AS IT IS 'I WENT TO HELL AND BACK' - Album Review

 

British pop-punk band As It Is has been through many trials and tribulations since their last album, from being a band of five to now being a band of three, and like many other bands in the scene, the current COVID-19 pandemic putting a halt to everything. But the boys are back and better than ever with their newest and 4th studio album appropriately titled 'I WENT TO HELL AND BACK'. As It Is are never afraid of changing up their sound and this album proves once again that bands can succeed when they give the fans something new! 

No strangers to also having a specific theme or concept behind each album and after the theming of their last album titled 'The Great Depression' which was basically the band trying to bring 'emo' back with vocalist Patty Walters long black hair and dark eyeliner and black and red outfits similar to Gerard Way back in My Chemical Romance's prime, nobody knew what to expect next from them. With the release of their first single titled 'IDGAF' back in May of last year, it was apparent of the direction the band planned to go with on I WENT TO HELL AND BACK. It's almost the perfect mixture of the band's early pop-punk days with the upbeat instrumentals and the darker instrumentals that The Great Depression had. 

This is the first As It Is album that has guitarist Ronnie Ish taking over for beloved former member Benjamin Langford-Biss who parted ways with the band shortly after their last tour to focus on solo work. Ronnie was touring with As It Is on that last tour as an extra guitarist so fans were ecstatic when it was announced he would be a permanent member! With Ronnie being the only guitarist now, he gets to show his talent and he definitely fits in perfectly, almost like he was destined to be a part of this band and album creation! 

Overall, I WENT TO HELL AND BACK is nostalgic, energetic, and for the people who just want Warped Tour to come back! If you have never listened to As It Is but enjoy bands such as Neck Deep or Trash Boat, this is definitely a band for you! Every single album this band puts out gets better and better. Arguably, this might be the best album of their career! No matter the situation, As It Is are amazing at coming back with new and different experiences for all of their albums and I WENT TO HELL AND BACK is no exception. What makes it such a significance is how different it is when compared to the generic pop-punk feel of their debut album 'Never Happy, Ever After', the happy 50's inspired 'Okay', and of course the dark heavy topics of 'The Great Depression'. I WENT TO HELL AND BACK is it is own. It's different but not so different that it deters long-time listeners. It combines a little of everything from the band's past work and puts it into an album that is truly a masterpiece! 

Rating: 4/5

★★★★☆

  

Never Loved 'Over It' - Album Review

 

     Florida alternative rock band Never Loved has finally dropped their long-awaited debut album 'Over It'. Since the release of the band's first EP titled simply, 'Never Loved', and a tour with bands such as Like Pacific, Homesafe, Assuming We Survive and We Were Sharks in 2019, Never Loved began to accumulate a bigger fan following. With that following, came fans eager to see what was next. Over the course of the following year, the band would hint at a song called 'Autumn' which kept fans on their toes as to when they would end up releasing it. With the announcement of their debut album, also came the release of 'Autumn' and we finally got to hear everything the guys have worked so hard on. 

     The first taste fans got of the album was with the release of three singles which included 'Over It', 'Sunshine' and 'On and On It Goes', as well as 'Autumn which was the last single released before the album's debut. All the singles that were released were so different from one another, it was a nice variety of styles that there was something for everyone. 'Over It' is the first single, first track and the title of the album makes it the most important one out of the three as it is the kicker for the rest of the album. As a first single, it was the best choice. If you are an older listener of Never Loved, 'Over It' is exactly what you'd expect, it doesn't stray far from what old fans know and love, but for new fans who have never listened to Never Loved before this album, this first single will definitely catch your attention. The catchy chorus will have you humming "La de da da da da da" to yourself non stop and any song that gets stuck in your head must be a good one! The following singles included 'Sunshine' and 'On and On It Goes'. 'Sunshine' is heavier than the band's past work and it fits them so well! The pre-chorus reminds me of early 2000's rock/alternative music. Once the chorus hits, all you can imagine is screaming and jumping to this song in a pit, and then the bridge hits, and the instruments cut out and then come back into a sick guitar riff. The third single 'On and On It Goes' is a perfect mixture of both previous singles. It starts off with a kind of acoustic vibe and by the time the chorus hits, all the instruments come in, and once again you can scream the lyrics at the top of your lungs. Last but not least, we have 'Autumn'. This song is much different than anything the band has previously released as it's a mainly acoustic song with simple guitar, tambourines, and drums. It's the perfect pace and on the album itself, it comes after a beautiful interlude that transitions perfectly into it. For fans who waited almost 2 years for this song, the wait was definitely worth it. It really helps show how Never Loved can really do any type of song, from a rock song to a heavier song, to an acoustic ballad. There's isn't much this band can't do! 

