An Honest Year: Everything Man (Review)

I'm back with an old favourite, this is An Honest Year with their new single Everything Man. The five piece Alt-poppers hail from Philadelphia and have been one of scenes bands to see since their formation in 2012.

This is Everything Man.

Straight away there's a great vibe to the song, foot tapping or head bobbing. It's a song I can so easily imagine being played live, the whole crowd jumping to the beat and singing the lyrics at the tops of their voices.
I've listened to a lot of bands in my time and it's rare to find one with such quality, the production is amazing. everything mixed together very well, it's in perfect harmony as they say.
Matt has a strong voice, he stands out and I know everything he's singing, his voice also quite sweet, he really makes me want to sing along.
The lyrics are a bit of soft spot for me personally, I've always loved stories of the best friends falling in love or in other words a girl not seeing the her Everything Man has been standing right beside her the whole time. The lyrics themselves will get stuck in your head, I'll be singing them for hours!
It is poppy and it isn't, it's not cheesy like pop can be but it's got that infections beat and hook that has you singing along but at the same time you've got these fantastic guitars, drums and bass that gives it gives it that something more. It's not pop-punk, or pop-rock nope this is purely An Honest Year.  

I did a review of Liar & a Thief and going back to compare them, there is a difference, Liar & a Thief has more of a rocky feel, the lyrics are more repetitive and it's just really nice to have a band who grow and change. Everything Man is different from An Honest Year's previous work but my god it's good!

Listen to Everything Man here

Check out An Honest Year on Facebook here

Also check out my review of Liar & a Thief here


  

Open Sails: Breakdown (Review)

Woo! Hoo! In Canada today with 5 piece Rock/Pop band Open Sails.
This is their single Breakdown.

I've listened to fair few female fronted bands in my time but never have I heard one quite like Open Sails. They're fast paced, powerful guitar riffs, fantastic crashing drums and that's just the opening 10 seconds! Joy's voice is powerful, well she has to be to keep up with instrumental side of the song. If I'd heard Joy's voice alone I might not have associated it with this style of music but in truth it works brilliantly. The song has a great hook, the lyrics are what I'd expect from this rock/pop style of song; catchy, great to sing along to and portray a relationship and how it can make you want to Breakdown. I did really enjoy listening to Breakdown, it's great to be able to hear something fresh and unique.

I really enjoyed Open Sails, and I give them full marks for being something different. I look forward to hearing more from them.

Listen to Breakout here
Check out Open Sails here

Through Colour: Somnium (Review)

For today's review I am in...... Wait for it.... Manchester! Today I have 5 piece Manchester Rock/Pop band, Through Colour.

Their EP Somnium.
The first song is Daydream, as this song was released as a single before the EP I knew what it sounded like. But it was the hearing of this song that made me want to review the rest of the EP as I really loved it.
I have nothing against songs that have a bit of an intro but I also love the way in Daydream you just so straight into the song. Foot tapping, fingers drumming on keys the second the songs starts. Steve's vocals are clear and stand out. Steve has a great voice as no matter how long I listen I don't get board of his voice he also makes me want to sing along,  I'm actually singing along before I've the song is over for the first time. Man I love these guitar riffs, (can I high five who came up with them?) They're sweet and I find myself trying to play along aside them! I love the way they go from something quite light and sweet to something heavier in the guitar solo. I'm really having a proper rock out to this song, someone's going to come knock on my door in a minute and complain about the amount of bad singing and foot tapping going on!

Lost
At the start I hear a slightly more poppy Through Colour, I can't help moving and getting into the song. The drums have this fantastic beat that I never lose through out the song, I can always find it be tapping along to it. Again Steve has me singing along with him before the song has finished for the first time. The song slows and I hear a softer side to his vocals which are just as good, then it jumps back to full speed. I still loving the guitar riffs, they're loud, ballsy and just have this great power about them. I'm loving the variety between Daydream and Lost, from something rocky to something with more a pop feel.

Ink
Starts slow and I'm met with some wonderful vocals until it spends up with a catchy chorus. It's another song that's more poppy, now I have nothing against that as I love pop music but I didn't like this song as much as the others. Not that it was bad, just a little repetitive and with the speed changing the way it does I couldn't follow it as well.

Broken
Is back with the rock, a heavier song that punches some power! It sounds more of an older side, I could imagine listening to similar thing a few years back. It's great to hear a another different side to Steve's vocals and just the whole difference in the song, with such a good mix of lighter and heavier songs Through Colour are no one trick pony.

Till The End
This is the only other song on the EP I've felt has been as good as Daydreaming. It's got a great power, a tempo change that really works and it makes me want to listen to ridiculously loudly and sing my heart out to it. It's one of those songs that kind of gets to you, it reminds me of My Understandings by Of Mice and Men in it's power and the way it makes me feel. One of my favourite things about Through Colour as a band is their lyrics, there is power in those words alone but mix them with the instruments and vocals and you have a recipe for an amazing band.

