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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New Album Review

redveil’s “playing w/ fire” : New EP Review

Cover for redveil's EP "playing w/ fire"
Cover for redveil's EP "playing w/ fire"

The first time I listened to redveil was earlier this year when JPEGMAFIA and Danny Brown dropped their album, “SCARING THE HOES” this past March. When I first heard the track redveil was on, “Kingdom Hearts Key”, I thought it was Denzel Curry rapping given his past feature on Peggy’s “LP!”. I was really confused though when I went back through the album and found out it was an artist called redveil. Curious, I looked through their discography and found this great EP called “playing w/ fire”.

“playing w/ fire” is a hip hop EP that dropped this past April, from the young Maryland-born artist and producer, redveil. It showcases six tracks that are equally as unique in production as they are enjoyable to listen to. 

A Lovely Intro

The EP starts off with “stuck” which not only feels like a great intro given its build up with the track’s layering, but it also feels like redveil wants to show off their production skills before we enter the EP. The track adds onto itself constantly for the first minute until it later becomes this grandiose sound. A singer is going off in the background, the bass from earlier in the song is still providing a solid foundation, and now the brass parts, that were originally playing in the lower register, are now playing in the upper register with a confident sound.

As we’re at the peak of this rollercoaster, it immediately cuts all sounds except the organ and a message from redveil’s uncle plays. A message that inspired redveil to name the EP “playing w/ fire”

“Just wanna say, I’m so proud of you man. They don’t know that playing with redveil is playing with fire.”

“stuck” – redveil

After this message, we then move on to the rest of the EP that focuses more on the hip hop aspect of redveil’s music.

The Music

If it isn’t obvious from that spiel, “stuck” is one of my favorite tracks off the EP. However it’s competing with another track I love called “captain”. Unlike the intro, this track gets straight into its melody which makes me jump around while I’m listening. redveil’s style in this “playing w/ fire” just feels so fun to listen to. Although each track is unique, each of them hit that same feeling of ‘I love this so much’ followed by unintentional head jamming or something of the sort.

Because the EP is fifteen minutes long, and because all of the tracks are pretty good, I would simply recommend listening to it in its entirety without shuffle. redveil did a great job at meshing these tracks together so none of the transitions between them feel disjointed.

Official music video for redveil’s track “captain”

Overall

As someone who has never listened to redveil prior, I found this EP to be a great introduction to dive further into his discography with his albums like “learn 2 swim” or “Niagara”. I loved what I heard off of this EP, and am really looking forward to any of redveil’s future projects.

This EP is great listen if you’re a fan of the genre or simply just looking for some good music to pass the time.

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New Album Review

feeble little horse’s “Girl with Fish”: New Album Review

Album cover art for feeble little horse's "Girl with Fish"
Album cover art for feeble little horse's "Girl with Fish"

Pittsburgh based band feeble little horse released “Girl with Fish” on June 6 2023, it has since became one of my favorite albums of the year.

On feeble little horse’s Bandcamp page for their May 2021 release “modern tourism”, the band was comprised of just their two guitarists (a lineup lacking their current main vocalist and bassist, Lydia Slocum). I found it pretty interesting to look at this album and see the band in its primordial state.

With time and the addition of new members, the group’s sound has since developed to fall in a middle ground between noise pop and shoegaze.

Favorite track – “Steamroller”

This track is a fantastic example of just how well feeble little horse does dynamics within their songs. About half way through the song, all the instruments and vocals completely pause as if they were taking a breath- listening to it feels like looking down over the edge of a cliff. Next, you are knocked off the cliff and are meet with a wall of sound ornamented by a brief eerie and unfamiliar sounding guitar solo. The part then leads into the second verse of the song.

A combination of opposing qualities: a strong driving power is maintained in the song while soft, pleasing melodies are carried throughout. Of course feeble little horse is not the first band to make a song with both of these attributes, but they bring their own sound to these songs in a way that I can’t help but love.

Official audio for feeble little horse’s song Steamroller

Other Recommended Tracks

It’s hard to not list all the songs off this album in this because it is just so consistent, but below are a few I would recommend.

  • “Freak”
  • “Tin Man”
  • “Paces”
  • “Pocket”

Concluding Thoughts

This has been the third album the band has released in a two year span and I feel they have continuing to improve with each album. I am super excited to see what this group puts out in the future.

Overall I would give this album a 8.5/10

-Daniel

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New Album Review

Album Review: “Everyone’s Crushed”

Album cover of "Everyone's Crushed" by duo Water From Your Eyes

Water From Your Eyes is a duo made up of Rachel Brown and Nate Amos. In late May 2023, the duo released an album worth writing home about– it’s a unique mix of art pop and rock. It’s the sort of album your somewhat-elitist music friend would like.

