An Image of Lucius Via Fantasy Records

In anticipation of their self-titled fourth studio album releasing in May, Lucius has begun releasing singles to promote sales and pre-saves. Three of the eleven tracks off the new album have been released, including “Stranger Danger”, “Old Tape”, and, most recently, “Gold Rush”, which was released on February 5.

The first single released was the fifth track of the album “Stranger Danger” which came out in November of 2023. Evidently this album has been quite a while in the making considering this is over a year ago today. This single also features Taylor Goldsmith on piano and electric guitar. Goldsmith is most recognizable from the band Dawes as the lead singer, guitarist, and as one of the primary songwriters. This song has an ethereal and dreamy feeling with soft lyrics and unique synth instrumental elements. The gentle vocals discuss the changes in the world as human culture loses touch with nature and the true meaning of compassion. It comments on the damage human nature enacts on the planet and each other, posing the question of “now what?” It provokes thought about human behavior, asking: now that so much damage has been done, how can it be reversed?  Towards the 2:35 minute mark of the song the beat changes to a quicker paced and frantic beat as the lyricism changes to focus on the topic of going through the motions of life while numb, turning a blind eye to the harm being done. These lyrics continue to be repeated, getting more hectic and frantic as the beat escalates further. The visualizer to this song perfectly accompanies these themes in a unique and interesting way. It first presents a painted image of a tiger as its stripes melt off into a dark puddle which consumes the screen as the rhythm of the song changes. This illustrates the idea of shutting out the issues and choosing to stay in the dark as the pink lyrics flash across the screen. At the end of the song, a pair of yellow eyes open and stand out in the dark, symbolizing the awareness of these issues through the opening of one’s eyes. This single was overall a very strong and well-presented release, it is absolutely worth experiencing the accompanying visualizer when taking in the song for the first time.

Stranger Danger Cover Art Via Lucius’ Spotify

“Old Tape” was the second single having been released in August 2024 alongside a music video. This track followed a similar path as “Stranger Danger” with a cheery and dreamy instrumental accompanied by airy yet powerful vocals. The lyrics are about an “old tape playing” in their head, in reference to old memories being brought up by some sort of trigger. This is especially prevalent through the lyrics, “and once in a while you turn up the dial to an old tape playing in my head” referring to someone jogging these memories. Overall, the song was well composed, the vocals nicely flowed with the instrumentals and the tone of the song. The instrumentals are quick paced and heavily layered but are not overbearing by any means. The accompanying music video was an interesting experience. When it comes to music videos there are often two kinds; a music video that represents the thematics of the lyrics in a visual way and those that are just simply present for a watching experience. In this case, the music video for “Old Tape” fell into the latter category. It was a wonderfully absurd video, featuring the beloved actor and comedian, Fred Armison, who danced while traversing through a series of rooms and doors. The only possible meaning that can be gleaned from the video may be from the repetition of rooms which could represent the constant return and replaying of these memories. Apart from this, the video is a fun adventure which is worth watching even if it does not specifically further the listening experience.

A Still of Fred Armison from the “Old Tape” Music Video on Youtube

The most recent single “Gold Rush” has a unique energy. The single is reminiscent of the 70’s with a joyful and energetic melody. The instrumental features a strong bass guitar with quick paced drums. The beat has a similar character to many popular songs by Arctic Monkeys or Hozier but the lighter vocals take the song in a different direction than these bands. The vocal rhythm through the verses is repetitive but features enough variance to not lose interest. The quicker paced and more catchy chorus rhythm provides a nice break from the recurring verse. The lyrics themselves are where the song truly falls short. While the beginning of the song feels interesting and attention grabbing, the lyrics have far too much repetition to continually capture a listener’s attention. A repetitive vocal rhythm can be an effective song element, but when paired with repetitive lyricism it becomes overbearing. The lyric “I’ll never leave” is repeated more times than a new lyric is featured, frequently being placed in random areas throughout the song. This would be a good way to tie the song together should it fit in these places. In this case, however, it stands out and often does not make sense with the context and flow of the other lyrics. One example of this is in the later verse where the lyrics state “Till the end, right from the start, Act your age, stay young at heart, I’ll never leave, I’ll never leave”. The recurring “I’ll never leave” phrase feels thrown in and forced into place as opposed to complementing the flow and story of the lyrics. It is unfortunate the lyrics fall flat since this is a well composed and put together single otherwise.

Album Cover for Lucius Via Fantasy Records

Overall, these were three fairly well produced singles. “Gold Rush” felt like it was the weakest of the three, feeling more hastily written while “Stranger Danger” and “Old Tape” felt like they were of a much higher quality production. Lucius will be going on an American tour in May of this year following the album release and tickets can be purchased through their website. Pre-sale for the tickets began February 11 and general sale will begin today, February 14.  The self-titled Album “Lucius” can be pre-saved or pre-ordered on vinyl form through a variety of platforms.

Album Cover for Blue Sky Sundays Via Rounder Records

Country singer JD Clayton is known for the song “Brown Haired Blue Eyed Baby”, with musical styling and topics similar to country music legends such as Johnny Cash, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and Willie Nelson. On January 13, JD Clayton released a new single titled “Dirt Roads of Red” and an accompanying music video.

JD Clayton has perfectly captured the classic and traditional country music feeling through this song, making “Dirt Roads of Red” feel like a musical time capsule. The bass guitar notes have a similar presence to the ever-famed “Folsom Prison Blues” by Johnny Cash, while the drums take on a slightly quicker, more upbeat tone akin to “I Walk the Line”. Instrumentally, the song is extremely well-written and produced. There is some mixing and more modern elements to the song, however, and they are used to complement the raw and gritty feeling of traditional live country music.

The vocals of this track are just as well balanced, which can be a feat in a traditional country style since soft vocals tend to be drowned out or difficult to understand. The lyrics themselves are equally well written. Some of the primary lyrics state “And reverend if you would ever be so kind as to send a message up there on my behalf, It ain’t much to ask, It reads “Good God Almighty I beg you please, just before I’m dead, Turn them streets of gold, To dirt roads of red”. For JD Clayton, an ideal afterlife is one where the roads in heaven are the red dirt of Colorado instead of the more traditional view of the Heavens’ typical depictions. Despite having grown up in Arkansas, it is clear that Colorado holds a special place in Clayton’s heart and this song feels like an expertly crafted love letter to the state.

