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Review
LATEST ARTICLES - PAGE 2

Review: Spiritbox – Tsunami Sea

Adam Grundy

The sophomore album from Spiritbox, Tsunami Sea, is an absolute monster. The new record comes hot off the heels of 2023’s EP The Fear of Fear, and the much-buzzed about debut LP Eternal Blue, and two consecutive Grammy nominations for Best Metal Performance. The new album was co-produced by Spiritbox’s Mike Stringer and Dan Braunstein, and early on you get the vibe that the band is out for world domination, and they just may achieve their goal. From the opening visceral one-two punch of “Fata Morgana” and “Black Rainbow”, Spiritbox reinvent what it means to make a metal album today, and have filled the void with a record that demands to wash over anyone who takes the time to listen to it. Lead vocalist Courtney LaPlante can confidently go from the most punishing of screams to a softer croon with ease as she showcases why she is one of the most talented front women in today’s music scene. Spiritbox have improved vastly upon their sound that combines melodic metal, metalcore, electronica, and EDM into a massive package that will do nothing to dissuade others from joining the bandwagon.

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Review: IOTA CENTAURI – “Lullaby For A Dying Sun”

IOTA CENTAURI - "Lullaby For A Dying Sun"
Adam Grundy

If you’ve ever wanted to explore the vastness of space through a great-sounding ambient track that fits somewhere in the realm of Thrice’s Vheissu, paired with the sprawling rock of band’s like Caspian, IOTA CENTAURI is your next obsession. With the release of the project’s new single called “Lullaby For A Dying Sun,” IOTA CENTAURI have also announced their debut LP called Supermassive. IOTA CENTAURI is the solo moniker of TJ Fulfer, and the new album explores themes of love, loss, tragedy, and the growing distance between two people, expressed through the vastness of space, the mysteries of the universe, and the weight of darkness—all woven into sweeping soundscapes and deeply evocative melodies.

The latest single features some guest vocal spots from Ken Pendola and Meg Zahora to help round out this band’s approach to songwriting. The epic final chorus of, “And when it vanishes / Nothing is remembered / Only an emptiness / Where light once lived,” takes the concept of traveling alone through the depths of space and still hones in on the human element of what makes us all want those key connections to others.

Review: STMNTS – “Sinking In”

STMNTS - "Sinking In"
Adam Grundy

The latest single from Baltimore pop-punk band, STMNTS, called “Sinking In” is a passionate blend of styles similar to The Wonder Years, Bayside and the guitar-crunch of Four Year Strong. Formed in 2022, STMNTS consists of vocalist Liam King, rhythm guitarist Jamie Black, lead guitarist Drew Chiodo, bassist Josh Pelc, and drummer Shawn Smyth. The single was produced, mixed and mastered by Jeff McKinnon, with some additional production contributed by Evan Seeberger. STMNTS are coming off of the success of their well-received 2023 EP called Tendencies, and have released their second single since that last record came out with today’s “Sinking In.”

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Review: Nona Invie – Self-Soothing

Nona Invie - Self-Soothing
Adam Grundy

There are certain records that can pull you in closer to the studio and writing rooms that an artist used to create the musical landscape around them. Self-Soothing is one of those albums. Nona Invie, the ultra-talented songwriter from Minneapolis, crafts arguably her most personal LP to date. “This is a very personal record. I felt very selfish making it. Self-indulgent,” Nona says. “I am an introvert, but I need to share. This record touches on feelings of guilt and shame after a long-term relationship ended, on remembering friends who died too young, on toxic love in friendship and romance, on hopeful feelings of creating and living in a fantasy.” Over the course of eight heartfelt songs, Invie bares her full beautiful soul for all the world to see, and features some of her strongest songs to date.

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Review: E.R.I.E. – The Highs, The Lows, And Everything In Between

E.R.I.E. - The Highs, The Lows, And Everything In Between
Adam Grundy

If you’ve ever dreamt of discovering a new band that checks all of the boxes for an artist that writes honest songs that fit somewhere in the realm of The Gaslight Anthem, Jimmy Eat World and The Menzingers, then E.R.I.E. are here for you. The third LP from the upstate New York indie punk band is called The Highs, The Lows, and Everything In Between and is filled with anthemic rock songs that do a nice job of encapsulating the past few years of not only the band’s life, but ours as well. The lyrics are very relatable, and the music itself is crisp, poised, and filled with the utmost passion behind each note. Originally released in a series of three EPs, the full artistic statement comes into focus with the last piece of the puzzle coming out to connect the dots of the band’s vision.

