Man, these last few weeks have been the gift that keeps on giving in terms of new music! Here were some pleasant surprises that just dropped!
Twenty One Pilots
“Overcompensate” – Now, I just might not be too hip with Twenty One Pilots’ social media accounts, but I had no clue anything was in the pipeline for them until last week. It is odd though that both my sister and I recently started jamming to their stuff again. I was thinking, “man, it’s actually been a while since Scaled and Icy came out.” Looks like we had some kind of weird intuition moment. Anyways, based on the upcoming album’s cover, I inferred that this album would maybe be a more direct continuation of Trench, musically. Well, according to the internet, that is correct. At least from a story perspective. Apparently the little character created in that world is going back, and we are going on that ride with him whenever Clancy gets released in May. I like how this song links back to the Trench era by inserting “Bandito” into a bit of an intro to this song, which in and of itself is quite brief. I’m here for it though, and it’s got me excited to see what the rest of the album is going to bring!
White Reaper
“I Can’t Escape Myself” – Now, I am not at all familiar with the original version of this song created by The Sound, but you know I am down for this one! I think at this point it’d be really hard for me to hate something White Reaper releases. The song has almost a minute-long instrumental build-up before Tony kicks in with some rather subdued vocals. It’s only in the very brief chorus where we get to hear something we’re used to from the band, but I like this duality! I kind of hope whatever they make next takes this sound and tries to work off of it. I think they could make some pretty sweet tunes in this vain. Also, I think if you’re a fan of She Wants Revenge’s “Tear You Apart” (and obviously the original), then you will enjoy this.
Cage the Elephant
“Neon Pill” – I could kick myself for never going to see Cage the Elephant whenever they toured for Social Cues. One of my favorite albums that year, and I was too stupid to pay attention to their tour. Ever since then, I’ve been desperately waiting for them to put out new music and they finally have! To be fair, it sounds like lead singer, Matt Shultz has had a tumultuous last few years, so I’m sure crafting this upcoming record was a wild ride. The titular track is nothing that jumps out at me as genius, but it is a solid rock song and it has me hopeful for what the rest of the album can bring to the table. And you bet your butt I just got a ticket for their late summer tour!
Joywave
“Brain Damage” – I’m most used to hearing hard beats and fast-paced jams from these guys, so it’s harder to remember that they do have other speeds. This for instance, is a bit tamer on that scale, but it still packs an infectious punch. I know I’ll be singing that chorus the rest of the day! It almost reminded me of something that Portugal. The Man could have made, but then again, I can also see why they collaborated with IDKHOW recently. They all share some bits of the same DNA for sure. I did get the pleasure of hearing this live the other day and the show’s crowd also got the scoop that a new album and a tour on are their way this fall! I’m excited!