GODFLESH / Purge (2023)

Opening track Nero is an ardent recall that's reminiscent of Pure but awash with Streetcleaner's punishing DNA, too. Thereafter it's a mixed bag. The apocalyptic hip-hop beats that JKB is fond of feature often, but there's some unusual layering. Like an industrial journey roadmap, it has twists and turns that provide intrigue and/or distraction. The tonal shifts make it seem like an alternate world evolution from Pure onwards, with elements characteristic of Selfless and Us and Them taking occasional prominence. But like any real world journey, it's not perfect. Permission could fit on a cyberpunk movie soundtrack, while Lazarus Leper's repetitive drone will be hypnotic to some, but for me was too long and demo-like, lacking clout. Before I do the same, I'll end this review with a summation: it's familiar enough to satisfy the faithful, but different enough to be divisive.

Songs of Note: Nero; Army of Non

3 burning rivers out of 5

GREEN DAY / Saviors

I feel like this was a bit of a trap. I was behind The American Dream is Killing Me. Why would I not be? Look Ma, No Brains!, wasn’t too special, until I found the idea of Billie asking Tré if he wanted some free tacos hilarious. Dilemma without question spoke to me and my ongoing mental issues, in that magical way only Green Day can, as if it was written specifically for me. Even if I found Billie blowing his voice out needlessly, well, needless. Then, One Eyed Bastard. I’m a one-eyed bastard! A pink and black video! Featuring an updated take on a sticker design that has been residing on the side of my media shelf for decades! I felt loved, and it was very surreal. I wondered to a friend if I was actually awake.

In terms of the rest of the tracks…there’s not much being said. What is, is ground that has already been covered, in much more compelling ways. Basket Case and King For A Day made me incredibly comfortable in stepping into my sexuality, all those years ago. For those stuck with Bobby Sox, my sincere condolences. It’s the most grating song they’ve ever made. The closing number smacks of word salad, which they will probably tell you was intentional. Please see my Mania review, for an incredibly apropos rebuttal.

I suppose what hurts the most is that there are lyrics herein that when placed beside those of quite possibly my favorite song ever, contradict them at best, and seem to indicate that Billie is saying it’s time to throw in the towel, at worst.

I’ve definitely tried, incredibly hard, to stop giving a shit, in the face of the world, as it currently sits. Because why not? Fuck it all, right?

No…I still give a shit. Deep down, at core. Even if it’s just for my own sake. My own morality. My own sanity.

It’s not too late; we’re still not underground.
 

Frankly, there’s a pervasive melancholy, and a repeated conceptual refrain of sitting back and letting our rapidly deteriorating world pull the trigger for us. What happened to not going gently into that good night? Doing whatever the fuck we want, for as long as we can? It’s incredibly ironic to me that it isn’t just Anthony Fantano who dislikes Father of All Motherfuckers. The title track, and the album as a whole, embodies a life-affirming, violent nihilism—the exact flavor I can get behind. Meet Me on the Roof even goads someone into putting their money where their mouth is, specifically so they’ll realize they aren’t ready to pack it in. I don’t think it’s any surprise at all that its closer, Graffitia, smacks so incredibly hard of Silent Hill.

Keep staring into the abyss; keep marching forward to find your truth.
 

Maybe this was a test, instead of a trap...

I Hope You Feel Better Soon, Billie. Until Then, I'll Keep All Your Previous Teachings Alive out of 5.

WEEZER / Maladroit (2002)

 

 

It’s about time I made some decisions, repercussions be damned.

Maladroit is better than Pinkerton.

There’s a fistful of ridiculously great Weezer albums, but Maladroit is the only one that’s an INESCAPABLE STEAMROLLING WALL OF 100% FULL POWER. Lyrically and sonically, in equal measure. Those guitars, JEEBUS! They are not fucking around; not for a single nanosecond. Rivers isn’t pulling any punches, and he isn’t taking any more of your shit. When emotional fragility hardens to bulletproof self-respect, be afraid.

Be very afraid.

Songs of Note: Slob; Love Explosion

5 Reasons Fighting is Weak to Fairy out of 5

WEEZER / Weezer (Red; 2008)

Keep it on the up!