The album, “Everyone’s Crushed,” begins with a song titled “Structure,” paying homage to Water From Your Eyes’s 2021 album “Structure.” The opening of the album is slow, almost cryptic, but still inviting– at the very least, intriguing.

The album feels a little bleak– it’s got catchy songs, high-tempo beats, interesting vocals with thoughtful lyrics, but it still leaves the listener with a feeling of melancholy, though not overwhelming. The musical choices made within the album are also pretty unique, and although the music doesn’t sound alien in any respect, it does maintain an “out of this world” sound.

The aforementioned bleakness of the album is the result of the artists’ perspective, which is focused on the struggles and discomfort of the pandemic and what’s come since then.

The album’s title reflects this. “Everyone’s Crushed.” It’s something you’d normally hear at a funeral, or upon hearing tragic news. In the case of this album, Water From Your Eyes seems to be attempting to relay the idea that everyone is struggling, it’s the nature of right now.

The album ends with a song called “Buy My Product,” which seems to be a kitschy kick at capitalism and corporations that spew adverts implying that a product or material good could bring you peace from the ugliness the rest of the album expresses.

The album is vulnerable in a way that’s not overt or cliched, and it makes for a good listen for those interested in new and different pop.

— bel$

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New Album Review

Best Released & Upcoming Albums of 2023

WKNC 88.1 generic blog image

2023 has already been a great year for music. In honor of reaching the year’s halfway mark, I’ve compiled five of my favorite albums released so far in 2023 (in no particular order), as well as five albums I’m looking forward to spinning later this year.

Continue reading “Best Released & Upcoming Albums of 2023”
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New Album Review

Album Review: “Memento Mori”

Photo by Stefano Pollio on Unsplash, used under Unsplash License

Depeche Mode, formed in 1980, revolutionized the goth scene with their distinctive sound.

Now they stand behind their most recent album, “Memento Mori,” released March 24, 2023.

In the wake of Andy Fletcher’s death in May of 2022, this piece serves as a testament to the band’s unique spirit.

It manages to capture Depeche Mode’s signature style even in the absence of one of its founding members.

Photo by Marek Studzinski on Unsplash, used under Unsplash License

“Memento Mori”

Memento mori, a Latin phrase meaning remember you must die.

Ironically, also the subject of my most recent tattoo.

This phrase, adored by the Victorians, stands as a reminder of every individual’s inherent mortality. Its interpretation varies across cultures and individuals.

In Depeche Mode’s album, I see “memento mori” as an invocation of sensation: a narrator lays himself bare before an audience, succumbing to self-doubt and despair.

Through an assortment of carefully-woven sounds, the audience enters the narrator’s “mind palace” (“My Cosmos is Mine”).

An almost smoky synth arrangement coalesces with the dismal energy of Dave Gahan’s vocals. An undercurrent of gloom stripes the band’s characteristic sensuality, painting a romantic picture of misery and yearning.

For an opening track, “My Cosmos is Mine” does an excellent job of setting the auditory scene.

However, the album’s second track, “Wagging Tongue,” is a sharp stylistic pivot. The song is comparably upbeat, though still decidely morose with the lyrics “watch another angel die.”

Compared to its darker predecessor, the song strikes a New Wave tone with a brighter, more colorful energy.

Synths function to produce vibrant electronic beats while Gahan harmonizes with bandmate Martin Gore, whose angelic voice obfuscates the song’s pessimistic lyrics.

Following “Wagging Tongue” was “Ghosts Again,” originally released as a single Feb. 9, 2023.

The song features ebullient synths and a danceable beat, again far removed from the deep gloom seen in “My Cosmos is Mine.”

Together, “Wagging Tongue” and “Ghosts Again” complement each other. However, they fail to connect to the album’s opening song.

As a fan of Depeche Mode’s more woeful sounds, (and a passionate hater of “I Just Can’t Get Enough”) I began to worry about my compatibility with the album moving forward.

I had expected something mournful and dark, but the album appeared to be moving towards the figurative “light.”

I almost considered canceling my review and selecting an album from a different artist, accepting the disappointment of “Memento Mori.”

However, everything changed as the album’s fourth track began to play.

Image of a human skull on a table.
Photo by Mathew MacQuarrie on Unsplash, used under the Unsplash License

A Return to Darkness

“Don’t Say You Love Me,” the fourth track on “Memento Mori,” marks a drastic tonal shift away from the colorful New Wave beats of “Wagging Tongue” and “Ghosts Again.”

One may argue that the track represents a return to the style that first garnered Depeche Mode’s admiration within the goth subculture, a melange of cold industrial sounds and Gahan’s reverent voice.

Listening to Gahan wax poetic about tumultuous and toxic love was enough to restore my faith in the album. Each track moving forward continued to capture the often-theatrical melancholia of Depeche Mode and the idea of beautiful darkness.

Final Thoughts

My first introduction to Depeche Mode was through “Violator,” an album they released a decade before I was born.

