Recent reviews

Our latest album reviews, featuring the records we've most enjoyed (or not) over the past few weeks.

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Browse our album reviews according to score: Highest (9.5/10 or more) or Lowest (2/10 or less)

Morrissey

Years of Refusal
Lost Highway (2009)

How does one introduce Morrissey? By no means am I intending to put the seasoned vocalist on a pedestal of godlike caliber it's just that, well, pretty much everything that can be said about the man has already been said, or in this case, written. Rather than waste time with some whimsical anecdote, I'll instead jump right into his latest solo offering, Years of Refusal. Following up 2006's Ringleader of the Tormentors, this twelve-song effort is Morrissey's ninth solo recording since the disbanding of The Smiths. The album leads off with "Something is Squeezing My Skull," a lively two-and-a-half minutes of guitar-centered rock frenzy anchored by Morrissey's dynamic vocal performance. "Mama Lay Softly on the Riverbed" follows, but takes to a different approach. Matt Walker offers a marching beat on his kit while Solomon Walker fuels the march with basslines. Jesse Tobias and Boz Boorer add flourishes of guitar melodies and the oddly discordant solo towards the latter half. It's less lively than the leadoff but still pushes the pace. From here on out Morrissey and company maintain a hot-and-cold approach to their songwriting. "Black Cloud" is a haunting guitar centered piece boasting the guitar work of legend Jeff Beck. … Read more

Freshman 15

Throw Up Your Hands for One Night Stands
Standby (2009)

This is a tough one. At some point, there was a crossover between cheesy melodic pop-punk and the worn-out "scene" … Read more

The Loved Ones

Distractions
Fat Wreck Chords (2009)

The Loved Ones' popularity took off quite a bit last year with the release of Build & Burn. This had … Read more

Dead to Me

Little Brother
Fat Wreck Chords (2008)

Dead to Me is one of those bands that has been generating a lot of buzz since their debut Cuban … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Red Eyed Legends

Wake Up, Legend
File 13 (2008)

First full-length from this Chicago band fronted by Chris Thomson (ex-Circus Lupus). Dense, multi-layered rock that will require repeated listening. … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Technostress

Technostress
Postfact (2008)

First EP from this trio that consists of Treiops Treyfid (ex-Pitchblende) on bass and vocals, Aimee Soubier on guitar, and … Read more

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One from the archives

Frozen Teens

Oakland Footsteps
StarCleaner (2013)

200 Words Or Less

Frozen Teens are tough sound to pin down exactly. It’s not because it’s 100% out there, it’s because it subtly pulls from different arenas, coming together in something of a power-pop/punk. The Minneapolis trio are releasing a 7”, Oakland Footsteps, here, and it’s a solid release through and through. It starts with the 3:10 “Oakland,” which covers way more ground than its three-minutes should allow, burning through faster movements, slowing up and building back to speed, and feeling far more complete and complex than it’s pop-template box would indicate. Permeating that mix is another delicate balance between sloppy enthusiasm and precise musicality. It falls more on the sloppy side, but it almost feels insulting to say as much—it’s still a tightly composed package and some fine timekeeping from the drums.B-side … Read more

More album reviews

New Found Glory

Not Without a Fight
Epitaph (2009)

Over their twelve years together as a band New Found Glory has pretty much encountered it all. They started at the beginning on a fledgling indie label just playing shows wherever they could and enjoying the fact that they got to play music. Then came the glory and the fame, the major label deal and the huge touring opportunities. This … Read more

Propagandhi

Supporting Caste
Smallman (2009)

Canadian punk rockers Propagandhi have undergone many changes in the past few years. For one, they now have a second guitarist known as David "The Beaver" Guillias and they parted ways with Fat Wreck Chords and announced the closing of their own record label, G7 Welcoming Committee. Changes like this happen with bands, and sometimes it effects their music. Thankfully … Read more

RevCo

Sexo Olympico
Thirteenth Planet (2008)

Who's your favorite Cock? Hopefully you answered either Al "Buck Satan" or Luc, Luc Van Acker, seeing as they're the only returning members. I missed 2006's Cocked and Loaded, which was their first record since 1993, but the change from its predecessor Linger Ficken' Good to Sexo Olympico is measurable - as you'd expect with fifteen years in between and … Read more

Rudimentary Peni

No More Pain
Southern (2008)

