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Kid Bookie

Kid Bookie

Songs For The Living // Songs For The Dead

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KID BOOKIE – SONGS FOR THE LIVING // SONGS FOR THE DEAD – ALBUM REVIEW

“Maybe it could potentially be a good statement of what rock music can be today”. Those are the words of Kid Bookie as we talk with the man himself for The Full Pelt Music Podcast. As a human being, Bookie is modest and grounded in his self-assessment, as an artist though he is anything but grounded.

Kid Bookie naturally elevates whatever he turns his hand to and as clichéd as it may be, he is groundbreaking. Since moving away from the music others expected him to make into making the music he wants to make, Kid Bookie has found out more about himself with each release.

As he has loosened the shackles of expectation, he has torn up the industry rule book and embraced the freedom that comes with a no f*cks given attitude. This shines through on his new album ‘Songs For The Living // Songs For The Dead’.

Having worked with a who’s who of modern rock producers across the ten tracks, it’s perhaps no surprise that there is an eclectic mix of genres and styles featured. Again, the rule book is thrown out the window when it comes to tracklist and structure. Conforming to any societal or industry norms certainly isn’t Bookie’s thing (not that normal is even a real thing), and that makes this record one of the most interesting and dynamic releases of the year.

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Kid Bookie – ‘AI (Save Yourself)’

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‘AI (Save Yourself)’ is a great opener which is the perfect example of what new nu-metal should be. The fact that the track then gives way to an acoustic ballad is unique to say the least. But… rather than be a jarring transition, it offers the listener their first moment of intriguing revelation.

This isn’t a collection where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, no, instead this record flows like a ‘Now that’s what I call music’ compilation album. Fusing rock, metal, rap, hip-hop, pop-punk and so much more, ‘Songs For The Loving // Songs For The Dead’ simply defies genre. Despite this, Bookie’s vision brings an irregular cohesion to the album, with each track standing out for its own reason.

As you familiarise yourself with this magnificent collection, you’ll likely ask yourself why can’t all music be so boundless and exciting? You may therefore consider this an exceptional statement of what modern rock music can be! And yes, that is important and adds significance to this album, but above all else, this album is just so damn infectiously enjoyable.

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Fontaines D.C.

Fontaines D.C.

Romance

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FONTAINES D.C. – ROMANCE – ALBUM REVIEW

If it wasn’t already clear that Fontaines D.C. are a band uninterested in standing still, then their fourth album ‘Romance’ leaves you in no doubt of the level of ambition that the group harbour.

That aspiration to explore their sound and bare their soul resonates throughout these eleven stunning tracks. Indeed, if you were to play ‘Romance’ back-to-back with their breakthrough debut collection, ‘Dogrel’, then you’d wonder what happened to a band lumped into the post-punk revolution.

Listen however to their entire back catalogue in sequence and you can sense the growing self-belief and determination to be something bigger, something better!

WATCH THE VIDEO FOR ‘FAVOURITE’
Fontaines D.C. – ‘Favourite’

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‘Romance’ feels like a band establishing themselves on a higher level to their peers, from the pulsing opening title track to the indie anthem closer ‘Favourite’, this album is simply enthralling. The band are methodical in delivering a mesmerising blend of dystopian poetry and an explorative sonic haze.

You can just sense that some albums are special, and ‘Romance’ certainly falls into this category. In fact, each new Fontaines D.C. record has felt special!

The band has an incredible ability to capture magic and if they keep up the consistency shown in their formative years then they are going to be a force to be reckoned with for years to come!

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AWOLNATION

AWOLNATION

The Phantom Five

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‘The Phantom Five’ represents the fifth studio album from AWOLNATION and finds creative force Aaron Bruno in fine form. With their legacy already established, it’s time for them to spread their wings and enjoy the artistic freedom that comes when you reach this point in your career.

The record begins with the anthemic ‘Jump Sit Stand March’, which features guest vocals from Emily Armstrong of Dead Sara who combines to great effect with Bruno. The song instantly enthrals and sets the tone for what’s to come, which is an all-encompassing sonic exploration of the AWOLNATION sound.

A little bit of everything goes into these ten tracks with ‘Party People’, a fast-paced and playful pop rock number, before the lead single, the slow burning ‘Panoramic View’ then showcases Bruno at his soaring best. The Del the Funky Homosapian featuring ‘I Am Happy’ then changes speed with an uplifting beat that will get you moving.

