Content Breakdown
Believe it or not, there is more to today’s #NewMusicFriday than Taylor Swift‘s new album. As much as I love pushing new music, I have a feeling she’ll be just fine without help from us. So instead, here are some other releases that are out today.
For starters, Pearl Jam returns with ‘Dark Matter’, the twelfth album of their career. If the reviews are to be believed, it’s some of their best material in recent years, proving they’re still going strong after 33 years.
However, if you’re looking for bands that are more akin to this very website, there’s a handful of noteworthy releases. First of all, The Ghost Inside bring a hefty slab of melodic metalcore with sixth album, ‘Searching For Solace’. Dayseeker treats fans to a collection of reimagined acoustic cuts on ‘Replica’. SeeYouSpaceCowboy pour all their sassy post-hardcore selves into the neo-noir world of ‘Coup de Grâce’. While indie rockers Cloud Nothings return with ‘Final Summer’, providing an arsenal big guitars and bigger hooks along the way.
Elsewhere, indie punk favourites Fresh drop their ‘Merch Girl’ EP. Dublin quartet Pillow Queens show plenty of ambition with their third album – ‘Name Your Sorrow’. The Melvins continue to add to their lengthy discography with ‘Tarantula Heart’. British doom metallers My Dying Bridge return with ‘A Mortal Binding’, their fourteenth studio record.
Like I said, there’s more to this week’s new releases than Taylor whatshername.
The Ghost Inside – Searching For Solace
Four years on from making their grand eponymous comeback, The Ghost Inside are back with their sixth album. Having been major players in the metalcore scene for close to two decades, ‘Searching For Solace’ sees them collaborate with those linked to some of the genre’s current heavyweights; Dan Braunstein (Spiritbox, Dayseeker), Cody Quistad (Wage War), Carson Slovak and Grant McFarland (August Burns Red, Bloodywood). While the mix of producers potentially leads to an uneven record, ‘Searching For Solace’ captures The Ghost Inside at equally their most melodic and aggressive.
The Ghost Inside‘s approach is one of “if it ain’t broke, why fix it?” For every (almost) formulaic rhythmic punch (see ‘Light Years’ and ‘Wash It Away’ ), there’s the industrious ‘Earn It’ and the gritty, pit-ready ‘Death Grip. That’s not to say ‘Searching For Solace’ is a bad record, far from it. Tracks such as ‘Wrath’ and ‘Reckoning’ sound huge, injected with hardcore density. ‘Secret’ blends the menacing metalcore blast with riveting guitars and pounding drums. It results in a chugging monster of a highlight. Whereas ‘Cityscapes’ leans into power ballad territory with effective results, due to its gradual build and soaring chorus.
Anchored by a permanent lyrical narrative of gratitude, determination, and vulnerability, the band’s notion of “it’s the journey, not the destination” is epitomised on the album finale, ‘Breathless’. Providing one last thrill ride with Jonathan Vigil’s versatile vocals, Andrew Tkaczyk’s drum fills, with guitar duo Zach Johnson and Chris Davis controlling the ebb and flow between clean and heavy moments alongside bassist Jim Riley.
It’s doubtful that The Ghost Inside‘s stock will rise off the back of ‘Searching For Solace’, yet it allows them to provide a level of consistency that few can do for so long. While the subtle hints of melodic and sonic expansion are welcomed characteristics, neatly embedded into the bruising, and tried-and-tested style.
Dayseeker – Replica
A band revisiting old material and going down the acoustic route is far from a new idea. However, it always gives the band to showcase their music in a different light. That’s considerably what Dayseeker have done on ‘Replica’. Their arena-sized brand of post-hardcore/metalcore has been swapped out for intimacy, allowing the emotional side of their music to be honed in on.
Admittedly, it’s effective as ‘Sleeptalk’ allows Rory Rodriguez’s impressive vocals to take centre stage. Sprinkled with a delicate instrumentation, it sets the tone for ‘Replica’. His sincerity continues on ‘Without Me’ with guest vocalist Amber DeLaRosa bringing a different perspective, resulting in a succulent duet. The emotional aspect of ‘Replica’ comes into full fruition on ‘Neon Grave’. It sees Rodriguez reflect on the death of his father. This re-working allows him to pour his heart out, with a musical backdrop of distant percussion and stripped-back acoustic guitars.
The aforementioned inclusion of DeLaRosa is one of several guest spots on offer. Holding Absence‘s Lucas Woodland brilliantly shares harmonies on ‘Starving To Be Empty’. Together, they create one of ‘Replica’s most heart-tugging moments. Likewise, Caleb Shomo of Beartooth appears on the ominous reworking of ‘Burial Plot’.
