The Chorus Music Club Society • Page 209

this coming week i will be swapping with @JRGComedy.

he gave me

All - Percolator
Meat Wave - The Incessant


i gave him

Loma Prieta - Self Portrait
Gil Scot-Heron & Jamie xx - We're New Here

 

My second record of the week assigned by @sophos34 was Burial- Untrue

While I don't dislike, actually quite like a lot of electronic artists, it's definitely a genre I don't see myself frequently going to, despite usually enjoying records in the genre.

The first thing that stuck out to me was the album cover. I think the album cover is fantastic, and really fits the mood of the album. This is a fantastic sit back and relax electronic record. I found myself getting lost in the record from time to time, not because I wasn't enjoying it, but moreso because the record felt like a proper record and not individual songs.

The guest spots on the record were very diverse with guest vocals reminiscent of The Weeknd(Archangel) all the way to vocals reminiscent of Maynard James Keenan(Untrue) Despite the range in vocals the music stayed pretty consistent which allowed it to feel like a true record. Some of my favorite tracks surprisingly enough were some of the interludes like "In Mcdonalds" which benefited from less is more.

The record definitely inspires me to explore more the genre and more by Burial specifically. Thanks for the rec @sophos34

Favorite tracks: Archangel, Ghost Hardware, Untrue, Homeless

 

so the vocals are all samples of vocals from r&b songs chopped and tuned and messed with to fit the music

 

Very cool! I'll have to listen again with that considered!

 

@Spenny i haven’t forgot your reviews! I’ll be writing them tomorrow night.

 

I’ll likely do mine tomorrow night as well, just at the airport waiting to head home from a week on the road haha.

 

I'm really early with these, but I had a bit of time and I was really excited to review the second album here. This isn't all of them, but a couple for the next session:







Between the Buried and Me: Automata I

I didn't really know what this band was like, but I found out pretty quickly. Ah! This is a metal band. Now I know! I have a relatively low tolerance for metal (vocals), which puts this particular album very far out of my comfort zone.

The instrumentation was really good, though. The guitars and drums were excellent! I even heard some piano and synths.

The "clean" vocals were very good, but I was not a fan of the screaming (in most places). As I've briefly mentioned, I can only take that in small doses. I tried to focus on the music most of the time, which worked and helped me enjoy the album somewhat.

"Condemned to the Gallows" starts the album out with a relatively calm guitar riff that sounds like "December" by Collective Soul to me. Then the guitars really start up and the track becomes much more aggressive. I enjoyed the clean vocals here, and the guitar solos were pretty awesome. The track ends with the calm riff from the beginning of the track, followed by some electronic sounds. "House Organ" gets rolling right away. I enjoyed the brief instrumental parts and the clean vocals - I even heard some piano in places, which was very nice! The last half or so of the track was really great. "Yellow Eyes" is - well, it's very aggressive, with a lot of screaming. The guitars are cool, though! "Millions" reminds me of Thrice in places, which was unexpected. There are a lot of nice vocal parts (and guitars!) in this one! After was feels like a semi-abrupt stop, the track has what I'd like to call an "extended outro." It was really enjoyable. "Gold Distance" is instrumental, complete with the sounds of waves crashing - of course, I enjoyed it! "Blot" wraps up the album quite nicely. It starts out with a bit of an "Eastern" feel to the music, and then it really gets going. The instrumental parts were so cool - the drums and guitars were stellar!

Verdict: 5/10

Favorite tracks: Millions, Gold Distance, Blot



(Sorry! Thanks for sharing this album, even if it wasn't really for me.)












The Xcerts: Hold on to Your Heart

Wow, was I surprised by this one! I did not expect what I heard at all, but in a good way!

The instrumentation was wonderful - I heard gorgeous piano, an unexpectedly brilliant saxophone, and of course some awesome guitars and drums. This album has a very 80s feel to it, so it doesn't surprise me that each of these elements were utilized (and utilized very well at that).

The lyrics I could pick up on were great - from what I gather, most tracks range from soft to poppy ballads (lyric-wise), which are always enjoyable. I also really loved the melodies. I really enjoyed the vocals, too!

