Brave Saint Saturn: The Light of Things Hoped For
Showbread: No Sir, Nihilism Is Not Practical
It's spastic, it's chaotic, and it's a masterpiece through and through. In No Sir, Nihilism Is Not Practical, Showbread struck a power chord with even this opponent of screamo. Think before you buy, for this album is not for the faint of heart, but if you can handle a seizurrific combination of screams and industrial-strength keytar, then this album is worth the money. Every song on the album is great for those who are tolerant of screamo or are looking to try something new, but even those of more sensitive tastes can appreciate songs like "Matthias Replaces Judas," (which by the way, features a guest appearance from Reese Roper). As an album, "No Sir..." stands in its disjointedness as a cohesive whole, and is a great investment... for those who can handle it, anyway. (*****)
Showbread: Age of Reptiles
"Age of Reptiles," Showbread's latest release, proves to be quite a departure from their previous spaz-rock album "No Sir, Nihilism Is not Practical." There is less screaming in the new album, and more straight-up alternative rock, perhaps to appease the faint of heart who no doubt went into cardiac arrest upon hearing music from Showbread's first album. Regardless, "Age of Reptiles" is a strong showing from the "raw rock" band, as they prove that they are not as one-dimensional as reviewers might have feared after the release of "No Sir..." A bit too polished at times, "Reptiles" still hits the mark on almost every song, and accomplishes something that "No Sir" did not... It plays songs melodically enough that listeners can sing along. (****)
Relient K: MMHMM
As Relient K matures, they continue to amaze listeners who thought they just couldn't get any better. Though the band certainly had a lot of spunk when they put out their earlier albums (all the way through "The Anatomy of Tongue in Cheek"), they didn't to strike gold until their release of MMHMM, a lyrically and musically mature album with a pop-punk-done-right sound. Certainly an album that is worth the buy. (****)
Relient K: Apathetic EP
Relient K's latest work, the Apathetic EP, is just a continuation of this band's prolonged stroke of genius. Continuing the line of thought that produced "MMHMM," the Apathetic EP gives us four new songs (two electric, two involving Matt Thiessen and his piano) and three acoustic versions of previous songs ("Be My Escape," "Which to Bury, Us or the Hatchet," and "Over Thinking"), all of which add up to a great EP to whet the appetite of fans waiting to see what this band will think of next. (bonus: The band also released an acoustic version of "Who I Am Hates Who I've Been" apart from the Apathetic EP, and it makes a great buy off of iTunes as well.) (****)
Relient K: Five Score and Seven Years Ago
How embarrassing. After at the very least two amazing albums and an EP, Relient K ends their streak of great music by popping out this monstrosity. The only words that come to mind after listening to this album several times are "What were they THINKING?!" The hooks are tired, the lyrics are uninspired, and the album is entirely disappointing. Even the potentially epic ballad "Deathbed" descends into preachy inanity by the second half of the song, though its first five and a half minutes are worth a listen. Do yourself a favor and don't waste your money on this album: Instead, head over to iTunes and spend a few bucks on the highlights of the album (which are shamefully few) "Faking My Own Suicide," "Deathbed," "Come Right Out and Say It," and depending on your tolerance level for the poppish, "Must Have Done Something Right." I know it's hard, but if you love Relient K, it's probably best that you not listen to the rest of the album; just wait it out, surely they'll return to their former glory on their next CD... Right? (**)
Emery: The Weak's End
There is only one word to describe Emery's first major release: Tiresome. The Weak's End, an album with a very nice title and a great opening track, simply fails to deliver throughout the rest of the cd. Starting out with "Walls," which is perhaps Emery's best song to date, the album eventually descends into a mass of songs that are at best boring, and at worst downright frustrating. The first 2-4 songs on "The Weak's End" are in fact rather catchy, and certainly worth a listen (or a buy off of iTunes), but the entire album is a bit disappointing, with songs that run together or sound very much the same, and music which makes the listener dread reading the lyrics, for fear that they are as inane as the chord progressions and throbbing post-######## beat. Emery does in fact have a great deal of potential, but aside from "Walls" and "A Ponytail Parade," they did not at all reach it on "The Weak's End." (**)
Number One Gun: Promises for the Imperfect
A little bit emo, a little bit rock and roll, Number One Gun pulls out a mediocre showing with their latest album "Promises for the Imperfect." The album starts off strong, with four or five catchy songs, but then falls off into the abyss of musical and lyrical cliches. The first half of the album, though, is great, and well worth buying off of iTunes (or whatever legal music downloading service you choose). Check them out today! (***)
Eleventyseven: Eleventyseven and the Land of Fake Believe
Eleventyseven's breakout album is nothing but fun. And that's pretty much it. Oh, I guess I should say more... But what is there to say about a band this crazy? They call themselves "Eleventyseven," a made-up number, and their most popular band t-shirt bears the slogan "Save the Unicorns!" How on earth could anyone take this band seriously? Well... you don't really need to. Sure, they're a little on the crazy side, but they're just out to have fun. To the band's credit, they are capable of writing serious songs, such as "MySpace," "Teenage Heartbreak" and "More Than a Revolution" in addition to typical (though catchy) pop-punk songs about breaking up and making up. While this synth-punk band really breaks no new ground musically or lyrically, they have a kind of energy that will serve them well as they grow. Eleventyseven's live show is wild and entertaining, and the band's music manages to stay focused on things more important than the teen angst that marks so many similar bands. Their album is worth looking into if you're a pop-punk fan in need of some good, light-hearted fun. (***)
