We're only a month into 2024 and already the releases have been absolutely incredible. I'm impressed with everything that has been released though and I think you will be too!
Maggie Lindemann- Hostage
This track has made me ecstatic for Maggie's next era, and I can tell it's going to be her best one yet. According to speculation, this is the first single from her next album/EP, not yet announced, but definitely teased on social media. (I had to come back and update this because she actually announced today that her EP will be released March 8th!) The song immediately opens with some delayed Evanescence-like guitars, which she has talked about being one of her biggest influences. I also love how the drums sound, it's not a super crazy composition but the sound is crisp and clean. Actually, all of it is produced relatively well, but, for some reason, it seems the quality drops off a bit when the chorus starts. I've noticed this issue in Maggie's music before, specifically in her song Take Me Nowhere where the guitars are heavy but I can't feel them, does that make sense? The chorus is like that again in my opinion. But, the song itself is perfect and I really have nothing bad to say about it. It's pretty much been on repeat since it came out a week or two ago. It has her signature sound, the sort of electronic-y hard rock and mixed with her vocals, which is so unique, makes it one of my favorites in her discography.
Paramore- Burning Down The House
If there's two things that made an impact on my 2023, it was Paramore and the Talking Head's 'Stop Making Sense' concert film. So, to have a crossover between those two naturally made me ecstatic. I don't think I could hate this song even if it was bad, but luckily, it's incredible. I'll always be besotted with Hayley Williams' voice and some of the vocal inflections she used in this cover really scratched an itch in my brain. For instance, all the little squeals and screams, especially the one around 2:43, bring so much life to it. There's a lot of pitch and stylistic changes throughout the course of this song, and Williams' ability to hit every single one perfectly just shows talented she is. The song is perfection even without Paramore's twist on it, but I'm sure David Byrne and the rest of the band were more than pleased with what they did with it. Williams and Byrne both have naturally animated voices so I believe Paramore was the perfect fit for this track. Zac Farro's drumming put a smile on my face too because the 80s-esque style is not usually how he plays, but it sounds so good altogether. It's got the traditional funk and grooviness of a Talking Heads track and the perfect amount of Paramore. I wish they'd do a whole Talking Heads cover album!
Bring Me The Horizon- Kool-Aid
I couldn't bring myself to put the single cover on here because truthfully, it is the ugliest thing I've seen in my entire life and I get second hand embarassment when I look at it, so I used the album cover instead. BUT, the song itself makes up all the lost points from the single artwork, because, holy crap!!!!!! I found that I couldn't get into BMTH for their last couple eras because it was too experimental for my taste, and in this era, they're coming back into the sound that put them on the map in the first place. To briefly catch you up on the band's drama, this album was supposed to come out last September but it was delayed due to unforeseen circumstances (apparently it was not at the standard that they wanted it to be at). My guess is that 1) This had to do with Jordan Fish (keyboardist/backup vocals) leaving the band and 2) Oli Sykes (lead singer) is a complete perfectionist and won't put something out unless it meets his highest standards. That being said, Bring Me The Horizon has fully raised the bar for production. Not only has every single released so far been wonderful, but the way it's produced makes me feel it so deeply in my bones. Kool-Aid will go down in BMTH history, right next to AMeN!, I think. The song is interesting, each verse brings something new to the table, and Sykes' vocals are at an all-time high, The quality of a Bring Me The Horizon song is making everyone else in this scene work so much harder. Alongside that, the lyrics make me want to faint a little bit. "Come here and give me a hug / 'Cause nobody loves you like I love you / Oh, my dear." So, I want faint but in a good way. It's so sweet. It has those electronic bits that have always been a part of their music but mixed in with some 'That's The Spirit' and 'Sempiternal' like heaviness. It's a wonderful 360 back to their roots and I can't wait to hear the rest of the album.
Jah PHNX- Cherryhill
Jah PHNX has been putting out songs left and right for the past year or so. He's only been making music for a couple of years at this point, yet I've seen such a switch in sound over that time. He started out making a lot of rap/R&B, then there was a lot of gothcore, and not it seems he's releasing a lot of chill music to just vibe to, songs that are appropriate for late summer nights with the windows rolled down. And don't get me wrong, I've thoroughly enjoyed all of his vibe changes, but what he's making right now has been my favorite. Actually, before I talk about Cherryhill, I want to talk about how much I really believe that Jah PHNX is changing the game. It seems he was born to make music, what he's doing for the music industry is different and refreshing to hear. Dark Abyss, Lonely Hills, Beautiful Insanity, all these newer songs are so incredible while still remaining true to his roots in goth music. Cherryhill is his most recent track. It's very laid back and fits perfectly into that category of chill windows-rolled-down songs. He even says it in the song, "Night drives with the music loud / All the windows down / We live for days like this." I know once summer comes around, this song will be in constant rotation. I'm so excited to see where he goes from here, he's definitely someone to keep an eye on!
Green Day- Saviors
Green Day is back with their first album since 2020, and it feels like a punch at the real world. The band has always been politically charged, but this really feels like their return to American Idiot-like awareness of what our society has become. Appropriately, the first track is titled The American Dream Is Killing Me, and speaks of unemployment issues, taxes, and TikTok. Bobby Sox is one of my personal favorites, it reminds me of the type of song a young boy would write to their first love. It's sweet but fun with a chorus that's totally headbangable. 1981 is probably one of the most Green Day-like Green Day songs I've heard on this album, and it too has become one of my favorites. I enjoy long songs, but sometimes it's refreshing to listen to songs that aren't six minutes, and instead between two and three. The band has certainly been implementing shorter songs into their discography the last couple of albums. Suzie Chapstick is my last super-favorite, it's tame yet surprisingly melodic and beautiful for Green Day, most of their music is pretty typical punk, but this is proof that punk can be soft too! Overall, I'm very impressed with this album. I'm not a huge fan of their albums after 'American Idiot', I didn't connect with them, so I'm grateful that I can enjoy 'Saviors'! You'll be hearing more from me about Green Day this year as I plan to see them in concert, so stay tuned!
Fwango- Never Sleep
Fwango's fourth single Never Sleep came out this month! I interviewed the band back in July of 2023, and it excites me so much to hear new stuff from them! The more they release, the more I realize that they're really building an identifiable sound. Lead singer Logan Hall's vocals certainly help with that. They record him with some kind of fuzzy distorted effect (I don't know what it's actually called) and it's almost becoming their signature, and this song is no different. I can still distinctly hear the Interpol and Strokes-esque influences in their music which naturally makes me love it more! Never Sleep showcases the band's talent for catchy choruses that get stuck in your head for days after and how much the smallest details make the biggest difference in a track. Can't wait to hear more from them!
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