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AWOLNATION – ‘Panoramic View’

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The remaining tracks follow the recipe of mixing all aspects of the AWOLNATION sound with a sprinkle of fresh epicness. ‘The Phantom Five’ is sure to be a winner for fans old and new, and is right up there with the best of AWOLNATION.

‘Outta Here’ acts as the sublime album closer and finishes off what really is a perfectly rounded AWOLNATION record. With hints from Bruno that this could be their last album, you can’t help but feel it would be a great send-off, whilst also hoping that it isn’t!

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Twin Atlantic

Twin Atlantic

Meltdown

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TWIN ATLANTIC – MELTDOWN – ALBUM REVIEW

Twin Atlantic have long proven that they have a special ability to create soaring rock anthems in which you can lose yourself. Indeed, as they release their seventh studio album, ‘Meltdown’, they are well and truly past their discovery phase.

As the band released a run of four magnificent albums between 2009 and 2016, they were on a clear trajectory to the top. Big shows and huge festival slots followed but come January 2020 their upwards curve began to flatten… and that, despite the year, isn’t a pandemic reference.

Whilst the world closing down weeks after releasing ‘Power’ wouldn’t have helped, neither did the lacklustre response to an album which sought to expand the sonic palate of the band. Then 2022’s ‘Transparency’ came along and compounded the issue. Despite an obvious ambition to journey somewhere outside of their comfort zone, the band simply sounded lost, and that flattened curve threatened to head downwards.

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Twin Atlantic – ‘Sorry’

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That does put a lot of pressure on new release, ‘Meltdown’, to stop the rot. A steady series of pre-release singles has teased a fabled return to form and as you progress through these eleven new tracks, you’ll be reminded of exactly why you fell in love with Twin Atlantic in the first place!

The charm of frontman Sam McTrusty once again shines through and helps to elevate these songs to new heights. Their trademark guitar-led emotive rock sound is back in full force, but with the lessons of their past two albums making this their most mature and well-rounded collection to date.

The haunting ‘Snow In Texas’ is a stunning finale to an album which feels like a greatest hits effort in terms of the various strong points of Twin Atlantic being on full show. This is a battle-hardened band re-establishing what makes them special.

The lyrics “I wanna make you proud” close out the record and the band have certainly done themselves proud with this great collection.

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Millie Manders and the Shutup

Millie Manders and the Shutup

Wake Up, Shut Up, Work

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MILLIE MANDERS AND THE SHUTUP – WAKE UP, SHUT UP, WORK – ALBUM REVIEW

It’s about time that any self-respecting punk rock aficionado has Millie Manders and the Shutup on their radar. Since releasing their debut album, ‘Telling Truths, Breaking Ties’ during the pandemic, the band have made full use of the reopened world, playing countless headline shows, notable support slots and a strong smattering of festival appearances.

Indeed, you’ve probably been living under a rock if you haven’t at least noticed their name on a poster of some sort. There has however been no better time than now to get onboard the good ship Shutup and take on the rewarding journey of their sophomore release, ‘Wake Up, Shut Up, Work’!

As Millie recently discussed on The Full Pelt Music Podcast, this record sees Manders and her cohorts enter into a much more collaborative writing process and the outcome is their trademark sound turned up to eleven.

A more expansive sonic palette is used to create a greater sense of depth throughout the twelve engaging tracks. The range of emotions evoked almost rivals the amount of different vital topics covered, with Manders’ lyricism again simple yet incredibly powerful.

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Millie Manders and the Shutup – ‘Can I Get Off?’

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There is fearlessness in calling out various toxic and unjust elements of society and some of the hypocrites that virtue signal without the willingness to speak out if it risks alienating their audience. Millie Manders and the Shutup certainly can’t be accused of failing to speak up, and this record is another call to arms for listeners to at least step back and educate themselves properly on subjects before arriving at any easy conclusions.

Of course, it’s important to pay attention to the topics highlighted across the album, but equally we’d be remiss if we didn’t spotlight the musical results of the groups shared inputs. The sometimes-heavy lyrics are perfectly framed by a mixture of brash punk and uplifting ska – all of which is designed to get your feet moving whilst your head is thinking.

The simple fact here is that this is an album which is made to be played live, and these songs will live forever on stage. With more dates already in the calendar, you’re sure to see the name Millie Manders and the Shutup on many more posters, as this album will undoubtedly act as a new springboard for the group.

