Robyn Writes

Review: Homage – Insignificant [EP]

2014. Is this the year of the melodic hardcore band ? Hasn’t, technically, every year since 2003 been the year of the melodic hardcore band because actually, most other music genres can just suck it? Or will 2014 just be yet another year where we’re flooded with the same band after the same band after the same band? Let’s just say I’m not losing hope quite yet. Homage released Insignificant in 2012, where it was probably prone to get lost in the never ending pseudo post-hardcore shitstream, but teaming up with Giant MKT, they’re giving it another shot.

The refreshing thing about Insignificant is that it’s tightly performed, well-produced and has a good number of intricate moments that you can really sink your teeth into. The unfortunate thing is that it sounds virtually no different to every other melodic hardcore band ever. Homage truly are a homage. Upon first listen, there are some great bits, like the Twin Peaks reference in ‘Groundwork’ and the melodic atmosphere built up in ‘Release Relief’. However, they’re somewhat forgettable, with no real impetus. It’s not to say that it’s a bad record – if anything, the EP sounds more like a ‘best of’ your favourite melodic hardcore acts. ‘Definitive’ really is that – it’s melodic hardcore 101, even if it’s a very good example of it. To their credit, it’s a difficult genre to truly stand out in, and given a longer record, with more room to experiment, Homage certainly have the potential to be great. It’s virtually impossible for an EP to have no standout track, so on Insignificant, it’s ‘Albeit’ that really demonstrates that potential. From the blast beats pervading below the distortion to the intricate indie-style picking that crashes into the verse with a dual-guitar assault, it’s a joy to listen to.

Homage still have a little way to go, but Insignificant is definitely worth picking up if this is your kind of thing. Just don’t expect it to break the mould just yet.

3 out of 5 high fives!

Review: ReVerbed – This Machine

Yorkshire upstarts ReVerbed have been extremely busy since their inception in 2010. This Machine, released last November, marks their fourth release, and an entry into the growing trend of the mini-album. It’s nine tracks of snarly, snotty punk with a few poppy twists, and there’s plenty of good stuff lurking in its midsts.

For a start, the fuzzy guitars and thrashy riffs present in ‘I Finally Wrote A Song (Fuck You)’ and ‘Uncommonwealth’ are plenty of fun. ‘Let Me Go’ has a bit of a power ballad feel to it, and when there just aren’t enough power ballads in the 21st Century, it’s about time we found a few on a punk record. ‘Shine A Light’ has one hell of a ballsy solo, and ‘A Nice Day In Hell’ treads briefly into murky dirgey hardcore territory to totally shake things up in the middle section. There’s a lot of highlights to be found, and you can really hear the joy that went into creating the record come through.

But ReVerbed just don’t go far enough, and as a result, the mini-album seems just shy of its real worth. The dual vocal approach between lead vocalist George and Zoe really needs to be explored more fully – when it works, it works brilliantly, like in ‘Let Me Go’, but there’s just not enough of it present. The political themes explored in ‘Uncommonwealth’ don’t feel totally realised and as a result, it’s nowhere near as effective as it should be. While most of the mini-album is tightly played and well-produced, there are a couple of sloppy riffs that wouldn’t even be noticeable in a live show, but on a recorded piece, jar and frustrate. And it is frustrating, because it’s obvious that these guys are better than that, and it means that parts of the record fall on the wrong side of unrefined.

This Machine might not be perfect, but it shows the great potential that ReVerbed have. Their consistent hard work and appetite for greatness will stand them in good stead, and This Machine is fully representative of that.

3 out of 5 high fives!

Records of the Year – 2013

I have been avoiding this list like the plague. In a year of such incredible music, especially from our own fair United Kingdom, putting a list together seems completely arbitrary and not really a celebration of the year at all. But convention dictates that I really should do something. So, in the traditional fashion, I’ve gone for a top ten. Except for the top spot, all of these could be fairly interchangeable as to how fantastic they are. In their own way, each of these records represents a perfect moment in time, whether it was a great return or a truly exciting debut. So, without further ado, I give you my top ten albums of 2013. Now go and have yourselves a bloody good Christmas and a cracking New Year.