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Review: Silverstein – Antibloom

Silverstein - Antibloom
Adam Grundy

2025 is a major year for Silverstein for a litany of reasons. The band is celebrating 25 years of existence, they are currently on a comprehensive tour in support of this band anniversary, and they are planning to release not one, but two LPs this year. First on the docket is the brief, but extremely hard-hitting album called Antibloom. Silverstein recorded both parts of their ambitious two-part album in the deserts of Joshua Tree, CA, and it appeared to have a big impact on the five musicians. Shane Told shared, “Antibloom is a reference to the desert, the empty vastness, the harshness, something we experienced while making the record. This is not a concept record, the concept was making a record in this space, and while the lyrics/songs are not directly connected in any shape or form, the concept of death or mortality does appear a lot”. While some fans may be turned off by the short run time of Antibloom, it’s hard to not admit that this record features eight great songs that play off of each other brilliantly and accelerate the artistic development of Silverstein.

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Review: Bartees Strange – Horror

Bartees Strange - Horror
Adam Grundy

Bartees Strange has returned with his latest album, entitled Horror. The ultra-talented multi-instrumentalist, producer and songwriter maps out an intricate collection of songs that showcase the depths he’s willing to go to tell a vivid story about his life and set the course for where he plans to go next in his sound. The press release shared that, “His family used scary stories to teach life lessons, and at an early age, Strange started using scary movies to practice being strong. The world can be a terrifying place, and for a young, queer, black person in rural America, that terror can be visceral. Horror is an album about facing those fears and growing to become someone to be feared.” It’s a gripping description of the state of mind that Bartees Strange used to craft his latest studio effort that encapsulates the horror of living in our ever-changing world. Bartees Strange takes the listener on a thrilling ride over an album that is both cohesive and moves the needle closer to a fully-realized vision for his music.

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Review: Anxious – Bambi

Anxious - Bambi
Adam Grundy

There are only a handful of albums that I can vividly remember grabbing me from the very first note and never letting up until the dramatic conclusion. Bambi falls firmly in this category. The sophomore effort from the Connecticut-based punk band, Anxious, solidifies the effort that the band has put in on tour and in the studio to make their most fully realized work of art to date. Produced, engineered, and mixed by Brett Romnes (The Movielife, Front Bottoms, Oso Oso) at The Barber Shop Studios, Anxious take big risks and are rewarded for these leaps of faith over and over again. While Little Green House introduced the world to Anxious, Bambi knocks the doors right off the hinges with a great immediacy to their sound that is sure to take the scene by storm. The early favorite for 2025’s Album of the Year has arrived.

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Review: The Lumineers – Automatic

The Lumineers
Adam Grundy

Few bands are as steadily consistent as The Lumineers. The band has returned on the cusp of their successful fourth studio album, 2022’s Brightside, with the fresh sound found on Automatic. The record ends up being some of their strongest work since their sophomore effort (Cleopatra) and hones in on the live elements of their sound that came through so nicely on their recently released live album, Live From Wrigley Field. The Lumineers know what they’re good at, and they accentuate those parts of their music into another strong showing here. Led by the core members of Jeremiah Fraites (drums, percussion, piano) and Wesley Schultz (vocals, guitar), Automatic cuts to the heart of what it means to be a passionate band that makes meaningful songs for the masses. The Lumineers will be gearing up for supporting Automatic on a large-scale stadium tour this Summer to showcase what makes their band such a marquee act.

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Review: TopHouse – Practice

Adam Grundy

Coming hot of the heels of their last EP, Theory, that was released last May, Practice rounds out the approach that TopHouse were going for in their vision for their music. While Theory was filled a sense of optimism, Practice is a bit more grounded in the places around us and it contemplates our very existence in this crazy world. “We didn’t start out writing these songs with a two-part set of EPs in mind,” says lead vocalist Joe Larson. “But when they were written and we were looking at how to arrange them on an album, the clear delineation of themes became pretty apparent. The idealistic, hopeful worldview that we can all strive for in Theory, up against the hard reality that life doesn’t always work out the way we want in Practice.” With a indie folk sound that fits somewhere in the realm of early-Mumford & Sons, paired with the picturesque singer-songwriter vibes of Noah Kahan, all with polished musicianship like The Lumineers, TopHouse remain on top of their game here.