 

I do still agree with a once-upon-a-time friend of mine that some of the best tracks recorded for this album were held back as b-sides (and promotional downloads, if my horrible, schizophrenic memory serves). Two of them are S-tier heart puncturing in the same manner as the most personal tracks on Katy’s masterwork. One is a second missive with Scott Shriner at the helm, and you already know how I feel about that guy~<3

HOWEVER, this slightly unfortunate turn of events doesn’t mean that the regular release isn’t worthwhile in its own right. It’s a bit ramshackle and raucous in places, but that’s honestly the (intermittent) charm of latter-day Weezer, in a nutshell. The rest is both brilliantly emotional and audacious, acting as the origins of Rivers having the balls to get away with things that would easily see lesser mortals trampled under society’s pitchforks and torches.

There’s a song for Patrick, Scott, and Brian, each, with Brian’s being especially pleasing to my ear, perfectly emulating Fastball, as it does. I would love to live in a world where the four of them traded vocals, consistently.

This world ain’t so bad, though~

Just (legally) download and burn Miss Sweeney, Pig, The Spider, and King, since the Deluxe version is a bit pricey and slightly troublesome to come by.

Songs of Note: The Greatest Man That Ever Lived (Variations on a Shaker Hymn); The Spider


Vanilla: 3 Rightfully Resplendent Renegades out of 5
Deluxe Edition: 4 Ruinously Raw and Regretful Tales of Love and Death out of 5

FALL OUT BOY / Mania (2018)

 

I wouldn’t hold your breath on me suddenly warming to this one. I’ll gladly open with admitting that there are definitely a few exquisite verses buried herein. Sadly, that’s simply not enough. There’s a generally abrasive air that permeates, and while I do appreciate some albums for that, they simply do not tread as far into chaos as some of the songs here do—as far away from those artists’ general vision/identity. Two songs of which Patrick is particularly proud are inexcusably repetitive. I loathe them. Another is ANNOYING. AS. FUCK. No need for flowery verbiage; it’s goddamn painful.

The ironic thing is that this approach IS fitting for the central theme of the piece.

I have to share a verse that 100% describes my relationship with Sentai:

I know I should walk away, know I should walk away.
But, I just want to let you break my brain.
And, I can’t seem to get a grip,
no, no matter how I try to live with it.

It’s not delivered well, at all, but it’s haunting in its accuracy to my experiences.
 

The moral here is:

Merit being present in how something is done isn’t enough.
Liking something isn’t enough.

There both has to be merit, and I have to like it.

That’s the heartbreaking truth.

½ Doesn't Do Anyone Any Good out of 5

FALL OUT BOY / So Much (For) Stardust (2023)

 

Inscribed like stone and faded by the rain,
"Give up what you love, Give up what you love, before it does you in." 

 

 

The simple truth is that when this album was released, I wasn’t in a place to be willing, or able, to hear what it was trying to say.

I was wrong.
No worries; I’m infinitely and intimately used to that, at this point.

The boys are vying impossibly hard to be Costello’s preeminent students, and succeeding with flying colors, folding unsavory and disastrous topics into diabetically-sweet confections in ways that honestly, handily lap the master in his hey-day. You shouldn’t be able to write one of catchiest songs ever, about a pandemic, but they damn-well fucking did.

I said that there wasn’t much in the way of connections between the first two songs and the rest; in truth, the lyrics wrap around on themselves in dizzying ways akin to the time loop that births the Song of Storms. To the point where I frankly believe the emotional conclusion arrives at a point other than the final song in the tracklist.

Songs of Note: Fake Out; The Kintsugi Kid (Ten Years)


5 Engine Revving Resolutions out of 5

I'm going to talk about their update of We Didn't Start the Fire, real quick, since they stuck it in the playlist for ...Stardust. Seeing people freak out during its live debut, instead of feeling existential dread, as intended? Endemic of part of FOB's fanbase. Please stop swooning over them; ACTUALLY listen to the lyrics. Of all of their songs.