A Still from the “Dirt Roads of Red” Music Video Via YouTube

The music video perfectly matches the flow and cozy atmosphere of this smooth beat. The video focuses on filming JD Clayton and the instrumental band as they perform the song from a comforting living room setting. It is not uncommon with overproduced music videos that they lose the warmth that would be generated by the song’s recording process or live performance. This video, however, manages to perfectly perpetuate this feeling through warmer-toned lighting and the casual setting. It feels more like finding an old tape recording of a group of friends playing music than it does watching a formally produced music video. It is highly recommended that as listeners delve into this single they also take the time to take in the homey and welcoming atmosphere that this video perfectly creates.

An Image of JD Clayton Via Rounder Records

This song is only one of the 9 tracks that will be featured on JD Clayton’s new album release, Blue Sky Sundays, which will be released in full on February 28. There are several guest features, the most notable of which is Tracy Chapman, most notably recognized for the song “Talkin’ Bout a Revolution” which was released in 1988. JD Clayton’s new album can be pre-saved or pre-purchased through many locations and the currently released songs can be streamed through most available streaming platforms. Clayton will also be touring three American states including Tennessee, Montana, and Arkansas. Tickets are available for purchase through JD Clayton’s website.

An Image of the “Nod” Single Cover Via Loma VistaRise Against is best known for their iconic early 2000s songs that emulated much of the punk and rock scene of the time. Alongside bands like Seether, My Chemical Romance, and Green Day, Rise Against has a distinct and recognizable heavy sound with sharp guitars and an energetic drumbeat. After three years of touring without new releases, Rise Against released a new single, “Nod”, on January 23. For many reasons this song seems to have fallen short of previous releases despite the band’s legendary status.

The most notable difference between their previous releases and this single is the vocal mixing. While their older songs used a crisp and gritty styling with very few vocal effects, “Nod” relied heavily on an almost grainy-sounding mixing technique. This caused the lyrics to feel drowned out, making it much more difficult to understand, drastically contrasting the clarity and the ease of listening of previous songs.

An Image of Rise Against Via Loma Vista

It is a shame that the lyrics are so drowned out since, upon studying them, they read beautifully.  However, due to the mixing, it is nearly impossible to attain a glint of the meaning solely by listening to the track. The first verse lyrics are a very strong opening stating, “And tell me, where does the time really go?/Tell me, what is this moment we’re all waiting for?/In a wasteland so barren/A dead zone where nothing can grow”. These lyrics cinematically set a great scene for the overall tone of the song: feeling hopeless in an oppressive and run-down world. This perfectly sets up the second verse, with one of the strongest lyrics from this verse furthering the understanding of this world—the main subject of the song declaring it feels as though people are “Standing in water that’s been rising before I was born”.

This harkens back to the idea of people living in an oppressive world that has continued to degrade and sink over time, forcing them to give in to the maltreatment that started long before they were born. The most repeated lyric throughout the chorus states “If you’re hearing what I’m saying/Just nod if you understand me”. In this lonely and stifled world, the people of this story are attempting to connect, hoping to find someone who nods along with them and agrees with their sentiments. Searching for a deeper understanding and connection to act as a light in the darkness of this world. While this is an extremely powerful message and great storytelling through lyricism, this call to action does not feel as though these lyrics can truly be appreciated due to the vocal mixing issues. Had these issues not been as prominent, these lyrics could have made for an exceptionally moving and well-written piece.

In terms of the instrumentals, this single also fell short of the mark. The guitars and drums felt more like they were battling for dominance than harmonizing and working together. This leads the overall beat of the song to feel mashed up and jumbled. To me, the drums felt too slow and the guitar felt too fast and excessively harsh for the overall feeling of the song. While their older songs are notably fast-paced as well, the instrumental pacing all lined up in such a way that the melody and notes of the song were easy to follow. This often caused a song to get stuck in a listener’s head, leading them to revisit this song more frequently than one lacking this quality. In the case of “Nod”, the melody was almost indistinguishable from the mind-melting disarrayed state of the notes.

Cover for the Nowhere Generation II EP via Spotify

In early June 2022, Rise Against published an EP, titled Nowhere Generation II, which managed to perfectly maintain the band’s original charm and quality of their early 2000s releases. The first track on the album, “The Answer”, exemplifies the sort of song “Nod” could have been had the composition been more carefully written and reviewed. “The Answer” has a quick and heavy instrumental, similar to the aim of their newest single. Within “The Answer”, the way the notes line up harmonizes to allow the listener to hear the song as a whole, rather than in layered musical fragments. The vocals are clear, crisp, and powerful; allowing for the message of the song to be heard loud and clear.

It was unfortunate to see that this single did not follow in its path, attaining the opposite of this desired effect. While music does modernize and change with trends, I feel their older style would have been quite on-trend. Not only is this sound what they are most notable for, but it is also making a big resurgence in mainstream media. One example of this resurgence is “Bye Bye Bye” by NSYNC. First released in January 2000, this song saw a massive incline in listening trends due to the newest Deadpool movie. In more similar genres to Rise Against, bands like Evanescence, Fall Out Boy, and Jimmy Eat World have also gained public viewership throughout television media and on TikTok. Had this song featured a closer styling to their original early 2000s sound, it likely would have gained more traction and viewership.

The music video for “Nod” left lots to be desired as well: primarily featuring a rolling cluster of marbles. These marbles are likely meant to represent the unification of people fighting for a cause and all moving as one, but this topic is not built upon or furthered making the video a fairly plain watch. Had these marbles made a bigger statement, this could have acted as a powerfully unique storytelling tool. One example of this might be having these marbles knock down a building representing the overcoming of the oppression that was discussed throughout the lyrics. Instead, these marbles traverse different terrains and systems in rows. At the end of the video, they all land in a pit shaped like the band’s logo allowing the intrigue and tension that was built to fall flat.

A Still from the “Nod” Music Video Via Rise Against on YouTube

Overall, it was a disappointing track following Rise Against’s previous excellent EP release. I believe several areas could be improved to better appeal to more listeners and enhance the listening experience. Rise Against has recently announced many tours across the world and will be accompanying Papa Roach on the Rise of the Roach tour. However, it does not seem as though there are any Canadian tour dates currently planned. Rise Against tends to perform a blend of their past and more current songs at most of their shows, but there is no formally released set list to date. Tickets for this tour can be purchased through the band’s website and “Nod” is currently available to be streamed on most music platforms.

