Browsing Tag

emo

Resonant Quietus: BLVCK GARDEN expresses the inexpressible in his emo rap hit, ‘MY SILENCE’

Posted on 18 October 2024

BLVCK GARDEN’s single ‘MY SILENCE’ is an intricate exploration of how silence is the loudest scream. BLVCK GARDEN is just one of the guises of Carlos Fabre, an artist with roots deeply entrenched in electronic music and hip-hop. As BLVCK GARDEN, Fabre channels his versatility into an emo rap project that resonates with an irrefutable intensity.

The track initiates with a robust thrum of harsh, reverberant bass—a foreboding echo that sets the stage before the beat escalates beneath sharp-with-candour bars delivering the pinnacle of vulnerability.

Fabre constructed a soundscape where spatial effects and the dynamics of the instrumentation speak volumes. Each verse is delivered with a raw, freestyle energy yet carries the weight of a seasoned poet’s ink, unveiling a spectrum of emotions that connect through stark honesty.

Emerging from his diverse musical background—having honed his skills in production and instrumentation remotely via RRFC—Fabre’s latest endeavour in emo rap hints at a promising new direction. With aspirations to sign with a label and further his reach, ‘MY SILENCE’ is a sign of massive things to come from the emo rap luminary.

MY SILENCE hit the airwaves on October 6th; stream the track on SoundCloud now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Razor Hooks and Synth Strokes: Unreal’s ‘Dirty Blue’ Cuts Deep

Posted on 23 September 2024

Taken from the debut eponymous LP which hit the airwaves on September 11, the seminal single, Dirty Blue, is an undeniable attestation to how the Portland powerhouse Unreal isn’t just here to play, they’re here to rip the monotony from the contemporary music scene with their razor-sharp hooks and convention-defying sonic signature.

Pairing 80s synth lines with angular indie jangle pop guitar lines and the caustic timbre of emo-adjacent vox, Unreal lived up to their moniker with their potent, alchemic cocktail that few other artists would think to pour, let alone pull it off in such an anthemically infectious way.

Imagine a synthesis of the riled angst of Taking Back Sunday, the glittery synths of a-ha, and the guitar licks of the Replacements and you’ll get an idea of the sheer innovation that courses through Dirty Blue which transcends the usual try-hard aesthetics of genre-fusion; every element serves to add more depth to the high-octane currents of emotion that courses throughout the earworm.

Stream the debut LP from Unreal on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vanderga

Reservations at 8 – Come Around: A Visceral Anthem of Disparate Desolation

Posted on 20 September 2024
Come Around / Not So Easy St by Reservations at 8

Reservations at 8 unleashed a formidable force in their double A-Side release, “Come Around / Not So Easy St.” This sophomore installation from the Massachusetts-based trio drenches listeners in a sea of distorted melodies that gnaw deep into the soul.

The hybridic beast of a synthesis of grunge, no-wave and pop punk in Come Around created the ultimate anthem of disparate desolation which thrives on visceral hooks that intertwine seamlessly with Peter Tuohy’s vocal onslaught.

The single encapsulates the agony of clinging to the ephemeral, with guitar solos that mourn like the final throes of a resigning hopeless romantic. If you’re all too familiar with the tumult of fading futures and the strife of holding onto the slipping threads of hope, find swathes of resonant consolation in this antagonised earworm.

Since forming in 2019, Reservations at 8 has evolved from covering bands like Green Day and Nirvana to defining their unique sound—a cagey cocktail of power rock and pop imbued with their idols’ spirit. Now entrenched in the local Massachusetts music scene, the trio aims to transcend the preference for covers in bars and make an indelible mark with their original material. With several tours and a growing following, they stand at the cusp of their creative zenith

Stream and Purchase Come Around on Bandcamp now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

EGO DEF struck only the rawest chords with the alt-indie trap hit, wings

Posted on 19 August 2024

Fans of Fijmar, Alixx, and LIL NYX won’t want to miss EGO DEF’s single, wings, which transports through the darker recesses of indie-licked electronic alchemy, merging emo’s raw emotional intensity with the rhythmic pulse of trap.