I am obviously ecstatic that they mention The Black Parade, but it took me a bit to remember that Green Day's iconic set took place at Woodstock '94, not Woodstock '99. There was one in '99?!?! I thought they had paid tribute to two of the all-time greatest, but apparently it was just the one.

From all of the history of gaming, they chose Metroid? Should have ended a verse with something like, "Final Fantasy VI, wasn't really III."

Without a doubt, though, it needed to be:

"Keanu Reeves is Neo, man."

GREEN DAY / Father of All Motherfuckers (2020)

The practice of re-using cadences and riffs, debuted on Revolution Radio, continues here, placing Green Day directly in line with Counting Crows. I.e., they’ve officially established themselves as a band willing to create thematic consistences that exist not only WITHIN singular albums, but verily ACROSS albums. That is, of course, if you weren’t already aware that Insomniac, Nimrod., and Warning: are a trilogy~ If you give this a single listen, you’re going to wonder what the point of these intensely brief missives is. Instead, sit your perpetually-on-fast-forward-ass down with the lyrics for your initial listen. Then, put it on repeat, and soak in the sonic nuances buried beneath the bluster.

I.e., give it the proper reverence befitting a Green Day album. And, don’t you dare come bitching to me that they ape multiple Clash songs, simultaneously. No one gets to complain when Rancid made an entire career out of such (ooooooh) shenanigans.

“Another one down at the mining town…”

Songs of Note: I Was A Teenage Teenager; Graffitia

ALL the Silent Hill References out of 5

GODFLESH / Post Self (2017)

The sparse press release info that preceded Post Self mentioned that lyrically the work would explore 'anxiety and depression, fear, mortality and paternal and maternal relationships.' Phew, heavy topics, indeed. But Godflesh is heavy music, so there's synergy at play. Despite that, parts of it are really quite accessible; the promised 'Post-Punk' influence is definitely there and is, for me, a welcome addition after the somewhat average A World Lit Only by Fire (2014) album.
In addition, the eloquence of Jesu, one of Justin K Broadrick's other musical vehicles, creeps in occasionally, functioning as a textured boon to the heaviness of pulsating bass, trenchant guitars and distinctive machine percussion.

Songs of Note: Post Self; The Cyclic End

4 universal slums out of 5

MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE / Living With Ghosts (2016)

The version of The Black Parade included in the same package as this is no different from its original release.

Feel free to check the link below, if you’re curious about that masterstroke.

These rough mixes and live demos very blatantly contain the DNA of numerous songs on Parade and Conventional Weapons. That’s appropriate, as they were recorded during the sessions that birthed both of those albums. They’re all very sloppy, but that is admittedly part of their charm. I have to wonder if Gerard was intoxicated during some of these takes. It’s definitely possible. The best track isolates the most satisfying part of Welcome to the Black Parade; it’s as if they chose to crawl inside an orgasm and have a dance party there for four minutes. It consistently defies the lyrical expectations you’ve unknowingly held for over ten years and I adore every second of it.

I’d say if you’re only a Revenge and Parade kind of person, this is an easy pass. If you own and love everything...fire at will.

Songs of Note: The Five of Us Are Dying [Rough Mix]; Not That Kind of Girl [Live Demo]

2 (Really Not So) Sad Motherfuckers out of 5

TOM PETTY / Full Moon Fever (1989)

After seven studio albums with The Heartbreakers, Tom made his first 'solo' album (that some of The Heartbreakers actually play on). It wasn't a big departure from what we were used to; it's largely the production that makes it sound different, a change that was no doubt heavily influenced by Jeff Lynne (of ELO fame, and a fellow Wilbury). Lynne's contribution to production lessened the traditional US Rock vibe of the band line-up and instead accentuated keyboards and sugary-ness. At times it even has a distinctly 1960s British pop influence.
It's a little too polished for my tastes these days, but once upon a time I adored it, granting it semi-permanent residence in my CD player for days at a time. Sadly, I never had it on vinyl; I suspect it would've sounded better on the format.

