Music from Pokémon Gold and Silver (2018)

I will be open and honest and say that I had no idea what to expect with this recommendation but it has been one of the coolest recommendations so far. As you can tell from the title it is a video game soundtrack turned orchestral. This is not something new but as of recent video game soundtracks are becoming more complex and even going so far as to hiring true composers. Games that come to mind are Ori and the Blind Forest and Dear, Esther. These soundtracks are even getting pressed to vinyl and are getting collectors excited outside of the gaming community. As a gamer myself, I think this is such a great idea and shows that video games are not just that and are finally getting the credit they deserve as another form of art. This has even gone so far as to having live concerts with full bands in select cities and venues. I can recall Final Fastasy Live coming to the NYC area and one of my coworkers going and he loved it so much he went to a Star Wars event as well.

Johto Legends initially started out with a kickstarter and surpassed it's $40, 000 goal in a matter of months. They pushed it farther in order to hire someone to do a symphonic metal version of one of the tracks, Battle! Rival Trainer. I am so glad they did because it was one of my favorite songs on the album and anyone who has played Through the Fire and the Flames on Guitar Hero knows exactly what I am talking about. I will post it below:

The whole thing was put together by Braxton Burks and composer Sebastian Wolff along with a group of other musicians that play various other instruments including Violin, Cello, Trumpet, Saxophone and trombone to name a few.

My other favorite track is Team Rocket Strikes Back and has this jazzy/pink panther vibe to it. The rest of the album is great and feels so epic and grand.

It draws a lot of similarities to Disney's Fantasia but a more grown up version.

With this all being said, it is huge record at an hour and 16 minutes. It is not something you immediately hit play on but something that will leave you amazed and with time you'll want to experience again.

6/10

RIYL: Video games and music

 

Time to review the albums of our resident lurker turned participant, @anonimito

Darren Hayes- The Tension And The Spark

I had no idea what to expect when diving into this album, as I had no idea who Darren Hayes was. He was a member of Savage Garden back in the day it seems, and this was his second album and took him in a much darker and electronic pop sound. As soon as I began the album, I realized this was going to be outside of my wheelhouse in a way, but yet not too far of a stretch. Diving in with an open mind, I decided to see what this album had to offer. What I came into was a world of heavy electronic pop, dark overtones and passionate lyrics about personal matters and life.

The very first track of the album, 'Darkness' spells out for you what you can expect to hear; and this is a huge highlight of the album for me, this opener. It has these dark and moody electro pop sounds similar to 80s electronic music. Vocally, his voice is actually pretty good and could rival a lot of the pop acts of the modern day; and this song deals with the dark subject matter of the heaviness and dark emotions of life engulfing you and taking over your life. Its a relatable feeling, feeling disconnected from the world and the ones you love. This brings those feelings to a very passionate and sad front. This album is full of digital sounds, effects and bits that create these atmospheric sounds that go behind him. Sometimes, they work like a charm in songs like 'Darkness' and 'Unlovable', 'Dublin Sky', or 'Feel', which is when they work well when he is singing the more passionate themes of love, darkness, life. Even songs like 'I Forgive You' where he takes on a much angrier form in the verses, these sounds work well with his voice. There are some songs on this album such as lead single 'Pop!Ular' where its very up beat and he sings in an almost Backstreet Boys like manner; I was much less a fan of these types of songs. Darren seems to have his strength in singing more somber songs, and using the electronics to his strength. 'Feel' for example, is a song about how he has moved away from being a broken and hurt man and learning to feel again; its a slower song with crackling static in the verses and the synths are much softer and create an atmosphere and mood. In this type of genre, the electronics create the mood of the song, just like an instrument would in a typical rock song. His lyrics are strongest when they are working in earnest and honesty to deal with emotions and passions, hurt and turmoil. The more upbeat songs sound much more 'boy band'ish, and work against his stronger characteristics (Except 'Love And Attraction', that song is a cheesy 80s dance club song but I found enjoyment in this by embracing it as that).

This album is pretty dang good, especially for being outside of my genre tastes for the most part, but that's what this club is about and this is one of those examples where it really did work when it worked. Yes, I mentioned some weak parts of the album, but there were much more strong songs than there were weaker ones. This one sees the artist exploring his demons and his fears for the most part, and his embracing of the emotions of love and loss. These are the strong points, and I would recommend this album to anyone who is a fan of 80s electronic pop, 80s rock love ballads, and that style of cool 'revenge of the nerds' style music. I dig it! Stand Out Tracks: Darkness, Unlovable, Dublin Sky, Feel, I Forgive You, Love And Attraction.
6.5/10

Acceptance-Phantoms

This was a band I actually was aware of going in to this, though while I knew who they were if you asked me to tell you a song title or some lyrics I would have lost that dare. Going in to this though, I knew this was going to be more in my wheel house than the other album that @anonimito was gracious enough to give me. When I hit play on this for the very first time, I was sitting on the couch when I had lost power at my house for about an hour due to a thunderstorm, so I listened to this album in the darkness by candle light. Oddly enough, I like to think that this enhanced my experience with this album.

