Four Year Strong – aftermath/afterthought
Release Date: 21st June 2024
Reviewed By: Mike Malyon
Pop punk alumni Four Year Strong set out to expand their musical horizons with this eclectic new release ‘aftermath/afterthought’. Building on their trademark tight-knit vocal harmonies and hook-laden guitar lines, the group has returned with this latest offering ahead of sixth album Analysis Paralysis. This time around, working with producer Will Putney, it’s clear the group aren’t afraid to expand into new musical territory while still remaining recognizable.
‘Aftermath/afterthought’ flirts with industrial elements before contrasting into a more familiar guitar-driven, high-energy composition that can easily be pictured playing in arenas and clubs alike. Synths take turns in bubbling tentatively, to ringing out like sirens, whilst the guitars veer on the cusp of nu-metal scrape and flutter with harmonics. All tied together with a rattling bass groove that would make Korn fanatics proud, and a drum performance that erupts in all the right places, this track shows Four Year Strong aren’t reliant on first impressions to carry them at this stage of their career.
Olly Steele – Imbalance
Release Date: 21st June 2024
Reviewed By: Alex Boyd
Olly Steele has released his first EP since leaving his previous band, Monuments. the EP follows a number of very successful singles and collaborations and whilst a lot of his previous work has inhabited the world of technical and proggy instrumental rock akin to Polyphia, Intervals and Animals As Leaders, this EP is a collaborative effort involving vocalist Adam Benjamin.
The release itself comprises 4 songs driven by Olly’s immense lead lines and dizzying rhythmic patterns intertwined with Adam Benjamin’s gentle and luscious vocal stylings. These elements combine together like leaves dancing in a warm spring breeze, painting colourful pictures. The songs meld with each other well, making it hard at points to distinguish where one ends and another begins, creating one solid listening experience that does not overstay its welcome at a total run time of just over 13 minutes. The guitar and vocal combination on these tracks helps to distinguish them from what has now become a pretty standardised sound in the instrumental rock world, instead building on the sound and style we have seen in bands such as Unprocessed in the last few years.
The Ilfords – Snake Groove
Release Date: 14th June 2024
Reviewed By: Dan Hemming
Catchy and energetic alt-rock was brought to the world by North-East rockers The Ilfords earlier this month. ‘Snake Groove’ is just the sixth song to be released by the band and between the four of them they’re managing to bring an element of chaos to what is an ‘indie-adjacent’ track. Super clean vocals that feel more Sheffield than Newcastle drive the song through its three minute run time, with only a slight deviation towards then end when things get gritty. This is a dancer.
Bemo Rouge – I Hate You Have To See Me This Way
Release Date: 14th June 2024
Reviewed By: Dan Hemming
New Orleans post-hardcore outfit Bemo Rouge aren’t far into their career, ‘I Hate You Have To See Me This Way’ bring just the ninth track from this solo project. With cleans that echo the likes of My Chemical Romance and screams that feel like they’re emanating through the gates of hell. Somehow through all of this a pop-punk catchiness thrives and the emo nature of it all calls out to those elders. Get the eyeliner out!