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Review: Charlotte Sands – Can We Start Over?

Adam Grundy

It’s a little hard to believe that Can We Start Over? is the debut album by Charlotte Sands. Why? For a myriad of reasons. Charlotte Sands has been on the tip of the tongue for several marquee artists like The Maine, Taking Back Sunday, and Sleeping With Sirens for lending her vocals in guest spots on their singles. Additionally, Sands has been self-releasing music since 2018, and with her electric charged debut finally arriving this year, this blue-haired warrior shows little signs of slowing down anytime soon. Coming off of the success of her last EP, called Good Now, Sands is poised for sustainable success by adding ten bulletproof songs on Can We Start Over? to her repertoire.

Sands shared, “The inspiration behind the title can we start over? came while writing a song for the album about the idea of restarting a relationship, and the idea of beginning again or reintroducing yourself to someone. I’ve changed so much over the last few years personally and in my career and I love the concept of starting over as who I am now with the information and knowledge I’ve gained. It’s not about forgetting the past or regretting our choices but more so letting go of the previous version of ourselves and meeting each other where we are at this moment in the phases that we’re currently in. I think this album for me represents exactly that, standing firmly where I am as the person I am today.” By putting her strongest and best foot forward, Charlotte Sands is taking full advantage of her moment.

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Review: Green Day – Saviors

Green Day - Saviors
Adam Grundy

The 14th studio album by pop-punk legends, Green Day, called Saviors, lives up to its title as it very well may have saved the band from going down the unfortunate path that has haunted so many other legendary bands in their careers. While some bands have had trouble living up to the legacy of their past work, Green Day were getting dangerously close to this label after a bit of floundering after American Idiot. Sure, there were a few nuggets of gold to be found every now and then, but looking at the large body of work after American Idiot was a bit of a mixed bag. You had the strong 21st Century Breakdown record, followed by the hit or miss trilogy of ¡Uno! ¡Dos! ¡Tré!, then 2016’s decent Revolution Radio, only to be succeeded by arguably the weakest LP in Green Day’s discography, 2020’s Father of All Motherfuckers.

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Review: Definitely Maybe – “Are We Having Fun Yet?”

Adam Grundy

The latest single from Chicago pop-punk band, Definitely Maybe, called “Are We Having Fun Yet?” embraces the chaos of chasing your dreams head on. The band found moderate success with their last single, “One More Night,” and Definitely Maybe continue the momentum gained on this electric track. Singer/lyricist Courtney Clinkert remains as captivating as she’s ever been on this single that sounds reminiscent of the sound that Charlotte Sands and Yours Truly have gone for recently, with equally pleasing results here. The band shared, “’Are We Having Fun Yet?’ is a relentless exploration of the toll ambition takes on the soul. Delving into the highs and lows of chasing dreams, it offers an unfiltered look at the exhaustion and self-discovery that comes with the journey.”

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Review: Cassie Dasilva – “Part of the Club”

Adam Grundy

It’s always nice to hear new voices in the music scene. Whether it’s a new band taking the world by storm, or in the case of Cassie Dasilva, an indie-pop artist that has a sugary sweet delivery to make you take notice. “Part of the Club” is a great introduction to the sound and world that Dasilva is creating with her music. As she puts it, “‘part of the club’ is my anti-love love song. I’ve always had an aversion to conventional relationships – specifically marriage – but this song is about finding the person who makes you stop and think, ‘I can see why people might do all this.’” By taking a long hard look at why relationships can be so complex, Cassie Dasilva makes a memorable step in the right direction with her latest single.

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Review: Collective Soul – 7even Year Itch: Greatest Hits, 1994-2001

Adam Grundy

The latest greatest hits collection from veteran Alternative Rockers, Collective Soul, called 7even Year Itch: Greatest Hits, 1994-2001 is a fitting and nice introduction to the band’s best work during this time period. It has all the major hits that you’d want in a compilation, from “Shine” and “Heavy” to more reflective songs like “The World I Know,” there truly is a little bit of everything to be found here. The set was produced by lead vocalist Ed Roland, and he carefully sequences the songs found on this greatest hits album in a way that makes sense for the listener to best consume it. The album was originally released on September 18, 2001, but it never found its way to the vinyl format until last month, via Craft Recordings. The vinyl packaging is a bit on the simplistic side, with a standard weight LP that is encased in a full-color sleeve with lyrics on one side, and some band photography on the other. The reissued set includes “Next Homecoming” and “Energy” for the first time in this package, and neither song feels out of place when listening to it front to back. Collective Soul were one of radio rock’s biggest bands, and they deserve another moment to relish in their best work.