Which brings us full circle to our main point – there has never been a better time than now to dive into the world of Millie Manders!

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The Full Pelt Music Podcast – Episode 53 – Millie Manders and the Shutup

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Written By Wolves

Written By Wolves

THE LIGHTHOUSE

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WRITTEN BY WOLVES – THE LIGHTHOUSE – ALBUM REVIEW

New Zealand’s Written By Wolves introduced the world to their ambitious modern rock sound on their 2019 debut record, ‘Secrets’. A certain global pandemic made it hard for new artists to capitalize on momentum, but the quality of that release garnered enough attention to pique the interest of music fans around the world.

A concept record looking to open conversations on mental health, ‘Secrets’ explored why we don’t feel comfortable talking about something so integral to our wellbeing. Now with their sophomore release, ‘THE LIGHTHOUSE’, Written By Wolves delve into the idea of what can pull you away from the darkness and into the light.

A person, a place, a song, a tv show… what can help you to overcome the brutally relentless pitfalls of our mental health. Over the course of the album, you are taken on a journey of discovery through the insightful and thought-provoking lyrics and expansive sonic onslaught.

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Written By Wolves – ‘PLEASE JUST BREATHE’

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You can feel the genuine belief in the idea of a lighthouse as the band get incredibly personal on this stunning collection. A standout moment comes from the incredibly powerful, ‘PLEASE JUST BREATHE’, which details the day when vocalist Michael Murphy’s dad died and everything he went through to try and be at his bedside before he passed.

Indeed, the entire album will get you right in the feels and illicit an internal conversation which will hopefully lead to you understanding your own lighthouse. Our ability to discuss our own mental welfare has seen progress in recent years but remains lightyears away from true enlightenment. Records like this therefore remain so important!

Take away the importance of the themes of the album though and you’re still left with a musically sublime set of tracks and that’s what helps to elevate this album to new heights. Hopefully this time the band can capitalise unhindered.

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Soft Play

Soft Play

Heavy Jelly

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SOFT PLAY – HEAVY JELLY – ALBUM REVIEW

Given the regular criticism for modern punk’s over-reliance of cliches, it’s either fitting or ironic depending on your viewpoint that we are going to reel out a few in this review for new Soft Play album, ‘Heavy Jelly’.

The first cliché is that of reinvention, after all your probably still acclimatising to calling the band formerly known as Slaves by their new moniker Soft Play. Credit apparently goes to Bob Vylan for pushing the band over the line on a decision talked about for years – that of changing their troublesome title.

After an extended period of inactivity which saw many questioning the future of the duo, Isaac Holman and Laurie Vincent reconvened and announced their return in December of 2022, before returning to the stage last summer.

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Soft Play – ‘Punk’s Dead’

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The rebranding of the band saw polarised opinions from fans which is addressed brashly in the albums second track, ‘Punk’s Dead’. Whilst delivered with tongue-in-cheek vitriol, the track acts as a palate-cleanser for the band and resets the relationship with the fans still on board – the next cliché being that this track really kickstarts this new era for the band.

That raging swagger continues into the likes of ‘Act Violently’ and ‘Isaac Is Typing…’, as the band reminds us that they’ve got teeth to go with their playful sound. Indeed, another cliché to pull out is that this feels like a back-to-basics approach from the duo which sees ‘Heavy Jelly’ become the closest release in terms of visceral energy to their heralded debut, ‘Are You Satisfied?’.

You could say then that this is a much-feted return to form, but the cliches are wearing a little thin now! Unlike this spectacular album, which is just half an hour long, with only finale, ‘Everything and Nothing’ breaching a runtime of over circa three minutes. The slimline approach helps to increase the feeling of vitality which exudes from your speakers as you take in this thoroughly enjoyable record.

It’s great to see Vincent and Holman working together again and with ‘Heavy Jelly’, they’ve put down a significant marker for their future output!

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Travis

Travis

L.A. Times

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TRAVIS – L.A. Times – Album Review

‘L.A. Times’ represents the tenth studio album from Scottish indie heroes Travis and it finds the band in fine form, instantly reminding the listener why they fell in love with the band in the first place.

Releases from the group may be more sporadic these days but the songs crafted by messrs Healy, Payne, Dunlop and Primrose still captivate as distinctively as ever. Indeed, over the course of the ten tracks on this album, you’ll pick up on elements of their best work alongside a stronger feeling of showmanship.

