Review: Mumford and Sons – Prizefighter

On paper, Prizefighter has all the makings of a great return to form for Mumford and Sons. The band has once again teamed up with their 2015 Wilder Mind album producer of Aaron Dessner, and this current album features several A-list collaborations from Hozier, Chris Stapleton, Gigi Perez, and Gracie Abrams. Several of these songs have guest writer credits on them from some big names in the music industry like Finneas, Brandi Carlile, and Justin Vernon. Having already released a record last year, called Rushmere, Mumford and Sons appeared to be reaching a rejuvenated approach to their songwriting. The band preceded the release of Prizefighter with two great singles in “Rubber Band Man” and “The Banjo Song” to create a solid anticipation of their sixth studio album. Yet when you push play on Prizefighter, you can’t help but think some of these songs could’ve used a little more time to marinate before seeing the light of day.

Adam Grundy 4 months ago

With nearly 30 years of band experience under their collective belts, New Found Glory feel like they’re out to prove they still belong in the upper echelon of pop-punk royalty. Listen Up! was produced by Steve Evetts (Simple Plan, The Wonder Years), and the lyrical topics of the new LP are shaped around guitarist Chad Gilbert’s battle with metastatic cancer and the friendship he has created with his bandmates. The riff-heavy record has that classic NFG sound to it, while adding in some contributions from now-permanent touring member/guitarist Dan O’Connor of Four Year Strong, and the album showcases what the band is capable of crafting when they hone in on their strengths as a unit. The ten-song effort is a model of New Found Glory’s gritty work ethic and professional consistency as a band that shows little signs of slowing down anytime soon.

Adam Grundy 4 months ago

Wuthering Heights is the second soundtrack album from Charli XCX, and it acts as a solid companion piece to the film of the same name. While a dramatic departure from her last international breakthrough LP (Brat), there’s a cool groove found throughout Wuthering Heights that highlights this artist’s willingness to dive headfirst into a different world and let different mediums of art influence her music. The majority of the music found here was co-written by Finn Keane, and they do a commendable job of capturing the essence of the screenplay and film in a bit of a gritty escape to the sound that made Charli XCX a household name. Charli XCX was in a self-described rut of feeling “stuck” after Brat, yet she turned to film to re-capture her imagination and burn a new flame of creativity. A sound that feels more like Brat meets Bridgerton, Wuthering Heights takes some big risks and showcases Charli XCX as a more complex artist than many give her credit for.

Adam Grundy 4 months ago

It’s hard to find a more consistent and hard-working band than Story of the Year. The band has steadily cranked out six previous albums that each have their own personality and highlight Story of the Year’s ability to convey a wide range of emotions through relatable topics. The band shared, “In a lot of ways, A.R.S.O.N. picks up where Tear Me To Pieces left off. We used the same team – Colin Brittain producing again, with the main objective of simply writing great songs. Nothing was forced, no trends were chased, it was simply about getting to the essence of what makes SOTY sound like SOTY: Big guitars, snappy drums, and Dan’s ability to seamlessly oscillate between screaming & singing songs about desperation, loss, and the complexity of relationships.” This encapsulation of the sound Story of the Year were going for on A.R.S.O.N. makes a lot of sense, as the band continues down a familiar path, but with a more hard-hitting urgency. With the incorporation of heavier riffs and a more profound focus on screamed vocals when it makes sense for the songs, their seventh studio album is arguably their hardest-hitting record since In The Wake of Determination.

Adam Grundy 4 months ago

It’s one thing to have a string of bad luck, but to be cursed…that probably feels like forces beyond our control are swaying things towards the negative. As Sam Bielanski (founding member/singer-songwriter) explains, Clearly Cursed is directly inspired by their first visit to a psychic at the age of 21. “She read my tarot cards and told me boyfriend was cheating on me,” Bielsanki says. “That was true. She also told me that I had a dark spirit attachment which she could easily vanquish if I paid her $1500. That was obviously out of my budget, so I left and decided I would have to coexist with this dark spirit for the rest of my life.” PONY take it all in stride on their third full-length record, an album that wears their core influences of power pop, indie rock and post-punk on their collective sleeves. Joined by Bielanski is guitarist Matty Morand, who leans into a more polished sound on this latest effort that highlights the duo’s complimentary playing style. PONY may be Clearly Cursed, but this album shows that this band is bound for big things from this point on.

Adam Grundy 4 months ago

Zaq Baker is a talented singer-songwriter who is passionate about many causes. While the majority of his music topics range from love (“Bri”), mental health, and growing up (“Treadmill”), his latest song of “Victorious” takes dead aim at the heartbreaking ICE takeover going on in his hometown of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Baker could’ve gone in a multitude of directions on this protest song, but he chooses to focus on the human element and the neighbors who will be joining together to stand up for each other in the wake of fascism. On this five-minute song, that dives deep into the horrors that Baker and others have witnessed, his instrument of choice is an upright piano that evokes strong emotions with each chord.