Poster for the American Leg of the Rise of the Roach Tour Via Papa Roach on Facebook

An Image of Vundabar Via Loma Vista RecordingsVundabar is an indie rock band best known for their top track, “Alien Blues,” which currently has over 600 million streams on Spotify. Renowned for its unique sound, Vundabar began publishing music in 2013 with its first album, Antics. In March 2025, the band will release its seventh album, Surgery and Pleasure. Having already released three tracks as singles, this album will feature eleven songs in total.

The first track the band released in June 2024 was “I Got Cracked”. Vundabar is well known for producing music with an airy and upbeat tone, and this song is no exception in maintaining this unique soundscape. The guitars and drums are fast paced but creatively form a powerful energy that pervades throughout the song. The lyrics are about going through tough times and growing stronger as a result. The band previously shared how this song is based on life events that occurred during one of their tours: in a short period, the lead singer Brandon Hagen left a long-term relationship, broke his arm, and lost his father. These, happening all at once, became a whirlwind of issues that Brandon and the band needed to work through while still performing and traveling. The influence of these events is evident through the lyrics “And I broke my heart, and I broke my arm, and I spread some ashes,” which is sung repeatedly throughout the chorus of the song. The lyrics go on to state “I got cracked so I can’t get broke no more,” seemingly implying that after all the difficulties causing cracks, a prevailing toughness and strength was built, preventing further “breaks” or emotional hardship in the future. This song is very well composed, and, as the first single released, it is a great song that sticks to the loved and unique indie sound Vundabar has developed. The lead singer has described this album as a newer, more grown-up version of the band’s sound. This song acts as a great gateway into this new sound by demonstrating what was previously the signature sound of Vundabar to set up the transition into this evolution.

A still from the “I Got Cracked” Music Video Via YouTube

“Life is a Movie” was the second released single which came out in October 2024. A very different release for Vundabar, it exemplifies the new, more mature sound the band mentioned. While “I Got Cracked” sticks to the band’s typical indie rock sound, “Life is a Movie” branches out in a newer and unique take on the indie genre. The contrast between these two songs acts as a real-time demonstration of the past and the future of the band evolving through musical styles. The guitar is much slower in tempo and heavier sounding. Similarly, the drums follow a more spaced-out and powerful beat. While these instrumental differences are noticeable, the vocals are where the true difference in sound stands. Most of Vundabar’s vocals are performed in a dragged-out and relaxed way that almost feels careless, while these lyrics are performed in a spoken-word tone with a punch of strength. The lyrics of the song touch on the concept of wishing life was simple, like a movie, despite not being as straightforward to understand. Some of the pre-chorus lyrics state “Here comes thе punchline, here comes the grace, here comes the part where we go off our face, here comes the lesson, here comes the light, here comes the beacon in the night”. These lyrics emphasize how in movies there is often a predictable chain of events. At the end of the film’s rising action, there is commonly some sort of light, lesson, or grace that frees the hero of the story from their predominant struggle. In life, however, there are not always these saving forces to aid someone in their time of need. Life would be much simpler if these same plot-driven forces were there to jump in during dire situations, but it just is not reality. “Life is a Movie” does a great job of conveying this theme, and the spoken-word style of vocals matches the song’s tone perfectly. Overall, it was interesting to see a different style of song from Vundabar. Hopefully some of the strength of this fresh sound will continue to prevail throughout the rest of the album release.

Vundabar’s “Life is a Movie” cover art Via Spotify

The final single released to date just came out on January 16. “Spades” keeps up the quick-paced and energetic feeling that the band typically releases with stuttery and quick guitar. It meshes with some of the newer sound elements of the band’s evolution but does not fully exclude their previous signature sound in the same way as “Life is a Movie”. Since the theme of the song revolves around paranoia, an anxious and jittery beat perfectly encompasses this mood. While the primary motivation of this song is harder to discern using the few frequently repeated lyrics there are, the song seems to focus on the experience of being in the public eye. The primary chorus lyrics that are repeated frequently state “I’m watching you watching me” likely referring to the feeling of being in the public eye with fans. Another lyric that stood out prominently was “Everybody’s asking but nobody knows the question”. These lyrics are likely commenting on how the masses tend to blindly follow and repeat what they hear in the media sphere without questioning the reasoning behind the information. This song did not feel like it had the same strength and intrigue as the other two singles, however, it is still a well-executed song that matches the mood set by the previous single releases.

Vundabar Tour Poster Via the Posters Artist, Virtualflesh, on Instagram

The three released tracks off of the Surgery and Pleasure album can be streamed today on most music platforms. The complete album releasing March 7, 2025, can be pre-saved and pre-purchased on various sites. Merchandise can also be pre-ordered including vinyl, CDs, and clothing. One real standout piece of merchandise available is a forest green tee shirt with a motif stating “Vlive, Vlaugh, Vlove, Vundabar” which is a clever and comedic play on the commonly joked about “Live, Laugh, Love” quote. The band is currently on tour with several American venues and one Canadian stop in Vancouver on March 26 of this year. All dates and ticket sales can be found on Vundabar’s website.

Cover Artwork for Daze of June’s New EP, Stages of Erosion

Daze of June has been teasing the release of their new EP, Stages of Erosion, since November of 2023 when they released the first track. Finally, this long waiting period approaches its end as the album is set to release on February 7th of this year. The EP will feature five songs, three of which have already been released to the public and two that will be exclusive to the February 7th release date. Having released albums and singles since 2018, Daze of June has stated that this EP features the most personal and hard-hitting songs they have ever released. It touches on deeper, more emotional topics that the band hopes will connect with their listeners on a new level.

An Image of Daze of June Via Prime Collective

The first track on the EP is “Hospital Bed” which features the American metal band Hollow Front. It was first released on November 1st, 2024, as a single. The song starts with a solid opening riff featuring strong, heavy guitars and a powerful drumbeat. This backing track then leads into the vocals that flip between a classic metal sound and a more layered melodic styling. The quick pacing of this song is almost reminiscent of the punk-metal band Motionless In White; however, it features a heavier tone. About halfway through the song, there is a very interesting beat drop that uses record scratching, something that does not typically appear in heavy metal music, making it a truly unique element. Toward the end of the song, there is a break from the heavy metal with soft, airy vocals that smoothly transition back to the original heavier metal sound. The lyrics of the song are extremely well written and touch on the concept of being bound to a hospital bed by some form of illness. This song excellently demonstrates the feeling of being trapped by a condition—feeling your health deteriorating and fading away while hoping for a cure despite simultaneously fearing the progression of the issue. Overall, this was an incredible track, the mixing was on point and the entire piece was very well composed.

