August Burns Red – “Salt and Light”: This metalcore tune finds ABR exploring some of their most spiritually bold lyrics yet. A classic beginning with the occassional breakdown yields to a quiet interlude crescendoing into Jake Luhrs proclaiming “We sing for YOU!” With this we find some rare melodic harmonizing from the band amidst a reverent sounding riff (just the vibe I get).
Best Coast – “The Only Place”: The female-fronted indie pop band is back with this ready for summer single “The Only Place.” Not everyone will like this band – they are VERY poppy. But this pop is classy. Not as much edge present as say in fellow alternapop bands Company of Theives or Metric, but the medoly keeps me hooked. The chorus is a bit on the repetitive side, but this is the norm for pop music. The vocals are great too – see for yourself below.
The Devil Wears Prada – “Vengeance”: This, the third promoted single from the album has one of the catchier, albeit brief hooks on the record. However in true Prada fashion they don’t stick to the usual verse/chorus structure. It seems like they are headed that way at first, but an extended outro that leads to a rather abrupt ending shakes that assumption. Low tuning and well placed breakdowns accentuate the track.
The Lumineers – “Ho Hey”: Bands straddling the line between folk and rock are “in” right now, and there’s no question The Lumineers are one of them. But hey, I know good music when I hear it and they fit the bill! “Ho Hey” with its staccato – like shouts may take some getting used to, but this short tune will be stuck in your head in no time. A happy-go-lucky vibe is definitely present here. This is one of those “out of nowhere” tunes that make me excited to check out the rest of a band’s material.
