Aster Tracks

The long awaited fifth entry in legendary post-hardcore band Pierce the Veil’s discography is finally here. Vic Fuentes and the boys always work hard and this time is no exception, doing their usual silence between cycles, sweeping away their former drummer who was founded on some pretty damning abuse and then returning with the wake of When We Were Young. Their last record; 2016’s Misadventures was not well received but has gained a bit of a following and remains one of my favorites by the band, if not the number one. And this record looks like it's on a similar path, in fact in spite of some issues, I think this may be the harshest listeners have been so far. In spite of its reception, the first single off the record “Pass the Nirvana” was a perfect blend of the old and what was to come. The old being those low key verses, building tension until they scale up and explode into a chorus that is more or less the only breakdown off the album. Fuentes also continues to prove himself a...

Internet friends gone pop punk sensations Meet Me @ The Altar have finally released their debut album. If you’ve missed any part of this story it is just about as simple as that. Edith Victoria, Tea Campbell and Ada Juarez all met on the internet and began writing music together and now have toured all over, played some big festivals including the legendary When We Were Young and have even seen mainstream success outside of a live setting finding their music in Taco Bell commercials. I myself was really looking forward to a full length from the band after spending a couple of years impressed by their output with some of my favorite songs in the genre being put out and the Model Citizen EP blowing me away just a few years ago. Unfortunately now that the record is here I feel like some of the initial shine to the band I felt has worn off. It’s hard to exactly place as nothing about Meet Me @ The Altar’s sound has really been changed but it feels like whatever it was that made them stand ...

Franklin, TN native, teen sitcom actor, pop superstar, Miley Cyrus is back with another record. A record that, from what I can tell, is driving radio and playlist listeners a little up the wall with it’s lead single “Flowers.” I myself haven’t really been phased by the manufactured hype as I’m not plugged into either of those worlds but find the song to be a decent pop anthem with it’s positive self-help messaging. I do find it pretty irritating however, that the song opens and closes the record. Sure, the bonus track is a demo of the song but I still feel the need to count it as a point against the overall experience given that it’s on the standard edition of Endless Summer Vacation. I myself was actually anticipating this record quite a bit, not just from admiring Cyrus as a presence in the world of mainstream music, but also because I was such a fan of her last record; 2020’s Plastic Hearts. Which promised to be Miley’s attempt at a rock record and while I feel it failed at that it ...

You know who Gorillaz is, you do not need me to do a formal intro on them. That being said, despite there being a couple pieces of Gorillaz coverage on this blog I’ve never explained my history with the fictional band. As a child I of course knew the hits, but I didn’t really get engrossed in the whole thing until I moved out on my own in 2016. My first home away from my parents was filled with Gorillaz fanatics and I did a fast crash course on all their music including their newest record; Humanz. To my surprise Humanz was horribly received but to me and my friends it was top tier, in fact, it made my top ten albums of that year. That being said I’m always excited for a new effort, however on Cracker Island Damon Albarn sort of coasts through an entire album. Like, okay, it’s Gorillaz and I don’t think they’re capable of releasing a record of all misses. The title track is an instant Gorillaz classic and in spite of the fact that the record doesn’t feel very substantial there is some...

New Yorker, former Chairlift member and recent superstar; Caroline Polachek has delivered her sophomore solo record. I personally don’t have a huge history with Polachek and before this record have never heard a whole project she’s been involved in to my knowledge. However after hearing the singles to this record I knew I had to finally dive in because they sounded fantastic to me on first listen. What I enjoy so much about Polachek’s music is her ability to do so much with so little. Her lyricism especially is so minimalist and yet she manages to make these huge statements. Even in the opening track the entirety of the wording is her welcoming you to the setting of the record, painting you an image of it as crystal clear as the water surrounding, then making a declaration to the wind. Something else that really grabs me about the entire experience is that these songs are artful and yet manage to be so in an accessible way. A lot of art pop is masterfully done but has their numbers hel...

Iowa indie rockers Halfloves are getting set to release new track, “C U Later.” This follows up their late 2022 single “Hospice” and is out just days after you’re reading this. I got a chance to listen to the track a bit early to give you a taste of what’s to come as well as speak to songwriter Jeff Roalson about the vision of the song and the future of Halfloves. The entire track is built around this simple, but effective, five note guitar part that doesn’t so much add any hype or suspense as it reels back the curtain and keeps you centered amongst the story it’s trying to tell. A story, I might add, that is boldly phrased and delivered with a cold casualty. Lyrically, to me at the time of outlining this review anyway, the narrator is speaking of someone they relied on to be by them but has been showing signs of wavering that loyalty only to be confronted with it at some sort of party or gathering. You’re dancing with your friends and signing all night long I’m heading out, I’ll see y...

I knew before last year was even over that I wanted the first long form review of this year from me to be Paramore. After Laughter was and maybe still is my favorite record of all time and, for context’s sake, I actually enjoy Riot! least of all. Which I’m only pointing out to say out of the gate that any negativity on this review is not me longing for a sound gone for over a decade. Between that and Hayley Williams’ two solo ventures; Pedals for Armor and Flowers for Vases , one of which was produced by bandmate Taylor York and both of which I enjoy quite a bit, I entered this record with all the faith in the world. The title track, first single and final song recorded for the record really blew me away on release. I still really love the entire instrumental and the way it progresses from the bass built intro to the promised dance-punk inspired chorus. I do find it intriguing that we ended up at that bridge in a new era, however. Not that I think it’s bad but to me it kind of feels li...