Lovelite - In Three Persons

Lovelite is a band I want to like more. The band has written some killer and catchy tunes. But their albums always fall a little short for me. The band's pre-release sampler for their latest, In Three Persons, had me intrigued.

In Three Persons is actually a series of eps... Which makes the album a little confusing to listen to. Does one listen to the record as eps? Or do you go by the track listing given on the band's site as a full-legnth?

Honestly, I don't think it matters.

In Three Persons is my favorite Lovelite release so far. It's full of hipster, indie worship goodness. Imagine M83 having recorded a worship record.

Heart Starts Beating, the opening track on the His Beloved Son ep is the highlight of the record. A great guitar riff, dancey groove, and a super catchy hook, make it an instant hit in my book. Overcome, off the same ep, is another killer track. A little more prodding and slow moving but a solid hook.

Each ep tends to move in a similar direction. Upbeat, solid hook to start the ep off and then a slow decline is pace and tempo. There are a ton of solid songs, great electronics, and strong hooks that make for a solid listen from start to finish. But there's just something missing.... There are some great songs but as a whole... Lovelite is still lacking a little.

The Meltdown 83

New music from As I Lay Dying, Sixpence None the Richer, P.O.D., The Overseer, Children 18:3 and more.

The Overseer - We Search, We Dig

Sometimes it only takes second to realize you're listening to something great.

I was excited about the Overseer the instant they signed to Solid State. Big shock, right? Of course I was excited about an ambient, post hardcore band. But even in watching the studio videos for We Search, We Dig, you could tell that this was going to be a special record.

We Search, We Dig isn't without influence and I would be remiss is saying that's it's not an overall original stance in heavy music. Most of the time The Overseer reminds me with Underoath's Disambiguation. That's not said in a negative way because I think We Search, We Dig is a lot better than Disambiguation.

Not only does the record move and flow with great movement but each track is composed of different parts and moves as a movie score keeping We Search, We Dig interesting and never stale. The vocal play between the screaming, clean, and gang vocals is well executed. The most unexpected thing about the record is how catchy the hooks are. It's not pop metal or standard metalcore where the clean choruses come out and smack you in the face with catchiness. It's subtle in execution, which makes it more compelling.

We Search, We Dig is never too high and never too low. Always churning and moving like a great soundtrack but never hitting on the same note. The album feels very familiar and comfortable, which works in it's favor. The Overseeer have delivered an amazing debut record.

Children 18:3 - On The Run

I love Children 18:3. From the first note on All My Balloons (the opening track on the band's debut record), I knew Tooth and Nail had signed someone special. The band's first two records were pop punk perfection and Rain's A Comin' showed tons of growth and musical progression.

On The Run is the logical next step. The album is full of great pop punk tunes but the emphasis is more on the pop side. The aggression that Children 18:3 delivered on Rain's A Comin' is still there but there's an added up element.

Moment To Moment and Bandits kick off On The Run on a high note. Both songs are the style of pop punk we've come to know and love. We'll Never Say Goodbye is my favorite song on the record and it's the beginning of Children 18:3's pop side. Lee Marie takes over lead vocals and while she's sung before, there's a sweetness in her voice on We'll Never Say Goodbye that we haven't heard from her. An amazing hook to match her voice that captures the listeners attention.

What About Justice, Jenny, I Tried To Do The Right Thing, and Holding On are all great punk songs. Always On The Run showcase the band's lighter side. Why Are You Afraid The Dark is another song that grabs you and captures your attention. A mix of Blindside and Children 18:3 (the song also features Christian Lindskog from Blindside).

On The Run further cements Children 18:3 as the best band on the current Tooth and Nail roster. An all around great album

States - Room To Run

On June 19th Tooth and Nail will re-release States' debut record "Room to Run." It was great news to hear that Tooth and Nail picked up States and was going to give people a chance to hear Room to Run.  States features former members of Copeland, Dension Marrs, The Dark Romantics, and Lydia. Room to Run is female fronted indie pop perfection.

