“COMMUNITY RETURNS” Trailer!
Albums Of 2011 - #1. The Story So Far - Under Soil And Dirt
I know, I know… 2011 ended 15 days ago. But a) I’ve been pretty ill and, b) I’m horrendously lazy, so I apologise.
Anyway, here we are. Numero uno. And, remember, these are the ten albums I’ve listened to the most this year - and following it’s release in the summer, this album literally didn’t leave my CD player in my car for 3 months.
#1. The Story So Far - Under Soil And Dirt
The Story So Far are a band I was introduced to a couple of years ago following their debut EP release ‘While You Were Sleeping’, and I was instantly hooked. They soon followed that with split releases with Maker (that included the incredible Mt. Diablo) and Morgan Foster, but they still seemed to be flying under most people’s radar. Then, they seemingly disppeared for a year and, to be honest, I’d all but forgotten about them…
In June this year they returned with debut full-length ‘Under Soil And Dirt’ - and it blew me (and seemingly everyone else) away. Showing a lot more harder influences than their earlier work, the album opens with States And Minds, a 51-second intro that flows straight into Roam, a 3-minute opus about broken hearts and moving on - and this is a theme that is continued throughout the whole record. The Story So Far are literally just out of high school, and it’s obvious by some of the lyrics on this record that frontman Parker Cannon is coming to terms with this situation (this is never more prevalent than on Daughters and Four Years). A re-recorded version of fan favourite Mt Diablo sits right in the middle of the album, and it still sounds as great as it did on first listen. Penultimate track Placeholder is the one surprise on the record - gone are the fast beats and angry vocals, and in their place is an almost sombre track in which Cannon debates a past relationship and whether he should move on… But, just when you think that the band may be going soft on us, they close the album out with Closure - 3 minutes of The Story So Far doing exactly what they do best - huge choruses, soaring guitars, and a distinct feeling that you know right where they are coming from.
When Pure Noise put this record out back in June, I doubt that they had any idea just how big it would become - but Under Soil And Dirt is a modern-day pop-punk masterpiece. Absolutely no filler, and track after track of pure brilliance… which, for a band just out of high school, is a huge accomplishment. Don’t be surprised to see The Story So Far up there with the best of their peers in the very near future.
Standout Track - For me, Four Years is a track that could’ve easily defined my life back in 2003 - every single word feels like it could’ve been taken from me at that time and, because of that, it’s why I always feel myself drawn to it more than any other track on the record.
And, as a bonus… Taken from the Pure Noise Records showcase last weekend:
Albums Of 2011 - #2. Touché Amoré - Parting The Sea Between Brightness And Me
#2. Touché Amoré - Parting The Sea Between Brightness And Me
It’s fair to say I’ve never been the biggest fan of hardcore music… but every once in a while, a band comes along who completely blow me away. Thats the exact feeling I had the first time I listened to …To The Beat Of A Dead Horse, Touché Amoré’s debut album. It was fast, it was loud, it was angry… yet there was something very accessible about it. Something that warranted repeated listens until you could decipher every single scream that came out of Jeremy Bolm’s throat. It was an album that catapulted them from nothing, to being hardcore’s newest darlings.
Split 7“‘s with Make Do And Mend and La Dispute followed, before the band were picked up by Deathwish and announced that their second album Parting The Sea Between Brightness And Me would be released mid-2011. And it in no way disappointed. The fast bits were faster, the loud bits were louder, but there were also the odd quiet moment of reflection. Piano-led number Condolences was a shock on first listen, but fits into the record perfectly and its nice to see bands of this ilk who aren’t afraid to mix things up. Bolm’s vocals are as passionate and emotional as ever - when he cries out “and for what its worth… I’m sorry” towards the end of album closer Amends, you can sense that he means every single word of it.
Weighing in at just shy of 21 minutes, its a blur of a record that is over almost as quickly as it begins, but its 21 minutes of pure brilliance. With the power of Deathwish behind them and a seemingly unending touring schedule, the future looks very, very promising for Touché Amoré.
Standout Track - Plumping for the album closer just because of the sheer power and emotion that flows through it… And when that final note rings out, all you want to do is go back to the start and do it all again.
