Music Reviews

They still got it.

After the absolute disaster that was The National’s last album released earlier this year „First Two Pages of Frankenstein“ (which I gave something like a 3/10) they decidede to release an actual competent piece of music with „Laugh Track“, what seems to be that album’s sister album of sorts. Sorry for the rough start but you have to understand I hold a lot of enjoyment for this band and I’m really dissapointed when they release stuff that’s obviously not half as good as they are capable of releasing. Anyways let’s get into „Laugh Track“.

The album opens up with the really pretty „Alphabet City“ which I originally didn’t care for all that much as a single, but it really grew on me as time passed. It’s actually a really great opener for this album, it sets the mood perfectly and captures that iconic The National feel perfectly. Really reminds me of something off of „Sleep Well Beast“. The opening guitar lick sounds like something straight out of the Life Is Strange OST and the orchestral elements in the latter half are great too. All around an absolute joy to listen to. Speaking off, the same can be said about the next song „Deep End (Paul’s In Pieces)“ – this one has some really smooth guitar riffs and sharp drumming, it’s really airy and sentimental, just all around everything a The National song should be. I especially enjoy the subtle guitar licks in the background here + the lyrics in the chorus really hit home for me lately. Yeah, this one’s a banger too, this album is two for two so far. Next is the song „Weird Goodbyes“ with none other than Bon Iver and this one admittedly is a bit too poppy for my taste, with the really simple beat and piano chords without much to make it unique, but Justin Vernon’s and Matt Berninger’s voice chemistry here is kinda unmatched. Plus the little bits and pieces of instrumentations slowly being added to make it more colorful here and there make it a little more fresh throughout. The tune is definitely there, it’s still a really good one. „Turn off the House“ is actually another one of my favorites, this one once again hits you with that acoustic Life is Strange feel right off the back but with arguably even more energy behind it than in „Alphabet City“. The different blends of instrumentation are absolutely seemless and the singing is kinda on point like a lot. I don’t know, this one just works for a variety of reasons, it feels really colorful and really complete, I especially enjoy the guitar work on here and also the way the part after the „turn off the house“ hook part is sung just hits differently. Yeah like up to this point it’s kinda hard to believe that these songs are off of the same the same sessions as the songs on the previous album were. Next is „Dreaming“ and this one has some REALLY nice but subtle synth work scattered throughout. The electronics here aren’t obnoxious at all, they add to the song a lot. Plus the lyrics once again I really enjoy here especially. Not much else to be said about the song though, I just really like it. After that comes the title track „Laugh Track“ with Phoebe Bridgers and as on the previous album, the Pheobe Bridgers track isn’t as great as I expected it to be. It’s kinda anthemic in a sense and the guitar work is once again just really excellent and well-placed, but the song could use a little extra like… Something. Not even the horns that are brough in towards the end add all that much – it’s still a good song, like it’s really pleasant when it’s on and kinda memorable and by the end of it the instrumentation reaches a beautiful mix, but it takes a hot while to get there and the song can otherwise be a bit boring. Good song though. Next song however, is this album at it’s peak – „Space Invader“ is the longest song on here a almost 7 minutes long and it absolutely makes that time worth sitting through. The base song is kinda simple but really catchy immidiately, once again feeling like iconic The National. However after like the second or third chorus the song turn into pure instrumental bliss as it slowly build with really chaotic drums, bright synths and really pretty guitar work, just an absolute climax. It’s genuinely one of the best The National moments period. Insane song. After that comes the much-needed slower ballad in the form of „Hornets“. This song is like the definition of a slow-burner. It’s really simple and kinda average but that doesn’t mean the instrumentation and performances still aren’t pretty great. Plus the horn(et)s (see what I did there) make a little comeback towards the very end of the song, which was a nice cherry on top, even though a bit short-lived one. Not bad but nothing all that great either, it’s alright. „Coat on a Hook“ has a really nice beat, the drums are super smooth and the plucky guitar melodies are pretty sweet too, it’s just that by this point in the album this sound gets a bit repetetive and this song doesn’t do much to stand out. It’s fine while it’s on but it probably could have easily been cut. As could probably the next song „Tour Manager“ – again, it’s fine while it’s on but compared to the earlier leg of this album it’s kinda impressive hoe forgetable it is. It’s fine. The second to last song „Crumble“ with Rosanne Cash and I’ll definitely say that the chemistry is there as is the tune, like especially after the last few so-so tracks. The guitars are much more lively here and overall the song just has more life to it. The solo at the end is really cool too, the song itself probably overall could have been a bit shorter though I’ll say that much. Still a banger. The closing track „Smoke Detector“ is another really really great one, the guitar riff is really catchy and instantly memorable, the singing feels very unique, like the singing range is probably the widest I’ve heard on any The National song up to this point. It’s just overall great. Apart from „Space Invader“ this is probably the most ambitious and complete song on the whole album, an absolute opus of this project. Wraps up the entire project masterfully and solidifies it as a true comeback for the band, at least in my eyes. Amazing closer.

And there you have it – honestly this project could have been not good but GREAT. There are so many amazing highlights, it’s just a real shame that a lot of the tracks here feel like they’re there just to fill up space. But besides that I mean what a comeback – I had very little hopes for the future of this band after the last LP but this is just great. Hope they continue on this path because I feel like a with a little more ambition and polish we could be looking at something really spectacular here.

-favorite songs: Alphabet City, Deep End (Paul’s in Pieces), Weird Goodbyes, Turn off the House, Dreaming, parts of Laugh Track, Space Invader, parts of Hornets, Crumble, Smoke Detector

-least favorite songs: Coat on a Hook, Tour Manager

decent 7/10

I was originally kinda worried going into this one, considering I wasn’t really head over heels for the singles – „Seaforth“ actually grew on me quite significantly, but „If Only It Was Warmth“ I never really got. So knowing that I was kinda scared of whether or not I’d enjoy this one. Turns out I still did quite a bit.

