Review by: Sibel Kutlucan
Wow! It is fair to say with Let’s Cheers To This, Sleeping With Sirens have came a LONG way since their first album release, With Ears to See and Eyes to Hear, which was released just last year, and definitely wasn’t the best way to break into the scene. I was ready to give up on the American post-hardcore band, hailing from sunny Florida, however with a deep breath and a strong cup of coffee I was ready to tackle Let’s Cheers To This and boy was I surprised.
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Category Archives: Sibel Kutlucan
Album Review | Set Your Goals – ‘Burning At Both Ends’
Review: Sibel Kutlucan
I was surprised in the most part to find out that Burning At Both Ends was an album from the San Franciscan boys, Set Your Goals. Burning At Both Ends did disappoint, certainly those who favoured the bands style that exuded melodic hardcore on Mutiny! The bands extremely well received full-length album released in 2006. At points I found Burning At Both Ends to be confused, torn between styles of pop punk and the stereotypical vocal cadence that is Tom Delonge in a nutshell, and the dynamic and enthusiastic melodic hardcore influences that were prominent in Set Your Goals older, well known sound. Although to be fair the band is exploring a newer sound and there are a few great tracks on Burning at both ends that certainly can win a listener over.
“Cure For Apathy” was a shaky opener for the album, with the first 30 seconds seeming forced and displaced, a little over done. This opening slot could have be filled with a number of tracks of the album that would have made for better openers, regardless however, my hopes for Burning At Both Ends weren’t crushed and sure enough by the second track, “Start The Reactor”, a strong and united pop punk sound came through and altogether it was a great song that definitely got the album going for me.
“Trenches” was another track I favoured on the album, it echoed a slew of popular pop punk bands with the catchy lyrics and rhythmic drumming. It definitely was a highlight of Burning At Both Ends for me and it made me feel like bouncing around and letting go of all inhibitions.
Shamefully, I have to admit another favourite for me was “Product of the 80s”, which even for the lyrics alone-that very much reminded me of MC Lars was just plain awesome. Extremely communicable, I struggled to remove it from the repeat loop on my Ipod (lucky it wasn’t the first track, otherwise I may not have made it through the rest of the album).
I may have been a bit harsh to begin with; Burning At Both Ends certainly is confused and misplaced in comparison to the strong and sincere sound that enthralled fans with previous releases from Set Your Goals. Regardless however, the album is still mostly good, not amazing, but good, with some tracks definitely deserving a listen or two. Set Your Goals may be hoping to further delve into pop punk and they have certainly done this with Burning At Both Ends, which as a whole is a vibrant pop punk album.
Review By: Sibel Kutlucan
Tracklist :
1. Cure for Apathy
2. Start the Reactor
3. Certain
4. Happy New Year
5. London Heathrow
6. Trenches
7. The Last American Virgin
8. Exit Summer
9. Unconditional
10. Product of the 80′s
11. Raphael
12. Illuminated Youth
13. Not as Bad
Album Review | Hellogoodbye – ‘Would it kill you?’
Review: Sibel Kutlucan
Hallelujah! Hellogoodbye have praised us with their return to the music world with the extremely dandy new release of their full length album Would It Kill You? An 11 track album that filled the void of the four years without a full length release from the Californian boys, since their release of Zombies! Aliens! Vampires! Dinosaurs! (released 2006). Would It Kill You? is truly an evolution for the band, maturing greatly from their previously dominant indie-synth and power pop sound; now embracing the indie pop rock sound that is ruling the music scene at the moment. The metamorphosis is extraordinary and definitely has done great things for the album and Hellogoodbye who have come a long way since their disco-esque electronics and syntehsised vocals on older tracks such as Shimmy Shimmy Quarter Turn.
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CD Review | Pushking – “The World As We Love It”
Review: Sibel Kutlucan
Pushking’s new album, “The World As We Love It” certainly isn’t for the faint-hearted! The album packs a punch with 19 tracks selected from an extensive back catalogue, and featuring a smorgasbord of rock legends, from Paul Stanley, Alice Cooper and Steve Vai (just to name a few!) For these amazing names alone The World As We Love It is worth a listen, however, Pushking definitely hold their own ground and prove their recognition as amazing European power-metal rockers that can’t help but throw you back in time to huge hair, and shiny leather pants.
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Album Review | The Bloodpoets – ‘Wings’
Review: Sibel Kutlucan
The Bloodpoets, indie rockers hailing from Brisbane have continued their infectious streak with their new EP ‘Wings’.
Wings teases the listener with 6 tracks, each as unique as the other, broadcasting the diversity of the Bloodpoets style. It is great to hear real instruments amongst so much of the heavily synthesised and edited muck that is disguising itself as music nowadays. The Bloodpoets aren’t afraid to showcase their talents and diverse tastes; from trombones, trumpets and saxophones on “Sunny Day”-an amazing jazzy number, to violin and the melodic combination of male and female vocals with band’s Tom Murphy and Bec Plath complimenting one another on “She Feels It” –the definite favourite for me.
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Album Review | Heroes For Hire – ‘Take One For The Team’
Review: Sibel Kutlucan
Take One For The Team, the second full-length album from Sydney pop punk act Heroes For Hire definitely has a strong pop punk sound that plants them on the same page of any well known Fueled by Ramen band.
When I first heard the intro of track 1, “No Milk Will Ever Be Our Milk”, I was flooded with memories of being 14 and bouncing around to Simple Plan and Fall Out Boy in my bedroom. For those who don’t favour the whiny vocals and energetic drumming and guitar riffs reminiscent of bands like Blink 182 and Sum 41, then this definitely isn’t an album for you.
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