     The rest of 'Over It' is also outstanding. Not one song is weaker than the others, all the songs flow so seamlessly together, its an album you need to listen to from front to back rather than on shuffle for the full experience. 'Over It' really shows the band's progression as a band and for a band who are newer to the scene, you will be blown away by their talent. The album has such a unique sound to it that it can not really be compared to anything, which says a lot! Never Loved have made an album that is the true definition of alternative rock and they are about to change the game! For a debut album, the time and attention to detail that went into creating 'Over It' shows with every single song. Definitely give this album and band a listen if you are into this genre of music because you will for sure find a song that resonates with you and wouldn't you want to follow a band that is this talented and will just continue to make better and better music as they continue to grow?! 'Over It' by Never Loved gets a 10/10!   

        

Montreal's Newest Upcoming Band: An Interview With Second Harbour

   

Photo courtesy of Constance Delisle

     Forming just last year in 2018, Second Harbour released their debut EP 'Transparent.' back in March of 2019. Consisting of brothers Xavier Morency (vocals/guitar) and Vincent Morency (bass), the duo are preparing to release some new music, as well as their first-ever music video. I got a chance to sit down with the boys before their show in Montreal on October 3rd. I got the details on how the band wants to grow going forward, how to handle a career in the music industry, and much more!  You can keep up with Second Harbour and their upcoming projects @secondharbourband on Instagram and @secondharbour on Twitter!

    Bailey: What are your top 3 goals related to the band? Any dream venues you want to play and/or bands to play with?

    Xavier: Starting venue wise, I really want to play Chain Reaction, Warped Tour is pretty much out of the question unless they do reunion show or something similar, but Chain Reaction for sure just because so many bands that I've listened to growing up played there and cite it as one of the major places to play so that would be really cool! It doesn't even matter if it brings a lot of people in, its just the fact of playing in a place where so many bands have played. As far as the 3 goals for us, just growing an audience as much as we can, would be pretty great, I think to establish a really pure connection with people, so not just trying to attract the most 'pop' fans but really just trying to get on a one to one basis with as many people as we can. Also, writing songs that not only are people content with not just now but in the future. We don't want to write a song that we were unhappy with 2 years from now, we want to try and write stuff that for ourselves is timeless.

     Vince: For the 3 bands we want to play with, Neck Deep is a really big one for us, as well as The Story So Far, Green Day, The Interrupters...I mean I could go on all day!

     Bailey: That's awesome! So, out of the two of you, is there a main songwriter in the group or are you both involved? And, what are the main themes discussed in your music?

     Xavier: So, we both have different roles when it comes to writing. I write the majority of the songs and piece everything together, I'm kind of  like the 'puzzle maker' and Vince is the one where when I bring a bunch of ideas to the table, he handles cutting down the things that are not that good or things that wouldn't be good for the songs, he decides where the songs go direction wise. Its a dynamic that works, it's a bizarre dynamic, but it works for us. For the main themes, it's a lot of self-doubts, that's like the MAIN theme, so like, being scared of what other people think while also trying to not be scared of what other people think, just like contradictory stuff. Self-doubt for sure and we try to just blend in a bunch of metaphors and nautical terms.

     Bailey: I know you guys are brand new to the scene, so what has been your biggest challenge so far as a band? 

     Xavier: I think inter-personal relationships are tough, especially since Vince and I live together and we have grown up together, we get along really well but it can be challenging just because if we have an argument we can't take a few days off and then regroup a week later...

     Vince: Yeah! I still have to see his face!

     Xavier: Yeah, and then the next day we are making stuff or we are together. That for me would probably be the most challenging thing, but we make it work! As long as we don't end up like Oasis we are going to be fine I think.

     Vince: I mean, if we end up as big as Oasis, then I'm fine with that!

     Bailey: What are your rehearsals like? Do you have a set time each week where you need to practice or is it more spontaneous where you just decide when and where you will rehearse? 

     Xavier: It depends on schedules. Vince goes to school, so apart from that our live drummer and myself both have jobs that are morning and day jobs so we can all have the nights to practice. We usually practice 5 times a week on any given day.

     Bailey: Pretty generic question, but if you guys were not in a band, what else would you be doing? Would you still be involved in the music industry somehow?

     Vince: I don't actually know if I'd be involved in the industry, I like to surf and rock climb so I'd probably try to find a job somewhere in that field, we live in Canada so I can't do that here but hey, it's fine!

     Xavier: I think I'd definitely be in the music industry still because I  grew up playing drums, I've been playing the drums for about 15 years now, I still play and record the drums in our band so it's not something that I would ever plan on giving up ever. I think I'd also be a drummer for another band because there is actually a really high demand for drummers. Music aside, I think, I just recently got into comics and art so if I got a side job it would probably have something to do with art!

     Bailey: If there was one thing that you wanted people who listened to your music to remember about you, what would it be?

