Motionless In White – Disguise / Brand New Numb
To many, the return of Motionless In White isnāt going to mean much. 2017ās Graveyard Shift was hardly a critical darling to begin with, but when this is a band whose primary shtick revolves around nu-metal hammering married to goth schlock that still tries to be sinister and edgy, on paper, they tick every box as far as a band who hasnāt aged well in the slightest goes. It doesnāt even seem like theyāre trying to take the provocative half-measures that could at least make them fairly entertaining either if these two new tracks are anything to go by, particularly in the case of the former which is effectively Motionless In White on autopilot, with metalcore banality given a slight hint of theatricality and flair that doesnāt make it absolutely awful, but compared to the skyscraping singles that few could deny from this band, itās a considerable few notches down. As for Brand New Numb, the cock-rock sleaze is on-brand enough as cultivating an edgy image goes (not to mention the lyrics which push that notion further again), but itās still not great, mostly in progressions that feel so rote and tiresome that end up feeling as if Black Veil Brides had any self-awareness about how silly they can be. Neither track is outright atrocious, if only because Motionless In White have an established sound thatās enough of a boon to get by, but theyāre both just as bitty and inconsistent as this bandās entire career has been up to now, and the fact that hasnāt improved when going into their fifth album is a bad sign indeed.
Aaron West And The Roaring Twenties – Just Sign The Papers
After Runninā Toward The Light already sent expectations for Dan Campbellās next album under the Aaron West And The Roaring Twenties moniker skyrocketing, the question became whether he could keep them at that level. It was never much of a question, given that heās easily one of the most gifted, compelling emotional sources in modern emo, but the margin of error is always there, no matter how small. Thankfully Just Sign The Papers is firmly away from anything like that, slightly scaled back from the rollicking heartland rock of the previous single, but with a ragged folk-rock guitar progression and chunky drum work accented by horns for a few shades of brightness, this is deeply in Campbellās comfort zone and it shows. Itās even more evident in the emotional pathos and rigour of the writing, not to mention the blatantly cracking vocals that only heighten the importance of such imperfections being left in with music like this. Itās pretty much what anyone would expect from a track like this from Campbell, especially when itās as compact and condensed to wring out every last drop of potential it has. Itās pretty much perfect, in other words.
The Dangerous Summer – Way Down
As odd as it seems for The Dangerous Summer to be releasing a brand new album not even eighteen months after their last, itās easy to admire the grind that theyāre on, especially when their former status as emoās next big deal was sadly cut short, something that last yearās self-titled effort didnāt do much to rectify. Thankfully, Way Down continues down a much stronger path, focusing on a heady, robust brand of emo thatās not typically been explored much by this band, but with the chunky guitars and drums breathing and surging with impressive consistency, thereās definitely a deeper atmosphere that feels incredibly well realised. But what really steals the show is AJ Perdomoās vocals, bringing a broken, brazen roar that comes so naturally to him, and yet hits a point of true catharsis thatās never really been touched upon in this bandās music. Itās a much beefier sound overall that what they often deliver, and thatās what makes it stand out so much; itās The Dangerous Summer but more, and when itās done as well as this, itās intriguing to see how much more theyāll continue to bring.
Weatherstate – Medicate
Thereās not a straight-up punk band in the UK today capable of better than Weatherstate. Sure, the comparisons to numerous acts have and most probably will continue to dog them, but in terms of sheer melodic prowess coupled with the gruffness to make their hooks hit with so much more force, everything released thus far from Born A Cynic has hit the mark with virtually pinpoint precision. So hereās Medicate as the latest addition to that list, taking their usual formula of battered yet personality-filled guitars and pitting them against an ear for hook-craft thatās second-to-none and Harry Hoskinsā vocal performance that has all the grit and snotty sneer left in. As far as its biggest failing goes, thatās probably the same as with every Weatherstate song, in that the band are so good at honing their powers in on the best outcome possible that thereās really not a lot to say about it, but when thatās the extent of negative points that can be made, itās hardly a bad thing. Itās just great that Weatherstate are going into such a long-awaited debut at full capacity and with songs that have all the potential to show exactly what theyāre capable of, and that should make for one hugely exciting release indeed.