I can't find anything to say in terms of a critique, here - except, perhaps, that the album is too short! As much as I wish it were longer, I do feel like it's a pretty good length, when I think about it. A lot of my favorite older (classic) albums are on the short side, too.

"The Dark" serves as a nice introduction to the album - it's a lovely piano ballad with a bit of synths. It's not very busy, but it's still quite enjoyable. "Daydream" picks up the pace and is a fun pop-rock tune. It reminds me of "Summer of '69" for some reason. Such cool guitars! "Feels Like Falling in Love" has a similar tone to "Daydream," but it's more dramatic, with some bigger guitars in the chorus and some synth effects that are so cool. The bridge is awesome as well. It's my favorite of the "faster" tracks. "First Kiss Feeling" is a bit toned down from its predecessor initially, but the chorus is faster and really catchy. "Crazy" continues the trend of catchy, moderately-fast tracks. The melodies here are so enjoyable! I really liked the bridge, with the brief slow down and the addition of a good amount of piano. After an outro that slows down the pace a bit, "Hold on to Your Heart" starts out a bit slower, with a really strong drum beat. The chorus is so 80s - I just love it! "Drive Me Wild" has the aforementioned brilliant saxophone in places and has a catchy chorus that gets stuck in my head very easily. "We Are Gonna Live" picks up the pace and has what might be my favorite chorus on the whole album (which has so many brilliant choruses). The bridge is phenomenal, too. "Show Me Beautiful" is a much slower track, with a lot of piano. Unlike "The Dark," though, more of the band makes their presence known on this track, with drums and synths in addition to the piano. (This is probably my favorite track of the bunch.) "Cry" once again has a lot of drums and piano, with the addition of that awesome saxophone this time. The lyrics are gorgeous and dripping with emotion. It's a fantastic closer, and serves as a nice bookend with "The Dark" as the opener (and I'm fairly certain the lyrics of "Cry" are meant to serve as a brief reminder of the opener's lyrics, as well).

Verdict: 10/10

Favorite tracks: all of them

Reminds me of: Bryan Adams, Breathe, everything good about 80s pop, Windsor Drive



(Thanks for sharing this - I really loved it! I'll have to try out their other albums sometime soon!)

 

A hit and a miss? Ill take it! I am glad you really enjoyed The XCERTS album and this has been up there with one of my favorite exchanges. Just chatting about music is so much fun and exposing yourself to music you would never listen to or know about it what this entire thing is about! Shout out to @JediMasterKevo182!!!

 

Ditto!

 

@iCarly Rae Jepsen I might be a few days late cause I got some stuff going on I have to sort out and I wanna listen to the album once more before I post thoughts but I didn't forget! Sorry my weekend ended up being a bit crazier than I expected.

 

no problem I understand take your time

 

Ladies and gentlemen of the Chorus Music Club Society, and of chorus.fm in general; it is my honored pleasure to bring you this very special edition of:

CHORUS MUSIC CLUB SOCIETY- RELEASE DAY REVIEWS

OUT OF SERVICE- Morning

Some of you around these parts may be familiar with this band, or have at least heard of it. For those of you who have not, Out Of Service is an up and coming alternative rock band from New Jersey; featuring Kenny Bond on drums, Mike Capuano on vocals, Brian McGovern on bass, and Bryan Williams also known as our very own chorus user and CMCS member @teebs41 on guitar. After reuniting in 2016 and releasing their EP 'What We Bring With Us' in 2017, these guys have been anything but out of service as they have played shows and worked hard on their first ever full length album; and it is my pleasure to be one of the people to help announce that today on March 19th, 2018, their album Morning is available on their band camp (Out of Service - Morning) as well as on Apple Music and other streaming services. The album actually went up on band camp a couple days ago, and Bryan and myself decided it may be a good idea to take the couple extra days I had with the album prior to its release to get a feel for it and bring you this review to show you all what Out Of Service is about, and I am happy to oblige and take you on this exciting journey. So without further delay, lets kick this review off and bring you my in depth look at Morning. Warning, this will be a bit longer than my usual reviews.