This band comes in on the heels and sounds of bigger and similar bands like Jimmy Eat World and Anberlin, and being produced by Aaron Sprinke ( @Colin Your Enthusiasm Wolves!!!111!!1) that makes a lot of sense. I will say that these guys have chops in this! The opening track is a great way to get things going, including gentle piano strokes to get the song going, but when you get to the second track 'So Contagious' you really get to hear that things are starting to get going, with this mellow rock ballad about being in love, and they don't play it overly sappy; the end result being a great and catchy song with some cool guitars and effects in the background (such as piano and keyboard). "Could this be out of line, to say you're the only one, breaking me down like this? Youre the only one I would take a shot on." Lyrics that will that will get stuck in your head. Things pick up with 'In Too Far', a ferocious intro leading into a more ramped up and melodic song with some amped up guitars, and this continues into 'The Letter'; both songs remind me of something Anberlin may have put out. Melodic guitars, great drumming, and some nicely crafted but not overly deep thought lyrics. Vocally I dig what hes going with, his voice kind of reminds me of the vocalist from Armor For Sleep, which isn't a bad thing at all; it works in this style of music. Especially in the slower songs, like the rock ballad 'Different' which was a huge stand out on the album and I feel like would have been on a playlist I made back in high school if I had been listening to these guys. These guys have some insanely catchy songs on this too; ' Over You' and 'Breathless' being a prime examples of this; the latter being one of the darker subject songs lyrically and musicsally on the album yet having one of the catchiest choruses. This album is a good listen, with plenty of things to like through its 12 song, 37 minute long run. I did not really have any complaints about anything on these songs, if I am being honest. Some were stronger than others, but none were bad.

This album has something for fans of the alternative, pop punk, and rock genres. If you like bands like Jimmy Eat World, Anberlin and bands in that genre, there will be songs on here for you. The guitars shred, the drums bang, and the vocals are melodic and catchy with lyrics that are very relatable. This recommendation was completely inside of my wheel house, and I will be returning to this album for times to come. Stand out tracks: So Contageous, In Too Far, The Letter, Different, Over You, Breathless, Permanent
8/10

 

Nice reviews! That Acceptance album is insanely good!

 

I’m glad @thenewmatthewperry gave you this. I’m a pokefan, so I have listened to this before and I love it; and I will listen to it often when I’m playing the games or when I’m just kind of resting

 

Great reviews! I figured TTATS wouldn't be in your wheelhouse, but I'm glad you found some things you enjoy. "Breathless" is my favorite track on "Phantoms" - I could listen to it on repeat for hours and not get bored!

Thanks for giving them a try!

 

Guys it's late and I'm feeling nostalgic right now, I'm listening to From Autumn To Ashes and I honestly forgot what a great album The Fiction We Live really is.

 

The truth is revealed!

 

This week I was paired with @bachna84 and he recommended WAVES, the recent album by Donovan Wolfington. Though I had heard the band name before, I had never heard a note of this band's music. A bit of research revealed that this is the band's final album. I also saw that they are signed to Topshelf Records, which gave me an idea of what they may sound like which turned out to be somewhat accurate.

This album is full of heart-on-sleeve, emotional rock in the same vein as many of the recent emo revival acts that have put Topshelf Records on the map. Quiet, meditative moments in the songs tend to explode suddenly into chugging guitars, angular riffs, or impassioned screams. These songs are constantly changing and keeping the listener engaged and interested. Most of them do not follow any kind of predictable structure or feature pop choruses that repeat. There's a moment halfway through "Church of Gravity" when I thought the band was about to repeat a section that I had identified as a possible "chorus" earlier in the song. Just as I expected it to hit, the band blasted into a barrage of guitar riffs that took the song in an entirely different direction. These, to be certain, are not pop songs.

That, however, is not to say that there aren't hooky or memorable moments throughout this record. Guitar riffs, melodies, and rhythms jump out and catch the ear often, making for an engaging listen. Just don't expect those parts to stick around too long before the band moves on to the next idea. This is definitely an album that rewards repeat listens, as it takes a few repetitions for these captivating moments to sink in.

At this point I should probably admit that although I've given chances to most of the Topshelf/emo-revival-type bands I've seen hyped here and elsewhere, I have yet to really connect with any of those bands. This record didn't change that, although it is probably my favorite that I've heard from this subgenre. I appreciate the clear and dynamic production on the album, which stands in contrast to some similar albums that seem to be poorly or sparsely produced on purpose.

I would say whether or not you enjoy this style of music, this album is worth a listen, especially since it clocks in at a brisk 29 minutes. It's a fun ride and if this is the kind of music that revs your engine I could see this becoming a favorite after a few listens.

Standout Tracks: Wave (Mineral-esque guitar heroics), Perfect, Church of Gravity, Low

 

Great review and I agree that emo is a love it or hate it genre.

 

Nice write up! I’ll have to check this one out