Heartthrob was completely different to the usual Tegan and Sara style. Instead of mysterious indie-pop, they went full-on with a bunch of synths and explicit lyrics. And it was good. There are places that are so 80s, you’d swear you were wearing frilly sleeves and more eyeliner than is good for you, until it breaks into a pounding chorus that wouldn’t feel out of place at your local nightclub. Totally unexpected, highly irreverent, completely fantastic.

It was a big year for comebacks, and Fall Out Boy had one of the biggest ones yet. I’ll admit, I was wary of the FOB reunion to begin with. But Patrick Stump’s time crafting R&B hooks was put to good use and combined with a few pop-punk sensibilities, Save Rock And Roll is a complete progression. A necessary one, some might say, and it showed the world that Fall Out Boy were back in full force and ready to take your radio by storm. Also, the bass riff to ‘Where Did The Party Go’ is one of the best things they’ve ever done.

“THIS. IS. SEMPITERNAL.” That gang chorus was a sign. Bring Me The Horizon were not taking any shit. Also, it’s a remarkably uncommon word, very clever in its usage, and that’s what Bring Me The Horizon’s fourth album is – extraordinarily clever. It’s not necessarily intricate, there’s nu-metal influence everywhere, but it completely bends and breaks previous expectations of the band and creates a sonic journey like nothing else. From the vitriolic ‘Antivist’ to the beautiful ‘And The Snakes Start To Sing’, nothing about Sempiternal is imperfect.

Hey You Guys! are an amalgamation of some of the Worcester scene’s heroes, and these dudes have brought together an unmatched sense of humour, savvy lyrics and catchy-as-fuck hooks into one mindblowing record. Our interview with Hey You Guys! explains further why we love them, but Gasp Shock Horror is 28 minutes of sheer joy.

This record came at the perfect time for We Are Fiction. With bands like Mallory Knox, Young Guns and Canterbury making it big, it’s only a matter of time until We Are Fiction are massive, and they absolutely deserve it. One of the hardest working bands in the UK scene have brought out a record that echoes the glorious post-hardcore scene of the early 2000s while still remaining fresh and relevant. The dual vocal approach from Phil Barker and Marc Kucharski works so well, and it’s one of those records that has you hitting ‘repeat’ the second it’s done. Kate’s review of One For Sorrow says it all.

Let’s be honest, apart from In With The Out Crowd which was a bit iffy, Less Than Jake always deliver the goods. See The Light is no exception. From start to finish, it’s filled with ska-punk bangers. As sunny as a Floridian summer afternoon, no other album has made me smile so much this year, or want to dance as much, and I look forward to blasting this out in the summer at all the barbeques.

An absolutely solid effort from Bangers this year, Crazy Fucking Dreams is the kind of record other punk bands dream of making. Although they’re sticking with the tried and tested ‘big riffs, big rants’ formula, there’s still plenty of innovation here, and their story-telling skills are in full swing, with tracks that can’t help but speak to you. If you like your punk honest and raw, but actually listenable with wonderfully gruff vocals, Bangers are the band for you. And Crazy Fucking Dreams is brilliant.

Again, this was a record I was slightly wary of. Lead single ‘Miss Jackson’ didn’t impress me much, but as soon as ‘This Is Gospel’ made an appearance, I knew that Panic! were back on track to an absolute hit. Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die! is ten straight tracks of pop glory. Every song has a totally different feel to it, but all of them carry something wonderful to the front, whether that’s a catchy chorus or a beautifully poignant melody. Continuing post-Ross is one of the best things Panic! could have done – this is exactly why.

It was clear from the days of Reuben that Jamie Lenman was an almost unnaturally talented songwriter – how was it possible for post-hardcore to be so good and yet maintain a distinctly British voice? It just hadn’t been done before. Like Muscle Memory hasn’t been done before. The first side, Muscle, is the most gut-wrenching hardcore record of the year, with crushing, dirgey riffs abound. It’s utterly glorious. However, second side, Memory, is a folky, poppy, acoustic-y, big band-y foray into something completely genius. Separately, they’d both be incredible records, but together, they combine to create something phenomenal. Not to mention, releasing two records like this together is punk as fuck.