I didn’t discover the album until around 2015. By then, mainstream discourses surrounding the release had long since faded.

With no point of reference, I consumed the album without an ounce of criticality (arguably one of the best ways to experience albums).

Eight years later, I approach “Memento Mori” with a wholly different perspective.

For individuals unfamiliar with the works of Depeche Mode, “Memento Mori” may not be the best place in the band’s discography to start listening.

While the album is ultimately satisfying, it maintains distance from what I would consider to be the schematic Depeche Mode.

For those just getting into the band, I would recommend starting with “Violator” or “Music for the Masses” before visiting “Memento Mori.”

Recommended Songs

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New Album Review

Indigo de Souza’s “All of This Will End”: Album Review

"All of This Will End" album cover. Art by Kimberly Oberhammer

I was first introduced to Indigo de Souza by my boarding school roommate who had gone to the same school as the singer in Asheville, North Carolina. When I began playing a radio show, I was always excited to play a small, local artist like Indigo de Souza. In the coming years, she would become not-so-small, and her discography would expand in a way I could not be more pleased about.

Continue reading “Indigo de Souza’s “All of This Will End”: Album Review”
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New Album Review

Gel – “Only Constant” Album Review

Cover art for "Only Constant by Gel. Black and white doodle illustration.

I don’t keep a secret about how much I love Gel.

This band got on my radar after seeing the now-infamous video of their set at a Sonic Drive-In, but it wasn’t until I got the opportunity to see them open for High on Fire and Municipal Waste in December, a night that made my top 10 list of shows from last year, that I truly fell in love with this New Jersey 5-piece (specifically, that moment was when I heard “Bitchmade” live).

This band plays a style of hardcore punk that has been injected with so much groove that I struggle to listen to this band without throwing a chair out of a window. This sound and energy has been perfected from their new album “Only Constant” released March 31 through Convulse Records.

The Music

“Only Constant” starts out strong with a slow groove on “Honed Blade,” the second single released to promote the album. This track builds in intensity throughout its duration before ending on a powerful breakdown, however this song only gives a taste of what’s to come on the rest of the album.

Where the album really spreads its wings is the third track “Attainable,” that incorporates an almost jazz-like drum beat on the cymbals before coming back in with pure d-beat goodness to remind you that this is indeed a hardcore album.

From this point the album does not let up, going into my favorite song “Out of Mind,” that has a massive sound and intensity that winds down into a groovy breakdown. This continues through songs such as “Dicey,” which features a slightly more upbeat tone in the chorus but still retains the aggressive character of this style of music, as well as “Snake Skin,” that progressively slows down over the course of the track into a stomp-inducing finale.

The closer of the album is “Composure,” a track that clocks in at just over 3 minutes long, making it the longest song both on the album and of the band’s whole catalog of songs. While this song is likely my least favorite of the album, it is by no means a bad song and works excellently as a bookend to this otherwise phenomenal album. 

The Vocals

A discussion of this album wouldn’t be complete without addressing the vocal tracks from singer Sami Kaiser. In all honesty, hardcore vocals are very hit-or-miss for my ears, but I firmly believe that Gel is a band that has hit the mark on them.

Sami delivers the vocal lines with enough grit and aggression in their voice to fit the music, while also maintaining clarity and enunciation. That aspect of the vocals I think is necessary when it comes to having politically and socially relevant lyrics as punk music often does (especially where an artist’s lyrics aren’t readily available online or even in physical media inserts). 

In the case of this album, the lyrics appear to be more introspective and focused on personal experience and thought rather than commentary. This shines through on “Snake Skin,” which discusses committing to being in control of one’s own life rather than submitting to the expectations and desires of someone else.

This message of personal empowerment rings throughout the record, and I think it’s a great way to remain fresh and feel new to the music.

Final Thoughts

Overall, this album shows an upward trajectory for Gel, following up 2021’s impeccable “Violent Closure” and last year’s sonically unique split EP “Shock Therapy” with an incredibly strong release. It’s a gut punch of a record from start to finish, doesn’t overstay its welcome, and is faster and groovier than their other releases. If in-your-face punk rock is something you enjoy, this album will certainly be up your alley.

I implore you to not only give this album a listen for yourself, but also to find a chance to see Gel live to get a full feel of their music, as well as supporting them, the bands they play with, and the independent venues they perform at. The phrase “it takes a village” is one I think applies strongly to music scenes, especially those that are more underground such as the hardcore punk scene. 

“Only Constant” from Gel can be found on streaming services, with a digital purchase available through their Bandcamp, and is still in stock as of writing this through Convulse Records on CD and cassette.

Live video of Gel’s Sonic Drive-In show from Hate5Six
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New Album Review

“Things Don’t Always Go the Way You Plan:” Celebrating 10 Years of Flume

Cover art for Things Don't Always Go The Way You Planned by Flume. Screenshot of a computer's desktop filled with a bunch of files.