Rudimentary Peni are, at least in some circles, a criminally underrated punk band that releases music semi steadily since their inception (besides the seven year layoff between their landmark album, Cacophony and its successor Pope Adrian 37th). Cacophony is a personal favorite and always keeps me coming back to their material and checking out the new material whenever it hits … Read more

200 Words Or Less

The Wonder Years / All or Nothing

Distances
No Sleep (2009)

The glorious split 7" - how I love thee. What's this? Two bands from opposite sides of the Atlantic? Even better! There is something strangely comforting in knowing that two bands that are separated by thousands of miles of ocean can found a place together on a slim piece of wax. The Wonder Years return with two brand new songs. … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Thou

Tyrant (Reissue)
Gilead Media (2008)

Hailing from Louisiana, it's not a surprise that Thou offer up grimy metal/doom on Tyrant. With fellow bruisers like Eyehategod, Crowbar, and Down before them, Thou take the southern metal sound and make it their own, thanks to a varied field of influences. The title-track leads off and immediately the listener is consumed with slow bludgeoning riffs and down-tempo rhythms … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Wunami

Pointless
Independent (2009)

Wunami is a fairly young group from southern California. While I mostly associate this region with it's volatile hardcore history, Wunami is about the furthest thing from it that a band could be. Pointless is the band's demo recording featuring three songs. The four-piece offers up melancholic post-rock over the course of a half-hour, beginning with "Pointless." The song starts … Read more

200 Words Or Less

I Call Fives

First Things First
Open Your Eyes (2008)

New Jersey natives I Call Fives offer up a style of pop-punk that have become increasingly popular in the past couple of years. You know the type. Fast and melodic punk meets bubblegum pop. The results are undoubtedly catchy, but it's a sound that is quickly becoming supersaturated. Thankfully, I Call Fives don't rely on neon-splattered logo t's and out … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Oddateee

Halfway Homeless
Deadverse (2008)

Oddateee is the first artist signed to Dälek's Deadverse Recordings label. As a result of this I instantly knew the music, lyrics, and delivery would not be your everyday rap/hip-hop and that is a good thing. Halfway Homeless is an intriguing mash of traditional hip-hop with that of jazz and noisy indie rock. Over the course of these twelve songs, … Read more

200 Words Or Less

All the Saints

Fire on Corridor X
Touch & Go (2009)

Fire on Corridor X, the debut full-length from this Atlanta, GA three-piece swirls up their influences in a Bass-O-Matic and shotguns the remains. I hear some Ride, some Swervedriver, even a little Jesus and Mary Chain. "Sheffield" starts this one off with a bang, and the band just let the tides flow. "Hornett" builds up the tension with some cool … Read more

Buried Inside

Spoils of Future
Relapse (2009)

Twelve years into their existence, Buried Inside are just now releasing their fourth album, Spoils of Failure. The practice of allowing four years to go by between releases can be a dangerous one, possibly causing your ear for quality to decline or a perfectionism to conquer your logic. This has not been a problem for Buried Inside in the past, … Read more

Heavy Hearted

Overcast
Detonate (2008)

Disappointment once again rears it's ugly unexpected face at me. Heavy Hearted (who should not be confused with Wholehearted from Wisconsin, or Have Heart from Massachusetts, or even Heart from Washington) proudly announces that at one time or another someone played some sort of instrument in the Upstate New York hardcore stalwarts, Buried Alive. Once I read that bit of … Read more

Final Fight

Half Head, Full Shred
Gobias Industries/Panic (2009)

Final Fight finally return with their second full-length. After releasing the acclaimed Under Attack in 2005 the band signed to Deathwish Inc. with promises of new recordings. They soon released a split 7" with Life Long Tragedy but then the wait for the band's next studio effort seemed to last forever. After parting ways with the label, Final Fight finally … Read more

Helms Alee

Lionize/Truly
Hydra Head (2008)

Hot on the heels of their full-length, Night Terror, Helms Alee provide this two song slab of a record to those who might be infected with the weirdly catchy and infectious sounds of their music. This band plays music not completely dissimilar from that of guitarist and vocalist Ben Verellen's previous outfit, Harkonen; only, Helms Alee seems to wield quite … Read more

Reviews by score
Browse our album reviews according to score: Highest (9.5/10 or more) or Lowest (2/10 or less)