The second song on the release “Secret Door” was originally released May 28, 2024. “Secret Door” was another strong track that was metal but in a slightly lighter tone with almost a heavy rap-like element. This song was extremely reminiscent of the band I Prevail which tends to center around this rap-metal blend and similar topics. The primary concept of the lyrics seems to be somebody feeling trapped in a cycle that they want to escape and searching for the ‘secret door’ as a way out. There was a really interesting guitar moment at about the halfway mark that was a very well-performed riff leading into a heavier metal beat drop. This track was yet again beautifully composed and written. The years of experience this band has show through their ability to harmonize the instrumental and heavier beat to a lighter, less typical heavy metal vocal.

A Still from the “Secret Door” Music Video Via YouTube

The third track, “Black Bones”, is set to be released as a part of the EP drop on February 7. It uses a unique siren-like sound through the backing track that accompanies the beat and the guitar perfectly. This song is yet again more of a rap-metal feeling however it has more growl and grit than “Secret Door” since it is more of a screamo metal vocal than a light melodic style. “Black Bones” also includes some record scratching as well as more melodic breaks, but they are still heavier and less frequent than in some of the other tracks. The song centers around the topic of overthinking and getting carried away with negative thoughts, unable to forget the past to live in the present. Many of the other songs on this album end fairly abruptly and suddenly,  but this track slowly fades out the instrumental and vocals to create a more smooth transition into the start of the next. This was preferred as it made the song feel as though it had a more complete ending instead of being suddenly cut off.

The fourth release featured on the EP will also remain unreleased until the publication of the full EP. “In Time” has a more contrasting introduction to the other songs since it starts with a soft harmonization and transitions into metal while the other songs do the opposite. It was a pleasant surprise and an interesting change from the other tracks. Despite starting lighter, this song was heavier than many of the other songs, featuring deeper screamo vocals. The lyrical topic revolves around perseverance and grasping at good memories to push through hard times. The heavier vocal continued through any of the lighter, typically more melodic sections of the song as opposed to switching to match the instrumentals. Typically, instrumentals contrasting the vocals create a bit of an odd or difficult to understand sound. but in this case it worked very well and played into the song’s overall feeling. The vocals did feel a little bit drowned out by the instrumentals at times, but it is a minor issue that does not affect the listening experience. Part of this drowning out was contributed to by the use of vocal distortion in the background vocals that made some lyrics a bit harder to understand in comparison to others. The use of distortion was prevalent throughout this song and there was an interesting stuttering effect used throughout some of the backing instrumentals. While this song might not be the strongest on the EP, it still makes for a great listening experience and fits very well into this release.

A Still from the “Matriarch” Music Video Via YouTube

The final song on the EP is “Matriarch”. which was also released in advance, having been published first on November 24, 2023. This song acted as the very first teaser released for this EP which was an excellent choice as it is one of the strongest on the album. This song was a heavier metal again featuring rap elements and a choppy-sounding guitar. It had a unique haunting presence that stood out amongst the others. This is likely due to the slower vocals contrasting the quick-paced ambient metal. This song was more akin to Cradle of Filth who typically release songs that feature a similar gothic sound. Many of their songs manage to create a unique feeling by using ambient eerie sounds mixed throughout their metal as well as similar slow vocals.  This same feeling was especially prevalent in Daze of June’s “Matriarch” release, around the halfway point, where there was a slower beat breakdown and more screechy screamo vocals. Cradle of Filth is regarded very highly in the metal community as having an extremely unique and hard-to-replicate sound, so the fact that this same intriguing creepy feeling managed to be so well captured through this song is an amazing feat.

An interesting note about Stages of Erosion is that all of the songs clock in around the 4-minute mark,  but they do not feel that long at all. Oftensongs that are this length can feel as though they are dragging on. These songs however are so well executed and written that they still hold the listener’s attention straight to the end. The songs do not feel too long or too short, they perfectly encapsulate the entirety of the concept for each track. The production value and quality of this EP are incredible on both the part of the band and the audio mixing. It was hard to believe that this band only has just under 10,000 monthly listeners on Spotify since the quality of the writing, instrumentals, vocals, and mixing truly compete with the big league radio metal bands.

Stages of Erosion will be an amazing release for Daze of June and an excellent listening experience for their fans. The EP can be pre-saved and the three already released songs are available on most streaming platforms now.

Cover Image for Bridge the Gap’s new single “In the Throes” Via Earshot Media

Bridge the Gap is a Melodic punk rock band having begun their musical journey in the 1990s.  They, to date, have released a number of singles and one studio album with an accompanying EP on Spotify.  In Spring of 2025, Bridge the Gap will be releasing a new album featuring 14 songs titled Gainslayer.  In anticipation of this release, Bridge the Gap has released a single track off the album titled “In the Throes”.

The song opens with a catchy guitar riff that gradually leads into the drums and vocals.  This opening builds listeners’ anticipation and perfectly sets the scene for this quick paste classic punk rock feeling.  Overall, the song’s mixing and instrumental execution was absolutely incredible.  There was a selection of tempo variants throughout the song that kept it interesting and catchy while maintaining that punk rock classic feeling.

The tempo and the instrumentals of the song are reminiscent of popular bands like Bullet for My Valentine or some heavier features by Asking Alexandria.  Toward the midway mark of the song there is a sudden fast-paced tempo that was written in a way that it blended naturally while still creating some good variance in the more climactic point of the song.  Throughout this track what stood out the most was the incredible guitar.  The guitarists in this band have incredible talent.  The composition of the riffs and bass guitar harmony perfectly complemented the drums and the vocals without being overpowering.

Image of Bridge the Gap Via Earshot Media

The vocals of “In the Throes” flowed perfectly with the rhythm and fast pace of this track.  With classic Punk rock, it’s easy for lyrics to sound overplayed or awkwardly worded.  In this case, the lyrics were perfectly worded to represent the meaning of the song without significant issues.  Some of the wording felt a little bit forced to rhyme and fit; however, overall, it was not overly notable and did not change the listener’s experience with the song.  The lyrics overall featured the topic of overcoming the past and reclaiming your life, while not giving into inner demons that might have formed along the way.