Songs of Note: Runnin' Down a Dream; The Apartment Song

4 valley vampires out of 5

SINÉAD O'CONNOR / The Lion and the Cobra (1987)

Years before a media shit-storm (involving a torn photograph) thrust Sinéad into people's homes, her début album, released when she was just twenty-years-old, established her as a formidable force in the minds of people who were there for the music. Right from the get-go it attempts something greater than simple Pop/Rock songs, and, although oft-times hidden in the lyrical composition, a heartfelt honesty is nestled in each and every track. But it's her remarkable voice that gives them real power. Whether being soft and airy or tragic and yearning, it's the element that binds the shifting moods together and prevents them from fighting each other. Some of the music may sound dated today, but the conviction that drives them is something that won't ever be diminished by time.

Songs of Note: Jackie; Troy

5 ghostly tears out of 5

JACKSON C. FRANK / Jackson C. Frank (1965)

It's heartbreaking to think that Jackson made just one album, and astonishing to learn that he reportedly recorded the entire thing in less than three hours. It's his masterpiece by default, but fully deserving of the accolade.
His talent is undeniable and every bit the equal of his more well-known folk music peers. His tragic life story (schizophrenia and depression, homeless and destitute, dead at 56 of pneumonia) adds a tearful footnote to the prodigious emotional current that characterises his works. Listening to the soft melancholy that he coaxes from his guitar strings breaks my heart every time, and also, somehow, consoles an unseen part of me that remembers what it was like to be lost.

Songs of Note: My Name is Carnival; Just Like Anything

5 tender skies out of 5

KATATONIA / The Fall of Hearts (2016)

If I was in need of the post-BMD Katatonia sound but for some reason didn't have any of the better albums to hand, then TFoH would do, but it would be something of a compromise on my part. To be fair, it does deliver the usual mournful, warm, emotional-bandaging that they've perfected, but I often find myself drifting away from its overly-polished charms instead of being carried along with them.
I genuinely like the soft, pastoral moments, but the bulk of the album sometimes feels like it adheres to the established template a little too much. And yet, there are elements within the shifting structures that are wholly unexpected, that exist to break the rules. It's an odd feeling being stirred but still left wanting; it's like eating a heart-shaped cake that sates your taste buds but not your appetite.

Songs of Note: Old Heart Falls; Last Song Before the Fade

3½ residual thoughts out of 5

GREEN DAY / Greatest Hits: God's Favorite Band (2017)

This was originally a massive rant. But, that was dumb of me. Green Day make albums. Their (purely musical) Greatest Hits releases are an innately incongruous concept to the type of fan that I am. If you want to hear singles from (almost) across their entire career, by all means. Enjoy them in the way that works for you. I'm not pulling elitist hipster rank by relating the following, I'm simply giving thanks:

I've grown up with Green Day. I cannot imagine my life without them. It doesn't matter that Billie Hey-Ho's so much that I can no longer listen to (or experience) them live, anymore. It doesn't matter that I'll never be able to play like Mike. It does, however, matter that my friends and I are glorious perverts, cut from the same cloth as Mr. Tré Fucking Cool, himself. Whereas most of them prefer one era of their career to the other, I un-conflictingly adore them both. They're the only way I can comfortably engage with politics, because they always focus on the mental and emotional impact they have on those of us simply trying to make it day to day in this entirely fucked world.

I've edited the artwork to make a fully representative piece of visual iconography. And, I'm not even going to be giving a score. If I've learned anything from Green Day, it's that I can and should do whatever I want, while I can.

I suppose this is what unconditional love feels like.
This might be the first time god and I have something in common.

JEFF WAYNE / Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds (1978)

While I don't personally regard every song on Jeff Wayne's début concept album to be perfect, when considered as a whole it's a masterpiece of adaptation, design (inc. artwork) and aural joy that I never tire of experiencing.
Richard Burton narrates the story, based on H. G. Wells' famous 1898 novel, the actor's euphonious baritones perfectly suited to the work. Completing the magic, a string and prog rock accompaniment create a sweeping aura that carries the listener on a stirring, emotional journey. The changes in tone and dramatic intensity move it seamlessly from ominous to propitious, from elation to woe, all the while able to satisfy people in search of storytelling just as much as people in search of music. It's a work of art that's rich in imagery, content and style.

Songs of Note: Forever Autumn; Thunder Child

5 plans against us out of 5