Kicking off the album with the title track 'Morning', this album begins with a gorgeous intro riff that sets the pace right out of the gate, and continues through the song with beautifully strummed guitars through the verses and brings back the intro for the choruses. Lyrically, this song paints a picture that fits in well with the album's cover art (which I love by the way), with these up beat lyrics such as the intro line of "The morning breaks, and I still find myself wrapped up in all the endless possibilities and I can't wait to find out what's in store for you and me.", and as the song continues and faces the sense of uncertainty of living life, there is a sense and passion of hope and stepping forward; standing tall and facing every day as a new morning. Laced with skilled instrumentals on drums, bass, and guitar; along with Capuano's impressive vocals of promise this song was a great way to start the album and sold me immediately on wanting to dive in. Next up is 'Just Between Us', lyrically one of my favorite songs on the album. Opening with a very cool guitar and bass line from both members, the lyrics to this song deal with dealing with the fear of abandonment from a loved one who you want nothing more than to keep with you, but the relationship is fractured and you are unsure if they will stay. "I don't know, can you even hear me? Did you already go? Please just tell me we'll change." Its lyrics like these that show a strength that Out Of Service have on this entire album, not just this song. Earnest, passionate lyrics dealing with real situations that are relatable and full of emotion.

There are musical comparisons one could draw to bands such as Emery and Brand New on this album; especially in the lead single and third track 'The Whole World'. Its lullaby like guitars and sung vocals in the verses sound very much like Emery, and the louder choruses are reminiscent of early Brand New. This is one of my favorite songs on the album, and its easy to see why it was chosen to be their first video. This song will get stuck in your head, the beautifully strummed guitars in the verses and how it shifts to a cool riff on the chorus, and the rhythmic singing of the verses with the thumping of drums behind it just makes for a well layered, passionate song about being trapped in your own life and the judgement of others around you while begging for some one to just help pull you out while the world around you crumbles. Following three amazing and melodic tracks, Out of Service takes it down a notch for a very beautiful acoustic ballad in 'Pillars' a song that has some of the most heartfelt lyrics on the album about a man who is depressed and feels isolated within in his own head, but even within the depression of oneself, there is always something like music by your side. Featuring a comparative chorus and verse; with the first verse and chorus being about the depression and how down you feel, and the second being about realizing that it does in fact get better and that music and loved ones will always be by your side.

This band has chops, musically and lyrically; if the lyrical themes of the past two songs prove the lyric part, the next song 'The Escape' is evidence of the former. After the smooth and soft, heartfelt Pillars, this song kicks off with probably the best intro on the album with a literally insane bass line that kicks into gear with impressive guitar and dynamic drums layering on top of it. This is a more aggressive songs on the track and the chorus is just intense, Capuano really sells this song, with some of his best vocal performances on the verses and chorus both. The outro to this song as well, is just as masterful and even more intense than the intro. If McGovern was the highlight of the intro, Williams gets his time to shine on the last 2 minutes of the song, building up into an insane guitar shred that really shows what they can do, strengthened by Bond's thumping drums before ending softly and quietly. I found plenty of musical moments to fall in love with on this album, that intro/outro being one of them, and the following song 'Blindly Accepting Broken Glass' being another, with a vicious intro and guitar riff in the choruses that almost reminds me of ITILIWFY era Senses Fail mixed with, again, Emery, and containing lyrics of broken promises and trust issues that anyone can relate to; also featuring another awesome outro shred by Williams. 'The Escape' and 'Blindly Accepting Broken Glass' are a great 1-2 punch combo on the album; and the third and knockout punch to is 'Two Anchors'. This song is by far the most aggressive song on the album, a song that demands your attention with lyrics about a broken relationship that you still find yourself weighed down to and grounded to. That despite life dragging you apart from someone and your courses in life changing, your ships seems drawn to collide every time. This one is the most 'Brand New' style song of the album, with vocal in multiple places that reminded me of them.