The music video also supported this lyrical theme by jumping between past footage of the band performing and a current concert scene.  This is certainly not a new concept, meaning it might lack some creativity and intrigue compared to other current music video releases; however, in this case, it very well represented the theme of where the band started versus where they are today.  There certainly could have been some more theatrics or unique elements added to make the music video stand out amongst other similarly filmed and produced accompanying videos.

Still taken of Bridge the Gap from the “In the Throes” music video on YouTube

All In all, this song provides an amazing first track to build hype for the Gainslayer album.  The song is wonderfully produced and is a perfect example of the band’s capabilities and styling, which hopefully will carry through the rest of the 14 track album.  “In the Throes”, along with Bridge the Gap’s other releases can currently be found on most major streaming platforms and the music video can be watched through YouTube.  This band is certainly worth checking out as listeners await the new album.

Artist: The Discarded
Album: The Green Door

The Green Door Album Cover, Artwork by Rachael Muir

The Discarded’s most recent album, The Green Door, is currently streaming on all platforms after its release on November 25th, 2024.  Originating from Orangeville, Ontario, in Canada, The Discarded is a father-son band consisting at its core of the lead singer JP Wasson and JP’s two children.  Caden Wasson is the band’s drummer and Jared Wasson is the bass guitarist.  The band is currently working with Ben Keestra and Michael McKenzie on guitar as well.  McKenzie is well known for working with the Goo Goo dolls, Tragically Hip, and Alanis Morissette.  These musical influences fit very well with The Discarded’s classic rock sound that is predominantly featured on this album.

Throughout The Green Door, some songs excel, others fall flat or are just truly unremarkable.  This album does not truly stick to one theme or genre either.  The album primarily seems to focus on a classic rock feel reminiscent of bands like AC/DC or the Ramones; however, some songs delve more into an almost hip-hop rock genre or a slower, more rock-country style.  Of the 10 songs, there were three that stood out as being better produced and written; however, there were also three that felt the opposite.

“Ooh Yeah”, has a truly classic rock feeling reminiscent of songs like AC/DC’s “ You Shook Me All Night Long”.  This track felt like it was already radio rock that a listener would have been hearing on the radio for decades.  It has a great sound and is catchy enough to get stuck in a listener’s head for the rest of the day.  The lyrics did feel a little bit basic and lacked depth, but they are likely relatable enough for the average casual listener that this can be overlooked.  This song, honestly, featured the best production on the whole album, it felt like a radio-produced song with high-quality recording and mixing.  The guitar and drums were strong enough to create a proper rock ambiance but were mixed at the right level so that the vocals were not overshined or drowned out.  This song’s classic rock feeling is appealing to a wide range of listeners and would make for a great energetic song to listen to while working on a project or hobby.  The song truly leaves no room for critique as its production felt pretty spot on.

Another song that surprisingly stood out on the album was “A Couple of Cats”.  The introduction of this song is unsuspecting.  It starts as a fairly typical rock song. However, throughout the course of the song it truly picks up and creates a unique listening experience.  The song feels busy, with a lot of quickly paced and layered guitar and drums.  Despite this busyness, it does not feel excessive or affect the listening experience in any negative way.  There’s a nice vocal layering effect with an almost melodic and gentle voice in the background, shadowing the more powerful and raspy rock tone of the primary vocal overlay.  The song’s lyrics are again somewhat shallow and lacking significant meaning and depth, however, it still makes for a good and easy listen for a casual music listener.  Toward the end of the song, there’s an interesting tempo change that does an excellent job of keeping the listener’s attention.  Despite this tempo being slower, it does not detract from the upbeat and quick pacing of the song.  At the end of this slower period, this song does a great job of transitioning back to the faster energy to close out with a strong finish.

The last phenomenal song, and truly the best track on the album, was “I’m Not Very Helpful”.  Being the middle track of the album, “I’m Not Very Helpful” provided a unique and welcomed break from the usual Rock style featured throughout The Green Door.  With a much slower, more country-rock pace, this song had amazing vocals and a perfect guitar riff to match.  This song felt like something you would hear performed in a cozy bar.  The lyrics of the song were funny and somewhat relatable, allowing listeners to connect with the material in a more personal way.  The closest comparison to this song would be Bo Burnham with his comedic songs such as “Life’s Gonna Suck” which has the same pacing and overall feeling as “I’m Not Very Helpful”.  Another unique element of this track was an almost talking-like vocal delivery of some lyrics which brought this song to the next level by breaking the fourth wall with the listener and adding to the bar performance feel.

Image of The Discarded by Rick McGinnis

Despite having these three truly strong tracks, one that did not have the same capturing effect was “Wait and See”.  Despite having a nice beat, the lyrics left a lot to be desired, feeling out of place with the music and lacking any true meaning.  Moreover, the lyrics were also repetitive, it became a bit too predictable to keep a listener engaged.  During the chorus of the song, there’s a harmonization that seems to work better with the backing track music; however, as soon as the chorus ends, it unfortunately returns to the out-of-place pacing.  Overall, it was a bit disappointing since this song had such a strong opening and an amazing rock feel but the lyrics and vocal mixing entirely fell short of expectations.

“Going Down to the Beach” followed suit with similar lyrical and musical issues.  The overall backing beat was strong and had a presence like The Ramones with their catchy and bouncy beats.  But despite the catchy beat, the drum fills felt excessive and a little bit overpowering, causing them to overtake the amazing guitar riffs that were faintly present.   After the start of the song though, these drum fills seem to settle down and allow for more of the guitar work to shine through as well.  Lyrically, the song’s rhymes felt like they were a bit too much.  They felt extremely forced instead of natural, almost giving off a Mad Lib or writing prompt-type feeling where somebody might have to make sentences out of matching words.  The lyrics felt like an afterthought to the rhyming words, with the sentences not fully fitting into a cohesive piece.  Instead, it felt like the song was just trying to use the selected rhyming words, forcing them into places they didn’t fit.  This awkward wording was very prominent in lyrics such as “Feel the water on my feet, / I really think that would be sweet” and “I think that I need to think / More than I need to smoke and drink”.  This song had such a good overall feel and opportunity to be a great hit, but the lyrics, unfortunately, did not live up to that same standard.

Track four, “Twenty Years Gone By”, was the least well-produced and properly formulated song on the album.  This song felt like it was going for a heavier metal vibe than the guitar effects could support.  There are certain pedals used for guitars that can create a deeper, more rumbly effect that is most commonly used in metal music and would have significantly benefited this song.  However, the lack of these pedals and effects causes the guitar to feel washed out—out of place against the heavier drum beat and heavy metal vocals.  The guitar in the song was honestly amazing and had it better fit the heavy metal tone it would have sounded even better.  The bass guitar provided a strong deeper tone throughout the song.

Unfortunately, despite the vocals having a great heavy metal presence, the actual lyrics themselves became sort of confusing to me.  The lead singer comes across as aggressive and powerful about cutting someone off in life, but the lack of detail and explanation leaves the topic undeveloped.  In this sort of emotionally charged music, people tend to look for something they can relate to, a powerful emotion that they feel and can be conveyed through music.  This song fails to provide that personal connection to the listener, meaning they have no attachment to the emotion held by the song.  Had the lyrics built upon a deeper topic that a wider range of listeners could relate to, this vocal power and sentiment could have better built a connection and supported the message of the song more effectively.  The lyrics of the song also continued that odd rhyming scheme, occasionally even rhyming a word with itself which felt underproduced and not properly thought out.  Despite being a catchy song, these issues as well as the song’s excessive length made it not as enjoyable as it had the potential to be.

An Image of the Band Performing Via their Facebook Page

This album, overall, had some very strong tracks as well as some songs with lyrics and musical elements that could have used a lot more work.  Having said that, the good songs on the album truly excelled at their genre and are an amazing listen for any enjoyers of classic rock.  This album and the other releases by The Discarded can be found on their website as well as on most popular streaming platforms.  On their website, a list of their past performances is available which is updated as they book more shows.  The Band also posts a lot on its Facebook Page.  Keep your eye on their website and Facebook page if you would like to see them live or would like to keep up to date with information about their future releases!

Most student newspapers have some sort of music review, which makes sense because, personally, I don’t know of any student who doesn’t have music of some sort in their life, whether for studying or for relaxing and celebrating when the studying is finally done.  And with the wealth of artists and new music out there, it just makes sense.  So I was very happy that Jessica Wilson took up our music reviewer role recently, and bring you this article from our December 6th edition, where she goes in depth about the music and helps students and folks like me really understand before making our purchase.  After all, money’s always tight for students, so you don’t want to waste it on music that doesn’t work for you.

Image of 2024 Spotify Wrapped Via an Article on the Spotify Newsroom

As an annual summary of a listener’s use of Spotify’s platform, the Spotify Wrapped publication consists of features informing listeners of their top songs, top artists, and time spent listening among other varying attributes that change annually.  Typically, listeners from far and wide tune in to see and share these statistics.  This year, however, Spotify Wrapped was a real letdown for a large number of the platform’s patrons.  Compared to the flashy and artistic theming of 2023, the lackluster 2024 Spotify Wrapped seemed like a major disappointment.

Image of 2023 Spotify Wrapped Via an Article on the Spotify Newsroom

Released on November 29, 2023, the 2023 Spotify Wrapped was objectively one of the best the company has released to date.  It included what felt like a sea of unique animations mixed with creative ways of portraying statistics and information.  The “Top Genre Sandwich” screen was a huge hit, and, overall, the theming felt

vintage-inspired with a modern twist, appealing to a wide demographic of listeners.  Everything about this Spotify Wrapped release felt like it was perfectly designed for social media sharing, and shared it certainly was, as it seems to have been posted on a huge number of Instagram stories worldwide.  An overall smash success, this release marked a monumental example of a Spotify Wrapped publication.

In contrast, however, the 2024 Spotify Wrapped left much to be desired.  Anticipation was built for the release, as it is every year.  However, come the usual release date there was nothing but radio silence.  Social media and news publications lit up discussing the whereabouts of the 2024 Wrapped.  It was speculated as being set to release on the 30th of November, following the late November trend set by last year and many years prior.  Despite these speculations, Spotify continued to tease suggesting that the 2024 Wrapped would be soon released.  But leaving patrons to continue to build excitement for an additional four days past the anticipated release date, it was not until December 4, 2024, that Spotify Wrapped released.  With so much hype, especially considering the amazing release of last year, this release had huge shoes to fill.

Image of 2024 Spotify Wrapped Via an Article on the Spotify Newsroom

With such anticipation, the disappointment of patrons was palpable upon the release of a very plain and uninteresting format of Spotify Wrapped.  Every slide was a plain white text over a black background.  The slides had very little variation or creativity, seeming to all be different views or angles of the same geometric, monotone design.  There were no unique depictions, there was no artistic styling, and there were no eye-catching animations.  These features had been what frequent listeners like myself began to love and expect, they had been the reason behind so much of the anticipation surrounding this release, and yet they just seemed to fall so short of expectations.

Another interesting thing to note was the influx of listeners who seemed to feel that their Spotify Wrapped did not reflect their listening habits.  Honestly, I would have to agree.  It did not seem like my Top Artists were truthfully who I spent the most time listening to, and the songs I played on repeat barely even made my Top 5.

No information seems to have been released about the reasoning behind this stark contrast in comparability to a person’s listening habits.  Since removing a lot of regular or unique new features, Spotify seems to have shifted to assigning titles to a listener’s “Music Evolution”.  Titles such as “Pink Pilates Princess Strut Pop” and “Heatwave Beach Reggaeton” were examples included on the 2024 Spotify Wrapped Newsroom page.  These titles seemed to be more of a random combination of words to a description or genre which is unfortunate.  Spotify has previously included listener’s featured or main musical genres however this jumble of words seems to have replaced it.

Image Depicting the 2024 Spotify Wrapped Podcast Via an Article on the Spotify Newsroom

Another main complaint that has been prominently discussed among Spotify Wrapped enjoyers was the reliance on AI features not present in previous years.  The uptick in AI use internet-wide is no new information, but many people were surprised to see Spotify so heavily incorporating AI features as opposed to truthfully improving the Spotify Wrapped itself.  Instead of featuring the typical flashy artwork and styling, a primary focus of this year’s Wrapped was the AI Podcast.  Most of these AI Podcasts seemed to fall around the three-and-a half to four-minute mark and included a short dialogue of banter between two AI hosts.  The hosts discussed the listener’s top artists or songs and made small comments about the genres or styling.  It was by no means a poorly done feature, it was well written, and the AI voices did not sound too robotic, however, it just still seemed to lack the pizzaz and stylistic approach previous years had so expertly built.  AI does not replace the usual creative directive and artistic input that was previously portrayed through Spotify Wrapped.  Additionally, since many of these features were podcasts or playlists, it lost its social media presence and shareability.

