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Linkin Park - One More Light

Linkin Park has been around for awhile now as a band but have been criticized a lot lately for changing their sound so much, I decided to have a listen for myself. I don’t think there is anything wrong with changing up your sound as long as it still reflects who you are as a band and it sounds GOOD. So from a non-biased perspective I dove into the album.

1. Nobody Can Save Me - I don’t really hear any real instruments on this track except for drums, and I can’t really see their older fans liking this much. As soon as singer, Chester opens his mouth I sense some weird vocal effects. What was once was a strong singer became mediocre and almost annoying in this track. The song itself? I guess not bad but nothing special. I found the lyrics to be predictable.

2. Good Goodbye (Feat. Pusha T. and Stormzy) - This song was not much different from the first instrumentation wise. The rappers featured on this one make it a different experience however, and Linkin Park has never been afraid to experiment with rap before and usually it works however I don’t know how to feel about it on this track. I don’t think it was necessary to have two rappers on this track, I feel like Stormzy’s part just doesn’t fit. I didn’t mind Pusha T’s that much but when it got to Chester’s chorus it was just so mediocre and boring. 

3. Talking to Myself - I really like the synths and the way this song starts off but then it goes back to the boring slow pace for the verse. For some reason Chester on this track sounds like Patrick Stump and honestly I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s who this album was inspired by. This is probably the catchiest chorus on the album yet. I didn’t really mind this one but again I just felt it was so mediocre. 

4. Battle Symphony - I really enjoyed the way this song starts, it has a really nice groove to it and then again it stops predictably once the verse starts. If I have to describe this album it is “predictable” and it just gets old. I feel like this whole album is just Chester whining about life in general but you have no idea what he’s actually whining about but I suppose that was a lot of Linkin Park before. I would say compared to others this one is the most catchy?

5. Invisible - This song again is more slow paced but switched up with vocals, Mike sings on this one about being a parent. This one comes off of as meaningful and more radio friendly. It isn’t a bad pop song and if Linkin Park is going for a more pop song I would argue this song does it pretty well. 

6. Heavy - This one features singer, Kiiara and I think she brings a lot ot the table. I really enjoy the drums on this track and i find it to be a driving force. I like how I can actually hear real instruments in this, it’s one thing if you have a band that doesn’t have members that play instruments and you don’t hear them but if you have a band that plays them, I WANT TO HEAR THEM. I actually think this song i s a pretty solid pop song and Kiiara might as well take over the band. But seriously, her voice goes great with the vibe they are going for. It ends pretty abruptly which I’ve noticed a lot of songs do on this album. 

7. This song starts off with the very poetic, “Watching the wings cut through the clouds Watching the raindrops blinking red and white Thinking of you back on the ground That willful fire burning in your eyes I only halfway apologize” and I think the lyrics actually aren’t bad. This song has a lot of modern day pop affects with it but again do not expect this to be upbeat whatsoever. Overall I will say by this point the album kicks off and it can be held to a higher standard than the first part. Mike sings on this one and honestly I think his vocals are a lot better on this album as well as lyrics but when Chester comes in on the bridge it honestly kind of ruins it. He starts singing about “turning bass up” and it just doesn’t fit with the lyrics at all.

8. Halfway right - Just when you think the album actually picks up a little bit I’m back at square one. This song is BAD. It has the same instrumentation as the first freakin four songs and the lyrics just don’t stand out, Chester sounds like he’s trying to be some angsty teen when he’s 41 year old. Nothing is as bad as this chorus though, he sings “I SCREAM at myself..” but he doesn’t scream, it sounds like he holds back so much the way he says “SCREAM”. sounds like the record label forced him to be semi-emotional. It takes what COULD be an emotional chorus and makes it so boring and non genuine. It just is bad in general, I could go on and on about it honestly but i’ll save you the pain.

9. One More Light - This song is one of the most boring things I’ve hear since I used to watch Nascar. Musically it is actually different from the rest which I’ll give em that one but overall it is just again so mediocre and I find the chorus to be written badly and I really just cannot vibe with this song at all.

10. Sharp Edges - At this point I was just glad to make it this far. I tried to forget about the rest of the album and just listen to this one with open arms.  But oh my god CHESTER WHAT IS THE EFFECTS ON THIS? He sounds awful and I know the man can sing but he just sounds horrible on this one. It has a nice acoustic guitar background which I don’t mind at all and I think it’s pretty okay compared to the rest of the album but again it’s nothing rememberable but neither is the rest of the album. But don’t worry Linkin Park like you sing on this song, “What doesn’t kill us only makes us stronger” so hopefully this album does that for you. 