     Xavier: For me personally, I would love it for people to dive into the lyrics and see all the connections that we made and that I really like to play with them. If anything, I prefer playing with the words and making complicated little messages instead of writing meaningful lyrics, I do enjoy doing that but my priority is stringing together all sorts of weird rhyming words and stuff related to that. I'd really like people to remember me for the lyrics and to look into all the little bits and pieces and the crazy things I try and add in that I take hours to do.

     Vince: I'm not the main lyric writer so the way I can answer that is, I'd like for people to retain whatever good emotion they get when they listen to our music.

     Bailey: In your own opinion, what is your best song you have released so far and why?

     Vince: Tough Luck, simply because I wrote the bass intro lines!

     Xavier: My favorite song we've released is Aim Below The Head which is the closer of our EP because we took a different approach to it, it has lots of parts and pieces that come together in cool ways, especially at the end, and it is a really nice way to close the EP. We had to limit our selves time-wise, which we usually try to, and it was cool for me. I'm not sure if people will latch onto it like the other songs since it is a bit longer but for me personally, I just wanted to put that song out there.

     Bailey: Who was the first person or people you showed your music to and what was their reaction?

     Xavier: I wrote music alone for a long time, so I showed Vince and my music must have been pretty bad when I started out, but he ended up joining the band, so maybe he enjoyed it?!

     Vince: I mean I'm in the band so it worked!

     Xavier: Realistically when we had our real recordings of our EP, I showed a few close friends and our dad. It's hard to get real reactions off people you are close to but, they all seemed proud of us so that was the cool thing.

     Bailey: What is your advice for anyone else who wants a career in the music industry?

     Vince: Don't do it! No, I'm kidding! Just be prepared. A lot of people are going to tell you that you can't do it. Have a backup plan and be ready cause you never know what is going to happen. If you are going to want to do this for real you have to go 110% and go all in. Practice as much as you can.

     Xavier: Definitely give yourself wholeheartedly, give all of yourself to the craft and practice day in and day out. Try and write songs that please you as well as other people.

     The boys are currently in the process of working on their new EP which they hope is even better than their first and are looking forward to continuing to grow as musicians. Make sure to check out Second Harbour and to follow them on social media to know everything about their upcoming music, first-ever music video, and more! 

Photo courtesy of Constance Delisle

Photo courtesy of Constance Delisle

   

    

Broadside Releases Two New Singles 'King Of Nothing' and 'Empty' - Review

     2 years after dropping their sophomore album 'Paradise', Broadside is back with 2 new singles!  After much teasing, on May 15th,2019, Virginia based pop-punk band Broadside released 'King Of Nothing' and 'Empty' which are the first two songs to kick off the new era for the band and to give fans a taste of what to expect from what we can only assume is a new album.

     'King Of Nothing' opens with a distorted guitar which reminds me slightly of the bands' other song 'Laps Around a Picture Frame' which was my previous favorite Broadside song, so I knew I was going to absolutely fall in love with this song just from the first few chords. 'King Of Nothing' has that classic Broadside sound that we all love which fits perfectly for a song like this. From a soft tempo pre-chorus that bursts into a loud, powerful chorus and a bridge that has hints of Baxxter in it (lead singer Oliver Baxxter's solo side project), this will definitely be a fan favorite for sure. The lyric "paradise of bones" a clear call back to the bands previous two records, 'Old Bones' and 'Paradise'. 'King Of Nothing' will without a doubt become one of the bands biggest songs! Mark my words. A very upbeat/jumpy song with deep meaningful lyrics, I wouldn't expect anything less from Broadside.

     'Empty' is the second of the two singles. With an intro that makes you happy just by hearing those first few notes, 'Empty' is definitely a summer song. If you want a song that you can blast with your windows down on a cool summer's night, this is the song for you! I can already envision the crowd jumping along to the chorus during live performances. 'Empty' in my opinion is actually way different from past work Broadside has released but it still fits with the band's overall tone. Oliver Baxxter's distinct vocals are what make Broadside stand out from other bands in the scene. I could see 'Empty' as a part of a movie montage, the little instrumental right after the final chorus gives off the classic "main character falls in love in the summertime, they spend time together, and then share a kiss with the sun setting behind them." For me, I LOVE songs where I can imagine what a music video may look like and hearing other fan's opinions on how they picture it because I love seeing how others interpret music. Because as we all know, music can have multiple meanings depending on whos listening.

     Overall, Broadside surprised us all with these new singles and I have no doubt in my mind that these songs are going to be a part of many summer playlists! To hear more from Broadside or to stream 'King Of Nothing' and 'Empty' for yourself, you can stream them from where ever you like to stream your music from. Also, be sure to catch Broadside on tour this summer with Emarosa and Lizzy Farrall supporting Set It Off!