The Pretty Reckless – Death by Rock and Roll – Album Review
Over the course of a decade and three albums, The Pretty Reckless have already proven themselves to be more than just a vehicle for Taylor Momsen. In fact the band has far surpassed the expectations placed upon them at the start. Back when they were seen as just another young actress with visions of grandeur.
So as The Pretty Reckless release their fourth studio album, will their consistent streak of releasing quality music continue? The simple answer to that is yes!
If after all this time the band hasn’t demonstrated their rock capabilities to you, you need to re-evaluate your taste in music. Momsen is now perhaps better known for her musical endeavours than for her acting skills. That is probably the best compliment that could be paid to her.
Whilst discussing Momsen, it must be remembered that this is very much a group effort with Ben Phillips, Jamie Perkins and Mark Damon integral to the bands success.
Another surprise with hindsight is that the band has remained stable since their 2010 breakthrough. With ‘Death by Rock and Roll’ representing their fourth album, that stability has certainly contributed to the bands consistency.
The Pretty Reckless – ‘Death by Rock and Roll’
The singles that preceded the album’s release, in the title track and ‘And So It Went’, gave a snapshot of what to expect. Thankfully the rest of the record sticks to the high standards they set. The likes of ‘25’ and ‘My Bones’ further set the precedent for another quality output from the band.
The album also sees guest spots from Tom Morello on ‘And So It Went’ and both Matt Cameron and Kim Thayil on ‘Only Love Can Save Me Now’ which only add to the spectacle of a band at the height of their powers.
Following the success of debut album ‘My Mind Makes Noises’, Pale Waves are back with their sophomore record ‘Who Am I?’.
The album bursts into life from the first note of ‘Change’. There are immediate early-noughties vibes from the record, think Michelle Branch at her best. Another comparison that will likely come up often is that with Avril Lavigne, and that’s not a bad thing.
Pale Waves – ‘Change’
This album is unashamed in its influences and that is part of what makes it so great. With ‘Fall to Pieces’, ‘She’s My Religion’ and ‘Easy’ quickly in tow, you are sucked straight into the upbeat pop rock hooks.
There is massive sing-a-long anthem potential at every turn. On this album the band has managed to capture a vibrant and exciting sound that will have you smiling wide and bouncing along.
From start to finish, this album shows very little ease from the pop punk onslaught that makes this such a spectacularly brash collection. Album climax and title track ‘Who Am I?’ however does provide a reflective finale. Overall though this is a stunning pop rock album; and is perhaps just what we need in these trying times.
Pale Waves have created something very special with ‘Who Am I?’ and the album will no doubt be hugely important in the bands career.
Hayley Williams – FLOWERS for VASES / descansos – Album Review
Last year Hayley Williams shed her Paramore bandmates for her first solo effort ‘Petals For Armor’. We enjoyed her debut so much, that we included the album in our Top 20 Albums of 2020.
Williams has now returned with a surprise release for her second solo record ‘FLOWERS For VASES / descansos’.
As with its predecessor ‘FLOWERS For VASES / descansos’ is far removed from the sound of early Paramore as Williams looks to cement her own musical path. Williams’ distinctive voice does however lend a sense of familiarity.
Hayley Williams – ‘First Thing To Go’
Williams recorded the album at home and the record is heavily intertwined with ‘Petals For Armor’. But, whilst Williams’ first album brought together a plethora of musical talent, this album sees Williams credited as “All songs written and performed by Hayley Williams”.
This album certainly feels like a statement from Williams, who has been targeted with many criticisms over the years in relation to her role in Paramore.
The record flows perfectly whilst journeying through folk, country and pop. It’s tender and warm. It’s thoughtful yet uplifting. Really it is a stunning piece of art. Its simplicity creates a majesty that elevates the music to powerful heights.
On this album, Williams has managed to truly showcase her songwriting and musical talents for the world to admire. The word masterpiece is thrown around too often, but when the dust settles on Williams career, this album will be held up like Simba in the Lion King signalling the dawning of a new era.
