The Chorus Music Club Society • Page 221

I really thought they could have hit the height MCR did around that time.

 

I saw Civil Twilight on tour several years back opening for Anberlin (Crash Kings was direct support) and I thought they were really good! I only ever checked out this album, but I'll have to give their other stuff a listen now too.

 

Definitely check out Holy Weather if you've only heard the debut. Really good stuff. Their most recent album Story of an Immigrant is also very solid, it has some amazing highs but is not as consistent throughout as Holy Weather IMO.

 

Apologies! I messed that up when syncing. I actually recognized the album cover of Holy Weather and knew it was a favored record by their fans (my brother likes them a lot) so I was curious why you went with the debut but you didn't go with the debut haha

 

No problem! For what it's worth, your standout tracks are the same as mine and I think what you said about wanting to hear them stretch their sound and try some different musical paths is exactly what they do on Holy Weather.

If you do end up checking that one out at some point I'd love to hear your thoughts! No formal review necessary.

 

"I'm Only Sleeping" is really one of my favorite sleeper (booo, I know) Beatles songs, too.

 

So this might be a bit early but here goes:

Jack's Mannequin - Everything In Transit


Going into this album, I had no idea what to expect other than thinking it would be heavily piano based, and was honestly not expecting much, so I will admit I was pleasantly surprised by the album. My only knowledge or previous experience with Andrew as a whole was hearing a single Something Corporate song, "Konstantine". I also remember he opened the main stage at Slam Dunk last year but I didn't see him (having checked the setlist, I still wouldn't be super into it).

One song in and I was immediately quite intrigued. The first song is indeed very piano based, and whilst I didn't feel hugely connected lyrically, I think listening to this on the first sunny and vaguely warm day of the year helped me feel immediately interested in the album. Second track "The Mixed Tape" was a nice surprise with a bit more pace than the opener.

"Bruised" is a song I recognised from my girlfriend playing it and I actually really like this song, just like every track on the album it has some hugely memorable melodies, something Andrew consistently brings to the table throughout the record, whilst some of the drums have a nice electronic sound at points which felt different.

Fourth track "I'm Ready" is my favourite on the record. Opening with a vocal sample that sets the tone, this song has genuinely fantastic piano lines, sunny melodies, and nice backing instrumentals. This is a song that had me hitting replay in my car countless times. It's a song I have listened to consistently every day since and will probably continue to throughout the summer. I like this song enough that even a big pet peeve of mine, a spoken word bridge, is still enjoyable and never detracted from the track.

Further through out the record though are more tracks I enjoy, from "Dark Blue" to "Rescued", which takes the more slow pace of "La La Lie" yet feels like a much better written song, whilst the finale "Into The Airwaves" is fun and closes the album on a high.

It's not all positive though, as the previously mentioned song "La La Lie" is particularly grating to me, and I find myself skipping it every single time I listen to this record. I also think the first half of the album is much stronger than the first, leaving it feeling a little front loaded.

Despite that, it was an enjoyable record with more than a handful of tracks I'll undoubtedly go back to. The lyrics are generally strong even when I don't find them relatable, and the melodies and instrumentation were memorable throughout.

I feel like if I had heard this record ten years ago I would have really enjoyed it. As it is, I found it a pleasant experience with some stand out songs, but also one or two that fell flat.

Best tracks: I'm Ready, The Mixed Tape, Bruised

RIYL: Dashboard Confessional, Boys Like Girls, All Time Low's more mellow music

7.5/10

 

Awesome review! I'm glad it was recommended to you, since you seem to have gotten a few songs to stick with you!

Those are probably my top tracks on this album, too - personally, I do love all the JM albums, but this one is last for me, which is a rare opinion. For me, I just really love the way his/the band's sound evolved on the next two, especially "People and Things."

 

Great first review! I’m glad you ended up liking what’s basically my third favorite album of all time. You pointed out some of my favorites from the album as yours, and I’m glad to hear this will be a good summer album for you: it really works on that. Good job!

 

I’ll join back in if dats cool

 

Hell yeah man, welcome back! You can trade with me this week, I’ll shoot you a dm

 

Never mind it won’t let me DM you, shoot me a dm!

 

@JediMasterKevo182 has given me Taking Back Sunday’s Tidal Wave and Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness’ self-titled.

My picks this time around are Heart Food by Judee Sill and Nina Simone’s High Priestesses of Soul

 

Everyone welcome @Cody back to the fold!