So overall yeah, I just am not a fan of this album and I completely understand the bad feedback it is getting. Once again I took none of that into consideration going in, I listened with complete open arms and wanted to like it but it just doesn’t hold up. The change of sound again wouldn’t be a bad thing they just don’t know how to do it. If anyone knows how to do it in the band Iit is second vocalist, Mike, who’s songs are a lot better. 

Favorite Tracks: Heavy

Least favorite: Halfway Right

Rating: 1.5/5

[snokesmagicalmusicblog]

Linkin Park - One More Light

Linkin Park has been around for awhile now as a band but have been criticized a lot lately for changing their sound so much, I decided to have a listen for myself. I don’t think there is anything wrong with changing up your sound as long as it still reflects who you are as a band and it sounds GOOD. So from a non-biased perspective I dove into the album.

1. Nobody Can Save Me - I don’t really hear any real instruments on this track except for drums, and I can’t really see their older fans liking this much. As soon as singer, Chester opens his mouth I sense some weird vocal effects. What was once was a strong singer became mediocre and almost annoying in this track. The song itself? I guess not bad but nothing special. I found the lyrics to be predictable.

2. Good Goodbye (Feat. Pusha T. and Stormzy) - This song was not much different from the first instrumentation wise. The rappers featured on this one make it a different experience however, and Linkin Park has never been afraid to experiment with rap before and usually it works however I don’t know how to feel about it on this track. I don’t think it was necessary to have two rappers on this track, I feel like Stormzy’s part just doesn’t fit. I didn’t mind Pusha T’s that much but when it got to Chester’s chorus it was just so mediocre and boring. 

3. Talking to Myself - I really like the synths and the way this song starts off but then it goes back to the boring slow pace for the verse. For some reason Chester on this track sounds like Patrick Stump and honestly I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s who this album was inspired by. This is probably the catchiest chorus on the album yet. I didn’t really mind this one but again I just felt it was so mediocre. 

4. Battle Symphony - I really enjoyed the way this song starts, it has a really nice groove to it and then again it stops predictably once the verse starts. If I have to describe this album it is “predictable” and it just gets old. I feel like this whole album is just Chester whining about life in general but you have no idea what he’s actually whining about but I suppose that was a lot of Linkin Park before. I would say compared to others this one is the most catchy?

5. Invisible - This song again is more slow paced but switched up with vocals, Mike sings on this one about being a parent. This one comes off of as meaningful and more radio friendly. It isn’t a bad pop song and if Linkin Park is going for a more pop song I would argue this song does it pretty well. 

6. Heavy - This one features singer, Kiiara and I think she brings a lot ot the table. I really enjoy the drums on this track and i find it to be a driving force. I like how I can actually hear real instruments in this, it’s one thing if you have a band that doesn’t have members that play instruments and you don’t hear them but if you have a band that plays them, I WANT TO HEAR THEM. I actually think this song i s a pretty solid pop song and Kiiara might as well take over the band. But seriously, her voice goes great with the vibe they are going for. It ends pretty abruptly which I’ve noticed a lot of songs do on this album. 

7. This song starts off with the very poetic, “Watching the wings cut through the clouds Watching the raindrops blinking red and white Thinking of you back on the ground That willful fire burning in your eyes I only halfway apologize” and I think the lyrics actually aren’t bad. This song has a lot of modern day pop affects with it but again do not expect this to be upbeat whatsoever. Overall I will say by this point the album kicks off and it can be held to a higher standard than the first part. Mike sings on this one and honestly I think his vocals are a lot better on this album as well as lyrics but when Chester comes in on the bridge it honestly kind of ruins it. He starts singing about “turning bass up” and it just doesn’t fit with the lyrics at all.

8. Halfway right - Just when you think the album actually picks up a little bit I’m back at square one. This song is BAD. It has the same instrumentation as the first freakin four songs and the lyrics just don’t stand out, Chester sounds like he’s trying to be some angsty teen when he’s 41 year old. Nothing is as bad as this chorus though, he sings “I SCREAM at myself..” but he doesn’t scream, it sounds like he holds back so much the way he says “SCREAM”. sounds like the record label forced him to be semi-emotional. It takes what COULD be an emotional chorus and makes it so boring and non genuine. It just is bad in general, I could go on and on about it honestly but i’ll save you the pain.

9. One More Light - This song is one of the most boring things I’ve hear since I used to watch Nascar. Musically it is actually different from the rest which I’ll give em that one but overall it is just again so mediocre and I find the chorus to be written badly and I really just cannot vibe with this song at all.

