Review: The Academy Is… – Almost There

The Academy Is... - Almost There
Adam Grundy

The first new music from The Academy Is… in nearly 18 years has arrived today. Guitarist Mike Carden shared, “William and I made the first record at nineteen and walked away at twenty-eight. Almost There is really about everything that’s happened in the space between.” Almost There finds the band at a comfortable place in their lives, having lived a rich life, building families, and ultimately reconnecting the pieces that made this band so special in the first place. This record is a bit subdued, vibey, and more on the relaxed side as far as the general feel. Front-man William Beckett shared some additional context surrounding the similar title of the new album to their debut by saying, ““Almost Here was about leaving home. This album is about finding your way back. It’s the other end of the spectrum.” By looking inward at their past/youth while trying to understand it all, The Academy Is… have made another album worthy of the legacy they created.

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Review: Snail Mail – Ricochet

Snail Mail - Ricochet
Adam Grundy

The third studio album from Snail Mail, called Ricochet, is a stunning collection of 11 songs that reflect on Lindsey Jordan’s past few years, while having a focus on themes like mortality and the uncertainty of what happens to our souls in the afterlife. The set was produced by Momma bassist Aron Kobayashi Ritch, and this album has a similar feel to the latest effort from that band, while still staying authentic to the overall songwriting approach from Jordan. While her previous record (Valentine) dealt more with matters from their heart and relationships, Ricochet takes a more spiritual approach. “Misery feels safe to write about because I am good at it,” Jordan says, “but I’m not bathing in my own agony anymore.” By putting her most confident step forward in her artistic self-discovery to date, Ricochet is a strong contender for this year’s best album.

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Review: Cartel – “Oxy Moron”

Cartel - "Oxy Moron"
Adam Grundy

Coming hot off the re-recorded version of Chroma, Cartel have officially dropped the first taste of new music from their yet to be announced new album, with this single of “Oxy Moron.” The blast of pop-punk energy comes through the speakers in the early-going and rarely lets up. The first few verses find front-man Will Pugh at his most self-deprecating as he sings, “Maybe I’m a loser / Maybe not / Maybe I’m a loner / That hangs out a lot.” The combined, full-sounding guitars from Pugh and Joseph Pepper bounce off of the speakers warmly as Cartel get their sea legs back in the crowded and resurgent pop-punk scene.

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Review: Seafret – Fear Of Emotion

Seafret - Fear Of Emotion
Adam Grundy

Nearly a decade after their breakthrough single of “Atlantis”, which has since been streamed more than a billion times, Seafret are back with a great collection of tunes on Fear Of Emotion. Seafret is the duo of Jack Sedman and Harry Draper and they follow up their last record of Wonderland with laser-focused songwriting, soaring melodies, and great instrumentation found on this latest record. Seafret continue to expand upon their humble beginnings as a “mostly-acoustic” project with a full-sounding approach on Fear of Emotion that captivates the imagination of where they can take their sound. Sedman shared, “These last years have just made us more hungry for it again. We’ve put so much work into this new record – we’ve put the time in and we’ve not cut a single corner. It really feels like it’s a fresh new Seafret and we’re ready to go.” With slick production and a sound that strays somewhere between the adult pop of The Fray and X Ambassadors, Seafret have arrived on their vulnerable yet fully-realized vision on Fear of Emotion.

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Stephanie Babirak – “Hey Cain” (Video Premiere)

Stephanie Babirak
Adam Grundy

Today is a great day to share the latest single and music video from the ultra-talented NYC-based harpist/vocalist, Stephanie Babirak, called “Hey Cain.” Stephanie shared:

This song borrows the story of Cain and Abel to explore the difficulty of accepting a very specific kind of loss. It’s about the grief, sense of betrayal, and disbelief that comes from letting go of someone who is okay with losing you, and how strange it is to mourn someone who’s still alive…someone you still love very much. I was thinking a lot about the First Corinthians verse ‘Love is patient, love is kind’ when I wrote this song, and about how untrue that can be—love can be incredibly painful even when it’s real.

Stephanie Babirak’s talent is on full display on the vibrant lead single from her sophomore album, Rotten Fruit, that will be released on all streaming services on June 12th.

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Maxell Brings Back the Cassette Player

Jason Tate

Maxell has launched a new bluetooth cassette player.

With this masterfully engineered player, blending the nostalgic soul of the 80’s with the peak convenience of today’s wireless technology just became a reality. At its heart lies a stabilized transport—featuring a precision brass flywheel—that delivers High-Fidelity Sound to bring your cassette collection back to life with rich, steady audio. Experience total wireless freedom with up to 11 hours of Bluetooth playtime, or switch to the optional headphone jack for a classic wired session. When the power runs low, USB-C Fast Charging gets you back to your music in under 2 hours, ensuring your favorite mixtapes never have to stop.