For a while, it seemed like Imagine Dragons was the only truly commercially viable “rock” act left around. As we see a resurgence of guitar-based music in the mainstream, you’d think that a band that has been so misguided for so many album cycles might be feeling a little inspired and make some of their … Continue reading Imagine Dragons – Mercury – Act 1
Rock Reviews
Halsey – If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power
One of the biggest criticisms that has followed alt-pop singer Halsey throughout her career is not having necessarily followed up on her ambitious talk in interviews positioning herself as a ground-breaking, experimental artist. With a new album produced by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross of Nine Inch Nails fame, that criticism can finally be put … Continue reading Halsey – If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power
The Killers – Pressure Machine
Conceived in the empty period of time when The Killers were meant to be on the road touring their critically acclaimed 2020 project, Imploding the Mirage, the Las Vegas alt-rock and new wave titans’ seventh studio album Pressure Machine is described by frontman Brandon Flowers as containing “songs that would have otherwise been too quiet and drowned out by … Continue reading The Killers – Pressure Machine
jxdn – Tell Me About Tomorrow
Watching the growing ability for TikTok to catapult songs by essentially unknown artists into global hit singles over the past couple of years has been one of the most captivating musical trends. Now, the creators themselves are getting involved in things. With a track by social media superstar Bella Poarch dominating the charts at the … Continue reading jxdn – Tell Me About Tomorrow
Twenty One Pilots – Scaled And Icy
Experimental pop-rock titans Twenty One Pilots had made a career of blending together just about every sound under the sun in a way that came across as overblown and almost too experimental for its own good until 2018’s incredible Trench album. A cohesive and heavy prog-rock piece that incorporated aspects of bright pop choruses, synth-funk, … Continue reading Twenty One Pilots – Scaled And Icy
St. Vincent – Daddy’s Home
Three and a half years after teaming up with perennial producer of the moment Jack Antonoff for the excellent Masseduction, alt-rock and indie-pop superstar St. Vincent is back with something completely different – business as usual for the multi-instrumental experimentalist. Her sixth album Daddy’s Home is loosely based off of a moment of reckoning with … Continue reading St. Vincent – Daddy’s Home
Weezer – Van Weezer
After dropping one of the most surprisingly excellent projects of the year just under four months ago with the emotional and orchestral ode to pandemic life that was OK Human, this reviewer absolutely had to check out what veteran nerd-rock band Weezer was up to with their long-delayed Van Weezer. Hilariously, almost a complete opposite … Continue reading Weezer – Van Weezer
Greta Van Fleet – The Battle At Garden’s Gate
Anyone taking a glance at the Billboard charts over the last five years would be able to see that rock music has been stuck in a rut commercially and creatively for quite a while. Often heralded by the genre’s fans as the saviours to bring things to a new era, brotherly Michigan quartet Greta Van … Continue reading Greta Van Fleet – The Battle At Garden’s Gate
Trippie Redd – Pegasus: Neon Shark vs Pegasus Presented By Travis Barker
Continuing the streaming-fueled trend of adding essentially an entire album onto an existing project as the deluxe version, emo-trap star Trippie Redd extends his already overstuffed Pegasus album to a ridiculous 40 songs in length. The difference this time is that the new project is far from more of the same – Redd has completely … Continue reading Trippie Redd – Pegasus: Neon Shark vs Pegasus Presented By Travis Barker
Foo Fighters – Medicine at Midnight
Another very quiet week and another older band coming through with the week’s most popular album. Seattle hard rock legends Foo Fighters have been drawing widely mixed receptions in the latter part of their career as they begin incorporating aspects of other genres into their work, and their landmark tenth studio album is no different. … Continue reading Foo Fighters – Medicine at Midnight
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