SOUND BITES

Only a decade ago one of the flagbearers of the new wave of stoner metal, The Sword went through a bunch of changes before ending up in their classic rock phase with last year's High Country ; so, I guess it only makes sense that they'd give those songs the acoustic treatment, which is why Low Country exists. The thing is, there were only a handful of memorable tracks on High Country , and giving the filler tracks the old wood-n'-strings treatment doesn't exactly do them any favours here. With nothing improved upon and everything painted with the same beige brush, Low Country isn't likely to appeal to many. Personally, if they insisted on doing an acoustic record, I'd have preferred a career spanning collection, because I'm more interested to hear what they could do with older material like Freya, Maiden, Mother & Crone or Tres Brujas . As it stands, Low Country is simply a dulled down companion piece to their most dulled down record. September 23,...

Spearheaded by guitarists Ben Weinman (Dillinger Escape Plan) and Brent Hinds (Mastodon) with former Mars Volta drummer Thomas Pridgen, it's not surprising in the least that the debut album from Giraffe Tongue Orchestra leans toward prog/metal. What is surprising is how underwhelming it is. Nothing's outright terrible here, but I do get the nagging feeling throughout that the assembled players often aren't playing to their potential or, on some songs, somewhat miscast. Alice in Chains vocalist William DuVall gives it his best shot and performs admirably, but his style doesn't lend itself as well to this music as it does his main gig; I can't help but think many of these tracks would make more sense with, say, Greg Puciato singing. Considering most tracks end up sounding more like Dillinger Escape Plan than any other band, that may be low hanging fruit, but I'll pick it. Again, it's not a bad record, just one that with a slightly altered approach could have...

On the surface, not much has changed on Every Time I Die's eighth record; the complicated, furious racket that's become their M.O. is present and accounted for, more or less just as it's always been. It's not quite as vicious as previous record From Parts Unknown , a really good record that was focused on brute force; that said, Low Teens is a much heavier record emotionally. Having almost lost his wife and child (who had to be born under emergency circumstances) to health concerns, singer Keith Buckley's lyrics unsurprisingly draw inspiration from mortality, fragility and even religion. Combined with a particularly spirited performance from the band as a whole, Low Teens winds up being a record in which Every Time I Die, always known for their frenetic, anxious noise, filter that noise through a lens of maturation; even though the band doesn't always take themselves this seriously, Low Teens is a seriously great effort. September 23, 2016 • Epitaph Highli...

The fifth album by folk-rockers Dawes is a little different, to say the least; where there used to be earnest, Americana-tinged indie tunes there are now thick grooves, fuzzy riffs and overall darker hues. It takes some getting used to, as this is a substantial step away from even their previous album ( All Your Favorite Bands , released just over a year ago). That said, once the rhythms and choruses start to stick, we're reminded that at the heart of all of this is a deeply ingrained gift for songwriting that lends We're All Gonna Die a sense of familiarity, even in its most divergent moments. September 16, 2016 • HUB Highlights One of Us • Roll with the Punches • When the Tequila Runs Out

"Power pop" likely isn't the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Against Me!; more accurately, it's probably near the bottom of the list. However, what we get on AM!'s seventh record is sort of just that. Granted, it's a distorted, more visceral form of it; but, in terms of overall theme and feel, there are a lot of parallels. Tales of lust, love and heartbreak punctuated with sharp riffs and big choruses abound on Shape Shift With Me , a marked about-face from the anxious and confrontational mission statement of Transgender Dysphoria Blues ; that said, between the candid nature of that album and Laura Jane Grace's upcoming autobiography, it must be somewhat refreshing to shift focus from such controversial and heavy subject matter to simply crafting an album of tight, upbeat songs. Even with all the profanity, it could be Against Me!'s most accessible album; and, as I find myself having an incredibly difficult time deciding which three ...