Albums Of 2011 - #3. The Wonder Years - Suburbia, I’ve Given You All And Now I’m Nothing
#3. The Wonder Years - Suburbia, I’ve Given You All And Now I’m Nothing
I know some people may be surprised not to see this at #1, but, more than anything, this list is about the albums I’ve listened to the most - hence why this years most anticipated release doesn’t make it to the top of the list.
The Wonder Years really blew up following the release of The Upsides back at the start of 2010, and for many people that album (myself included) became a genre-defining, life-changing, instant classic. The whole “I’m not sad anymore” revolution took a hold of the pop-punk scene like very few things ever have before… and following that up was going to be ONE HELL of a task.
Lets get this out of the way first. Suburbia is a FUCKING BRILLIANT record. The musicianship is absolutely spot on (special mention to Mike Kennedy, whose drumming is, at times, awe-inspiring), Soupy’s vocal range has never been stronger, and the way the the album flows is just perfect. But the one thing that makes The Wonder Years stand out so far above their peers are Soupy’s lyrics. No one in pop-punk, for as long as I can remember, has managed to evoke the kind of feeling that he does - everyone knows exactly what he means when he spills his guts on second track Woke Up Older… “I’ve been avoiding Rittenhouse like the plague, cos I just cant handle seeing you today”. We’ve all been there. With every song that is belted out, you can instantly identify with it - whether its remembering past summers (Summers In PA), or making peace with the place it is that you come from (Hoodie Weather), every track tells its own, all-too-familiar, story.
The only tiny flaw in the record for me is I Won’t Say The Lords Prayer - not because its not a fantastic song, because it is, but more for the way it ruins the flow of the album. It may have been better suited to a B-Side or EP release. But that is literally the only thing I could nitpick (and thats what I’m doing!) about on an otherwise incredible third record from the Philly natives.
Standout Track - Again, could’ve been one of many, but I’m picking this purely because the first time I heard the bridge run into the chorus on this song, I literally got chills because it was SO perfect.
Albums Of 2011 - #4. The Swellers - Good For Me
#4. The Swellers - Good For Me
The Swellers returned this year with their third full-length and the follow-up to 2009’s Ups & Downsizings, once again released on Fueled By Ramen. This band are one of a few who, over the past 4 years or so, have gotten consistently better with each release (see: The Wonder Years, Transit) as opposed to certain other bands that appeared on the scene at the same time that have gotten gradually worse (mentioning no names… Four Year Strong… Set Your Goals…), and its because they are not afraid to grow and expand their sound.
This album owes as much to bands like Weezer and the Foo Fighters as it does to any of the bands pop-punk peers. A proper rock record. And its nice to see a band who aren’t afraid to embrace these influences. Let’s be honest, the Diener brothers are the driving force behind this band, and Nick and Jono have never been as “on it” as they are here. Radio hit after hit litter this album and its a crime that this record hasn’t seen bigger success than it has. Unfortunately, I feel FBR may not be the best home for these guys, and maybe a move to a more suitable label (Hopeless/Rise/No Sleep) would see them sitting up there with the best pop-punk bands around, where they belong.
Standout Track - I could pick one of four but I’m going for this one, as it’s a perfect reminder of driving around during this past summer with my windows down and my stereo up very, very loud belting it out word for word.
Albums Of 2011 - #5. Transit - Listen & Forgive
#5. Transit - Listen & Forgive
Another year, another Transit record. If nothing else, you can never accuse these boys of not being productive. Listen & Forgive was Transit’s first release on label Rise Records and, for me, it’s their most accomplished work to date.
The biggest difference between this album and Transit’s former work is the overall sound - less pop-punk and more indie rock, they seem to have spent the last year rediscovering bands like The Early November and Death Cab For Cutie. Joe Boynton’s vocals have never been more on-key, and Tim Landers does an excellent job of backing him up. The production is also fantastic, and does a great job of highlighting every band members contribution to the album.
Not all Transit fans have been convinced by this change in direction, but, for me, I much prefer to see a band evolve into a sound that they are really comfortable with, rather than keep churning out the same record over and over again…. and with Listen & Forgive it seems Transit are doing exactly that.
Standout Track - I could’ve picked any one of them, but this track was the first to really sink in with me when listening to this album. When I heard Patrick Stump was providing backing vocals, it was a bit of a worry but, thankfully, it was a decision that paid off.