The album opens up with the beautifully haunting „Filmsier“, another single to this album, one I’ve come to really really love. It’s also just the perfect album opener – the opening chords hit you right away and then as fast as they came the fade away into the main melody that starts slowy creeping in – it’s a really impressive way to easy the listener into the album experience. The song is really melancholic and chill, the guitars are super smooth and the electric guitar with all the synths and everything is also a nice touch, makes the song feel like it’s progressing somewhere – overall just a really solid opener front to back, sets the mood pretty well. This song is followed by the fast-paced „Pink Shell“ that is centered more around this hi-hat/bass combo beat with some nice guitars in the background and some really pleasant brass inclussions. It kinda comes and goes but it’s a really solid banger – the chorus is surprisingly agressive, I enjoy it a lot. Also for some reason this song really sounds like how a song titled „Pink Shell“ would sound, I don’t know, it’s all just very fitting. The aforementioned „Seaforth“ is the song after, and this one REALLY stuck with me. I’ve come to absolutely love the different melodies here and the sea feeling that’s just seeping through this song. It’s just so calming and almost puts me in a trance every time it comes on – definitely one of my favorites here. „That Is My Life, That Is Yours“, the next song, starts off with a slowed down version of what I think is essentially the Seaforth melody, or at least a really similar one. It slowly transforms into it’s own song with the brass section coming in with some more crisp and sharp drumming all appearing out of nowhere, until it slowly eases you back into that innitial calmness – this album’s sense of dynamics is really strong. As for the song as a whole, it’s alright, fits nicely after „Seaforth“. Next up is the song „Tortoise of Independency“, a short but sweet little track, almost interlude-like. I really like the chords on this one, it doesn’t overstay it’s welcome and the little freak-out towards the end is also nice, although besides that the song doesn’t really bring anything all that intresting nor memorable to the table. It does transition waay too smoothly into „Empty Stomach Space Cadet“ though, which has this really spacey ethereal sound that I really enjoy. It has this feeling of floating through space that I really like – everything is so reverbed and atmospheric, I kinda wish this one was a bit longer but also it’s kinda the perfect length, this one’s really neat, all the saxophones and what not are super clean on here. „Flimsy“ is an actual interlude to the next big song „Hamburgerphobia“ and yeah, this one is also pretty solid, the fast beat feels really urgent, the main riff sounds kinda scary and it all collides together really beautifully Also one of the more memorable songs on here + the name is funny, so it’s the whole package. „From The Swamp“ is another one of my favorites on here, just something about the main melody really grabbed me – I also like all the different guitar and brass licks in the background, especially the little solo in the middle of the song where they both play off of each other, that’s a really nice moment honestly. Yeah, this one is really up there as one of the best on the album for me, the instrumentation is just really good and Archy’s voice is also top notch here. „Seagirl“ is another one of my favorites (yeah I really like this portion of the album), the female vocals are super nice here, the little ad-libs she does are heavenly, I really love them. The instrumentation works here too, this whole song is easily one of the best on the album, feels like a shorter more depressed continuation of „Seaforth“. And man the instrumental outro with the synths… That’s like the cherry on top. A really strong moment for sure. „Our Vacuum“ has the little leitmotiv repeated from the first song „Filmsier“ – the song itself isn’t as crazy, but it’s a powerful emotional moment and makes the album feel more tight. The title track „Space Heavy“ starts off very lowkey, but starts really building up after a while and becomes one of the most intense moments on the album – the build up is done very naturally without it feeling out of place in the context of this overall lowkey album. The instrumental palate is really tasteful here, with different heavy guitars, shar drums and pretty keys – then the song comes back to it’s more calmer state and slowly finnishes. Not my favorite on here but definitely a good song. „When Vanishing“ is this really gorgeous orchestral piece with some really nice sax inclussions, a really pretty instrumental moment in my eyes. Following that is the song „If Only It Was Warmth“ which I’m still not all that crazy about, however it doesn’t hurt the album in any way, it’s just sort of there. It does lead pretty well into the last song „Wednesday Overcast“ though. The song starts of really ominously and keeps that tone throughout. The soundscapes are really dark here and super intresting – the orchestral elements return towards the end of the song making it feel really final. The lyrics are definitely the main focus on here and they do pretty well in closing the whole thing off – overall a really solid closer.

And there you have it, King Krule’s newest album while maybe not his most exciting at first is definitely one of his most cohesive and complete records. I have to be in a very specific mood for this album but I think it definitely succeeds at what it does. Maybe a bit boring at points, but it has it’s charm, a really really solid record.

-favorite songs: Filmsier, Pink Shell, Seaforth; That Is My Life, That Is Yours; Empty Stomach Space Cadet, Hamburgerphobia, From The Swamp, Seagirl, Our Vacuum, Space Heavy, When Vanishing, Wednesday Overcast

-least favorite songs: Flimsy, If Only It Was Warmth, Tortoise Of Independency (kinda)

Light 8/10

Man this one is looooong.

So I finally sat down and decided to listen to the whole thing and man what a journey this one is. Out of all the Swans albums I’ve heard so far I feel like this one takes the most patience to get the most out of but it definetly rewards you for that plenty. An even though it may not be the most action packed album in Swans discography it still has lot to offer – mostly with it’s lyrical themes that are actually really thought-provoking and filled with existentialism in your typical Swans fashion but I feel like Michael Gira took it up another notch with this album. And yeah don’t get me wrong this one DEFINITELY isn’t for anyone, like even I find myself kinda falling out of it at points due to just how incredibly long-winded it can be, but I really appriciate that this album can be besides haunting and depressing also just surprisingly beautiful.

That being said the album opens up with the song „The Parasite“ that has these haunting and mystical guitar plucks over which Gira ponders over various topics until the song divolves into this synthy mess with a repeating sound in the background that sounds kinda twisted like a siren going off in the distance, it’s a chilling opener that leads into the even more chilling „Paradise is Mine“ which is probably like the closest we’ll get to a typical Swans song within this first half, with the instrumental slowly building up until there are these absolutely fantastic guitars brought in that sound really primal and make this whole song feel like it’s just marching towards you but surprisingly the song doesn’t explode into like anything super crazy, it just carries on with this with Gira repeating the chant „is there really a mind?“ and it feels really meditative and ritualistic, I really like this one. The song slowly fades away into the next song „Los Angeles: City of Death“ which is probably the most straight to the point song on this whole album clocking only at around 3 minutes and 30 seconds. Within that relatively short time range the song still manages to leave a pretty strong impressions with these punchy guitars and really catchy melodies and chants, it feels like the next step in the ritual. Next up is a song I originally really wasn’t all that crazy about „Michael is Done“ because it just really wasn’t what I expected. It feels almost like a lullaby for the first few minutes and the big crescendo feels like really beautiful and hopeful, like the shining sun in musical form, it caught me really of guard the first time I heard it but the more I return to this one I grew to enjoy it a lot and actually found it really fitting. „Unforming“, the next song, is more of an interlude than a song really, but it continues the atmosphere and vibe of the album relatively well, but I still could have probably done without it even though it isn’t inherently bad per se. Not much to say about it, although it does serve really well in that it eases the listener out of the vibe of „Michael is Done“ into the next song and also the title track „The Beggar“ which feels really similar to „Paradise is Mine“ in the sense that it slowly builds up with minimal things happening at first with just some bass, distant drums and typical post-rock guitars in the background slowly adding some orchestration elements until the song finally explodes into this final segment that once again is pretty good but still feels relatively tame compared to some other Swans cuts, but it just has this overwhelming energy to it still, once again like ritualistic is probably the best way to describe it, that I really like, even though I understand how it may perhaps not be like that big of a pay-off for many typical Swans listeners. With the next song „No More Of This“ we get this like surprisingly chilled out and really pretty piece of music that has a really similar vibe to „Michael is Done“ but somehow even more happy sounding but still in like a weird twisted way – I’m finding it really hard to explain the aesthethic of this album, because it’s just so unique, but yeah this song is like the prime example of that, I actually kinda like it. It also leads smoothly into the next big song „The Ebbing“ which starts of with just a simple guitar strumming and some ascending and descending keys that feel almost like from some sort of video game, before it all kinda clashes into each other and we once again get this really sunny crescendo, this honestly even more so than the previous two, it’s really punchy really powerful, kinda reminds me of like if the „Bring The Sun“ part of that song from To Be Kind was less like larger than life and more grounded or whatever (look I’m trying my best here, this is music you gotta experience yourself to be honest). The first disc ends with the song „Why Can’t I Have What I Want Any Time That I Want?“ that is actually one of my favorite songs from the first half – the main guitar riff is like strangely mezmerizing and the last two minutes of the song really feel like all of the hope of the previous songs kinda just slipping away – the guitars on here are really trippy and close of the first half in almost prefect fashion. And yeah, obviously the 44 minute song „The Beggar Lover (Three)“ is kinda out of this world. Don’t get me wrong, this one is like the definition of slow but man does it reward you for being patient with it – I was drawing some stuff along side with it and I had like an almost spiritual eperience. It’s one of those tracks that the atmosphere that it builds feels like a whole movie. It undergoes so many phases and feels like the definitive Swans eperience. I mean I could really sit here for hours and talk about how this song alone carries this whole album (because it kinda does in a lot of ways) but you kinda get the picture. I don’t think it’s perfect but it definetly takes you on a journey that much you can’t deny. The closing track „The Memorious“ expands on that perfectly as it feels very final and wraps the whole thing together nicely.

Honestly I really enjoyed this album overall – sure, it isn’t anything close to how explosive Swans usually are, in fact I don’t think there is a single instance of this album going like super crazy explosive, but is still has it’s charm, especially in the lyrics/aesthethic department. I don’t think I’ll be coming back to it anytime soon as it has a very specific atmosphere for a very specific mood but when in the mood for it this album is exceptional at what it tries to do. And yes, I do prefer the I guess more off the wall sound Swans typically strive for the past decade or so, but this was nonetheless still a really nice experience, definitely not for everyone though.

-favorite tracks: The Parasite, Paradise is Mine, Michael is Done, The Beggar, Why Can’t I Have What I Want Any Time That I Want?, The Beggar Lover (Three), The Memorious

-least favorite tracks: Unforming

Decent 8/10

Man it’s been a while since some new QotSA music and honestly I really missed these guys. Albums like „Songs for the Deaf“ and my personal favorite album of theirs „…Like Clockwork“ really solidified themselves as one of my personal favorites rock albums basically ever. So when the first single to this album „Emotion Sickness“ came out I was through the roof with excitement to how it would sound and I gotta say, at first I was honestly kinda disappointed with it. Don’t get me wrong, the song isn’t bad but I just found it a bit… Forgetable? I don’t know something just wasn’t working for me with it and that’s honestly been my first experience with this entire album. I think that what’s at fault mostly is that I was expecting another „…Like Clockwork“ which this album is very much not, it has it’s own identity and even though I don’t really enjoy this album as much as that one, with time I still found a great deal of stuff that’s worth coming back to on here.

Let’s start at the beginning. The opening track „Obscenery“ is one I actually enjoy quite a bit, lyrically it’s very existential, hollow and kinda empty which is a running theme throughout this entire album. The random orchestral switch in the middle of the track is well kinda out of nowhere but somehow works really well, the chorus is really memorable and I really like the guitars on this track in particular, they are really dark and twisted and really sound like something straight out of „…Like Clockwork“. Overall a great opener and tone-setter, I really like this one. The next song and the last released single to this album „Paper Machete“ is a really straight-to-the-point rock jam that kinda comes and goes but in a good way, I can see why it was released as a single, the main guitar riff is really catchy and it just sounds like your typical QotSA single. The solo was a nice touch though and I’m especially fond of like the last 30 seconds of this song, the synths or whatever they are, even though they appear for a really short period of time sound super cool, I really wish there was more done with them on this song, I would even go as far as to say they should have been the centrepiece of the song but I digress, still a really good tune. Next is the slower „Negative Space“ on which I once again have to praise the guitar work, especially on the chorus part, QotSA always had really pleasant guitars and this album only proves that more. Besides that I also really enjoy the nihilistic lyrics, they have been really resonating with me with lines „There’s gotta be someway back to earth“ and „stare into oblivion, oh, it hurts“, just some good stuff. I’m not as crazy about the verses though, they are maybe a bit too slow for my liking, even though the bass here is kinda neat. Next is the song „Time & Place“ that has a really nice little guitar lick always in the chorus and some cool guitar effects and little solos here and there, but the core song is kinda all over the place even though I think there is a really good song hiding in there. Really the thing that remains consistenly excellent throughout this entire album really are the lyrics, they are once again just really great here, I only wish they were sung more in a way that I could understand them without having to read them along, but I guess that’s also part of the beautiful messiness of this album. After that is the song „Made to Parade“ which is the second longest song on here and definetly the slowest one. I like some of the guitar parts in the background, like they way they are all layered on top of each other actually really comes together by the end of the song, but I just think it’s such a drag for it to get there and i’m not even like that crazy about it, this one’s probably the one I would skip the most on like a casual listen, even though it’s by no means bad. However next is one if not my personal favorite song from this album „Carnavoyeur“ – I just think everything about this song works. It’s once again really slow but it has those chunky bassy guitars that I absolutely love from QotSA a nice atmospheric synthy (if that’s even a word) intro and a memorable chorus that leads into a really catchy main melody that is just the cherry on top. Plus yeah, once again lyrics just only add onto the already miserable atmosphere, on this one especially as it deals with many themes and especially the theme of mortality and how futile everything at the end of the day kinda is. And if all that wasn’t enough just the drums getting louder at like the last 5 seconds of the songs are just a super neat nice little touch at the end. „What The Peephole Say“ is another really solid song, I really like the energy of this one, it’s kinda bouncy and honestly just super fun. The „Tonight is the night“ chant repeated all over again in the second half of the song is another really catchy moment. Guitars once again top notch, just a really good song, not much else to say about it. The song after that „Sicily“ is another one of my personal favorites, it’s one of the longer and slower songs on here but I just absolutely LOVE the main synth or guitar or whatever it is line on this, I seriously can’t get enough of it, it’s super dark and haunting, feels like you’re arriving at some sort of twisted circus or something. There really isn’t all that much to the song other than that but this one melody repeated throughout the entire song is just that good in my eyes. And now we arrive to the dreaded „Emotion Sickness“ and I have to say… Yeah it grew on me. I think it definetly works much better in the context of this album, it fits very much right in and makes a lot of sense as the second to last song on here. Now I would honestly maybe even call it one of my favorites on here. I still have my little nit-picks with it, but it’s mostly just that I was expecting something else than what I got, even though what I got is still really really good. And we arrive at the end with the 9-minute closer „Straight Jacket Fitting“ and yeah this is a really long but very rewarding song. It just keeps on going and going and feels like the „I Appear Missing“ of this album, the writing, the atmosphere, Josh Homme’s vocals, everything just comes together beautifully on here, about as good of an album closer as you can get.

