Review: Bruce Springsteen – Born In The U.S.A.

Craig Manning

Die-hard Bruce Springsteen fans love to deride Born in the U.S.A. It’s their way of telling you they’re “real” fans, not those jumping on the bandwagon as Bruce blew up. On the contrary, they’re “cultured” enough to prefer the stark landscapes of Nebraska to the dated, synth-blasted ‘80s sound of U.S.A. They use words like “overplayed” and “overproduced” to describe the famed songwriter’s biggest record, while perhaps praising something more obscure like The Ghost of Tom Joad. And they’re probably tired of explaining to their friends that “Born in the U.S.A.,” the song, is not a jingoistic piece of macho rock, but actually a critique of pointless wars.

In general, I don’t get along with these people.

To be fair, Born in the U.S.A. is not Springsteen’s best record. I don’t think I’ve ever met a fan who prefers it to Born to Run, which is my favorite Boss record and my favorite record, period. It also seems pretty universally accepted that U.S.A. is inferior to the records that immediately followed Born to Run: Darkness on the Edge of Town and The River. Those three albums certainly function as the thematic core of Springsteen’s catalog in a way that his later material can’t compete with. But Born in the U.S.A. is also a lot deeper, more nuanced, and more complex than most people make it out to be.

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Review: Twenty One Pilots – Clancy

Adam Grundy

The seventh studio album from Twenty One Pilots, called Clancy, brings closure to the near decade-long conceptual series that began with Trench. In many ways, Twenty One Pilots are challenging their audience to go on this ride with them as they navigate through the waters of rap, alternative, punk, and indie rock, while still looking for new and innovative ways to express the right emotions in their music. Clancy is the character that the band first introduced in Trench, and this record of the same name pulls out some additional thematic elements to bring rich context to the story. After some hard to hear radio chatter on the beginning of the opener, “Overcompensate,” a voice comes on to set the tone by stating emphatically, “Welcome back to Trench.” By taking a brief detour to where they’ve been, while still trying to advance the music forward in their repertoire, Twenty One Pilots have crafted an album worthy of multiple repeat spins and reward listeners willing to take deep dive into the world of Clancy.

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Fake News – “Time & Place” (Track-by-Track)

Fake News
Adam Grundy

Today I’m thrilled to share with everyone an exclusive Track-by-Track by Queensland pop-punk band, Fake News, for their new EP Time & Place. With a fist-pumping blend of catchy hooks, punchy lyricism and exhilarating riffs, Fake News have honed an unabashed and expressive brand of modern punk rock. The Queensland outfit have cut their teeth supporting some of punk’s most iconic names, from Pennywise to Lagwagon, and debut LP Everyday Warrior garnered them a wave of support across Australia and beyond with its fresh but nostalgic delivery. Last month, the band dropped lead single “Moving On,” and have picked up international tastemaker press support from the likes of Idobi Radio and New Noise Magazine as they build towards Time & Place. You can also check out a stream of the record below.

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