10. Sharp Edges - At this point I was just glad to make it this far. I tried to forget about the rest of the album and just listen to this one with open arms.  But oh my god CHESTER WHAT IS THE EFFECTS ON THIS? He sounds awful and I know the man can sing but he just sounds horrible on this one. It has a nice acoustic guitar background which I don’t mind at all and I think it’s pretty okay compared to the rest of the album but again it’s nothing rememberable but neither is the rest of the album. But don’t worry Linkin Park like you sing on this song, “What doesn’t kill us only makes us stronger” so hopefully this album does that for you. 

So overall yeah, I just am not a fan of this album and I completely understand the bad feedback it is getting. Once again I took none of that into consideration going in, I listened with complete open arms and wanted to like it but it just doesn’t hold up. The change of sound again wouldn’t be a bad thing they just don’t know how to do it. If anyone knows how to do it in the band Iit is second vocalist, Mike, who’s songs are a lot better. 

Favorite Tracks: Heavy

Least favorite: Halfway Right

Rating: 1.5/5

[snokesmagicalmusicblog]

Harry Styles Debut Album

This album has been talked about for awhile now and I wish I could have reviewed and listened sooner, but here I am a week later so it is what it is. Now we have a lot of folks who just will write this album off because Harry Styles was part of a boy-band (may I add in my opinion), the best boy-band i’ve ever heard. One Direction actually had true talent and it was clear Harry was a huge star within the band, so do not write off this album just because of his roots, take this album SERIOUSLY.

1. Meet Me in the Hallway - This was the first track I heard from the whole album, I didn’t even listen to the single Sign of the Times or anything. I just went right into the album and I had no idea what to expect. If anything I was expecting straight up pop or r&b, maybe like Zayn’s sound, but this SURPRISED me. I was not expecting this indie-type sound whatsoever. The song starts with this creeping guitar that sounds absolutely beautiful and Harry’s chilling vocals (which are phenomenal by the way) jump in. I was so shocked to hear this type of music from Harry, and I am surprised people are really digging it, but this whole song caught me by surprise, but I loved every minute of it.

2. Sign of the Times - Alright so you’ve probably heard this one and it has been everywhere. An almost 6 minute epic song that takes you through a whirlwind of emotions is exactly what it is. His voice and lyrics of course do not disappoint. I have not seen anything negative about this song and I don’t think I will, it is just a perfect pop song and what pop music needs.

3. Carolina - Wow! What a fun cleverly written banger. It is super catchy and the instrumentation is amazing. I love the lyrics on this track, they just flow so nicely together. You have Harry talking about meeting this great girl which could have been so cliche, but he makes it a worthwhile song and a captivating one at that. This song again defies what pop music is limited to and dare i say reminds me a lot of something the old Arctic Monkeys would have written.

4. Two Ghosts - I am absolutely infatuated with this song. The effects of the guitar hold the song so well and it goes great with the light acoustic in the background. The one thing I love about Harry Styles is his voice can do almost anything but he doesn’t show off in every song. He plays it pretty mellow and knows what he is doing. I absolutely love the chorus in this song, he says “We're not who we used to be We don't see what we used to see We're just two ghosts swimming in a glass half empty Trying to remember how it feels to have a heartbeat” it just makes me think of how it can feel to be empty and invisible and meeting someone who feels the same way and makes you complete. This song reminds me a lot of a more 70′s vibe, for some reason it reminds me a lot of “Sister Golden Hair” by America.

5. Sweet Creature - This song starts off with a beautiful plucking pattern that immediately draws you in. I will say if you are looking for a more “One Direction” vibe on this album this song would probably be your best bet but i definetely do not think that was intentional what so ever. This song is definitely special but compared to the other songs on the album that I hold to such a high standard it could easily get lost in the mix for me. Like I said it’s not a bad song by any means but if I had to skip one from the album it would probably be this one.

6. Only Angel - I didn’t see where this song was going AT. ALL. It starts off with a nice soothing string, calm, vibe and then bam this guitar kicks in and again i get that old Arctic Monkeys aura. Harry’s voice holds up so well with a rock and roll sound and the riff goes terrific with the song. It’s a song you just want to clap along to and I would throughly enjoy jamming out to this friends. I personally enjoy the line, “Told it to her brother and she told it to me That she's gonna be an angel, just you wait and see When it turns out she's a devil in between the sheets And there's nothing she can do about it”.

7. Kiwi - AGAIN we have this rock and roll post-punk/indie vibe and it works SO well. Kiwi is such a fun silly song and I love every minute of it. It just goes to show Harry could easily be a leader of a rock band or a pop star or really anything he wanted. He screams in the song “I’M HAVING YOUR BABY!” Well Harry, I’m sure after hearing your voice in this song most ladies wouldn’t really mind that. The bridge in this song breaks down to a very built up instrumental break that just kind of draws off of that sexual tension he’s portraying. Totally enjoy this track.