Those added bells and whistles help to ensure that these songs, recorded as per the title in Los Angeles, feel fresh and different whilst maintaining that reassuring familiarity. Lead single ‘Gaslight’ being a good example of how the foursome have taken their standard sound into more ambitious sonic territory.

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Travis – ‘Gaslight’

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Described by Fran Healy as their most personal album since, ‘The Man Who’, you can genuinely hear how these tracks mean that little bit more than most their recent output. Healy in particular sounds more present with his trademark voice able to infiltrate your own consciousness with renewed gravity.

There is an interesting cross-pollination of the meaningful and the light-hearted both musically and lyrically over the course of the album and that makes for an engaging listening experience. The title-track which closes out the record is probably the most interesting song that the band have created together, and shows that they still have the ability to amaze.

The likes of ‘Alive’, ‘Bus’ and ‘Raze the Bar’ will stand the test of time and the album as a whole is up there with the likes of ‘The Man Who’ and ‘The Invisible Band’. It’s a pleasant surprise to know that some three decades into their career, Travis can still create a little magic.

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Kasabian

Kasabian

Happenings

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KASABIAN – HAPPENINGS – ALBUM REVIEW

Playing a surprise set at Glastonbury Festival last weekend, Kasabian reminded the world that despite obvious line-up changes they remain a viable proposition live. Since said line-up alteration however, they’ve still yet to truly convince fans that they can also produce the goods on record – not at least in the way that fans want.

Therewithin lies the wider issue facing the band. Any act experimenting with their sound will always face backlash from fans reticent towards change, but when you remove an iconic singer and reshuffle the deck that scrutiny is bound to reach unfair levels.

It’s important therefore to not try and assess ‘Happenings’ against the first six albums, because through sentimentality and rose-tinted glasses anything new will always fall short and the cold reality is that the same would probably be true even with the original line-up.

More relevant therefore is how does ‘Happenings’ stack up against 2022’s reinvention record, ‘The Alchemist’s Euphoria’? We described that record as a cleansing album that reset the story for the band stating, “This album does what it needs to do to shore up the ship, but it almost leaves you now asking what’s next?”

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Kasabian – ‘Darkest Lullaby’

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Well, what’s next is a ten song collection with a runtime of nearly 28 minutes dead, which means it’s a succinct and to the point album designed to capture their live energy on record. Frontman Serge Pizzorno has discussed writing this album from the perspective of how the songs will sound live, and the early songs on the album all will translate well on this front.

‘Darkest Lullaby’, ‘Call’, ‘How Far Will You Go’, ‘Coming Back To Me Good’ and the previously released ‘Algorithms’ will all fit into a modern Kasabian setlist with ease and from that standpoint it’s mission achieved for Pizzorno and co.

That said and returning to the earlier point – there are no big hitters on this album. No song that you instantly hold up as on par with their early hits. That however is an impossible measuring stick and shouldn’t take away from the fact that this is another decent if unspectacular showing for this new look version of Kasabian.

If you forget the past, and only focus on the now then you’ll find this to be a short, sharp fling of upliftingly fun dance-indie tunes. If however, you long for indie-rock anthems you’re better off looking into the new breed of indie rock band presently emerging.

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The Warning

The Warning

Keep Me Fed

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THE WARNING – KEEP ME FED – ALBUM REVIEW

The Warning have been building a hardcore fanbase going back a few years before the world shut down. It’s since the world opened back up however that the Mexican trio have really taken off. Every show, whether it be a headline sell out, huge support slot or massive festival opportunity, has been seized with both (or all six) hands!

Now the sisters are preparing for world domination with their all-conquering fourth studio album, ‘Keep Me Fed’!

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With six of the twelve tracks already out prior to release, anticipation was high for the record and the remaining half more than meets the expectations set. In fact, if you were going to sit down to write a modern rock album with enough pop sensibility to become a crossover success, then ‘Keep Me Fed’ would be about as perfect as you could get.

We already knew that there were a plethora of strong singles on this record, but when the album as a whole hits as well as this does you have to take note. Often the hype just isn’t really justified, but with The Warning it feels like they are only warming up.

‘Keep Me Fed’ is the ideal album to jump on the bandwagon with because fans old and new will thoroughly enjoy what the trio have captured.

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