New Music Friday — 12th of September
Twenty One Pilots — Breach
Twenty One Pilots made a name for themselves over the 2010s with their unique ways of combining rock with pop and rap. Their emo like marketing mixed with their edgy lyrics pushed them right into a space that is filled with emo teens, that ultimately became the core of their fanbase. The duo making viral hits such as "Stressed Out", "Heathens", "Ride" and many more only helped them grow into one of the biggest alternative bands in the world. However, in the 2020s the whole "TOP" fanbase kind of died down, as the band didn't make much noise in the mainstream as before. Last year they released their most polarazing project up to date, "Clancy", a record that even their most stubborn fans weren't crazy about. But "Clancy" atracted some listeners from the outside, and the hype around the band grew again, only to be crushed by Tyler and Josh hinting at a hiatus. When they announced "Breach" it was a surprise, no one expected them to release new music this soon. It came with a twist though, because now it's basically confirmed that this album is the last we will hear from this experimental duo. Did they leave on a high note? I guess... I'm not sure. "Breach" is by far the most edgy, in a good sense, album Twenty One Pilots have ever released. So many more rock inspired tracks, such as the opener of this record, "City Walls", "Drums Show", "Days Lie Dormant" and the closer, "Tally". Those four tracks are also my favorites from this LP, especially "City Walls" and "Drum Show". Honestly, those two tracks might be the best Twenty One Pilots songs I have ever heard. "Breach" has some problems though. From edgy, cringe lyrics, that are similar something a 13 year-old would write once they discover My Chemical Romance, to boring and bland production choices that dominate the second part of this project. It could have been much worse, but it also could have been more satisfying. That is the best way to describe "Breach". Overall score: 70/100
Jade — That's Showbiz Baby!
Interesting combination of the glamour pop had in 2010s and the electronic bubble gum style production pop has in 2020s. Take the intro track as an example, a song that has some hyperpop elements and then a dream pop type of ending? Bravo to Jade for her creativity, plus the song sound amazing and cohesive. Same could be said about the songs "IT girl", "Fantasy", "Lip Service" and "Glitch". All of the girls I named are amazingly produced, especially "Glitch". It sound like it could be on "Vroom, Vroom" by Charli Xcx. Even though the formula was good, Jade repeated it too many times, so a lot of tracks sound like the same song over and over again. Still though, I can't be mad, this is a pretty impressive debut solo album from an ex Little Mix member. Hope she continues her journey and finds her own unique sound eventually. Overall score: 60/100
Between The Buried And Me — The Blue Nowhere
It's not as good as "Colors" but can we blame them? Between The Buried And Me is one of those bands that will always live in the shadows of their most celebrated, best album. They are veterans at this point, as they have released many quality records over the last 23 years. Yet none of the projects they put out will ever be better than "Colors", which a true masterpiece of metalcore. This record tries to combine goofy, almost Disney like instrumentals with brutal, dark guitar riffs. It doesn't always fail at doing so, but when it does, it for sure fails A LOT... "God Terror", "Slow Paranoia" and the closer "Beautifully Human" all sound cohesive, fun and heavy at the same time. There are also songs like "Door #3" and "Psychomanteum" that do sound good, at times, while at other times sound like a giant bawl of everything. Like you combined beef with a lemon cake - when you taste only beef it's all good, same goes with a lemon cake, but when you taste them both at the same time, you vomit. Overall score: 60/100
Other releases worth mentioning are: "Play" by Ed Sheeran (30/100), "I Feel The Everblack Festering Within Me" by Lorna Shore (65/100) and "Sister" by Frost Children (50/100)