Hayden Calnin "A Turning of the Tide: Side A"
A Certain Ratio "1982"
Looking backwards and forwards all at once, drawing on influences from across every spectrum, 1982 is an unpredictable record that will reward a dedicated listener dozens of times over.
Even by the band’s high standards – which includes a gleeful disregard for boundaries of style and genre, their eye fixed firmly on constant movement forwards – their latest studio album 1982 is multidimensional. Recorded by the core ACR line up of Jez Kerr, Martin Moscrop and Donald Johnson, alongside Tony Quigley, Matthew Steele and Ellen Beth Abdi, it shoots off in every direction, whether via searing Afrobeat, mind-melting jazz breakdowns or moody electronic experiments.
And the album title? Although 1982 might conjure memories of the year that saw ACR put out both the acclaimed Sextet and the cult favourite I’d Like To See You Again, it’s more of a playful red herring than an invitation to nostalgia.
Samiam "Stowaway"
From Samiam:
Most of the songs on this record are about feeling dysfunctional, isolated, and lonely. Trying to find a way to connect to people and be happy. We’ve been a band for over 30 years. We almost never see each other. Two in NY, one in Florida, two in California. We live so far apart it’s hard to get everyone together to do anything. If we’re lucky someone will fly us all in to a city to play a show and we can get there a day early to rehearse the songs we want to play.
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.