The track’s plaintively striking beats lock you in as you sink into the razor-sharp tendrils of melancholy, making it a deeply resonant experience that echoes the all-too-relatable growing pains of youth.

wings laments over feelings of inadequacy, the overwhelming uncertainties of life, and the reckless desires that often accompany them. With every beat and lyric, EGO DEF’s polished and magnetic melodicism pulls you deeper into his world, where vulnerability meets the danger of desire.

As EGO DEF inches closer to the coveted 1 million streams mark, it’s clear that his achingly resonant productions are striking a chord with listeners. His ability to channel raw emotion into agonised earworms suggests he’s destined for top chart positions.

wings is now available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Distortion as Dialogue: Abandoned Buildings’ Alt-Indie Release, Microdose, Explores the Depths of Desolation

Posted on 11 August 2024

In the borderlands between post-punk, ambient post-rock and shoegaze lies the West Yorkshire five-piece, Abandoned Buildings; their latest diaphanous-in-spite of distortion howl into the void, Microdose, is the ultimate introduction to their unfeigned introspection.

After a quiescent intro of reverb and chorus-laden guitar, the track pulls you into a vortex of thematically affecting instrumentation that embodies the emotional underpinnings as much as the lyrics and vocals which paint a portrait of pain and isolation in strokes of vulnerability which forces you to meet the candour projected through the artfully visceral progressions.

Released ahead of the sophomore album, Eroding Light, which will drop on September 20, Microdose marked Abandoned Buildings as one of the most promising up-and-coming outfits on the alt-indie scene in 2024. Their creative vision which reinvents shoegaze fused with the way they reflect stark realities through the complexity of emotion is unparalleled. Don’t pass up on your Microdose fix.

Microdose will be available to stream on all major platforms from August 9th via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Midnite Special Evoked an Emo Renaissance in ‘Santiago’s’

Posted on 13 July 2024

The ache of the emo-dominated era of alt-rock endures through the solo project of South Wales hailing guitarist and vocalist, Liam Shevill. His latest venture, Midnite Special, is a visceral vessel to pay originated tribute to the sounds which shaped his multi-faceted talents and led to performances in seven countries alongside the likes of GBH, The Shell Corporation, and H20.

His debut album, Home-Made, kicks off with the electro-rock prelude in the seminal single, Santiago’s before the overdriven riffs rile rancour through the intimacy of the grungy lo-fi production that echoes the unfiltered intensity of Modern Baseball and Modern City Soundtrack. The pulsating rhythm section within the raw-with-angst release drives swathes of earworm appeal into the anthem of disillusion that oozes infectious authenticity.

After the release of the debut LP, featuring the Pavement-y Valentine’s Day single penned for his dog, plenty of people with an appetite for cultivated songwriting and discordant expressions of emotion will be ordering the Midnite Special.

Home-Made was officially released on June 19th; stream the album on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Salon is an icon of raw authenticity in his alt-rap hit, About Me, I’m Real

Posted on 10 July 2024

Salon’s latest single, About Me, I’m Real, is an unflinching testament to the power of raw, unfiltered self-expression in a world that often demands the opposite.

The heart-piercingly poignant single doesn’t just hit close to the bone, it’s enough to tear your soul in two through the choked-with-emotion vibrato in the vocals, the strident reflections of a frenetic soul through hyper-pop hooks, and the intimately intricate guitar layers which conjure elements of Midwest emo into this alt-rap hit, which serves as a visceral statement of intent from an artist determined true to himself, regardless of whether facades would serve him better.

Each lyric hammers intense emotion into your psyche, guiding you through a bittersweet lament of how authenticity can be your downfall. This track leaves no listener unscathed; its confessional nature, while pensive, invites you to embrace your own idiosyncrasies and reject incessant pressure to conform.

Since 2018, Salon has used music as therapy, transposing feelings into something tangible in the same vein as the late Chester Bennington, who left a sonic void of catharsis behind. Bennington is a big artist to live up to, but Salon, with his ability to turn vulnerability into salvation is succeeding on a profound level.