So there you have it, I think this album overall is really solid even though it took me a couple of listens to really appriciate it for what it is. There are moments where this album kinda drags and moments where it feels like it doesn’t know what it really wants but at the same time the core ideas are usually really good and the sharp lyricism is what carries heavily in those few weak moments. Not their best but far from their worst, a really solid release overall.

-favorite songs: Obscenery, Paper Machete, Negative Space, Carnavoyeur, What The Peephole Say, Sicily, Emotion Sickness, Straight Jacket Fitting

-least favorite songs: Made to Parade

Decent 7/10

Pure magic.

Look, if you’ve followed this page for a while now you will know that Parannoul is a project that I’ve been passionate about since it’s inception – from their debut album „To See the Next Part of the Dream“ which ranked I think number 3 at my year end list of best albums of 2021 to their colaborations with Asian Glow and their latest full length LP „After the Magic“, Parannoul’s output has been one hit after another. So when I saw that this, an hour and a half long live album with a 40 minute closing track, which also happens to be one of my personal favorite tracks from the band, I knew that this was gonna be something just out of this world. And well I got basically exactly what I expected – nothing could have prepared me for that last track though, that one deserves a whole review in of itself.

Going through this track by track is kinda pointless since all the songs are basically already existing songs just played live, however I will still say a few things about those before I get to the cream of the pie (that being the final track) – first of the song choices are absolutely brilliant here – not a single song on here feels like it shouldn’t have been here, everything flows into each other almost seemlesly and it all feels super lively and vivid, the live setting really brings these songs to new heights. Like the opener „Polaris“ just sounds absolutely beautiful and out of this world and immediately immerses you in this spacey other-worldly atmosphere that never leaves throughout the entire journey that is this album. It is immediately followed by one of my other personal favorite songs from Parannoul „Beautiful World“ that is really brought to exceptional heights here. The pianos are as beautiful as ever here and the guitars just have this extra power to them that the studio recordings are just missing. I think the only song I wasn’t like immediately instantly in love with was the song „Imagination“ not a bad song in any way, it just didn’t grip my ear as instantnly as some of the other songs here and the more I listened to it the more it clicked with me, I just think it’s the only song here without any like instantly recognizable qualities to it, it’s still fantastic and magical while it’s on but I don’t really find myself having this one stuck in my head as often as some of the others.

… Ok well let’s get to the reason I’m actually talking about this project. Don’t get me wrong, all the live songs up to this point have been if not anything else really great and all of them sound spetacular but what the last 40 minute song on this album accomplishes I haven’t heard since maybe the „LONG SEASON“ live song by Fishmans. And yeah If you’ve been on the internet anywhere where this album is discussed this comparison is right about the first thing that gets thrown in your face and even though I do think it’s valid, the emotional connection I get with this song is honestly more than I get with that Fishman’s song. I mean if there ever was to be an 11/10 it would honestly be this song for me, it’s really that good. Not good, it’s just… Unreal. Like I get chills everytime I’m hearing it. It evokes so many feelings at once and I just can’t help but absolutely love it for that. It undergoes so many phases and transitions yet still remains unmastikably itself and I think that’s kind of beautiful. And yes, it requires a lot of patienece but the multiple pay-offs this song has are more than worth it. And the guitars on this oh my GOD the guitars are the reason I wake up in the morning, like there are so many things happening at one but the guitars still stand out as just absolutely insane. Like sitting just through this entire song at once is a JOURNEY. Like legitemately I don’t get an experience like this from many movies and this is just a one song on a live album. The strings towards the end of the song are also just… No I can’t with this song, if you haven’t heard it yet just do yourself the favor of at least once sitting through it, I guarantee you you won’t regret it.

Now here comes the real dilema… Because this album is undoubtedly in my eyes AT LEAST a strong 9/10… BUT do I really think it’s a 10 overall? I mean the last song alone is basically like an 11 but this isn’t just that last song no matter how spectacular that one is… But the more I think about it, this project’s music has just been one of my favorite things I discovered in the last few years throughout the mountains on mountains of new music I discovered and to be perfectly honest, this album feels like the amalgamation of all of that into one cohesive emotionally powerful larger-than-life project that just delivers on all fronts and has literally no duds whatsoever. If that isn’t a 10/10 than I don’t know what is. So with that being said…

-favorite tracks: all, ESPECIALLY Into the Endless Nights

-least favorite tracks: Imagination (IF I HAD TO CHOOSE)

10/10

The long awaited 6th studio album from the legendary pop-punk outfit Paramore is finally here and I gotta say, this one is really something. I enjoyed the band’s previous efforts well enough, especially their self-titled album and their last LP „After Laughter“ which was in my opinion still the band’s greatest accomplishment up until now, but this new album over here, I gotta say, probably took that place for me. Paramore is back more melacholic and open than ever – this album is essentially just a closer look into the band’s psyche and what’s been going on with them for the last couple of years. Themes of burn-out, depression, isolation, dissociation and so much more are what make up the majority of the album’s lyrical theme and all of it is, as always, accompannied by the band’s performance, who are really giving it their all.