They gave me:

Heart Food by Judee Sill

High Priestess of Soul by Nina Simone

I gave them:

California By Blink-182

Tidal Wave By Taking Back Sunday

 

I can't think of a better welcome than some awesome Andrew McMahon! You're in for a treat, @Cody !

 

You know what, @JediMasterKevo182 I have actually heard that McMahon album, it’s the one after that I never listened to.

 

Well damn. We need to pick you a new album then. Have you heard Jacks Mannequin’s Albums??

 

I have, will love all the earlier Jacks/SoCo stuff forever

 

Yellowcard- Lights And Sounds?

 

Fixed the Rec

 

So @cshadows2887 had me listen to the Velvet Underground - Loaded. I'd listened to the Velvet Underground & Nico before. I had an English teacher in hs who had us all do a project where we picked a pre-80s album to do a presentation on and I chose that one. Were u my English teacher @cshadows2887 ??? Seems like something u would do!!!

Anyway, that was their only album I had listened to prior to this. My first impression is that it reminded me of the music my grandpa would play in the car that I dreaded because I was a kid and just wanted to listen to A Teens. But anyway, as an adult who is a bit more open-minded now I liked it. The album explored a lot of different sounds and I enjoyed the sing talkyness. It sounds cliche but I enjoyed the rock n roll vibe. I wouldn't call it smarmy... maybe cheeky. But I liked that vibe, like on the album opener Who Loves The Sun. This album creation was also full of the drama which I enjoyed reading lol. The creation and the album itself are both very amusing.

 

The second album that I exchanged with @highfidelity203 last week was Hanson's 2007 effort The Walk. Before last week I had never heard a full Hanson album, and I was only familiar with one of their songs (we all know which one). I had heard for years that Hanson had matured into an accomplished pop rock band, so I looked forward to finally giving them a shot.



After a short intro which consists of children chanting in the South African language Zulu, the album kicks off with the uplifting "Great Divide," which revolves around a classic rock guitar groove with piano and the chanting from the intro track sprinkled throughout. The verses have more punch than I expected out of Hanson, while the chorus is a pure pop vocal hook that is more in line with my assumptions about the band's sound.

"Been There Before" is more piano based and leans further into the pop territory with plenty of "na na"s and a chorus asking "Does it fill your heart and soul with the roots of rock and roll?" The album continues in this vein for most of its 14 tracks. Lots of acoustic guitars, piano, and blissful pop vocals in the choruses. Different brothers assume lead vocal responsibilities on some of the tracks, keeping the formula from feeling stale. "Georgia," "Go," and "Blue Sky" have tremendous hooks that could have easily been hits for the band. "Running Man" reminds me a lot of Matt White, a piano pop artist who mines similar territory to what Hanson explores on this album.

While the band gives adept performances, I found myself feeling like many of the songs on this album lacked substance. That's not necessarily a bad thing, as I enjoy plenty of bands that feature shallow or nonsensical lyrical content. I think it is this excessive sense of earnestness that comes across in Hanson's songs, which felt cloying to me when it could easily come across as charming. That feeling kept me from totally buying into what the band is presenting, even though I recognize that this album could be a fun and lively experience if I were able to just accept these songs at face value and go along for the ride.

This album isn't bad by any means, in fact it is a pleasant listen. Hanson does this style of music very well. There is just something intangible that keeps me from connecting to the songs, and it may be partially due to my preconceived notions of the band. That is the only obstacle that is preventing me from frequently revisiting this album.

I am glad that I was able to become more educated about the band's sound, and these songs piqued my interest enough that I would certainly be open to checking out more of the band's output.

 

Awesome review! I'm glad you gave it a shot. The Walk isn't my favorite Hanson record but it's the record that drew me into their later style. Shout It Out is my favorite record from them but after reading your review you might be a little more into Anthem. I can relate with a band just missing the mark in a way that is tough to describe. You did a great job expressing that.

 

Any Stone Temple Pilots fans in here ? I was checking out live clips and new stuff with this singer they have now and I just can't get behind it. He comes off as a poser and is trying to play rock star and be like Scott. I don't wanna be mean about it but it really irks me.

 

I gave the new record a listen more out of curiosity and it didn't do anything for me. The new singer has his Weiland impression down pat but is completely missing the spark and the uniqueness that made SW special.