To commemorate his tenth year as Flume, Harley Streten put out an old unreleased track on November 6, 2022: “Slugger 1.4 [2014 Export.WAV].” The track strongly resembles the warm, grainy, not-quite-polished songs found on Flume’s self-titled album, released in 2012. Shortly after, on February 8, 2023, fans were gifted an entire mixtape of unreleased tracks on “Things Don’t Always Go the Way You Plan.”

Continue reading ““Things Don’t Always Go the Way You Plan:” Celebrating 10 Years of Flume”
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New Album Review

Zorn – Self Titled Album Review

Cover art for Zorn's self titled album. A drawing of a winged creature holding a large semi-automatic weapon.

Zorn is a Philadelphia-based band that has a sound which blends the intricacies and vocal style of GISM, the hard-hitting intensity and power of Discharge, and some black metal flair. The result is nothing short of incredible, and this band has truly captured some black magic on their new self-titled debut album.

The Music

Released in early March through Raleigh’s own Sorry State Records, “Zorn” is an album that does not let off the gas until it ends.

The opening track, “The Spell of The Fairy Tree” jumps straight into a killer bass line only made better by the power in Max’s bass tone. From there, the album balances melody, aggression, and dissonance in an absolutely stellar way.

Zorn establishes their musical prowess by weaving between black metal rhythms and hardcore punk grooves between and within songs accompanied by blistering guitar solos from guitarists Harley and Nao.

Just about halfway through the album comes my personal favorite track, “The Delco Devil Mosh” which opens with a haunting arpeggio leading into a more scandi-punk riff that goes back and forth throughout the song before slowing it down for an intense breakdown section.

The speed and intensity picks up until the finale “Würm,” that works well to close out the album with a slower and more melodic song that really shows the black metal influence in the band.

Last Thoughts

The only gripe I have with this album is that my record didn’t come with a DVD or VHS of them playing live. I say this because the truest way to experience this band is to see it in person with vocalist Alex waving a flaming sword at you while lyrics are ferociously belted out. Luckily for me, I will be catching a hometown Zorn show at this year’s Something To Talk About concert series in Philadelphia this June.

Zorn’s self titled album can be found on streaming services, with a digital purchase available through Bandcamp, as well as on vinyl at Sorry State Records.

Live video of Zorn from Max Volume Silence
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New Album Review

“Hot Between Worlds” by Yves Tumor: A Review

Cover art for "Praise A Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds)" by Yves Tumor. Yves standing in a sparkly suit,

Yves Tumor is back with his fifth studio album, “Praise A Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds)”. This extensively titled album actually has a somewhat short playtime, though not anything particularly shorter than their previous albums.

“Hot Between Worlds” keeps up Tumor’s heavy-hitting basslines and echo-y, melancholic vocals from their past works on songs like “Meteora Blues”. Unfortunately, so many tracks on here have such similar melodies that songs become difficult to distinguish from each other with a few exceptions.

The Bangers

First off, I don’t wish to imply that the songs that sound similar are bad by any means. For most of these tracks, if they come on a playlist on shuffle, I’ll gladly listen to them. There’s a lot of good introspection by Tumor on how his religious views and upbringing intersect with his queer identity. Some of the singles, like “Parody” and “Heaven Surrounds Us Like a Hood”, especially embody this type of discussion as well as Tumor’s percussion-heavy signature sound. They’re quite good in their own right, though I’m unlikely to seek them out independent of the greater album.

As for those exceptions mentioned earlier, “Operator” and “God Is a Circle” are definitely the highlights of “Hot Between Worlds”. While the former has the most inventive lyrics of the album, the latter has such a fresh, driving beat exemplifying Tumor’s exhaustion with feeling betrayed over and over again. The way “God Is a Circle” ends with such a climactic buildup is just perfect too.

“Operator” features Tumor’s most direct call to God yet, asking why God feels so distant. Their cries of “Hello” again and again only exacerbate that uncertainty over their relationship with God. Tumor’s trying to grapple with why there’s so much strain and hesitation which is amplified by the pervasive bass.

Official audio for “Operator” by Yves Tumor

The Flops

To be quite honest, no song on “Hot Between Worlds” is actively bad. Like I said earlier, there’s just not much differentiating many of these tracks from each other. Other than that, though, there isn’t much in the way of strong messages in Tumor’s lyrics on many tracks. They cover a lot of the same ground repetitively throughout the album, even in just 37 minutes.

Part of that issue may come from the minimal vocals on each song, leaving little room for expansive storytelling or metaphors. Songs don’t feel underdeveloped or rushed, they just feel like they need more space to work, which is something that seems to plague Tumor’s albums like “Heaven To A Tortured Mind”.

–DJ Cashew

Rating: 6/10