About Me, I’m Real was officially released on July 5th; stream the single on SoundCloud now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Vice Club is a red-hot new flame in the alt-rock fire with their seminal single, Call It What You Want

Posted on 7 July 2024

From the underbelly of New York’s gritty music scene, the NYC icons of innovative immorality, Vice Club have unleashed ‘Call It What You Want’; a track that’s drenched in the raw, visceral energy of grunge, infused with the kinetic seduction of Deftones’ breakdowns, and tinged with the raw emotionality of Silverchair and Thrice.

Rather than play it safe with the vocal performance, Vice Club transgressed expectation with the chameleonic execution by experimenting with pseudo-trap cadences and pop hooks around the gruff deliverances of ennui, creating an alchemically dynamic track with swathes of cross-over appeal. The soaring, intuitively technical guitar solo assures that even rock traditionalists can take something from the evocatively heightened anthem.

Every motif and progression is a testament to Vice Club’s determination to become the architects of a brand-new alt-rock wave and ensure their sound goes untainted by anyone else’s touch. Their DIY philosophy extended from the writing into the recording and production; swathing every aspect in their unique soundprint that will undoubtedly leave an army of alt music fans kneeling at their hedonic altar.

Call It What You Want was officially released on May 31; stream the single on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Oceandvst cured nihilism with their hooked-up juggernaut of an emo post-hardcore anthem, Dead End Hope

Posted on 16 June 2024

‘Dead End Hope’ is so much more than the sum of its parts; a savant polymath wouldn’t know where to start breaking the latest expansively affecting single from Oceandvst down.

The only true way to do the augmented with raw volition alt anthem any justice is by alluding to the visceral impact of the release that covers the entire emo spectrum while extending an olive branch of empathy to anyone who has ever known the claustrophobia of being trapped within their own mind.

From Paramore-esque vocal hooks to the heart-in-throat vindication of MCR to the hell-hath-no-fury like a post-hardcore breakdown of blast beats, ferociously distorted guitars and snarled basslines, Dead End Hope delivers it all while keeping the emotion of the single at its core.

Since forming in 2017, the Greek trio has lived up to their mission of becoming architects of sonic sanctuaries to the disillusioned, the lost, and the outliers with the candour in their lyrics and the intensity of their melodies. Messages of solidarity and hope underscore each of their releases which have been lauded by Billboard Magazine and Alternative Press.

If any outfit is capable of curing nihilism while simultaneously perfecting the formula for a pop-punk-post-hardcore anthemic hybrid, it is Oceandvst.

Dead End Hope was officially released on June 7th; stream the single on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

7ELIX found a new depth in intimacy with his emo rap vignette,  ‘CALLMEWHENYOUGETBACK’

Posted on 30 May 2024

CALLMEWHENYOUGETBACK taken from 7ELIX’s seminal LP, emergency exit, pt.3: death of a memory, is the perfect introduction to the Asheville, NC-born artist’s music which is offered as a salve for the outcasted soul.

The songwriter, producer and audio engineer created the ultimate testament to his motivation to advocate for mental health and suicide awareness by orchestrating this confessionally evocative emo-rap vignette of vulnerability. By illustrating the power of candid expression and giving an outlet for jagged emotions that become scars if they’re harboured for too long, he gave a lesson in catharsis in CALLMEWHENYOUGETBACK.

The light production work on the intricately melodic track ensures that none of the visceral sincerity from the recording was stripped away. Painted in nocturnal light that depicts the intimacy of late-night thoughts cascading into vocalisation, CALLMEWHENYOUGETBACK captures 7ELIX at his most uninhibited as he attempts to hold onto a relationship that is precariously hanging in the balance despite his tight grip on the affections that bring warmth to the bittersweet release.

It’s a heart-wrenchingly authentic release which is a clear sign of even bigger things to come from 7ELIX. We can’t wait to hear what’s lingering in the prodigy’s timeline.

CALLMEWHENYOUGETBACK is available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast