No brand new album for me to review just yet, but that doesn’t mean there hasn’t been new music! That’s right, plenty of bands are releasing singles, which is giving me hope for full length albums in the very near future. Here’s what I’ve been checking out recently.
Fever 333 – “For the Record”
This is hardcore punk at its finest. I’ll admit that I’ve been ignoring this band for a little while and for no good reason! They are amazing, but I think I was just being too lazy to listen to new tunes. “For the Record” is brief but bombastic, and Jason Aalon Butler’s screams are piercing in the best way possible. I know this song is part of an EP the band released last year, but I hope that this leads to another full-length soon. Regardless, I hope this leads to some live performances! Fever 333 is a band that cannot be missed in a live setting.
Bullet for My Valentine – “Knives”
My sister can tell you that a return to form for Bullet for My Valentine is long overdue and extremely anticipated. And it seems their first single in several years really delivers. I myself am familiar with most of their catalog, and while the last album was a little lighter for them, I thought it seemed like a natural progression for the band to take. Regardless, sometimes it’s nice to circle back. “Knives” is heavy-hitting from the outset and it never relents. Sometimes straight screaming doesn’t agree with me, but I can’t ignore the infectiousness of this song. Also, “Knives” marks the lead single on a upcoming album due this October!
Bastille – “Distorted Light Beam”
I…am conflicted. For me, everything Bastille has produced since their early work has just been mediocre. The most recent example I could give is the fact that I only liked half of the songs on their Goosebumps EP, which I can say the same thing for their previous two full-lengths. I can only hope that this single isn’t the baseline for the next album, but I have my doubts. Nothing is inherently bad about this song, but it’s not memorable in the slightest. Perhaps having OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder isn’t helpful. I can’t even remember the last new song that band put out. Anyway, I might end up liking this song a bit more if I give it a few more listens, but as of now, I say go listen to the old stuff.
Bad Suns – “Heaven is a Place in My Head”
Bad Suns just keep hitting it out of the park for me with these singles! This makes me so happy that a new album will be nothing like Mystic Truth. “Heaven is a Place in My Head,” is immediately hooky and as it goes on, I can’t help but think of the 80s a little bit. Actually, a large part of me was shocked to see someone wearing an iWatch in the music video! Similar to “Baby Blue Shades,” I know this will get played on repeat. This is making me really excited for a full album and hopefully a tour in the near future!
Ed Sheeran – “Bad Habits”
Woof. It’s been a minute for Ed Sheeran, who deservedly took some time off, but I don’t know that the absence was good for his music. While his vocals are beautiful, the beat was over-produced garbage that sounded as generic as any pop song out there. If I had heard this randomly, Sheeran’s name would have never crossed my lips simply because it sounds so mediocre. I would have assumed some new wannabe pop artist put this out. The accompanying video is also laughably horrible (unless that was the point). I sure hope whatever he puts out next brings back a sense of musicianship.