Image of 2023 Spotify Wrapped Via an Article on the Spotify Newsroom

Instead of including AI features, the previous 2023 Wrapped had maps locating where a person’s music taste was most common.  It even had a feature that assigned them a character profile, dubbing them titles including Shapeshifter, Luminary, Vampire, or Alchemist, among others, based on their music taste.  These more unique features made the experience feel more personalized, tailored, and fun, adding an almost interactive element that made people want to explore their Wrapped further.  But in 2024, patrons were greeted by a black screen with some small geometric shapes and white text.  These dark and bare screens contained brief information about songs and artists the listener enjoyed without any further intrigue or artistry.

Overall, many listeners felt this year’s Spotify Wrapped was more of a letdown than the initial hype had projected.  Keen Spotify patrons may be a bit more apprehensive about buying into the flashy advertising and excitement circling next year’s Spotify Wrapped as the scuff-free reputation dwindles.

An Image of Oh The Humanity! Via Earshot Media

December has been a heavy metal-loaded month, with many big and anticipated releases.  Among these rock releases were three singles by the Massachusetts band Oh The Humanity!.  Having previously released two albums, Oh The Humanity! is generating buzz for its third by dropping three singles before the album’s January release date.

“Love Irresolute” Cover Via the Band’s Spotify Page

The first single, “Gutted”, was released on October 22 of this year.  This song features a quick-paced classic rock feel with an extra boost of guitar shreds and screamo-style vocals.  These screamo vocals are mixed in during some elements of the main chorus but are not the primary vocal style.  They act as a nice throw-in here and there to break up the song and keep the listener intrigued.  The primary vocals have a classic punk feeling, reminiscent of Billie Joe Armstrong.  The lyrics themselves focus on the concept of learning self-worth and embracing every element of life.  The audio mixing is done perfectly, no elements overlap or overpower each other.  Overall, the layers of this song blend perfectly to create a harmonious yet attention-grabbing punk song.  This song is anticipated to be the first song on the album and would certainly be a powerful and well-produced opening track.

“Gutted” Cover Via Earshot Media

“Love Irresolute” is the second of these singles released by Oh, The Humanity!. This song came out on November 14, 2024.  This track leans less into the screamo and heavy metal styling, centering more around the punk rock genre.  The beat feels similar to “Gutted” but has a lighter tone of guitar and significantly less bass.  This song makes a unique use of vocal layering and harmonies by layering a higher-pitched and softer recording underneath the raspy and punkish primary vocals.  This creates an interesting harmonization which worked surprisingly well against the rock sound of the instrumentals.  The end of the song also had a well-arranged chorus of voices, providing a strong finish and tying in this harmonization.  The lyrics seem to center around the feeling of shame and uncertainty that follows losing something you love, emphasizing the importance of fighting for what is important in one’s life instead of giving up.  At times, it became a bit difficult to hear the lyrics since they were a bit drowned out by the mixing of the guitar.  The vocals could also have been mixed louder so that the words of the song could be better heard and appreciated, since the ones that were audible seemed to hold good meaning and lyrical writing.  The written form of the lyrics were also nowhere to be found online.  Many times, bands choose to include these in a lyric video, in the YouTube description, in the Spotify lyrics tab, or on the “Genius” lyric website.  This resource can prove to be a valuable resource for listeners, allowing them to still connect to and reference a songs meaning even when the mixing of a song is off.

“Upper Riffspiratory Infection” Cover Via Earshot Media

The final and most recent release was “Upper Riffspiratory Infection”, which was just published on December 5, 2024.  This song is attractive to a listener right from the attention-grabbing play of words in the title.  As expected, the song delivered with many wonderfully executed and infectious guitar riffs.  This track sounds similar enough to the other two singles to be evidently from the same album and band while also bringing some unique elements to the table.  One such unique element was the change in pace of the song’s tempo.  The track featured a slower tempo at times, which serves as a nice break from the fast punk music so it can truly be appreciated by the listener.  The lyrics of “Upper Riffspiratory Infection” primarily discuss the issue of dwelling on the good and the bad of the past instead of living in the present.  One lyric that was repeated throughout the song stated, “Old wounds can reopen when we stretch ourselves too thin”.  This lyric, along with many others, hold wisdom and can serve as important messages many people may need to hear, even while the instrumentals focus on keeping the song lighthearted, spunky, and enjoyable.  Truly, the lyrics of this song were expertly written and performed.  The mixing of this track was far better than “Love Irresolute”, allowing for every element to be properly heard.  This song was the best of the three and stood as a great final song to create hype around their new album.

All three of these singles were very strong and showed great promise for the album’s release.  Their newest LP titled “Ground to Dust” will be released on January 24, 2025.  These three singles are available for streaming on most platforms, and the band frequently posts on their Facebook and Instagram pages.  These are a great place to follow them for updates on further releases and concerts.

Artist: The Discarded
Album: The Green Door

The Green Door Album Cover, Artwork by Rachael Muir

The Discarded’s most recent album, The Green Door, is currently streaming on all platforms after its release on November 25th, 2024.  Originating from Orangeville, Ontario, in Canada, The Discarded is a father-son band consisting at its core of the lead singer JP Wasson and JP’s two children.  Caden Wasson is the band’s drummer and Jared Wasson is the bass guitarist.  The band is currently working with Ben Keestra and Michael McKenzie on guitar as well.  McKenzie is well known for working with the Goo Goo dolls, Tragically Hip, and Alanis Morissette.  These musical influences fit very well with The Discarded’s classic rock sound that is predominantly featured on this album.

Throughout The Green Door, some songs excel, others fall flat or are just truly unremarkable.  This album does not truly stick to one theme or genre either.  The album primarily seems to focus on a classic rock feel reminiscent of bands like AC/DC or the Ramones; however, some songs delve more into an almost hip-hop rock genre or a slower, more rock-country style.  Of the 10 songs, there were three that stood out as being better produced and written; however, there were also three that felt the opposite.