The album opens up with the title track „This Is Why“ which talks about „not wanting to leave the house“ as Hayley puts it because of all the eyes that are constantly on her, feeling like she can’t have even a second for herself. The song right off the back is really punchy and sounds almost like something Paramore would do earlier on, but still with a more modern Paramore spin on it, it’s an excellent opener. Following that we have the song „The News“ which is another punchy in-your-face song, this time around even more so and I have to say that this is probably one of my favorite songs on the entire album. The chorus gets stuck infinitely in my head so many times a day and the pre-chorus is just so spacey and beautiful I don’t have enough positive things to say about it, this song is just the whole package for me. Next up we have the song „Running Out Of Time“ that starts off really slow but absolutely makes up for it when the chorus hits, as this song delivers one of the strongest choruses on the entire album. I especially enjoy the funky guitars on here, they are so dancable and fun in contrast to the dark lyrics, which is something the band excels at. „C’est Comme Ca“ which roughly translates to „it is what it is“ is the next song and although the mix on this one is a bit rough and all around it probably could’ve used another minute or two in the oven, it’s still one of my favorites solely for the fact that it’s, simply put, an absolute banger. Next up is the song „Big Man, Little Dignity“ which is a beautiful ballad with some absolutely stunning musical and lyrical passages, it’s definetly a nice slow-down after the last few hectic songs + the synth work here is surprisingly well done, overall just a really nice song. „Your First“ is up next and this one again picks up the tempo of the album a bit, I really enjoy the distorted guitars on here, they give the song a whole new dimension and just sound super cool, but overall I probably don’t have all that much to say about it besides, it’s just another really solid tune. Next up is the song „Figure 8“ and this one took me a while to appriciate, but once this song clicked, it REALLY clicked. The lyrics on this one are especially really heartfelt, but they are definetly sold by the way Hayley sings them, you can just hear multiple times in the song that she’s absolutely singing her heart out and it’s just so beautiful. The next song „Liar“ is once again a much needed calm after the storm that maybe is a bit forgetable if you don’t get into it right away, but if you manage to do so then this one’s a real tearjerker. The lyrics are really the highlight here, it’s once again all brought to live by Hayley’s angelic vocals that are definetly stealing the show here. „Crave“ is the second-to-last song and this one really hit a special place for me. The song talks about wanting to go back to the good times where everything was more simple and just wanting to do it all again but better this time. And the guitar lick repeated throughout this song is just pure musical euphoria, I can’t get enough of it. So yeah, this song is pretty darn good in my opinion. And last but not least we have the closer „Thick Skull“ which is about as close as you’ll get to the perfect closer for this album. Wraps up the entire album really nicely in my opinion.

So yeah, there you have it – Paramore’s latest studio album „This Is Why“. This is slowely but surely becoming my favorite Paramore album and it’s not hard to see why – the performances, the lyrics, Hayley’s vocals are all firing at 100 on here. And even though the album is only 10 tracks long, the songs are just that good that they make up for the overall shorter track list.

-favorite songs: all of them lol

-least favorite songs: Liar IF I HAD TO PICK ONE IT’S STILL REALLY GOOD

Strong 8/10

Parannoul has done it again.

It should come as no surprise that I adore this band – if you’ve read my review of the band’s last solo studio album „To See the Next Part of the Dream“, that came out in 2021, you know I absolutely loved what the band accomplished there. The pure musical euphoria that album brought me was unmatched by almost anything I’ve heard that year, the seemless blend of shoegaze and dream pop and all other sorts of things resulted in, what’s at least in my eyes, one of the best albums of this decade so far. So it’s safe to say that the expectations I had for this album were set very high but I’m very pleased to report that for the most part they were very much met.

