Over the past fifteen-or-so years, Hayley Williams has expressed an ability to push forward, be creative, and forge her own identity among the other members of Paramore. The group’s first few releases erupted, making them likely the most popular female-lead…
‘You’re Welcome’ album review: A Day to Remember perpetuate pop-punk’s mediocre status quo
Let’s be honest… the fate of the pop-punk community that once thrived twenty years ago doesn’t seem bright. The last few releases from legendary, genre-defining bands like Green Day and Blink182 have done nothing but disappoint—both in an effort to…
‘As the Love Continues’ review: Mogwai’s vast experience is put to poor use
Like many other post-rock groups in 2021, Mogwai are in a weird place. The first leg of their illustrious career was full of brand new territory—helping define a genre and expand instrumental possibilities with albums like Young Team (1997), Rock…
‘So Far No Further’ review: Sweet Soul struggle to find a voice on debut LP
To promote their debut full-length So Far No Further, Sweet Soul created a playlist that currently resides on the SoCal quintet’s Spotify profile. It’s a self-proclaimed “soundtrack” that chronicles the band’s varied influences (and, presumably, what they were listening to…
‘Little Oblivions’ review: Julien Baker stuns in her strongest album to date
Singer-songwriter Julien Baker has always been a shockingly honest performer with songs so cathartic and visceral in their rendering that it allows listeners to set their baggage alongside hers as a means of escape. She lays it all so bare,…
‘Oh! Pardon tu dormais…’ review: Jane Birkin’s stunning odyssey through love and loss
In 1988, filmmaker Agnès Varda created a lovely, freewheeling docudrama called Jane B. par Agnès V. in honor of friend and collaborator Jane Birkin’s 40th birthday. There’s a moment in the film where Varda compares Birkin’s desire to be a “famous nobody”…
‘Glowing in the Dark’ review: Django Django continue to destroy genres
The longer music develops, the more obsolete genre labels become, and Django Django’s newest release solidifies that fact. With a weird mesh of post-punk, psychedelia, and folk-rock—plus a few other detours—the group’s “sound” has transcended past singular words and phrases…