Category: New Album Review

The newest albums, EPs and singles on the air at WKNC 88.1 FM HD-1/HD-2

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Local Music New Album Review

Album Review: Thirsty Curses – Thirsty Curses

Thirsty Curses self-titled album

BEST TRACKS: VHS Release, Red Marks, I Want to Wreck Your Car

FCC Violations: VHS Release, Smash-Hit, Slice of Paradise, You Don’t Have to Tell Me That You Love Me,

Recommended if you like: PUP, The Fratellis, The Front Bottoms

Thirsty Curses pummels the scene once again with a new, label debut album. Thirsty Curses is a local four-piece rock and roll band straight out of our own beloved city of Raleigh, NC. Their latest album, which is self-titled, was released last Friday! I had the privilege of listening to this album before it was released on streaming platforms and I was blow away by the raw energy and deep cutting lyrics encompassed in this release. I am so excited for you guys to finally be able to listen to it. There was also a record release show at School Kids Records last Friday and while I wasn’t able to make it (I had a Biochemistry test that I had to cram for ☹), I heard that it kicked ass and that the album was received phenomenally well. I wouldn’t have expected anything different from Thirsty Curses. They’ve been putting out good stuff since 2017.

There is some phenomenal songwriting on this album. In every song, the lyrics flow and swing together extremely harmoniously, creating a sense of continuity and balance that lets you just sink deep into the music. My favorite song on this album is track 1, VHS Release. Packed into this short, 2 minute 39 second song are several punky riffs, lighthearted drums, and some creative similes that outline heavy themes of being anxious and dissatisfied with your mediocre life, feeling lost about what to do next, and craving a clean start.

If you like drinking beer or if you’ve ever dressed up like a pirate for Halloween, you’ll probably like this album.

I feel hopeful whenever a local band comes out with an album this fresh and amazing. It shows that we don’t have to look far beyond our own backyards to find incredible talent. Fight the corporate machine, keep supporting local music.

-Safia

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New Album Review

ALBUM REVIEW: Dead Soft – Big Blue

BEST TRACKS: I Believe you, Problems, Whatever I Want, Trimmer

FCC violations: Porch

Recommended if you like bands like Microwave, Culture Abuse, or Turnover.

This album is nothing short of cathartic. Big Blue is, without doubt, the best album that has come across my desk this year. Dead Soft is a three-piece grunge-punk band from Vancouver. They have been silently lurking in the shadows of Canadian underground music since 2011 but in recent years, a mist of excitement started to amass around Dead Soft. People started noticing Dead Soft for the energy and depth they brought to the table.

After three years of culminating and refining, Dead Soft has come out and seized the entire scene by its throat with their first full length debut.

Being the die-hard for fuzz that I am, I instantly fell in love with this album as soon as I heard the whiny feedback kick in at the beginning of track 1, I Believe You.  The intoxicating, fuzz-drenched rise-and-fall intensity carries throughout the entire album. Vocals range from full-throated yelling to soft and flowing. Big Blue isn’t just all about loud noise. The choruses hit hard with bold, melodic hooks. No two songs on this album sound the same, which is the sign of hard work poured into an album. Surprise breakdowns and crashing of drums will keep you on your toes.

Dead Soft writes melancholic yet optimistic lyrics. From the deeply raw and emotional outpour that exudes from words so passionately sung, you can easily tell that these songs were written from the heart. The feral way vocalist Nathaniel Epp screams “into a black hole” on track 3, Step Out, will have the hairs on the back of your neck standing on end. Overall, this album is powerful, and I can’t get enough of it. I think I have a crush.

I will definitely be keeping an eye on this band. I hope to see them continue to make strides and I’m excitedly awaiting their next release.

-Safia

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New Album Review

Queensway – The Real Fear

Perhaps the sweetest treat of Halloween was the release of Queensway’s new EP, The Real Fear. Hailing from Baltimore, they brought the riffs on 2017’s Swift Minds of the Darkside and continue that legacy here. The first song shares the same name as the album, and is certainly something to fear. The buildup that lasts for about half of the song does a perfect job of introducing the work and the rest of the song brings the super groovy guitar work they honed I’m on their previous EP, perfect for fighting your friends to. The next song, Fantasy, continues the trend and brings in some cleaner vocals and goes out with a bang. True Light brings in some very spacey and dynamic background effects and leads in to some vocals that through a rappy flow into the mix. This song also has the drummer shine, utilizing some more double bass (a welcome addition to many hardcore songs). Track number 4, Passion, starts with some mostly clean guitar before jumping right into the madness. This trend of clean intros is something I personally love and I hope to see more of it in the future. It ends on a bright note with some more great riffage and drum work. Tomorrow Will Be Mine, the final song, does a great job bring this nearly 15-minute long banger to a thrilling conclusion. The track utilized more of the rap style vocals, slightly reminiscent of some E-Town Concrete, which is not a bad thing. Overall, this long-awaited EP has proven Queensway still brings the pain. Catch them in Winston-Salem at Break Time on November 12th with Sanction, Vatican, Fuming Mouth, Riot Stares, and The Burning Wind.