I don't think it's a stretch to say that fans of Denali, Blondie, and Carly Rae Jepsen will enjoy Room to Run. Yep, you read that right. The songs are groove laden with danceable beats and great hooks that get you moving and get stuck in your head.

Timebomb starts the record off strong. Great distorted, driving bass riff that gives way to a strong melodic hook. From that point on, the record doesn't stop hitting strong. Captivating Me is a sweet song while Right or Not is a dirty dark dance track. Everlasting has similar danceable notes but strikes more on the pop side than new wave. Each new track just as catchy, just as solid as the one before it.

I predict big things in States' future. Room to Run is a lot of fun and a great pop record. Tooth and Nail will help this band reach new levels.

The Meltdown 82

New music from xLooking Forwardx, Your Memorial, Letter to the Exiles, and Audrey Assad.

Altars - Conclusions

There was something special about Altars debut ep Opposition. It was metalcore with a european twist that wasn't really anything new but it was fresh to a scene full of copycats and sound-a-likes. The band's new full-length, and Facedown debut, Conclusions, doesn't carry over those european elements.

Conclusion is still a killer record. Altars proves themselves to be one of the best new bands in heavy music with Conclusions.

In place of the great harmonic guitar riffs that Opposition had are more melodic guitar riffs. And while it's a turn that the hardcore scene has been taking over the last couple of years (how many melodic hardcore records have I reviewed this year?) but Altars does it better. The band is heavy though and though and when I say that the melodic riffs replaced the harmonic riffs, that's exactly what I mean. Altars didn't soften or bring ballads into their sound. They just changed their riff writing a little.

The instrumental piece, Portlen, is the only misstep on the record. It doesn't serve much purpose and the record has enough movement and breaks in the songs that needing and instrumental piece to create a rest isn't really necessary. Even Realizations, the albums other instrumental piece, serves as a bridge into the album's title and final track, Conclusions.

From top to bottom, Conclusions is an excellent record (Ya know.... Minus that one song). Opposition was a great introduction and Conclusions is Altars letting the world know they're here and they mean business. This is not a record to miss.

The Meltdown 81

New music from Project 86, Write This Down, Altars, The Fray and more.

Write This Down - Lost Weekend

Write This Down's self-titled debut was a showcase of a band with tons of potential but no real direction. The album featured some new tracks and some re-recorded versions of older songs and while it was a good record, it was a bit all over the place. I wrote that it would be interesting to see what direction musically the band would choose for LP two.

Lost Weekend is very similar to the band's debut in a lot of ways but it's extremely different. It's almost like a completely different band in many regards. Musically, Lost Weekend is similar to the band's debut but more defined and more raw. There's a harder edge to Lost Weekend but Write This Down doesn't completely leave their ballad side in the closet.

The Older I Get, The Better I Was kicks off the album on a strong note. Johnny Collier comes in full scream and while there was screaming on the band's debut, it's different. There's clearly a heavier edge. It hits in the same way Emery's The Cheval Glass kicked off We Do What We Want. The lyrics are biting and pointed, voicing a tiredness with a hypocritical honesty.  See Ya Never feels a lot like songs from the band's previous material. I'll Make You Famous, Red 7, and The Florida Rage all point to one influence; Project 86. Write This Down has spent time touring with Project over the last couple of years so it's no wonder that the influence is there. The riffs on those tracks are killer and strong and Write This Down has managed to capture some killer hooks on Lost Weekend (something that was missing on their debut).

The record is on 100% from the word go, so when the band's cover of No Doubt's Don't Speak hits, it's just enough of a break from the full on assault that it's a welcome shift. But Cheap Affairs doesn't have the same effect. Even though Don't Speak was a break in sound, Cheap Affairs, the album's first ballad, is such a dramatic shift down in tone and energy that it brings the album to a screeching halt. The song on it's own is fine but in context to the album, I'm not sure how it works. But... I'm also not sure where else to put it.

Lost Weekend is a great record and with minor exception is a great listen from start to finish. The band has expanded themselves and grown in many ways and it shows on Lost Weekend.