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Review: Uncle Lucius – Like It’s The Last One Left

Adam Grundy

The fifth LP from roots rockers, Uncle Lucius, is a solid slab of blues-driven guitar rock that hits its mark more often than not. Like It’s The Last One Left is the band’s first album since 2018, and their song “Keep The Wolves Away” was featured on the hit TV show, Yellowstone, recently that helped reinvigorate an interest in the band. Flash forward to 2023, and Uncle Lucius have returned with a record worthy of the legacy that they have built before them. The album was recorded to analog tape, with everyone playing together in real time, and you can really feel the energy of the band coming back together here. Uncle Lucius is back for all the right reasons, and I think we’re all better off for it.

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Review: AJR – The Maybe Man

Adam Grundy

There’s something to be said for a band who knows how to make a well-crafted, thought out, and carefully mapped out  album. AJR may have just made their early-career masterpiece on The Maybe Man, a record that is brimming with purpose, an ultra-personal touch, and better structurally organized than any of their previous four LPs. The Maybe Man finds the three brothers (Adam, Jack & Ryan Met) at a crossroads: they’ve just made their most commercially and critically successful record in 2021’s Ok Orchestra, the band recently announced their first arena tour, and yet the material found on this record is dripping with self-doubt. For a band that got famous with songs like “Bang!” “Weak” and the ultra-viral “World’s Smallest Violin,” the opening song/title track finds lead singer, Jack pondering vulnerably, “Wish I was a stone so I couldn’t feel / You’d yell in my face, it’d be no big deal / But I’d miss the way we make up and smile / Don’t wanna be stone, I changed my mind,” while getting into heavier material (lyrically) with “God Is Really Real” that comes to terms with their father, Gary’s, untimely passing. As close as I am to my dad, I can’t imagine going through life without my own mentor, and I commend AJR for tackling this concept head on with grace on The Maybe Man.

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Review: Daniel Donato – Reflector

Adam Grundy

The sophomore set from alt-country up-and-comer Daniel Donato, called Reflector, is a colorful collection of songs that are brimming with lush textures and shimmering guitars. From the vibrant opening bars of the song “Lose Your Mind” to the closing, near 6-minute opus of “Dance in the Desert Pt. 2,” Donato leaves his musical blueprint all over this record that showcases his unmistakable talent. The Nashville-based singer/songwriter describes his new record as “Cosmic Country” and it fits well within the same realm of artists like The Lumineers, Lord Huron, and the crisp ,country twang of Zac Brown Brand. When speaking on his new LP, Donato shared, “I think ‘Cosmic Country’ is a tale as old as time, really. It’s yin and yang in a musical form. It’s three chords and the truth, and then on the other side it’s exploration and bravery. I really went through a lot of years of grinding, and still am, to achieve this sound which is a vehicle for my personality, and the personality is a vehicle for my soul. So (Reflector) is more that than any other record I ever put out.” Daniel Donato is quickly climbing the ladder of notoriety on Reflector.

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Review: Blink-182 – [Untitled]

Adam Grundy

It really does feel like yesterday that I was just unwrapping the CD of this Blink-182 classic, known to many as their [Untitled} fifth effort, and grinning ear to ear about the sound that was about to surround me for the next two-plus years of a standard album cycle. Little did I know, this would be the last studio album Blink-182 would record for eight (!) years, until they returned with 2011’s Neighborhoods. This studio effort was a flawless execution of slick pop-punk hooks, experimental rock, hip-hop beats, and a top-notch collaborative song with The Cure’s Robert Smith. While some longtime Blink fans were disappointed with the final result of this record (that succeeded the bulletproof pop-punk classic, Take Off Your Pants & Jacket), almost all of these fans now point to this album as a seismic shift in the band’s songwriting and offered glimpses as to where they would take their sound for the foreseeable future. This fifth LP was produced by Jerry Finn, and it would also end up being their longest album to date, clocking in at a little over the 49-minute mark. Mark Hoppus, Tom DeLonge and Travis Barker should be looking back fondly on this momentous album today that would find Blink-182 breaking down the silos of what a pop-punk band should sound like, and blow the doors off the hinges in the process.

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Review: Social Distortion – Mommy’s Little Monster

Adam Grundy

Time just keeps marching on, doesn’t it? When Social Distortion released their debut LP, Mommy’s Little Monster, in June (the exact date couldn’t be pinned down) of 1983, it signaled an energetic movement in the SoCal punk scene. The most “traditional” of punk records in Social Distortion’s storied discography, Mommy’s Little Monster, is an adrenaline shot to the hip of slick guitar-driven hooks, paired with vocalist/guitarist Mike Ness’s trademark growl. The LP has been passionately restored to notoriety by Craft Recordings and their 40th anniversary vinyl reissue that hit stores today. The album features quick punk rock songs like “The Creeps (I Just Wanna Give You)” that while they seem raw on the surface, are packed with some breadcrumbs of where Social Distortion would take their sound for the next 40-plus years. The only single to be released, “Another State of Mind,” still finds its way into Social D’s setlist from time to time, and remains a punk scene favorite. Mommy’s Little Monster plays out like a band gaining their footing in the exploding punk scene of the early 80’s and still holds up to this day.