With four tracks left on this 11 track album, 'Between Cousins' makes sure to keep the wind in your sails going on the back half of the album, with a hefty and ferocious layered sound and lyrics dealing with addiction and how hard and self destructive it can be. This song kicks, and that is saying something after the last three song stretch this album had. This shows, if anything, Out Of Service knows how to sequence an album; there is never a dull moment on the album and nothing seems out of place. This is even true of the next track, 'Kestrel' which is the poppiest sounding song on the album and is definitely a jam. This song show cases the up beat, positive side of Out Of Service; with promising lyrics that are a call to arms that life is yours, and there is no time like the present to stop letting your future getting away from you, to change your destiny and make the ending of your story a better one. This song was a personal favorite to play in my car driving down the interstate with the windows down; this one has more of a pop punk influence than the tracks prior to it have, and is a good way to bookmark the final three songs of the album. Its positive, up lifting, and a song I can see people returning to when they are down in life and need a reminder that their destiny is their own. This more up beat sound continues with 'The Sun and The Sea', which invokes imagery of the album's cover art again musically, with gently plucked guitars and lyrics about falling in love and realizing that nothing else matters aside from that person you are with, that the rest of the world can pass you by as you get lost in that love; but you don't want to be found, because the world is much more beautiful with that person by your side. This one is a softer song and a ballad, and a definite stand out on the album for me. The album is closed out with 'The Thing We Want The Most', a simply beautiful song that shows off the talents of each and every member of Out Of Service, which is also the longest song on the album at 5 minutes and 38 seconds. The bridge to this song is simply gorgeous, with a soothing and relaxing melody that embraces the part of the song before it and leads to an incredible build up and pay off at the end of the song; something they do very well on this album.

There is not a bad song on this album, and that is why I felt that for this review I had to touch at least briefly on every song. Out Of Service really hit a home run with this album, and the hard work they have put into this album over the past year really shows in this effort. The lyrics are honest and real, which paint these earnest images of loss, fear, anger, love, and hope in your mind; and the musical prowess of the band allows for these lyrics to be supported and strengthened by very impressive and talented music. The album will get stuck in your head, and every time I listened to it I had a new favorite song to pick from. My top five stand out tracks from the album though were; 'Just Between Us', 'The Whole World', 'The Escape', 'Two Anchors', and 'Kestrel'. I look forward to seeing where this band goes, and I highly recommend that you check out this album on a streaming service of your choice; or support the band directly by buying it digitally or in physical form from them directly. There will be interviews with the band coming out today, one including a track by track guide of the album with the band that's bound to contain some cool information, as well as a Facebook Live acoustic performance of the album on Tuesday (time TBD). Morning is a great first release from Out Of Service, and I look forward to more time with this album and seeing where they go from here.

Feel free to head over to the album thread and discuss the album once you listen:
Album - Out of Service - Morning (March 19, 2018)

 

Fantastic write-up, fantastic album.

 

Damn this thread has had some truly great reviews in it lately @Kennedy for Now Only and now Kevo coming through in the clutch to review the Out of Service lp of our very own @teebs41

Job very well done dudes!

 

Thanks! I feel like a guilty kid who didn't turn in their homework on time!! But imma be doing some driving tomorrow so I'll have the perfect opportunity to give it another listen!

 

Nice work Kevo!!!!

 

This is an album I would have listened to by virtue of the album art alone, but your review brought the hype levels way up. Gotta listen to this right now!

 

You won’t be dissapointed! Spread the word once you finish

 

So this week I've been paired up with @Larry David and as they enjoyed their newest output I've given them The Xcerts album There Is Only You. Along with this I've given them something a bit different in Baroness's Grammy nominated* stoner metal album Purple.

And they've given me a big task of doing a Beatles album in Revolver which should be fun along with the Bleachers album Strange Desire which I don't know much about other than it being a Fun side project.

*Well technically it was the single Shock me that got the nom but I'm still having it

 

This is a good list.

 

That Rolo Tomassi album is one I'm really keen to hear.

Love the review for that Out of Service record too.

 

Thanks man!


You should join us btw lol

 

So @broken22 and I are matched up for the coming week. We are going to be exchanging one album.

He gave me Senses Fail's new album If There's Light, It Will Find You.

I gave him The Wonder Years' Suburbia I've Give You All and Now I'm Nothing.

 

@Patterns in Traffic and I are paired up this week.

He gave me:
Civil Twilight - Holy Weather
American Hi-Fi - Hearts on Parade

I gave him:
Hanson - The Walk
The Wombats - Glitterbug

 

hell yeah Hanson love