A predictable entry into the list, but an extremely important one. Burials is the best thing AFI have done since The Art Of Drowning. It’s not to say that their efforts in-between have been bad, but Burials was outstanding. A raw, emotional journey juxtaposed with some of the most intricate songwriting that AFI has ever exhibited? Sign me up. Twice. You can read my full love letter to Burials here, or better yet, you can go and buy it and remember why you fell in love with music to begin with.

Review: Water Knot – Sometimes [EP]

Water Knot are from New York, but that’s about as much as you can nail down about them. Sometimes is a diverse, sprawling record, completely eschewing any kind of genre favouritism to create something that’s highly intriguing and completely unique.

The inventiveness and playfulness that abound throughout Sometimes is heartwarming. Although it’s clear that Water Knot take their craft very seriously, there’s a sense of play that is often lacking from this kind of proggy, experimental rock and roll – if that even comes anywhere close. There are guitar riffs that strut, synth solos that completely destroy any preconceptions, and even if vocalist Louis does sound a bit like he’s trying to be Alex Turner in places, that boy’s got some good range. The EP showcases just what Water Knot can do, with tracks as varied as alt-rock anthem ‘Big Brother’, Eastern-inspired ‘Ready’ and the rock and roll stomper ‘Lust’. There’s some big ideas in Sometimes, even if there’s some fairly base lyrics (‘Lust’ doesn’t exactly leave much to the imagination), and an even bigger sound that cannot be ignored.

The EP does have a few problems though. At times, it’s as if Water Knot don’t know where to focus. Although they’ve created a record that’s innovative and enthralling, there’s a loss of control in places that can’t be afforded in this kind of record. There’s the strange, off-time first verse of ‘Sometimes’, and the oddly Vaudevillian cartoon noises and excessive soloing in ‘Revelations’, which just confuse and confound. But when Water Knot get it right, they get it so right.

Even bearing those imperfections in mind, this is the next step of a journey that is far from over. Lead single ‘Lust’ was featured on the soundtrack to Homefront, Sylvester Stallone’s latest movie, and with a debut album following in 2014, it looks like it’s going to be a big year for Water Knot.

3.5 out of 5 high fives!

Review: Living Dead Lights – Black Letters

Imagine if Papa Roach had decided to take equal influence from Guns n Roses and The Germs. Then, imagine that instead of meeting in their hometown, they came from all corners of the world. Toss in a few umlauts and a better dress sense and you have Living Dead Lights.

Don’t take that as anything derogatory, though. Their debut album Black Letters is a big, no-fucks-given rock record and in that, it’s completely genius. On the surface, it’s not overtly clever – lyrically, it’s your typical hard rock cheese in places – but dig deeper and you’ll find cheeky references to horror legend, extraordinarily tight musicianship and an unashamedly irresponsible take on modern rock music. Glorious.

It’s hard not to revel in the sheer indulgence of Black Letters. Although to begin with, it’s rather misleading. ‘I’ll Be Your Frankenstein’ is littered with a ‘one-two fuck-you’ punk attitude, loads of screaming and really fast drums. However, it becomes apparent with lead single ‘This Is Our Evolution’ that the 90s power ballad isn’t dead yet and rock ‘n’ roll parading becomes the order of the day. The record as a whole is bold and brash, simultaneously taking cues from American rock stars and the over-the-top (but frankly incredible) Japanese music scene. ‘Vacant’, for example, chucks in a load of piano and bells over some serious rock riffs – in theory, it’s completely ridiculous, but it works so well.

Working with Fred Archambault, David Spreng and Tom Baker has no doubt had some influence on that – tying together some big producers, who have worked with some big rock and metal bands, is bound to have some kind of impact on the sound. However, what it doesn’t account for is tracks like ‘Hey Stranger!’ which could be just as easily taken off a Die Hunns album were it not for the rock ballad in the middle section, or closer ‘Ghosts and Saints’, which is a country-inspired acoustic tale of loss. What I admire about this record is that Living Dead Lights are not afraid to bring it all to the table, and in doing so, it totally pays off.

Pick up Black Letters if you’re after something fun to kick-start your New Year with. This is rock in its purest sense, injected with punk’s reckless abandon and infused with a well-deserved notion of grandeur.

4 out of 5 high fives!