It’s been a hot minute since Bad Suns released an album! In all honesty, Mystic Truth was kind of a disappointment for me, so I was really nervous about how the band’s new music would sound. But, if there few singles were anything to go by, then I was in good hands. And now I can say with certainty that Apocalypse Whenever is a solid return to form for Bad Suns – yay!
Sadly, I don’t know if any Bad Suns album will reach the level that their debut did, but I can at least place Apocalypse Whenever on the same playing field as their sophomore debut, Disappear Here. Lots of catchy tracks that manages to capture California pop with their historic rock roots mixed altogether. I personally did not find one bad track from the thirteen offerings, although of course, there are a few that will need a few more listens to fully grow on me. For instance, “Summer Lightening” had me cringing for the beginning part, but the rest of it was quite alright. I felt similarly with “Wishing Fountains” and “Symphony of Lights.” With that being said, I do think they’re well on their way to the rotation.
I would say all of the singles released before the album dropped were pretty darn good. “Baby Blue Shades” and “Heaven is a Place in My Head” are both endlessly catchy and I’ve found myself singing them all day. “Life Was Easier When I Only Cared About Me,” super long title aside, is almost equally as catchy as the first two singles. All of these songs are also accompanied by some fun music videos. You guys know I love a good music video. I believe the same day the album dropped, or possibly the day before, the band dropped the song and video for “Peachy” which had me laughing at it’s old school quality and infomercial spoofs.
While the singles are great, a couple of other songs really stood out to me the first time listening through the album. “Electric Circus” caught me from the first note, and had a slight Foster the People feel to it. Can’t go wrong with that! “Nightclub (Waiting for You)” had some really cool synth/keyboard sound. Also, Ray kills it again with an amazing riff that goes along with the chorus. I’m a sucker for an awesome riff and this band consistently delivers them (“Cardiac Arrest,” anyone?). The title and opening track also stood out to me because it reminded me of all of their past albums. It had a nostalgic quality to it, although I’m sure that wasn’t the intention. Either way, I loved it.
All in all, really excited to have new Bad Suns in my life! I’m only disappointed that the tour that started the same day the album was released isn’t coming anywhere near me! Hopefully soon.