Adam Grundy 4 months ago

After touring for nearly a year and a half on their debut LP, Stories and Alibis, Matchbook Romance buckled down in Long View Farm studios in Massachusetts to write the follow-up to their breakthrough onto the emo scene. Voices features a departure from the sound of their debut, and charted at #43 on the Billboard 200 upon its release on Valentine’s Day in 2006. Based on the strength of the lead single, “Monsters,” Matchbook Romance proved that they were capable of being much more than just your “stereotypical emo band.” Instead, Voices led the band down a darker path and expanded their audience along the way. The set was produced by John Goodmanson (Sleater-Kinney, Death Cab For Cutie) and the artwork was designed by Shawn Harris of The Matches. Voices is a record that I found immediately gripping and urgent, and I’m so glad that Matchbook Romance took this big risk on their sophomore effort.

Adam Grundy 5 months ago

There’s a lot to love about the direction Ratboys took on Singin’ To An Empty Chair, the Chicago-based indie pop band’s sixth studio album. While the title of the record and artwork seem to imply that there’s an element missing, instead it is the beginning of an important dialogue with a close loved one lead vocalist Julia Steiner finds herself estranged from. Singin’ to an Empty Chair also marks the first Ratboys album written since Steiner began therapy, which the singer/lyricist credits for the clarity found in the lyrical material that is a vivid investigation of self-reflection and the importance of healthy relationships. While some of these conversations had within Singin’ To An Empty Chair may feel difficult, messy, or at times even bleak, Ratboys take it all in stride and leave signs of hope and clarity in the end. “It’s not all doom and gloom,” Steiner says. “The experience of making this record definitely gives me hope for whatever happens next.” By putting her full self into this album, Steiner and her bandmates live up to the hype surrounding this band that continues to get better on each release. If The Window was Ratboys telling the world, “We’ve arrived,” Singin’ To An Empty Chair emphatically states, “We’re here to stay.” I promise it will be worth the visit, and this wonderful record exceeded all of my expectations.

Adam Grundy 5 months ago

I had almost made peace with the fact that The Format would likely never make music again. The statement put out by the band on February 4, 2008 hit like a gut-punch from one of my favorite indie bands of all time, and now, almost 18 years to the exact day of the indefinite hiatus, The Format have returned. The roadmap that led to The Format making new music featured a few detours. fun. had formed shortly after the announced hiatus and would make a household name of vocalist Nate Ruess, and earn him his first Grammy Award for Song of the Year for the unstoppable “We Are Young.” The Format’s other half, Sam Means, would release a solo album called 10 Songs (which is definitely worth a listen if you never checked it out), while he watched his bandmate blossom in fun., and Nate’s own solo album entitled Grand Romantic. Much like the Interventions + Lullabies song of “On Your Porch,” Sam Means and Nate Ruess have always been drawn to making music together. The lyrics of, “So, now here I sit in a hotel off of Sunset / My thoughts bounce off of Sam’s guitar / And that’s the way it’s been / Ever since we were kids, but now / Now we’ve got something to prove,” feel a bit more emphatic now that The Format have reunited and released their third studio album of Boycott Heaven. Nate mentioned that he started to teach himself guitar during the pandemic, which seemed to unlock a key ingredient in the catalyst that brought him back to Sam. Shortly after the band had planned to reunite for a few returning shows, they re-discovered their love of creating art together, and I’m so happy The Format are back in full swing now.

Adam Grundy 5 months ago

The aptly titled ninth studio album from ska-punk legends, Goldfinger, features a litany of guest spots and a recharged, yet reflective sound from the band that is releasing their first taste of new music since 2020. Nine Lives was produced by band leader and scene stalwart, John Feldmann, who rounds out this era of Goldfinger with a powerhouse lineup of Charlie Paulson (guitar), Mike Herrera (bass), Nick Gross (drums), and Moon Valjean (guitar). The set was preceded by two great singles in “Freaking Out A Bit”, that featured Mark Hoppus, and “Chasing Amy.” The result is a pleasing collection of songs that showcase Goldfinger show little signs of slowing down and hit the listener with a blast of Summer vibes.