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Review: Amber Pacific – All In

Amber Pacific - All In
Adam Grundy

Coming back to a place after a long time away can bring back a flood of memories when you finally arrive back to that same location. The same feeling can be adapted to when bands we love return after a lengthy hiatus and take us right back to that time when we felt like the music they were creating made us feel better about the world around us. Amber Pacific have returned with their first full-length record in eleven years, with All In. Guitarist/vocalist Will Nutter shared about the feeling of the new record by describing that, “It will captivate you as soon as you hit play and will keep you engaged as it takes you through each phase of the song, bringing unique sounds and intricate parts from start to finish. A throwback that’s made for the AP faithful but one that also aims to attract new fans to the world of Amber Pacific as we approach the release of our fifth full length album.” By making an album that feels simultaneously like a burst of nostalgia, paired with a sense of urgency to reclaim their spot in the crowded pop-punk scene, Amber Pacific put their most authentic selves forward on All In.

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Review: Zaq Baker – “Bri”

Zaq Baker - "Bri"
Adam Grundy

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Zaq Baker has returned with a nice ballad about falling head over heels in love, called “Bri.” The song is filled with some sweeping instrumentation, swooning synths, and cool atmospheric elements added into the mix to ensure it tugs on the right heartstrings. As Baker opens with, “I think I understand those love songs / At least the sensations they describe / I never thought I was above it all” you can tell that he is connecting deeply with the person that makes him feel most complete.

The track was produced by Hunter Sinclair Hawthorne and was mixed by Alec Ness. The latest single is perfect for fans of bands like Hellogoodbye, Owl City and MUNA, as Baker finds just the right vibe that sounds familiar, yet utterly unique to him.

Review: The Academy Is… – Almost Here

The Academy Is… - Almost Here
Adam Grundy

The record that started it all for The Academy Is, and made an instant star out of vocalist William Beckett, has turned 20 years old. In the flurry of bands signed to the label Fueled By Ramen, The Academy Is seemed to be one of the more immediate success stories. The band had formed in 2003, put out their self-titled EP in 2004 and would craft enough material to release their formal full-length debut, Almost Here, in early 2005. The set was produced by James Paul Wisner and he does a nice job of accentuating the band’s strengths. The Academy Is would be staples on the Warped Tour and would later release two subsequent full-length records before going on hiatus in October 2011. Almost Here spawned three singles in “Checkmarks,” “Slow Down,” and “The Phrase That Pays” and by October 2009 the set had sold over 250,000 units.

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Review: Zaq Baker – Unspectacular

Adam Grundy

There’s a lot that can be said about novels that are filled with sharp wit, cheeky dialogue, and relatable storylines to maintain key connections to the material. Zaq Baker has recently released his debut novel, called Unspectacular, that takes a look at a character named Mae Strand who is somewhat pursuing a career as a vocalist. One particular line in the middle section of the novel states, “Some people say water maintains memory, holds it inside, safeguards it, can transport it across places and peoples. This is how I feel about music – recorded music especially. Albums, after all, live forever.” This nice quip is easily relatable for me, personally, but I feel a lot of music fans would also identify in quotes like this. Baker’s ability to mix just the right amount of believability and characters similar to many in the music industry may have come across makes for a memorable reading experience.

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Review: Anberlin – Never Take Friendship Personal

Anberlin - Never Take Friendship Personal
Adam Grundy

Because time is a cruel beast, Never Take Friendship Personal has turned 20 years old and yet it still packs that same urgency of a band hungry for more. More exposure, more fans, and plenty more music! The record itself is as gripping as they come, especially in a scene where so many emo bands were exploding out of the gate and into the pages of magazines like Alternative Press. What set Anberlin apart from the pack was their ability to lean into the genre’s best parts: anthemic and heartfelt vocals, searing guitar parts, and well-constructed songs that made a lot of sense and still had a lasting impact on the listener.

I think the first time I heard the band name Anberlin was when I saw the young band take the stage in Baltimore, Maryland opening for Bayside. This must’ve been close to 2005, because I can vividly remember their set comprised almost entirely of material from Never Take Friendship Personal. I was instantly hooked on lead vocalist Stephen Christian’s energetic stage presence and his vocals were top-notch that evening. Later on that same weekend, I traveled to my local Best Buy to pick up a CD copy of the album, and I was immediately transported back to that fateful evening in Baltimore where I would discover one of my favorite bands of all time.

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