Right of the back I have to say that Parannoul is once again bringing their A-game when it comes to choosing album covers that match the sound – TSTNPOTD had a much more colorful and clear album cover and the sound of the album reflected that perfectly, it really did feel like a beautiful dream. So if that album felt like a warm cozy dream, this feels like the moment after when you wake up. Like the musical emodiment of a cold harsh winter, thinking about the beautiful warm summer. And I gotta say nothing is a more fitting example of that than the first three song on this album. First off we have the opener „Polaris“ – it kicks off with a lush somber guitar playing with only the singing humming a singing over it. Then in typical Parannoul fashion the at-first programmed drums come in with a bunch of orchestral strings backing it all up and it all resolves in this beautiful picture that’s being painted with the music. And then it just… Stops. And OUT OF NOWHERE this giant wave of just so much going on comes clashing right in, overtaking the entire song. And I don’t mean this lightly when I say that it really feels larger than life. All of that builds up right back into the chorus that was first shown in the opening of the song but this time with the whole band giving it their all and comes together just so effortlessly and beautifully, I can’t say enough good things about this song honestly. After that we have the song „Insomnia“ which builds up on the last song very nicely. The trademark Parannoul piano melody that’s being repeated throught this entire song really gives of strong „Beautiful World“ vibes. The song maybe isn’t as grand per se as the last one, but I maybe enjoy it even more then I do the last song – it’s just such a solid vibe throughout it’s entire runtime. The melodies are so gorgeous and it all feels strangely nostalgic – there also just isn’t a second wasted with this song, the structure of it is so free and unpredictable yet strangely logical, Parannoul just have this ability to make the most in theory complicated things seem so easy and effortless. Definetly another one of my favorites. And to finnish this insane three track run off, we have the song „Arrival“, that puts a bit of a spin on the Parannoul formula with them incorporating more horns on this song that work surprisingly well with this sound. I mean they are horns they sound good in basically any context bu once again Parannoul finds a way to make them really stand out and make them sound very pleasant to the ears at the same time. Which brings me to my next point, which is that I really have to commend Parannoul here for really letting loose on the experimentation on this album – it all still sounds very much like Parannoul but you can clearly hear that they are much more comfortable with their sound and aren’t afraid to try new things. Like this song in particular has a very strong GY!BE vibe towards the end of it, like insanely so, it’s definetly one of the most crazy musical moments on this entire album. Anyways next up we have the song „We Shine At Night“ which is like the definition of „the calm after the storm“ – the whole song is very light-hearted and more I guess down to earth and although I tend to skip it sometimes, when I don’t get pulled into it right away, I still think it overall adds to the album experience. It’s also a nice stepping stone between Arrival and the next song „Parade“ which is almost like a two part experience – the first half is similar to the previous song, but I think this one has a little more kick to it, the orchestral elements on this song especially are something to take note off, they seriously elevate the song to completely new heights. However the real magic with this song lies within the sudden build up to the second part of the song which only improves the song further and makes it really feel like the whole package. Also the transition from this song to „Sketchbook“ is like as smooth as it gets. And look, I understand that for some this song may not be as ground-breaking or I guess as what you would expect from Parannoul, but I have to say I was once again pleasantly surprised by this one – it’s definetly a lot different from the typical Parannoul style and I guess there is the criticism that it does drag on a bit too long and doesn’t have all that much to show for it, but I still just have to respect the willingness to go out of their comfort zone and try to experiment. So yeah, maybe not the most exciting song on here but in my humble opinion still a pretty solid addition to the track list. Next up we have the song „Imagination“ that is much more low-key and shorter then some of the other songs on here and while it is still very good I honestly could probably have it removed from this album and not much would really change about the experience for me, even though the outro is as expected again really cool. „Sounds Inside Me, Waves Inside You“ is the next track and I don’t have much to say about this one, not because it’s bad but it’s just kinda forgetable – it does feature a really cool kind of breakdown/bridge in the middle of the song that’s really unexpected but once again keeps the whole album feeling really fresh. That’s one thing with this album, you never really get bored when listening to it, even if you don’t love every idea presented to you, the album just keeps evolving and going through so many different ideas that eventually something is just bound to click with you, although admittedly with a few exceptions the first half of this album really out-shines the second in my opinion. „Blossom“ is the next song and again I’m grateful that it’s on here, but nothing about it really sticks with me that much – the phases this song undergoes are impressive even for this album though and the horns from earlier make another appearence here + there are some legitemately insane vocal passages towards the end of the song that sound almost emo-ish, which again, more versatility. Things do pick up pretty substantially with the closing song and also the title track „After the Magic“ which has probably the prettiest intro to any song on this thing, the variety of strings and synths always transport me to like a different realm of existence. The rest of the song also feels very climactic and like the end to a movie and the strings are just… Out of this world, they really make you FEEL like this is the ending credits to just I don’t l´know life or whatever corny thing – look it’s just really good okay?

So yeah, that was „After the Magic“ by Parannoul. Honestly I don’t have much of an outro to go along with this (I’m not as good at those as Parannoul are unfortunately) but this is just another really great album from Parannoul, that’s about all you need to know. For me personally it didn’t quite reach the highs of TSTNPOTD but it was still an amazing other-worldly experience that I highly suggest you give a shot.

-favorite tracks: yes

-least favorite tracks: parts of some of the songs in the second half

Strong 8/10

Let me just preface this by acknowledging the fact the I am a little biased towards these guys – after all they are THE band that defined my childhood. Still, even with all that in mind, this new album of theirs is pretty darn solid if I do say so myself, almost to the point where I wouldn’t mind calling it an instant classic.

You can hear that right off the back with the opener as well as the title track „EL PRESIDENTO“. The signature Kabát sound is there immidiately with a few electronics thrown in there that are actually really subtle and blend in very nicely and also make together with the rest of the song for one hell of an opener. The track absolutely kicks ass and wastes no time in doing so. Right after that comes the big hit „RUMCAJS MILOVAL MANKU“ and sweet mother of god this track absolutely solos. The chorus on this thing makes me want to just drunkenly moshpit with a bunch of sweathy 40 year olds – so basically everything a Kabát song should be. The solo before the last chorus is also a nice touch, honestly with most of these songs my biggest complaint is I wish they were just longer. Anyways after that comes „KAZAČOK“ whitch is another trademark Kabát song, this one especially sounds like something they would have done early on, the nostalgia is almost overwhelming. The weird voice interpolations fit right in with the rest of the song and overall make for another banger. „OPILEJ KLAVÍR“ is perhaps the first song I’m not super crazy about, it’s just a decently well made slower song. Nor the chorus nor the riff are all that memorable compared to some of the other songs here, the song just sort of exists, it’s fine. „ZATOULANEJ JAPONEC“ picks things up immidiately though, the riff is super energetic and just screams fun. The whole song is like a wave of positive energy and the lyrics are super goofy – also the really short country-esk switch-up that happens towards the end of the song is a really nice touch, it comes completely out of nowhere but works surprisingly well, I just wish it was longer. „TESTOSTERON“ I think just takes too long to actually get started and by then the song is basically just over and it feels very ammateurish when compared to other songs here, even though there are parts of it I enjoy. „ZA ZTRACENÝ NÁMOŘNÍKY“ is one of my absolute favorites from this album – both the riff and the similar orchestration that kick the song off are super catchy and creative and almost have a Nightwish feel to them. I also like the little segment that happens after the chorus, the guitars absolutely steal the show here. The solo is short-lived but welcomed regardless, overall this song is an easy highlight. „TŘI SOBY“ has one of my favorite choruses on this album and also has some really fun riffs and the solo is also one of the better ones (mostly because it lasts longer than just 5 seconds), I’m kind of running out of things to say about these songs, just know that this one is definetly one of the better ones on here. „TROLL“ is a song I was really excited to hear (yes, it’s just cause the name) and I gotta say this one really did deliver. I really like the way the drums are mixed on this one, they are super crisp and punchy, also the electronics are tastefully incorporated as well, this one’s not bad as well. „SLADKÝ TÓNY“ has a really nice sentiment and a really sweet melody to back that up, but again, I just kinda don’t have much else to say about it, I like it. „ZÁTKY“ is perhaps th most adventerous and experimental song on here – the jazzy elements really make this one of the best songs on this whole album, the trumpets and western-esk pianos are an awesome addition to the song that really bring it to new heights. It’s also just super fun and you can just hear through the music that they had a ton of fun with it too. However I did maybe speak too soon with the experimentation, because the next song „NESMRTELNÁ TETA“ has like almost a Death Grips type opening which is a comparison I never thought I would ever make – this gets brought back a couple of times throughout the song but I wish they did a bit more with it to be honest, the industrial sound works surprisingly well with Kabát. There is also this bizzare almost spoken word breakdown at the end that also just comes and goes – overall I appriciate the risks this song takes but I really wish they would have maybe build more on some of these ideas, because they have amazing potential. Anyways the closer „ONI“ is just your typical melodramatic trying to pluck at your heart strings type song which is a little disapointing I have to say, not that this format in general is bad at all, but Kabát don’t really bring their own spin on it in any sort of way – it’s an okay closer either way.