HalfNoise – Who Could You Be
Up to now, thereās never been much of a reason to get excited about HalfNoise. Sure, the idea of Paramoreās Zac Farro creating a dreamy indie-pop project is a cute novelty on paper, but when none of it has really been all that interesting at all, itās felt more like a case of an artist who already has clout simply transferring it laterally. But with Who Could You Be, not only is this a much more robust and kinetic sound, but itās probably the best track under the HalfNoise name to date. It helps that the psychedelic funk-rock vibe is so much more engrossing with fizzing guitars and stalking basslines, enough to overshadow the fact that it barely scrapes the two minute mark and really could go on a bit longer. But even then, itās hard to complain when everything else has been significantly improved, even Farroās vocal delivery which greatly benefits from being pushed forward in the mix to give his breathier tones a bit more immediate space. Honestly, this is the step up that HalfNoise have needed for ages now, and while it wouldāve been nice for it to come in a more timely fashion when this was still a project getting established, itās better coming late than never.
False Advertising – You Won’t Feel Love
For as long as False Advertisingās name has been out there – whether thatās through support slots, festival bills or releases and singles showered with positive reception – it feels as though theyāre yet to have their real breakout moment to shine. Theyāve been leading up to it, and You Wonāt Feel Love is a competent, complete next step towards it, but it still doesnāt feel like theyāre quite there yet. The snappy bass groove certainly has a lot of personality, and Jen Hingleyās vocals toe the line between unhinged raggedness and pop friendliness well, but on the whole, there could be more personality on show here thatās not quite been picked up on, especially in a guitar tone that can feel unfortunately dime-a-dozen, particularly in indie-rock and post-punk within this mould. Itās certainly not a bad track, and False Advertising will continue to make considerable headway regardless of one song, but when they do reach that defining moment where they truly blow up, it most likely wonāt be this track thatās the catalytic factor.
3TEETH – American Landfill
For a band like 3TEETH whoāve been known to traffic in dark, nihilistic industrial metal whose main component is doubling down on each of those outlined qualities, the danger can be reaching a stumbling block that makes progression difficult. Itās not like industrial metal is the most versatile genre anyway, but theyāre close to reaching that wall if American Landfill is anything to go by. Sure, the grinding guitars and clinical sense of stomp are pretty much required in music like this, but with production that indulges in nu-metal greasiness and a pivot towards creaking sinisterness that never really pays off, this feels like little more than a castoff from the Queen Of The Damned soundtrack, albeit a tiny bit more polished up. And sure, thereās a place for something like this to exist, especially when 3TEETH clearly arenāt phoning in their vision for the sake of a crossover into nu-metalās returning stable, but when put alongside those bands, this is how Mushroomhead come across next to Slipknot, and thatās hardly a good position to be in.
Black Surf – Eleven Dando (Good Time)
Itās good to hear from Black Surf again, especially after their downbeat but phenomenally infectious indie-rock did so much for them a few years back. Itās hardly a surprise that theyāve largely stuck to that then, but with two EPs already pencilled in for a release this year, maybe thereās a few more ambitious undercurrents working than meets the eye. If there is, itās not something thatās really shown with Eleven Dando (Good Time), though thatās more the fault of expectation than the track itself. On its own, this is a fine slice of indie-rock, suitably scuzzy with a good sense of pace and melody, with Ali Epstoneās understated but warm vocals only contributing to the swaying sense of comfort. The looks over to Weezer and (even less surprisingly than usual) The Lemonheads are as blatant as theyāve ever been, but Black Surf have always been good at taking those comparisons in stride, and this is really no different. Itād be nice to see just a bit more evidence of progression over the last couple of years, but for what it is, this is definitely a solid reintroduction from a band who could potentially be doing a lot more.
Words by Luke Nuttall
