The New Pornographers "Continue as a Guest"
From Merge Records:
The New Pornographers have proven themselves one of the most excellent bands in indie rock. They’ve constantly offered new sonic surprises with every album, and Continue as a Guest is their greatest leap to date. The group’s first album for Merge establishes them alongside modern luminaries like Yo La Tengo and Superchunk when it comes to their ability to evolve while still retaining what made them so special in the first place. A dazzling and intriguing collection of songs that are truly built to last, Continue as a Guest finds bandleader A.C. Newman and his compatriots Neko Case, Kathryn Calder, John Collins, Todd Fancey, and Joe Seiders exploring fresh territory and shattering the barriers of their collective comfort zone.
The Bar Stool Preachers "Above the Static"
From Rough Trade:
Brighton punks The Bar Stool Preachers release their brand new album Above The Static via Pure Noise Records. The twelve songs that make up The Bar Stool Preachers’ stunning third full-length, Above The Static, were only supposed to be ideas, a guide to what the actual album would and could later become. So in April 2021, together with producer Ben Hannah, the Brighton-based band set up camp at The Waterloo, a three-story pub/venue in the Northern seaside town of Blackpool, to begin the process that would lead to the process of making an album. But when they listened to ‘Flatlined’, the first song they committed to tape there, it dawned on them that it actually sounded like the finished product.
Above The Static captures the moment which inspired it, as well as it capturing the complex, ever-evolving essence of the band that made it. Formed by McFaull and bassist Karl ‘Bungle’ Jeffery in 2014, these days The Bar Stool Preachers are completed by guitarists Tom Gibbs and Karl Smith, keyboardist Alex Hay, drummer Alex ‘Whibbs’ Whibley-Conway and most recently Ray Waters on guitars and many other instruments, all of whom are on a constant search to evolve, something equaled only by their desire to stay true to themselves. It’s that unique combination that’s at the heart of this record, one that sees the band riffing off their ska-punk roots, which also ensures they break the boundaries sonically of the punk genre. With this album, The Bar Stool Preachers want to both push through any preconceptions about the music they make, and ensure that what they do make doesn’t just fall on deaf ears.
Hayden Calnin "A Turning of the Tide: Side A"
The Bouncing Souls "Ten Stories High"
From Punk Rock Theory:
NJ punk legends The Bouncing Souls are back with ‘Ten Stories High,’ their first new album in seven years and their 11th full-length overall. Produced by Will Yip ((The Menzingers, Title Fight, Tigers Jaw)), the album comes with – as the album title suggests – ten new songs that include previously released singles ‘Ten Stories High’ and ‘Higher Ground’ and ‘Shannon’s Song’. All three of which have vintage Bouncing Souls written all over them. Think big choruses and even bigger feelings.
Pretty much the only thing that’s different this time around is where the band looked for inspiration. With normal life grinding to a halt during the pandemic, the Souls started using the Patreon platform. In addition to a weekly podcast and other content, the group offered a special tier where fans could have a custom song written for them. They’d do a 30-40 minute Zoom call with the person to try and get to know them and then something would usually pop out that they could focus on in the song. With inspiration being handed to them, they quickly had enough material for another solid addition to their already impressive back catalog.
The album kicks off with the title track, written by Pete Steinkopf, which kind of encapsulates the entire project. ‘Back To Better’ and ‘Another Day In Denver’ are two more tracks that harbor the classic Souls sound. And the hits keep on coming with ‘True Believer Radio’, ‘Magnus Air Organ’ and the moving ‘Vin And Casey,’ feturing 7 Seconds’ Kevin Seconds on guest vocals.
‘Ten Stories High’ finds the Bouncing Souls doing what they do best: drawing from stories of life’s ups and downs and turning them into highly singalong-able punk rock anthems. It’s a formula that has worked for them for over 30 years now and if anything, the band’s new album shows they still aren’t quite done.