Review: Eisley – Deep Space

Eisley - Deep Space
Drew Beringer

After exorcising past demons and embracing new directions on their stellar 2011 release The Valley, Eisley decided to go back to their roots somewhat (while taking some of that new found edge on The Valley) on their brand new EP Deep Space. Recorded and produced by the band (along with engineer/mixer Andy Freeman) in their hometown of Tyler, Texas, the DuPree clan (Stacy, Sherri, Chauntelle, Garron, and Weston) were inspired by the works of sci-fi novelist Ray Bradbury and turned a five-song EP into a remarkable love story set in space that fully enraptures you. 

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Review: Hit the Lights – Invicta

Hit the Lights - Invicta
Drew Beringer

For a while there, I thought we had lost Hit The Lights to the pop-punk abyss. After garnering a dedicated fan base due to their first two contagious full-lengths, the Lima, Ohio quintet signed to a major label expecting to get their brand of catchy anthems out to a wider audience. Instead, they were on the Universal roster for about the length of a Kim Kardashian wedding. After that, HTL kind of disappeared until late 2011 when Razor & Tie announced they’d sign the group and released a 3-song teaser EP. Enlisting the services of producer Mike Sapone, the three tracks on the EP featured a change in direction for Hit The Lights and perked up some excitement for their late January release. 

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Review: The Jealous Sound – A Gentle Reminder

The Jealous Sound – A Gentle Reminder
Blake Solomon

t’s safe to say the last time we heard from The Jealous Sound – whether that was on 2008’s too-short-but-sweet Got Friends EP or on their now-classic 2003 LP Kill Them With Kindness – we were all different people. (And if the last you heard of Blair Shehan’s gravelly pipes was on a Knapsack album, well, how are your kids and/or grandkids?) Whatever. Point is, it hasn’t so much been a wild ride, but a slow, meandering one. The fact that this release is even coming out is in and of itself sort of a punk-rock miracle. And the fact that A Gentle Reminder (GET it?) packs the same post-midwest-emo-blah blah as the band’s earlier landmarks is even more special. 9 years may have passed, but not a step has been missed.

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Review: The Maine – Pioneer

The Maine - Pioneer
AbsolutePunk

There is nothing more fascinating in music than watching a band progress before your very ears. It’s even better when a band’s progression coincides with that band’s improvement. And I can’t believe it, but The Maine has improved a whole ton in a year and a half. I don’t think that a major label can ruin a band by itself, but Black & White, The Maine’s debut for Warner Bros., was a complete dud. Pioneer won’t be as friendly to a mainstream demographic, and maybe that’s one of the reasons why the band decided to release the record itself.

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Review: Marianas Trench – Ever After

Marianas Trench - Ever After
AbsolutePunk

It only took five minutes to prove that Marianas Trench were the real deal.

The opener to the pop-rock quartet’s sophomore effort, Masterpiece Theater, was breathtaking to say the least. “Masterpiece Theater I” presented everything to love about the genre – soaring harmonies, memorable instrumentation, and hooks to go crazy for. The band’s prime selling point took place within vocalist Josh Ramsay, who gave unreal performances on nearly every song on the album. Marianas Trench had something special going for them, and it was easy to say that their follow-up had a lot to live up to. In company with Masterpiece Theater’s incredible solidarity, it also ended up selling platinum (in Canada), with numerous platinum and gold singles to go along with it. That alone sets the bar enormously for the highly anticipated Ever After – and it’s the band’s best offering to date.

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Review: O’Brother – Garden Window

O'Brother - Garden Window
AbsolutePunk

There’s a certain pocket of bands writing really good “rock” music these days. Maybe even “alternative” for the sake of genre-specific argument. For the sound I’m speaking of, I’ll define “rock” music as that of the genre most of us grew up with when the radio wasgood. Whether it was Nirvana, Tool, Nine Inch Nails, Pearl Jam, The Smashing Pumpkins, etc. – we knew there was beauty and thought between the layers. Every now and again a band will come along that will paralyze us with a sound built on grit, feedback and cryptic auras stacked like a triple pane glass wall thickly layered in percussion, deafening guitars and a guilt-ridden, beautifully sparked voice. All of these thoughts were running through my head the first time I heard O’Brother’s debut full-length, Garden Window, and they continue to do so.

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Review: Yellowcard – When You’re Through Thinking, Say Yes (Acoustic)

Yellowcard - When You're Through (Acoustic)
AbsolutePunk

Yellowcard saw a triumphant return into the music industry earlier this year with its fifth studio record, When You’re Through Thinking, Say Yes. The album blended characteristics of the group’s breakout Ocean Avenue and its more ambitious Paper Walls, all the while making the bold point that they weren’t just back, but back with a new focus and hunger.

As is becoming something of a trend for Hopeless Records’ roster, we now get the opportunity to hear the entirety of When You’re Through Thinking, Say Yes in an acoustic form. However, as is fully apparent from opener “The Sound of You and Me,” much more effort and time was put into this project than one might originally expect from the idea. Ryan Key’s normally high-flying vocals are kept slightly in check to match the stripped down instrumentation, but he still remains the backbone of Yellowcard’s instantly identifiable sound. 

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Review: Mutemath – Odd Soul

MUTEMATH - Odd Soul
Drew Beringer

You’d never picture the guys in MUTEMATH to be dark wizards, but after listening to Odd Soul numerous times, I’m just not so sure anymore. It’s plain as day to see that the band is using horcruxes, as they have divided up their Odd Soul into separate different genres to reach musical immortality. 

So while my analogy may have been totally lame, you cannot deny that there has always been some sort of uniqueness about MUTEMATH. From their energetic live show to their fantastic music videos, you rarely hear or see the band to the same thing twice. And that’s what makes Odd Soul one of the best albums of 2011 – it’s MUTEMATH reinventing themselves while remaining true to their roots throughout the thirteen track LP.

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