-Dylan McGee

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New Album Review

Track Review: In My Room by Frank Ocean

Frank Ocean’s newest track “In My Room” dropped on November 2nd. It features a lot of Ocean’s smooth, flowful rapping. He compares the music industry to sex: “Horny for the game / first they kiss then they bite soft” and talks about his time in the spotlight despite his reclusivity: “I need a new face, I’m tired of these weirdos.” He also talks about expensive items that only fame could’ve allowed him to have: “forty nine diamonds stuffed in my bracelet.” Lastly, in the chorus, he speaks on newly acquired love: “Every night you were in my room / My room, my room with me / I guess I can’t state my feelings too soon / I don’t know you / And I can’t put no threats in the air.” Obviously, Frank has a lot going on, but the track is a beautifully produced banger. 

-cellar door xxx

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New Album Review

Album Review- Stuffed and Ready by Cherry Glazerr

This band is one of my all time favorites. They are the perfect combination of rock, punk and girl power. This album reflects feelings of depression, anger and isolation. It is my go to album to play in the car while I’m driving and scream out the lyrics. You can hear the despair and anger in Clementine Creevy’s voice and the lyrics are beautifully written.

My favorite songs from this album are Daddi, Isolation, and Stupid Fish. This album is unlike any others that Clementine has written. The flows and transitions between songs are genius and the use of the instruments is magnificent. The guitar and the drums stand out to me the most on this album. The lyrics are incredibly impacting and you can easily relate to them if you have ever felt depressed, lonely or angry towards someone. All of the songs are unique in their own way and have their own little twist to them.  

I recommend this to any edgy punk girl looking to find some empowerment. Clementine is a true badass and this band is amazing live. I got to see them perform this amazing album with their other great songs in Asheville this summer at the Orange Peel. I was looking forward to moshing hard but it was more of light pushing and swaying, which was not what I was expecting. This band and this album blew my mind and my expectations.

XOXO

Layla Ejlali AKA DJ Icy Indigoooo

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New Album Review

Album Review: OTXmas – Shoreline Mafia

No matter where you hear this album, whether it is in the car, at the club, or in the library while cramming for that exam you should’ve started studying for days ago, you won’t be able to stop banging your head to these insanely smooth hip hop beats.  There are only two words to describe The best Christmas album ever released and that is one, west, and two, coast.  From the bouncy high hats to the G-Funk-like Bass, OTXmas by Shoreline Mafia oozes west coast hip hop.  You could close your eyes, choose any song on this album, crank up the volume on your sound system and the house party will be bumping.

If Occupied is not your anthem then you aren’t living right.  This song preaches quitting your nine to five and getting face tatts.  Whether you take the words literally or not is up to you… but live out your wildest dreams.

If you’re into Hip-hop and party music you’ll love this album right off the bat.  There’s something about the combination between the synth and bass in each song that gets you pumped no matter what mood you are in before you hit play.  This is indeed an album full of slappers.

Similar Artists: SOB X RBE, Blueface, Smokepurp

-Matt DeGeorge 

Categories
New Album Review

EP Review: Live Fast Die Whenever – $uicideBoy$

Image result for live fast die whenever

EP Review: Live Fast Die Whenever

If you want to listen to something that will make you want to throw your kitchen furniture through your perfectly nice glass door look no further.  The $uicideBoy$ newest EP Live Fast Die Whenever is a rare mix of musical realms that most hip hop artists do not dare enter into.  The EP includes songs split between horrorcore, heavy metal and hip hop.  The hip hop duo worked with the very talented drummer Travis Barker from the famous punk group Blink-182 and James Schaffer, the cofounder of Korn to create an EP that, for lack of better words, is absolutely FILTHY (in a good way)! 

Killing 2 Birds With 22 Stones is, itself alone, a perfect representation of the sounds that make up this EP.  It is a perfect split between a hardcore heavy metal frenzy and a dark, smooth, and bass heavy hip hop flow that the $uicideBoy$ are known for.  If somebody wrote a textbook on the kind of song you need to open a concert, this would be the only thing in said book.