‘Crying While You’re Dancing’ already had an emotional core, yet here it’s given a glistening and icy touch that makes Rodriguez’s words of witnessing a female’s self-destruction more impactful. While ‘Drunk’s powerful soaring chorus has been replaced with hollow atmospherics, that gradually win you over. The penultimate track, ‘Afterglow’, is beautifully poignant and allows to Rodriguez pay tribute to his daughter, Hazel.
An atmospheric cover of Evanescence‘s ‘My Immortal’ concludes the collection, and matches the emotional tone of Dayseeker‘s own material, making it their own in the process. While Rodriguez’s voice is central to the track, and ‘Replica’ as a whole, the work of guitarist Gino Sgambelluri, bassist Ramone Valerio, and drummer Zac Mayfield shouldn’t be ignored. Collectively they conjure up a compelling, enchanting tone that accomplishes the task of showcasing their material in a different light.
Despite all of this, unless you’re familiar with Dayseeker, you may find ‘Replica’ somewhat tiresome. That’s understandable, as it’s considerably a release that’s “for the fans” and can easily be seen as a stop-gap as they work towards following up 2022’s ‘Dark Sun’.
unpeople – unpeople EP
You might not know this, but bands like unpeople are what this site is all about. While it might not always be obvious, celebrating homegrown talent has always been Already Heard‘s bread and butter. So who are unpeople and why should you give a shit?
Consisting of former members of Press To MECO and Sarpa Salpa, unpeople are launching themselves in a major way with this debut offering. Having made their live debut at 2000trees last summer, they ended the year by joining SharpTone Records (Holding Absence, Vukovi, Better Lovers). ‘unpeople’ consists of five infectious numbers that allow the four-piece to show their eclectic sound.
‘waste’ thrives with its bouncing rhythm and fuzzy riffs, instantly giving the impression that this is a self-assured quartet. Jake Crawford’s (guitars/vocals) delivers with a hint of charisma, delivering sarcastic lines as he assists the state of the world. “Shooting yourself in the foot with the starting gun,” he sings in the middle. While guitarist Luke Caley and bassist Meg Mash provide some strong harmonies throughout.
The momentum is carried into debut single, ‘smother’. Crawford and Caley bounce off each other, both vocally and in the guitar department. While Mash along with drummer Richard Rayner hold down a thriving rhythm section. ‘overthinking’ early on draws you in with Crawford’s words of low self-esteem alongside a steady tempo. As it evolves with Mash’s bass groove, it erupts with assured group vocals in its chorus, serving as a unified proclamation of acceptance; “you will run out of time”.
‘going numb’ disguises itself with its playful riff and melancholy exterior, yet it clouds Crawford’s lyrical breakdown. Soon enough, metallic riffs and guttural vocals interrupt, igniting the lyrical fire. ‘moon baboon’ rounds out this impressive EP in a strong manner. It allows unpeople to throw it all at the wall, and thankfully it all sticks. From its serene opening, sturdy riffs, rolling percussion, and firey vocals, to its compelling harmonies and towering melodies, it questionably ends ‘unpeople’ on an unbelievable high.
Tied together by a blunt pessimistic narrative, ‘unpeople’ serves as a rallying call of discontent, both within ourselves and how the world is right now. For the members of unpeople, this is the first step towards a very promising career. Their debut offering is a short, sharp, and highly impressionable outing that deserves plenty of attention.
What is out on #NewMusicFriday?
Taylor Swift – The Tortured Poets Department
Pearl Jam – Dark Matter
The Ghost Inside – Searching For Solace
Dayseeker – Replica
SeeYouSpaceCowboy – Coup De Grâce
High On Fire – Cometh the Storm
Cloud Nothings – Final Summer
Escape The Fate – Out Of The Shadows 2.0
unpeople – unpeople EP
Fresh – Merch Girl
Pillow Queens – Name Your Sorrow
The Melvins – Tarantula Heart
My Dying Bride – A Mortal Binding
Mothman, The Man – Where’s Your Head?
Big | Brave – A Chaos Of Flowers
DOOL – The Shape of Fluidity
For Heads Down – For Heads Down
Couch Slut – You Could Do It Tonight
Henrik Palm – Nerd Icon
DVNE – Voidkind
Life’s Question – Life’s Question
Quantum – Down The Mountainside
Trauma Glow – About To Find Solace In Your Arms
FreeHowling – Pure Negative Attitude
Ghost Complex – Voice Of The Void
Lightworker – How The Beautiful Decay
Motions – The Paralysis
If you think I’ve missed something or have a new album/EP/song to tell us about, tell us about it here.
If you’re looking for the latest tracks focusing on rock, punk, hardcore, metal, emo, and everything in between, then check out our ‘Newish Music’ playlist on Spotify or Apple Music.