I'm not the biggest fan of indie pop, but seeing Repartee live a few years ago helped me warm up to it a bit; even in a small room, the group played with an energy and passion that foreshadowed bigger things to come. Now, with a lot more touring experience and a little help from a national distributor, they're starting to reap some rewards from their hard work. Their official debut album (after two independent releases in 2011 and 2012 respectively) is very much an electronic affair, boasting a thick coat of '80s-inspired sheen. It's pretty far removed from most of the albums on my shelf, but it's a well composed, well performed record that's a bit short (8 songs/29 minutes) but is long on potential. The hooks on All Lit Up are big (especially on lead single Dukes ), rhythms are tight and, though it's all very, very glossy, the songwriting is solid throughout. I'll fully admit that it's more pop than I usually go for, but I recognize the effort an...

On their seventh album, Taking Back Sunday seem to be focused on flexing their muscles; at its outset, it's a much louder and more visceral offering than the expansive and fluid Happiness Is . True enough, there's plenty of volume and velocity to be found on Tidal Wave , especially on its raucous title track and the chugging opener Death Wolf . The air comes out a bit toward the end, but most songs have at least fleeting bursts of redlined crunch; that said, its B-side is a bit fatiguing as the songs mostly fail to maintain the intensity and quality of the A-side. Still, it satisfies somewhat even if it isn't all that consistent and by times a bit hokey and/or silly (the CD's hidden track, consisting entirely of singer Adam Lazzara flubbing lines and goofing off in studio, is funny for about thirty seconds and annoying for the remaining three minutes and change). Ultimately, however, Tidal Wave is more notable for the attempt than the execution. September 16, 2016 •...

After a debut EP nearly a decade ago that sounded like a cleaned-up Biffy Clyro, Twin Atlantic have slowly incorporated more and more pop sensibilities into their sound; Heart and Soul , lead single from their previous album in 2014, approached Def Leppard levels of bigchorusdom (yes, I just invented that word). Now, on their third album, they've taken it in the other direction; while there is still a fair amount of pop at the core of the songs, there's also a fair amount of snarl. The grooves are dirtier, the guitars more prone to attack, and Sam McTrusty even lets out some screams on opening rager Gold Elephant: Cherry Alligator . It's not night and day from their previous work, but Twin Atlantic prove on GLA that they've got more fire in their bellies than some would give them credit for. September 9, 2016 • Red Bull Highlights No Sleep • Overthinking • Whispers

Having gotten as much mileage as they could out of their 2012 debut, July Talk enter their second record with changes in mind. The ragged bluesy rock that they became known for has been glossed up a bit, with sharper production and refined instrumentation, as well as a slight lean toward pop arrangements. Sometimes, these elements add up to bad news for a rock band, but the songs on Touch are better for it; it's still very much a rock record, albeit one with bigger hooks and a more fleshed-out sound overall. Perhaps the most telling thing about this record is the slew of radio ready songs waiting behind lead singles Push + Pull and Strange Habit , two solid songs that somehow wind up among my least favourite tracks here. The slinky Beck + Call absolutely pops (and gets a shot of adrenaline courtesy a near-perfect appearance by throat singer Tanya Tagaq), while the QOTSA-esque Johnny + Mary fulfills the velocity quotient, Lola + Joseph drips with lust and sweat and the sweaty,...

Nick Cave has always excelled at expressing sorrow and grief. Until now, he's never had to channel his own so directly, as the characters in his songs grappling with their fates and minds have been there to take the brunt. Although Cave still prefers to wear the masks of his characters on Skeleton Tree , his deep and profound personal loss can't be concealed; the release of this album follows about a year after the tragic death of his teenage son and, while writing for Skeleton Tree started before that, the loss seems to inform the record's every groove and word. Backing band The Bad Seeds bathe the music in stark darkness, the songs sparse and gloomy. It does offer tempered hope, although getting there requires the listener to wallow with Cave as he expresses his darkest emotions. It's a very heavy record in the spiritual sense; it draws you into the horror of losing someone you love suddenly, and allows you to process all of his anger, sadness and loss. It could no...