I absolutely loved Somnium! I do review EP's where all the songs sound very similar and it's hard to find new things to say, I did not have this problem here. Each track was different with a new twist on what I think as the classic Rock/Pop.

Check out Through Colour's Facebook here 
You can buy Somnium here

Em xxx

Forever Ends Here: 100 Times Over (Review)

All the way in Sydney Australia  with today's band, Forever Ends Here, a four piece Pop, Punk band.

Their new single 100 Times Over.
Pop punk is my genre so I always love it when I get the chance to review it and when I heard of Forever Ends Here I couldn't resist!
You know when you hear a song for the first time and straight away you are tapping along to the drum beat? Well that's exactly how I felt listening to 100 Times Over for the first time. I just couldn't help getting into the song, it's catchy but not in an annoying repetitive way. From start to finish the guitar riffs were upbeat, catchy, fact and just so amazing I found myself playing air guitar along side them! I also love the change in tempo from fast to slower, the rhythm guitar dropping out and leaving the lead and so on. At first listen, I didn't understand everything Luke was singing, and this bugged me a bit as clear vocals is important to me. Luke has a sweet almost pop-like voice that at first I wasn't sure if it worked, but my mind has been changed - the more I've listened, the more I've got into his singing style and decided it in fact works really well! The lyrics remind me of Pop Punk legends All Time Low, which is a good thing. 'It's over when the bomb drops, a ticking time bomb in a world of make believe'  is a lyric I really love. I don't completely understand all the lyrics but I don't think you need to understand every lyric for it to be a good song.
The more I've listened to Forever Ends Here the more I've become addicted to them. It's always great to find a band who put their own twist on the genre, do their own thing and Forever Ends Here definitely have!

I'll be keeping an eye out for these guys in the future as I can see them going far!

Listen to 100 Times Over here

Chick Forever Ends Here Facebook here

The Red: Fat Dancer (Review)

I'm back in England today but not just England Lincolnshire! It's not very often I get to review a band from the county I now live. Anyway this is The Red, 5 piece Fuck rock/Pop/Jazz and their debut single.
Fat Dancer.
This isn't normally my genre of music but when I listened to it for the first time I found myself tapping my foot and singing along!
Straight away it has one of those beats that you can't not tap your foot too, you'll find yourself dancing to it before you know it. The way Sam sings is quite unique to me, it's not just the same poppy voice that sounds the same as everyone else. In fact there's a uniqueness to the whole band which is one of the reason I started to listen to them in the first place. The lyrics are the kind that get in your head so you'll be singing them for hours after, they're simple and easy to learn as I was singing along before I listened to the whole song for the first time! The only thing is listening to it on repeat for so long (As I need to do) I found myself getting a little board. I've completely fallen in love with the guitar and I'd love someone to teach me to play like that!
I like the whole uniqueness about the song and it's so catchy despite it not being your normal thing you should totally listen, it's so worth it to hear these guys talent!

Listen to Fat Dancer here: http://thered.bandcamp.com/track/fat-dancer
Check out The Red's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRedPage?fref=ts

Em xxx

 

An Honest Year: Liar & A Thief (Review)

Another American band today this time in the lovely sunny Florida! An Honest Year are an 5 piece pop rockers with an alternative twist.
Their song Liar & A Thief.
It's not very often I hear a song for the first time and straight away start rocking out to it but listening to this, I couldn't sit still. The very first guitar riffs have me tapping me fingers on the keyboard and by the end of the song I want to get up and dance...I can always hear the drums which is great as sometimes I find they get a little lost. Man these guitarist are good, the riffs are sweet catchy and the tempo change in the middle is brilliant.  The vocals are clear, strong and had me singing along, you can hear the Blink 182 influence in the lyrics 'She's a lair and a thief she'll tell you what you want and what you want, she'll  chew you up and spit you out' are my favourite lyrics in the song. The song slows down for those lyrics before going back to it's fast tempo, someone people might find the lyrics a bit repetitive towards the end but I think because the lyrics themselves are good it doesn't matter if they're repeated a few times.  It's a really catchy song and I couldn't resist putting it on repeat!
I'd suggest this band to anyone who likes pop punk as well as I'm reminded slightly of the old Fall Out Boy in the song.  
I reviewed a fair few songs and yes they are times when I don't want to have a listen to the song again but here I'm going to have trouble taking it off repeat.

Have a listen to Lair & A Thief: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gv5-Jy2uubo
Check out An Honest Years Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anhonestyear?fref=ts

Em xxx

I really need to do this more often but been busy!! Today's band Natives a 5 piece rock/pop band from The New Forest, I first heard this band through Twitter.
There song This Island.
I'm first reminded of All Time Low then Room 94, they're not the most original band I've ever listened to but that doesn't mean they're not good because these's guys are truly great.
My foot never stopped tapping to the beat; the guitar riffs are good and energetic; the vocals are great, I love the way they're sung, the way they're so clear so I can understand every word and I've been singing along.
I really enjoyed this song and the energy of the band as a whole,
I look forward to hearing more.
Listen:  http://www.youtube.com/follownatives
Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/follownatives?fref=ts
Em xxx