An unlikely banger and more [single reviews]

By Ryan G

Poppy featuring Fever 333 – “Scary Mask”: A pop artist meshed the modern day Rage Against the Machine? If this single’s goal was to get people talking, they have undoubtedly succeeded. I have to admit: at first I found the song to be a little disjointed. But hearing a pop artist deliver aggressive vocals with distortion, transitioning into Jason Butler’s trademark yelp/scream is pretty darn satisfying. If you want to be creeped out while finding another summer jam to crank in your car (and freaking out passersby), look no further. What do you think?

Hold Fast Hope – “Messenger”: Nothing gets my hopes up like seeing a band name that shares a title with one of my favorite songs by one of my favorite bands. That song is, of course, “Hold Fast Hope” by Thrice. Anyone familiar with Thrice will find the crunch of those guitars to be familiar right off the bat. When that chorus kicks in, another band comes to mind—Close Your Eyes. Poignant lyrics and impassioned vocals aren’t a copyright by any band, to be clear. It’s nice to see a new band taking the torch (or maybe sharing it). The band stands out from the crowd here by incorporating a post rock–like section near the end of the song to create some drama. I thought this would be a buildup to a climatic breakdown or something, but the fadeout was effective too.

Kiss Kiss Bang – “Hearts on Fire”: The rock revival of the late 2010s is full steam ahead, and the latest evidence of this is the single “Hearts on Fire.” Nobody is reinventing the wheel here. I don’t have much to say about this song other than I was combing through music blog submissions on this fine Saturday afternoon, and this song stood out to me as a feel-good track. That’s it. Fans of Maylene and the Sons of Disaster (later era) will love this.

White Reaper – “Might Be Right”: The lo-fi production from the Louisville, KY outfit’s early days is all but gone. There’s a bit of nu-disco sheen on this track. The music video plays out like a modern-day rendition of The Stroke’s “Last Nite” video. But this is still the White Reaper we know and love. If you wanted an example of evolution to become more palatable to mainstream auidences without selling out, this is a good place to start. This isn’t my favorite song ever by these guys, but this mid-tempo jam is a good addition for most playlists.