"At the moment I'm bored," sings Jeff Tweedy a little over ten minutes into his group's tenth album, and boy do they sound it. Schmilco is a sharp 180 from the restless and electric Star Wars ; this, by contrast, is a record that presents the band at its most subdued, rarely rising above a breezy acoustic murmur. Even when it does get weirder and louder (as on Common Sense , the song referenced above), it's half-assed; the anti-soloing and off-kilter beat sound more like a band just recording whatever instead of the band that used to inject tension and dread into their experiments. There are a handful of decent songs here, and none left me totally cold, but there just isn't anything on this record that stands up to the trilogy of records released during their artistic peak (1999-2004). Hell, there isn't even anything that stands up to the three records they released after that. That's not to say the new songs are out-and-out bad, but I doubt any of t...

For their second album, Islander has replaced every member of the band except vocalist Mikey Carvajal. As it turns out, this upheaval doesn't have a huge impact on how the music turns out, because the nu-metal worship from 2014's Violence and Destruction is by and large intact here as well. There are attempts to expand the sound somewhat, but they're few and far between. Much of Power Under Control aims for Deftones' lofty heights, but too often calls to mind, say, Papa Roach. Or Panic! At the Disco. Or, at its worst, whichever generic hard rock band you care to compare it to. The problem with Islander as a band thus far is that they've yet to forge their own identity. Where Violence and Destruction was sincere and singular in its vision, Power Under Control seemingly grasps in any direction for sounds and styles while failing to hold onto anything original. Whether or not you'll tolerate an album like this wholly depends on whether or not you look back on...

Whether or not the Prophets of Rage project (Rage Against the Machine - Zack de la Rocha + Public Enemy's Chuck D and DJ Lord + Cypress Hill's B-Real) will expand beyond their current touring plans remains to be seen, but the EP they released to coincide with the tour is a little slight. Two studio tracks (one original and one Public Enemy cover) and three live covers (1 RATM, 1 Public Enemy, 1 Beastie Boys) are all we get; and, as fun as it is to hear these tunes reworked, something about the whole thing seems lackadaisical. Maybe if Zack de la Rocha came aboard and some incendiary new tunes were written, there would more cause for excitement. As it stands, The Party's Over is an okay use of twenty minutes of your time, but at the $7 I paid for the CD it's barely worth the price of admission. August 26, 2016 • Caroline/Universal Highlights Prophets of Rage • Killing In the Name (Live)

The winning streak that started with Dinosaur Jr.'s eighth album Beyond a little over a decade ago continues with album number eleven. Coming four years after the slightly subdued previous record I Bet On Sky, Give a Glimpse of What Yer Not is more a return to the jagged and powerful jams of Beyond , as J. Mascis proves his guitar prowess yet again. There aren't too many surprises to be found for longtime fans of the band, but there are plenty of well-crafted, effortlessly cool tunes; and, though it may not hit with the same impact of their best work, it certainly comes close to it. August 5, 2016 • Jagjaguwar Highlights Goin Down • Tiny • Left/Right

Following her 2014 critical breakout Burn Your Fire For No Witnesses , Angel Olsen sets out to shed labels on her third album. Throughout its eleven tracks, My Woman dabbles in shimmering modern synth pop, '90s alt-tinged muscular power pop, expansive cinematic rock and even neon-kissed old time rock n' roll. It's a record that calls to mind as much Superchunk and Nirvana as it does Cowboy Junkies and Neil Young. What ties all of these styles and feelings together are the raw emotion of Olsen's voice and the high level of talent she brings to her songwriting. My Woman is a transformative album that is by times thrilling, mesmerizing, heartbreaking, life affirming and exhausting. It's also a brilliant turn by an artist who defies whatever box we'd put her in and, perhaps above all, an album that subverts expectations only to exceed them. September 2, 2016 • Jagjaguwar Highlights Shut Up Kiss Me • Heart Shaped Face • Sister