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Review: Broadside – Hotel Bleu

Adam Grundy

Usually when you check into a new hotel, it has a funny way of changing your outlook and mindset for the days to come. Whether it’s settling down in a hotel for a vacation, work trip, or just a weekend getaway, these places tend to have their own unique personality attached to them. Broadside have this concept well on the top of their mind on their fourth full-length record, called Hotel Bleu. The interesting thing about this album is that it finds Broadside tinkering with their sound and exploring the depths of their songwriting. While their last effort, Into The Raging Sea, took listeners on a journey through the darkest of thoughts, Hotel Bleu may just be the polar opposite. The latest LP by Broadside (Oliver Baxxter [vocals], Domenic Reid [guitar], and Patrick Diaz [bass]) is vibrant, lush, and as colorful as the name implies.

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Review: Taking Back Sunday – 152

Adam Grundy

There’s a lot to be said when a band takes a hiatus, re-shuffles their lineup, or just takes a breather to reset their focus on their music. 152 is the first album by Taking Back Sunday in seven years (with their last effort coming in 2016’s Tidal Wave), and arguably their best one yet. The album anniversaries of Tell All Your Friends and the upcoming 20-year mark of Where You Want To Be may have had a hand in TBS re-focusing their attention on their songwriting craft. There is also something to be said of the magic that happens when lead vocalist Adam Lazzara and guitarist John Nolan get in a room together to pen songs. 152 is a career-spanning love letter to the legacy Taking Back Sunday have built over their eight-album tenure, and they show no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

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Review: Crossing I’s Dotting T’s – I Used To Be

Adam Grundy

The debut LP by rock band Crossing I’s Dotting T’s is a grunge-filled love letter to bands like Deftones, Alice in Chains, and Stone Temple Pilots. I Used To Be has a variety of song types, and more often than not, it hits its intended target. When I last sat down with the lead vocalist from the band, I could tell that his core influences would likely bleed into the band’s debut album. From the soft-loud dynamic found on a Deftones-esque track, called “Far Away,” to the collaborative single with Have Mercy on “Cheap Beers & IOUs,” Crossing I’s Dotting T’s make a memorable first step in the music scene.

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Review: Boys Like Girls – Sunday At Foxwoods

Adam Grundy

The momentum that Boys Like Girls had going into their fourth studio album, Sunday At Foxwoods, was probably a bit more positive than the band could’ve expected. Having not released any music as a band since 2012, Boys Like Girls could’ve gone in a number of ways, creatively. The Night Game was keeping lead vocalist Martin Johnson busy with a project after Boys Like Girls went on a hiatus, and this 2023 version of the band feels like a marrying of styles and sounds between everything the band members have done (both as solo artists, and as a creative unit). Sunday At Foxwoods is a thrilling return to form for a band that found some early success with their self-titled debut, peaked commercially with Love Drunk (that had a key song feature with a young artist known as Taylor Swift), and they experienced some creative growing pains on Crazy World. The vinyl reissues of Boys Like Girls and Love Drunk seemed to reinvigorate fan interest in the band’s fourth studio album, known as Sunday At Foxwoods, that is kicking off the next phase of this talented pop-rock band.

After a brief, atmospheric introductory song on the title track, Boys Like Girls rock with veteran poise on “The Outside.” It features a stomping, anthemic chorus of, “It’s okay, it’s alright / Baby welcome to life on the outside / Sleep all day, ride all night / Yeah we’re living it up on the outside,” that reminds longtime fans of the band of the magic that happens when these four musicians get together to create music. While longtime lead guitarist Paul DiGiovanni is no longer a part of the band, Jamel Hawke does the band justice by taking over the reins on guitar.

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Review: The Format – Interventions + Lullabies

Adam Grundy

How does one begin to encapsulate the meteoric rise of lead vocalist Nate Ruess’s career? Like most stories, you start at the very beginning. The Format (Nate Ruess and multi-instrumentalist Sam Means) formed in February 2002, and while their friendship goes as far back as grade school, their band chemistry was felt almost immediately. That electric-charged feeling of when a group of talented musicians come together to make art was felt far and wide in The Format. I first got wind of this band when they opened up for Jimmy Eat World and Paramore, and I found their charming mix of emo, pop, and Beach Boys-esque melodies to be immediately infectious. The Format was signed to Elektra Records for what would become their debut LP, Interventions + Lullabies, and much like many other major label artists during this period of time, the merging of record companies led to conflicts on whom the executives found worth pushing on radio, MTV, etc. The Format were ultimately left on the outside looking in when Warner Brothers (and finally Atlantic Records) had the rights to the band’s music. “The First Single” was the only song to be promoted during this album cycle, and it would remain a staple in the band’s set until their breakup in 2008.

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