Sad to report that this weekend I listened to two pretty disappointing new releases.
Bad Suns released their third full length, Mystic Truth towards the end of March and I finally got around to listening to it. Bad Suns are one of my all-time favorite bands, and I’ve seen them live more than half a dozen times in the short 5 years they’ve been around. They had such a strong first record in Language and Perspective that I wasn’t too surprised in the sophomore slump of Disappear Here, although that, too was pretty strong. Needless to say I was pumped for this album to come out! Before its release they dropped a few singles which were just average in my opinion. No matter. A record can always rebound. Sadly, this record did not. Ten tracks in total that all sounded relatively the same despite trying to throw in some piano and brass instrumentals. After my first pass, the only two songs I would consider adding to my playlist for them are “A Miracle, A Mile Away” and “Hold Your Fire.” Honest opinion is to pass on this, but definitely always go see them live if you get the chance – super nice guys!
Relative newcomers to the indie scene, is the band Wallows, fronted by 13 Reasons Why’s Dylan Minnette. Not even a year after their Spring EP was released, they dropped their full-length debut, Nothing Happens, at the beginning of March. The EP, while only a handful of songs, was really strong, so I was looking forward to the full-length. Even the singles, “Are You Bored Yet?” and “Scrawny” that were dropped ahead of the release were wonderful! But those were about the only two songs worth listening to on this 11-track album. I got a very strong Declan McKenna vibe from the whole record, but Declan does Declan better. A lot of the instrumentals were messy sounding, and while Minnette’s monotone vocals work on the singles I’ve heard, they definitely don’t always work. That’s why a standout song for me, featuring other vocalist and guitarist, Braeden Lemasters, was “Ice Cold Pool.” Just grab those three tracks and leave the rest of this work in the dust. Despite a lackluster debut, I would be interested in seeing them do a live set. We shall see!