After one of the most polarizing, provocative and sometimes pretentious bands somehow released a couple of its greatest works back-to-back after expanding the tracklist and letting frontman Matt Healy’s cluttered mind roam wherever it wanted to, it seems The 1975 have reversed course with their latest. Standing at only 11 tracks in length, that mind … Continue reading The 1975 – Being Funny In A Foreign Language
Rock Reviews
YUNGBLUD – YUNGBLUD
For all of the members of the tight-knit modern-day mainstream pop-punk crowd, YUNGBLUD presents an interesting phenomenon – he’s the one who seems like he belongs the least, trying too hard to be wild and crazy in order to align with the tired “welcome to the freakshow” narratives, but listening to his music consistently gives … Continue reading YUNGBLUD – YUNGBLUD
Imagine Dragons – Mercury – Act 2
10 months after releasing their fifth studio album with an ominous “Part 1” subtitle, one of the planet’s most maligned bands are back with the sequel to what might have been their most unfortunate project yet. They haven’t been gone in the interim, scoring their first top 10 hit in half a decade by teaming … Continue reading Imagine Dragons – Mercury – Act 2
Florence + The Machine – Dance Fever
“Choreomania,” the title of the third track on UK baroque pop institution Florence + The Machine’s latest project comes from a kind of medieval mass hysteria known as the “dancing plague,” in which people would sometimes literally dance themselves to death. Over a decade into a storied career, and frontwoman Florence Welch’s latest set of … Continue reading Florence + The Machine – Dance Fever
Jack White – Fear of the Dawn
Four years after his polarizing and wildly creative project Boarding House Reach, garage rock trailblazer Jack White has returned with yet another helping of his eccentric and invigorating twists and turns on the genre that he mastered long ago through his various bands. The first of two albums that he plans to release this year, … Continue reading Jack White – Fear of the Dawn
Machine Gun Kelly – mainstream sellout
For all the media frenzy surrounding his name as of late, it was still surprising that Machine Gun Kelly’s first full-length foray into pop-punk on Tickets to My Downfall was somewhat competent, transforming the genre’s resurgence into the cultural conversation into a full-on, Travis Barker-backed movement with its chart success. But when you’re doing a … Continue reading Machine Gun Kelly – mainstream sellout
Avril Lavigne – Love Sux
20 years since dropping her debut single “Complicated” on an unsuspecting public, pop-punk matriarch Avril Lavigne is back to finding success in pivoting from her downtempo, faith-oriented output in 2019 and whatever "Hello Kitty” was supposed to be back to the power chords of her youth. Linking up with Travis Barker on production, who signed … Continue reading Avril Lavigne – Love Sux
alt-J – The Dream
Four and a half years after their polarizing project Relaxer, British indie-rock titans alt-J have finally returned to sway opinions back in the opposite direction – essentially, by going full The 1975 and crafting a compilation of some of their craziest instrumental palates and songwriting concepts yet. With influences ranging from barbershop to opera and … Continue reading alt-J – The Dream
iann dior – on to better things
After scoring one of the biggest hits in recent memory with his feature (though arguably carrying the song) on 24kGoldn’s “Mood,” emo-rap star iann dior pushes things even further than before from his hip-hop roots into the pop-punk scene. While this might have been a more exciting move when his more innovative peers were riding … Continue reading iann dior – on to better things
The Lumineers – BRIGHTSIDE
Now down to two members and releasing their fourth studio album ten years after their biggest international hit in “Ho Hey,” it would seem that against all odds, Colorado folk-rock outfit The Lumineers are having a bit of a resurgence in popularity, even racking up some impressive streaming numbers. It just goes to show that … Continue reading The Lumineers – BRIGHTSIDE
Ben's Beat - Music Reviews 