This is one of those projects that has to grow on you.  Initially I did not like the different hardcore vibe that this EP includes because I lean toward the usual overdriven hip hop style that the duo is known for but when you are in the right mood or the right place, dare I say… this EP slaps.  I would recommend this album to anybody who is into Hardcore, Metal, or Hip Hop

Similar Artists: Germ, Pouya, Ramirez, $atori Zoom

-Matt DeGeorge 

Categories
New Album Review

ALBUM REVIEW: Devarrow – Devarrow

BEST TRACKS: Heart Attack, Home, Unwired

FCC violations: A Dream The Veil

3 years after the successful release of album The Great Escape, Devarrow steps back onto the scene with a highly anticipated self-titled album. Raised with wonderful parents who promoted free expression, openness, and simplicity, Devarrow’s mastermind Graham Ereaux feels pressured and at odds by the bustling suburb life. This album feels like a much-needed escape to the Nova Scotia seaside, away from the information overload and anxiety-inducing, technology-embedded society of today. Psychedelic folk rock is such a niche and specific genre, so I always get excited when I stumble upon a new release in this category. I can safely say that this album is the best thing to happen to psychedelic folk rock since Dougie Poole’s Wideass Highway was released in 2017.

Devarrow features western influenced twangy guitar and psychedelic reverberations but still holds a firm core of classic Nova Scotia sweetness. Even if you’ve never seen a spaghetti western in your life, listening to this music will transport you vividly to someplace free and far away. Devarrow is an album that will fully immerse you in a sense of peace and balance.

I think this album is the best acoustic album to come out all year. Though this is a stripped-down album, each song has distinct, unique features and exudes so much bright energy. It’s hard to get the same pulsing energy playing acoustic as you can when playing plugged in, but Devarrow does, and makes it sound effortless. Graham Ereaux is talented vocalist who can switch his voice in an instant between a harsh scratch to a gentle croon, keeping you on your toes. Devarrow is proof that you don’t need any fancy equipment or instruments to make diverse, layered songs. At most, all you need is the help of a harmonica, an organ and an acoustic guitar.

Recommended if you like Dr. Dog, Hozier, Fleet Foxes, or Dougie Poole.

-Safia Rizwan

Categories
New Album Review

ALBUM REVIEW: Leslie Bear – Means To Me

Means to Me by Leslie Bear album cover

BEST TRACKS: Sweetheart, Empty Bottle, Snow Globe

FCC clean

Leslie Bear’s second album as Long Beard, Means To Me, is a silky dream pop album about her suburban New Jersey hometown and how the people and places in it have changed or disappeared over the years since her 2015 debut Sleepwalker. In this album, Bear confronts her feelings of nostalgia and instability of the universe migrating around her while she seems to be staying still. To me, the most nostalgic and lonesome song on this album is track number four Sweetheart in which Bear sings about her first kiss long ago on a rainy day outside of the local CVS pharmacy. Everyone who has ever lived in an American suburb can probably reminisce back to what it was like being inside their local CVS while it was pouring outside.

Means To Me features heavy filters, reverberation, jangly guitars, and yearnful vocals. Overall, I would describe this album as dream pop in its purest form. The beat, melody, and vocals all merge together like gently flowing water.

At first, I wasn’t a huge fan of this album because I usually prefer songs with either a bit more intensity or gut-wrenching sadness, but I listened to this album on repeat while I was studying for a biochemistry test and I have never been so focused. This is my perfect type of studying music because I can’t understand the words over the heavy vocal filters, so I don’t get distracted by them. Picking the best tracks for this album was hard because most of the songs on this album all sounded the same to me. I picked the best tracks based on the catchiness of the guitar riffs. This album is great if you’re looking for some uninterrupted background music though!

Recommended that you listen if you like Jay Som, Hatchie, or Japanese Breakfast!

-Safia Rizwan

Categories
New Album Review

Album Review: Case Sensitive – Twins

Case Sensitive - Twins

Ugh. How refreshing is it to have high hopes for a local band and then have them be awesome? Thank you, Case Sensitive, for being freaking good. I’m thoroughly impressed and I’ll tell you why. 

Let’s appreciate the simplicity of Twins, starting with first impressions. Perfect album cover. It’s representative of the album in that it depicts two human beings could maybe be twins. We see two figures, we know the album is called Twins, and it all makes sense. The art is well done and not too flashy. The cover looks great and does what it needs to do without trying too hard – it’s perfect!

Now, if we’re talking simplicity and local bands we usually can’t talk about their sound. There is something about the local scene that just makes (mostly) everyone produce a pile of sound that gets pushed into set of mics and trying to make a loud entrance. Sometimes this works out and we get our yelled at in a beautiful way (Pie Face Girls for example, duh) but sometimes local bands need to relax. Take a beat, please. I’m tired. I want something smooth that sounds organic – enter Twins. Wowie! Sierra? Mary? Those vocals? Is that you I’m bopping to in the car? I guess it is. Kelnan? On guitar? Please and thank you.

The thing about this killer trio is that they work well together. The flow is seamless and they just seem to exist together in the most organic way. Making music is hard, but the best tunes come from groups who make it seem easy, like Case Sensitive in Twins. 

 xoxo

your trusty music librarian