8. Ever Since New York - I love the guitar in this song, the lead and the back ground really stand out and it really brings out his vocals very well. There’s a nice beat carried the way through on the toms and it gives it a jazzier vibe. The chorus hits you like the wind of a subway that goes by and it just pulls at you in the best way possible, the way he sings “Oh tell me something i don’t already know” really gives you that goosebump feeling. I am not sure how on par I am with his meaning of the song but either way you feel the emotion of what i sense is leaving someone in the song.

9. Woman - This song starts off with a dialogue of, “Should we just search romantic comedies on Netflix and then see what we find?” really what else could you want as opening? By this point I’m like, “okay Harry how many more songs of heartbreak with a slow pace could captivate me?” But he does it AGAIN. This song much like Sweet Creature didn’t captivate me as much as the others but nonetheless I again, don’t think it’s a bad song by any means and it goes really well with the vibe of the album. I think if you are a guitar junkie you’re really going to like the instrumental break and the riff of the song. 

10. From The Dining Table - Interestingly enough we start in the hallway then we make our way to the dining table, we are making are way through the whole house! No but seriously, this is probably my favorite track on the entire album. It’s haunting and I love his voice on this track. It sounds a lot like Elliot Smith and it has that raw emotion. The guitar and his solo voice is so irresistible on this track. I think it is one of the best closing tracks on a record I have heard. With all the songs that captivate the emotion of heartbreak on this album, this one just does it best and I almost cried over it. “Even my phone misses your call, by the way” I love everything about this song. 

So basically I don’t care how much you hated on One Direction, I don’t care how much you hate mainstream music, or pop music in general, LISTEN TO THIS ALBUM! From a completely non-biased perspective this is the best album I have heard all year. It’s raw and it’s genuine, if you don’t at least respect it, you’re kidding yourself.

Favorite Tracks: Meet Me In the Hallway, Only Angel, From the Dining Table

Least favorite: Sweet Creature, Woman

Rating: 4.5/5

[snokesmagicalmusicblog]

After Laughter - Paramore

Hello! Welcome to my first blog post. I’ve been wanting to do something like this for awhile and i finally did it so here we go, my first review, After Laughter by the well known alternative band, Paramore!

Let’s jump right into this, I have been a Paramore fan for 11 years so you could say I was really anticipating this album. They are a band that change their sound every album so it never gets boring but it never loses that genuineness and signature style. 

Hard Times - An excellent pick for the first single. All I can say is WOW. This is one of the best songs I have heard all year, it is perfect for a summer jam. It is obviously about going through tough obstacles but it has this optimistic perspective that the music gives it. It clearly was the best choice for the first song, it lays down the general theme of Hayley’s lyrics throughout the album. It has catchy guitar and disco synths with a drum beat that Zac really helps carry throughout. Honestly I do not know how anyone could listen to this and not have it in their head all day. Do you wanna dance and forget about your life spiraling downward? This ones for you.

Rose-Colored Boy - I really thought this was an 80′s song for the first few seconds, it has this “hey Mickey you’re so fine” type of chanting intro and it absolutely works. The rest of the song doesn’t disappoint with the 80′s nostalgic feel. Again the instrumentation goes so well together. One of my favorite things about this track is Taylor really riffing it up on the guitar and it gives it a more funky groove. This song basically is about someone who just does not have any understanding of being sad or depressed and just kind of pushing you to get over it. With the obvious frustration Hayley says, “Just let me cry a little bit longer, I ain’t gonna smile if I don’t want to!”

Told You So - This one took some time to grow on me. I still find the chorus too weak and too repetitive and I definetely enjoy the verses more. The beat on this one is pretty irresistible and then you have some impressive guitar going all down the neck. Strange enough there is a voice edit of what sounds like sort of an autotune filter and the end of each line during the verses and again, it strangely works. This album does so many risky moves that sound like it would be horrible but just really gives the album character. It’s again relatable much like Rose Colored Boy, basically people will love to tell you when you’re wrong no matter how much you try.

Forgiveness - This song is such a straight up pop song and one could say that there is not a lot going on but honestly the hook is irresistible; I find the chorus extremely irresistible to sing along to. Hayley basically is stating look I try but it’s taking time to forgive you, you really hurt me and it really hits you deep. After the second chorus the back up vocals that are almost beautifully haunting come in and make this song all worth while. While at first this may seem like a snoozer, do not overlook it!