Adam Grundy 5 months ago

On the surface, Lights and Sounds had all the makings of a big rock record. Yellowcard paired up with a trusted producer in Neal Avron, who also worked with the band on their breakthrough, Ocean Avenue. The album had an incredible lead single out of the gate with the aggressive title track, and was mixed by veteran Tom Lord-Alge. What left fans most perplexed by what their heard from Yellowcard was the near abandonment of the sound that made the band a household name with Ocean Avenue. Instead, Yellowcard leaned into a darker-tinged alternative rock approach to their music that led to a bit of confusion and lukewarm critical reviews of the material. Lights and Sounds would debut at number five on the Billboard 200 charts, and would eventually achieve Gold certification from the RIAA in March of 2006. My memories surrounding this particular album were the polarizing affect it had on Yellowcard’s trajectory as an artist, how it would lead to confusion in the band’s fanbase, and then the biggest of swings back in the right direction with the 2007 successor of Paper Walls. At the end of the recording process, lead guitarist Ben Harper would leave the band and would be replaced with the now-permanent member of Yellowcard, Ryan Mendez. This rollercoaster of emotions surrounding Lights and Sounds would’ve been enough to break the spirit and desire of most bands, but luckily for us, Yellowcard would take this detour in stride and rise once again.

Adam Grundy 5 months ago

Greywind is the brother and sister duo of Steph and Paul O’Sullivan, and they prove that emo was never just a phase on Severed Heart City. Their latest full-length record was produced by Sam Guaiana (Neck Deep, Silverstein), and features a very professional sound, rich with big hooks and solid musicianship all around. When I last chatted with Greywind, the band shared, “We’ve always wanted to create our own world that people can escape into. Severed Heart City is basically what we went through in the last few years after being dropped <by a record label> to losing family members to health issues It’s a lot of all of that pain. But then it has the positive of, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.” While their last EP of Antidote was the band figuring out what worked well in their sound, Severed Heart City finds Greywind at their most confident, and they are successful at fulfilling their most complete vision for their music.

Adam Grundy 5 months ago

During an interview in mid-2015, Panic! At The Disco leader, Brendon Urie, was asked what his next record sounded like. Urie replied, “It’s going to be a little bit different, it’s this mix between Sinatra and Queen, if that makes any sense…Every time we do a new album, for me, it’s always evolving and changing—in the best way.” Death of a Bachelor does have a little bit of everything going for it, including four solid singles that preceded the album release in January of 2016, and the summary of Frank Sinatra meets Queen does sound about right looking back on the record’s 10th anniversary. Urie was already breaking out in a big way as a solo star as more and more band members took steps away from the spotlight, but Death of a Bachelor was technically the first album completely written, recorded, and performed by Urie. Armed with a trio of producers in Jake Sinclair, J.R. Rotem, and Imad Royal, Urie leaned heavily upon his vocal prowess to make for another standout moment in his trajectory as an artist. Brendon Urie’s solo star burns brightest on Death of a Bachelor, and it remains one of the clearest realizations of his vision for Panic! At The Disco’s music.

Adam Grundy Nov 24, 2025

The first new music from Hit The Lights in nearly a decade, called Tomorrow’s Gonna Hurt, is a solid collection of four songs that highlight the band’s slick approach to pop-punk. Released in part as a tribute to their bandmate Kyle Maite, who tragically died in September 2022, Hit The Lights do their best to honor their past legacy while leaving the door open for where they could go next if they continue to march on. The set features two guest spots, the opener has guest vocals from Jay Pepito and the third track features Hit The Lights’ original vocalist Colin Ross. While the band doesn’t cover too much new ground on this EP, there’s still plenty to enjoy in these songs that will hopefully rejuvenate Hit The Lights in making even more new music soon.

Adam Grundy Nov 21, 2025

The latest taste of music from Spanish Love Songs, called A Brief Intermission in the Flattening of Time, is a guest-heavy, moody and reflective romp of well-written songs. The set was collaborated with producer Arun Bali, and each of these vibrant tracks feature a guest artist/friend of the band. On the key song of “Cocaine & Lexapro” that features Kevin Devine, frontman and guitarist Dylan Slocum shared, “I’ve been trying to work with Kevin for a while now. We have a good number of mutual friends but had never met up until this. The reasoning was simple — our band doesn’t exist without Kevin Devine, so when he agreed to sing on a song, he got to sing on a song. He took what I had demoed as an angry, contrarian second verse and turned it into something delicate and full of pathos. It absolutely floored me the first time I heard his vocal tracks dropped in.” By working with four great artists on this EP, Spanish Love Songs reinvigorate their passion for writing songs filled with uncertainty in the days that lie ahead of us, but with a beating heart of hope that things can and will get better.

Review: Mumford and Sons – Prizefighter

Review: New Found Glory – Listen Up!

Review: Charli XCX – Wuthering Heights

Review: Story Of The Year – A.R.S.O.N.

Review: PONY – Clearly Cursed

Review: Zaq Baker – “Victorious”

Review: Matchbook Romance – Voices

Review: Ratboys – Singin’ To An Empty Chair

Review: The Format – Boycott Heaven

Review: Goldfinger – Nine Lives

Review: Yellowcard – Lights and Sounds

Review: Greywind – Severed Heart City

Review: Panic! At The Disco – Death of a Bachelor

Review: Hit The Lights – Tomorrow’s Gonna Hurt

Review: Spanish Love Songs – A Brief Intermission In The Flattening Of Time