So yes, this new Kabát album actually kinda delivered – like there are some of their best songs period on this album and they sound like they really enjoyed making this album, which is what’s most important, especially when most of these songs sound this good.

-favorite tracks: EL PRESIDENTO, RUMCAJS MILOVAL MANKU, KAZAČOK, ZATOULANEJ JAPONEC, ZA ZTRACENÝ NÁMOŘNÍKY, TROLL, SLADKÝ TÓNY, ZÁTKY, parts of NESMRTELNÁ TETA

-least favorite tracks: ONI, OPILEJ KLAVÍR

Strong 7/10

Paraglow is the second collaboration project between the band Parannoul and the singer/songwriter Asian Glow. My experience with these artists is very short but so far very positive – I loved Parannoul’s album that they released last year „To See the Next Part of the Dream“ which was if I recall correctly my second or third most favorite album of that year – the almost magical blend of shoegazy guitars and colorful synths and soundscapes made for what was probably the most beautiful-sounding album of that year, at least for me anyways – now for Asian Glow I first heard about her through her first collaboration album with the band (also with Sonhos Tomam Conta on board) on their album also released last year „Downfall of the Neon Youth“ which I did enjoy but thought that it lacked some of the more catchier moments that Parannoul provided on their solo album. But now they’re back with just the two of them this time around and I gotta say, this one kind of blew my expectations out of the water – it’s not perfect, there are still a few nitpicks I have with it, but I’ll get to all that in a bit.

The EP consists of only 4 tracks however they all pack such an incredible punch (especially one of them) that it more than makes up for it – the first of which being the opener „Hand“ and man does this song have hands. I absolutely love the accoustic guitar on this, it’s just mixed so well, it’s like heaven to my ears and the rest of the instrumentation kicks ass too – the drums are super sharp and over the top (as always) and create this super washed out crazy shoegazy vibe that is only amplified by the electric guitars which once again are just stellar on all of the songs here. What really sells this one though are the synths and especially how they play of the rest of the instrumentation, it just mixes together super effortlessly and the chords constantly keep switching between absolutely gorgeous and kind of spooky, it makes you feel all sorts of things. The singing is also very on point, these guys just have amazing chemistry with each other. Anyways next up we have the song „The Light Side of the Eyes“ that starts of with these mezmerizing keys with just simple drums and really burried strings that create an amazing haunting atmosphere that gets completely just thrown out the window once the rest of the instrumentation kicks in, it’s like a musical punch in the face. Honestly after that though the song starts to drag on a bit, there just aren’t enough intresting ideas in this one I feel like – it starts picking up again towards the end with some seriously impecable harmonizing that I just wish they stretched out a bit longer – I also like the random pauses on the guitar riffs on this one, it keeps the song feeling more fresh and also obviously the outro is just mad on this one, like when I say they go off I mean they go OFF. Well after that comes „Swamp“ that starts with these absolutely beautiful piano keys that once again get cut off by the walls of guitars and drums that come in, however this song does it much more seemlessly than the last one and it feels more natural rather than like an interuption – then once those fade out you’re left with just a few strings that slowly die down too. This one’s pretty short and to the point but it doesn’t leave much of an impact, however it’s runtime justifies that, it’s still a nice addition overall just not as impressive one as let’s say the opener. What is that and even more impressive than that is the fricking 15 AND A HALF MINUTES LONG closer „Wheel“, that is somehow even more epic than it sounds. The song starts off similarly to the first one with just a somber accoustic guitars, some gentle electric guiar licks and a few horns actually, it honestly gives off pretty strong Black Country, New Road vibes. After that the song undergoes many many different phases that all sound better than the previous one, it just constantly keeps throwing new ideas at you and somehow they all just work – they really saved the best for last with this one. The repeated chorus in like the first major section is just so goddamn infectious, the way it’s sung sounds like something Kurt Cobain would have done back in the day, it’s so raw and passionate. The second big section after the build up between the two features some god-like keys and burried melodies, this song really demands your close attention, but the details are so worth it, this song is just so layered and textured, it’s very impressive the ammount of attention to detail here. I also love the weird switch where at first you think the song ends but then comes back again in the most weird way possible with these keys, orchestral strings and weird effects that blend together surprisingly well – then it builds again into what is essentially the climax of the song and yeah this thing just sounds so larger than life it’s insane. This song is easily the best of the album and all the others honestly just feel like a build up to this one.

So there you go, that’s basically Paraglow for you, a beautiful, masterfully crafted project between two amazing artist that have insane chemistry with each other. This is honestly my front-runner for the EP of the year so far and I doubt something will manage to top it off.

Decent 8/10

So, the boys are back in town! Okay yeah, I’m kind of having a burn out with these intros, let’s just jump into it – Red Hot Chili Peppers, you know em, you love em, or not, that’s okay too – either they’ve been around for a while now and over the years have released many many albums, some better than others but overall stayed somewhat consistent until lately, where I’ll admit I have a sneaking suspicion that the band is now more of a quantity over quality type of deal – like this their SECOND album this year alone. „Unlimited Love“ was the first one and that was a real mixed bag if I’ve ever seen one – so can they manage to top themselves with this one? Well sort of.