Fake Happy - This song kicks off with a beautiful acoustic opening with Hayley calmly singing in what is more of a depressing tune. Then it kicks off with major synths that really take the lead on this one. The pre-chorus has a catchy rhythm and you can’t miss the little things like when Hayley sings, “If I smile with my TEETH, bet you believe me” Then the guitars in the main chorus kick in and Hayley writes about her issues with people feeling the need to always act like everything is okay. I mean seriously when have we not faked happy? This song takes a chill turn towards the bridge with a soothing “ba da ba ba ba bum” that seems to mix in well for comfort with all of the hints of depression that seems to strike in this song.

26 - This one’s a very powerful, emotional acoustic track that Hayley’s vocals and lyrics that cut through your heart. The evident depression that she has been going through is present and it has a genuine sadness. Hayley sings in the chorus, “Hold onto hope if you got it Don't let it go for nobody, And they say that dreaming is free, But I wouldn't care what it cost me.” Amongst the album’s happy sound that comes with it, the lyrics are real and not exactly positive, this is one of the tracks that really hits you hard because instead of the hopeful sounding synths in the back, you have a tearjerking guitar and beautiful voice longing to hope again. 

Pool - Right form the beginning this was one of my absolute favorite tracks. You get the beautiful percussion and mallets at the beginning and again Taylor delivers with an excellent riff. One of the things Zac always does well is his upbeats with cymbals that make a bright sound, and it really shows in this song. This song just gives you such a rush but by far the best part is the chorus where Hayley’s back up vocals go soft and deep and she sings, “I’m underwater” while the main vocals go “No air in my lungs”. And it just keeps going back and forth with that pattern but the emotion that it brings to me is honestly indescribable, i really recommend this track. 

Grudges - This song relates to the awkwardness that was once between drummer Zac Farro and the band. If you have no history on the members I’ll just let you know it has been a wild ride. Zac was the original drummer and after two albums has come back on this one so it was a big deal. This song is bright and cheerful compared to most of the album and basically stating you just can’t keep holding on to these grudges. It’s one of those songs you just want to clap to like seal when you hear the chorus. I love the hook in this chorus, it’s incredibly catchy and just when you think it gets good ZAC sings back up during the bridge and it compliments the song so well. 

Caught in the Middle - The instrumentation opens this up and flows so well together and you can really hear the bass groove which adds so much to it. Hayley’s first lyrics are, “I Can’t think of getting old it only makes me want to die” Yikes! It just has that no sugar-coated lyrics that we get throughout this whole album and you can tell she’s pouring all of her emotions in this. Being at a time in life where you feel like you’re too young to be a kid and look back but looking ahead is so scary is extremely relatable. Also this chorus has a great hook and gives me a nostalgic feel for older Paramore. 

Idle Worship - This song took me a bit to fully appreciate but I love it. The way Hayley sings on this is so perfect, she sounds annoyed and done, it’s loud and it’s in your face. This chorus could honestly be on the radio like any pop song but it is nowhere near bubble gum pop, it is a super genuine song that still has that ultimate Paramore flare and it has grown to be one of my favorites. Zac really delivers with an awkward challenging beat to drum but he completely kills it. The “la la la la” before the chorus is to die for.

No Friend - This one is an experimental songs with vocals from Aaron Weiss of mewithoutYou. I tried to keep an open mind with this one and I could understand why they put it on here, it gives a trippy different vibe but it just doesn’t work out. This song just sounds nothing more than a filler and I’m so sure that all of the songs that did not make the cut could have taken its place. I cannot really describe this without saying this man literally rambles on and on about Paramore’s career with this weird instrumentation. I honestly thought that it was the illuminati taking over my computer for a minute. Give it a try but I’m not a fan.

Tell Me How - This closing song is another tear jerker that lies on a beautiful piano and solid emotion much like “26″. The song relates to losing band members including Jeremy Davis who had a rough patch with the band after he left. Again this is a wonderful pop song that just cuts right into the heart strings and I think it was the perfect choice for the closer. With all the “hard times” and turmoil that is scattered throughout this record the final line Hayley leaves us with is, “I can still believe”. 

Thank you so much for reading the review! I’m going to give this album a solid 4/5. With my favorites being “Pool”, “Hard Times”, and “Idle Worship”. My least favorite being: “No Friend”. Overall I do think they could have tried a bit harder to make some songs more stylistically different but overall this is a wonderful record. I know there are Paramore fans that are pissed off because this doesn’t sound like “Misery Business” or whatever but that’s what I like about this band. No matter how many times they change their sound it still sounds good and it is still genuine. This is one of the most genuine albums I have ever heard and it does not hold back.