“Ooh Yeah”, has a truly classic rock feeling reminiscent of songs like AC/DC’s “ You Shook Me All Night Long”.  This track felt like it was already radio rock that a listener would have been hearing on the radio for decades.  It has a great sound and is catchy enough to get stuck in a listener’s head for the rest of the day.  The lyrics did feel a little bit basic and lacked depth, but they are likely relatable enough for the average casual listener that this can be overlooked.  This song, honestly, featured the best production on the whole album, it felt like a radio-produced song with high-quality recording and mixing.  The guitar and drums were strong enough to create a proper rock ambiance but were mixed at the right level so that the vocals were not overshined or drowned out.  This song’s classic rock feeling is appealing to a wide range of listeners and would make for a great energetic song to listen to while working on a project or hobby.  The song truly leaves no room for critique as its production felt pretty spot on.

Another song that surprisingly stood out on the album was “A Couple of Cats”.  The introduction of this song is unsuspecting.  It starts as a fairly typical rock song. However, throughout the course of the song it truly picks up and creates a unique listening experience.  The song feels busy, with a lot of quickly paced and layered guitar and drums.  Despite this busyness, it does not feel excessive or affect the listening experience in any negative way.  There’s a nice vocal layering effect with an almost melodic and gentle voice in the background, shadowing the more powerful and raspy rock tone of the primary vocal overlay.  The song’s lyrics are again somewhat shallow and lacking significant meaning and depth, however, it still makes for a good and easy listen for a casual music listener.  Toward the end of the song, there’s an interesting tempo change that does an excellent job of keeping the listener’s attention.  Despite this tempo being slower, it does not detract from the upbeat and quick pacing of the song.  At the end of this slower period, this song does a great job of transitioning back to the faster energy to close out with a strong finish.

The last phenomenal song, and truly the best track on the album, was “I’m Not Very Helpful”.  Being the middle track of the album, “I’m Not Very Helpful” provided a unique and welcomed break from the usual Rock style featured throughout The Green Door.  With a much slower, more country-rock pace, this song had amazing vocals and a perfect guitar riff to match.  This song felt like something you would hear performed in a cozy bar.  The lyrics of the song were funny and somewhat relatable, allowing listeners to connect with the material in a more personal way.  The closest comparison to this song would be Bo Burnham with his comedic songs such as “Life’s Gonna Suck” which has the same pacing and overall feeling as “I’m Not Very Helpful”.  Another unique element of this track was an almost talking-like vocal delivery of some lyrics which brought this song to the next level by breaking the fourth wall with the listener and adding to the bar performance feel.

Image of The Discarded by Rick McGinnis

Despite having these three truly strong tracks, one that did not have the same capturing effect was “Wait and See”.  Despite having a nice beat, the lyrics left a lot to be desired, feeling out of place with the music and lacking any true meaning.  Moreover, the lyrics were also repetitive, it became a bit too predictable to keep a listener engaged.  During the chorus of the song, there’s a harmonization that seems to work better with the backing track music; however, as soon as the chorus ends, it unfortunately returns to the out-of-place pacing.  Overall, it was a bit disappointing since this song had such a strong opening and an amazing rock feel but the lyrics and vocal mixing entirely fell short of expectations.

“Going Down to the Beach” followed suit with similar lyrical and musical issues.  The overall backing beat was strong and had a presence like The Ramones with their catchy and bouncy beats.  But despite the catchy beat, the drum fills felt excessive and a little bit overpowering, causing them to overtake the amazing guitar riffs that were faintly present.   After the start of the song though, these drum fills seem to settle down and allow for more of the guitar work to shine through as well.  Lyrically, the song’s rhymes felt like they were a bit too much.  They felt extremely forced instead of natural, almost giving off a Mad Lib or writing prompt-type feeling where somebody might have to make sentences out of matching words.  The lyrics felt like an afterthought to the rhyming words, with the sentences not fully fitting into a cohesive piece.  Instead, it felt like the song was just trying to use the selected rhyming words, forcing them into places they didn’t fit.  This awkward wording was very prominent in lyrics such as “Feel the water on my feet, / I really think that would be sweet” and “I think that I need to think / More than I need to smoke and drink”.  This song had such a good overall feel and opportunity to be a great hit, but the lyrics, unfortunately, did not live up to that same standard.

Track four, “Twenty Years Gone By”, was the least well-produced and properly formulated song on the album.  This song felt like it was going for a heavier metal vibe than the guitar effects could support.  There are certain pedals used for guitars that can create a deeper, more rumbly effect that is most commonly used in metal music and would have significantly benefited this song.  However, the lack of these pedals and effects causes the guitar to feel washed out—out of place against the heavier drum beat and heavy metal vocals.  The guitar in the song was honestly amazing and had it better fit the heavy metal tone it would have sounded even better.  The bass guitar provided a strong deeper tone throughout the song.

Unfortunately, despite the vocals having a great heavy metal presence, the actual lyrics themselves became sort of confusing to me.  The lead singer comes across as aggressive and powerful about cutting someone off in life, but the lack of detail and explanation leaves the topic undeveloped.  In this sort of emotionally charged music, people tend to look for something they can relate to, a powerful emotion that they feel and can be conveyed through music.  This song fails to provide that personal connection to the listener, meaning they have no attachment to the emotion held by the song.  Had the lyrics built upon a deeper topic that a wider range of listeners could relate to, this vocal power and sentiment could have better built a connection and supported the message of the song more effectively.  The lyrics of the song also continued that odd rhyming scheme, occasionally even rhyming a word with itself which felt underproduced and not properly thought out.  Despite being a catchy song, these issues as well as the song’s excessive length made it not as enjoyable as it had the potential to be.

An Image of the Band Performing Via their Facebook Page

This album, overall, had some very strong tracks as well as some songs with lyrics and musical elements that could have used a lot more work.  Having said that, the good songs on the album truly excelled at their genre and are an amazing listen for any enjoyers of classic rock.  This album and the other releases by The Discarded can be found on their website as well as on most popular streaming platforms.  On their website, a list of their past performances is available which is updated as they book more shows.  The Band also posts a lot on its Facebook Page.  Keep your eye on their website and Facebook page if you would like to see them live or would like to keep up to date with information about their future releases!