It’s still nothing ground-breaking but overall I feel like this is the more enjoyable rhcp experience. Let’s take it more track by track, the album starts off with „Tippa My Tongue“ like one of their most goofiest songs PERIOD. I’ll be the first to admit that on release I really couldn’t stand this one – the „YA YA YA YA“s all over the song and the goofy ah lyrics just rubbed me the wrong way but as the time went by I learned to appriciate this one a bit more even though it’s still far from great. However things fortunately do pickup quite significantly after that with „Peace and Love“ with a drum pattern and bassline that are as smooth as it gets – the chorus is also one of the more memorable ones, not much to complain about with this one, just a pretty smooth and solid rhcp song, nothing more nothing less. „Reach Out“ is another one of my favorites, when the electric guitars hit for the first time it transports me into another dimension, it really comes out of nowhere but in a good way. The chorus is pretty good aswell, it’s just another solid tune. Now after that comes „Eddie“ the other single besides „Tippa My Tongue“ released for this thing and innitially I wrote this song off as just a pretty boring and mediocre b-tier Red Hot Chili Peppers song, however as time goes by I’m seeing more and more that this is not only one of the best songs from this album but best rhcp songs period. Like genuinely, the bass and guitar licks are on another level on this song, it’s super nostalgic and ambitious and infectious, eveerything a good rhcp song should be. Now I just can’t get enough of it – and the guitar solo oh my GOD, that solo absolutely solos (get it). Yeah, this is a pretty good one, can’t believe I used to call this one boring. Next up is „Fake as Fu@k“ and MAN the streak of good songs just doesn’t stop here – this is the first song I confidently said I loved from this album, the guitar chords are supper nostlagic and pleasant and the vocal performance really matches the tone – and then whene the rest of the instrumentation hits I get some serious „By The Way“ vibes, it goes super hard. This song is like the musical embodiment of funky, it’s super groovy. And when the guitars come in like a wave crashing towards the end of the song it just makes it all that more complete, great song. After that we have „Bella“ and honestly this song is where I start loosing focus again – it’s not bad at all, but just nothing about it stands out that much, even though out of the less memorable ones I still think it’s one of the more memorable ones. I like some guitar licks in the second half and I like the chorus but I also kinda don’t, I’m not sure, I‘ really conflicted with this one, but I enjoy it in the right mood. After that comes „Roulette“ that I kinda dug in the first 30 seconds or so, but it really fastly overstays it’s welcome and becomes just super unintresting – the guitar ballad-esk chorus doesn’t really do it any justice either. Not great but certainly not the worst this album has to offer. I kinda like the bridge on this one though, it somewhat saves it. Anyways next up we have „My Cigarette“ and yeah… This one’s a bit goofy alright. Yeah it’s not that great – again, not terrible but this time around definetly not good. I get the vibe the song is going for but it just comes of really cheezy and I get sick of it real fast – and once again, the song doesn’t really evolve anywhere to justify it being so long. I usually just skip this one when giving this album a full listen, it’s not offensively bad but just really boring. „Afterlife“ picks up a bit, I really like the chorus on this one and the noisy outro aswell, however it doesn’t have all that much going for it besides that, but after the last song I’ll sure as hell take it. Next is „Shoot Me a Smile“ and I feel like this is perhaps the most underrated song on the album, the chords are just super nice and the chorus is just a total earworm, I really enjoyed this one. And it’s weird because I really don’t see anyone even mentioning this one, like not in a good or even bad sense, for most people this one apparently just sort of exists, but I can’t help but really like this one. Also it’s not five fricking minutes long like every other song on this thing, so it also has that going for it. Anyways next is the song „Handful“ and this one could have worked, I really like the inclussion of horns, they add a nice little charm to the song, but overall the song just basically crawls its way through the 4 minute doing basically nothing. There is this neat little switch up with a guitar solo and all that but it just has no balls, no punch to it. Really kind of a wasted potential of a song. What’s however like the opposite of that is the next song „The Drummer“ an absolute anomally in this subpar middle portion of this album – I’m just gonna go ahead and say it, this song kicks some serious ass. Like it’s just so different but in the best way possible. The horns or whatever it is throughout the whole song sound amazing and the energy of this song is really hard to ignore. Also the chorus?? That will go down as one of the best rhcp choruses ever – and when they start harmonizing the guitars with the singing I just explode with pure musical bliss, that short like 15 second passage is probably the best musical moment on this whole album. It’s short, it’s sweet, it absolutely rules, i love it. And what’s even better is the next song „Bag of Grins“ is another banger! Like I don’t know what happened for the last couple of songs but it feels like you put on this album, it’s really good for the first few songs, then it just switches to a completely different project and then remembers that it’s supposed to be good again. Anyways yes, this is like the upraded version of „Reach Out“, the electric guitars here sound even better than on that song and the electronics aren’t obnoxious at all. The chorus is actually really dark and I get some serious Queens Of the Stone Age vibes from it. The whole song feels like a slow descend to hell. Also the harmonizing around the 3:50 minute mark is super orgasmic, I really like what they did there and when the electronics come back in it all just comes full circle, really pleased with this one. Anyways next is the song „La La La La La La La La“ which is this piano interlude thing that honestly even though I’ve seen a lot of hate on it is just fine – it’s not mind-blowing or anything, but I feel like it’s a nice comedown after the last two songs. However I’ll say that one again it has no business being 4 minutes long, 2 minutes would cut it perfectly. Anyways next up we have „Copperbelly“ on which I really like the guitar plucking, it’s sort of mysterious, I like it. Other than that though the song is just copy and paste of what they’ve been doing this whole album, although I’ll point out that the switch up bridge part whatever you wanna call it is probably like the best of this entire album, I really wish they stretched that part a bit longer, it’s over like as soon as it starts. Good song. Now for the last 2 songs on this album we have the first one which is „Carry Me Home“ which I actually really like, it feels very appropriately placed and very climactic. The guitars are super sharp and elevate the song to new heights, this one’s a banger. However the last song „In the snow“ I’m kind of split on – I think all the attempts at incorporating electronics and effects on this song just fall flat on their face, it sounds super garage band demo-esk. However as a closer I don’t mind it all that much – sure it’s not great and it DEFINETLY shouldn’t be 6 minutes long but as a closer it works, even though that as a song not that much.

So there you go, the new Red Hot Chili Peppers is… Surprisingly solid? Like there are some SERIOUS highlights on here and overall I had more fun with this album them with their last one even though just by a little bit. Kind of excited to see them come more into their own here, I feel like they are more confident here to experiment and to just be themselves, it’s clear that this is the album they wanted to make.

-favorite songs: Peace and Love, Reach Out, Eddie, Fake as Fu@k, Shoot Me a Smile, The Drummer, Bag of Grins, parts of Copperbelly, Carry Me Home

-least favorite songs: Bella, My Cigarette and probably Handul

Light 7/10