Foo Fighters – Medicine At Midnight – Album Review
‘Medicine At Midnight’ is the tenth studio album from Foo Fighters. Let that sink in. The band created by Dave Grohl in 1994 has been a part of our lives for over 25 years now. During that time their sound has largely remained intact. Driven by simple rock at their core, the groups first nine albums took the band from side-project to stadium fillers.
So why would you alter that winning formula? Well, there have been accusations that since the masterpiece that was 2011’s ‘Wasting Light’ the band has been on autopilot. Foo Fighters-by-numbers some might say.
There was much intrigue therefore when they unveiled ‘Shame Shame’ as the opening single from ‘Medicine At Midnight’; the song representing quite the divergence from their natural sound.
Foo Fighters – ‘Shame Shame’
Fans worried that the band may have lost their hard rock sound needn’t worry though. There is still plenty of rocking available on this album. There is perhaps also a far greater amount of experimentation from the band than ever before.
This album is therefore anything but Foo Fighters-by-numbers. Whilst this is still definitely a Foo Fighters record, there are plenty of other elements that make up the album. There are numerous homage’s to the groups influences, with strong 80’s vibes coming through at times.
The album really feels like a love letter to both the bands own history and the music of those that influenced the members. Perhaps the best example of this is the clear Motorhead influence in ‘No Son Of Mine’.
The pandemic has changed everyone’s plans multiple times over and many in the music industry have had to make big changes. Weezer have already had to reschedule tours and album releases. Now they have completely thrown out the rule book.
The highly anticipated ‘Van Hammer’ is now scheduled for release on May 7th 2021. That’s almost an entire year later than originally planned. Not resting on their laurels however, the band has been busy and this week we are treated to the surprise release of ‘OK Human’!
Coming in around the thirty minute mark the album is a little on the short side but what is in there is splendid. This isn’t a rocker of an album from the band; it’s mostly an easy listening affair in truth. There isn’t a lot that jumps out with opening track ‘All My Favorite Songs’ perhaps the song with the most set list longevity.
This is still a very good album from a band whose sound has always been interchangeable. There isn’t a bad moment on the album and fans will enjoy it. Realistically this feels like a present to their fan base as opposed to any attempt to garner a new audience.
Weezer – ‘Aloo Gobi’
That’s probably exactly what we need right now though. This is an album that you can work from home to; or cook Sunday dinner to.
But whilst this album certainly focuses in on the softer side of the band, it is still very much Weezer doing what Weezer does best.
When Cambridge’s Lonely The Brave announced the departure of singer David Jakes in March 2018 you could’ve been forgiven for thinking the end was nigh. Thankfully that couldn’t be further from the truth and now the band is back with their third album – ‘The Hope List’.
With Jack Bennett AKA Grumble Bee now at the vocal helm, ‘The Hope List’ well and truly evidences that Lonely The Brave have plenty left in the tank. Thankfully there is no grand departure from their previous sound for the band. This album is just as full of soaring and ambitious anthems as its predecessors.
The album dives straight in with ‘Bound’, ‘Distant Light’ and ‘Bright Eyes’ to lay bare that this is still the Lonely The Brave that we fell in love with on ‘The Day’s War’ and ‘Things Will Matter’. ‘The Hope List’ adds to the bands impressive repertoire and promises growth with this new line-up.
Lonely The Brave – ‘Bound’
Fears that the loss of Jakes unique talents would have too detrimental effect on the band’s sound are very quickly dispelled. Much like the material, Bennett is also just as gifted as his predecessor.
Bennett handles the thunderous moments just as eloquently as the tender ones and whilst providing an evolution of the tone that made this band so special, also ensures that its identity remains.
The power of this album doesn’t just lie with Bennett of course and the rest of the band have summoned even more power and majesty then before. The music is sweeping and uplifting with ‘Keeper’ perhaps the perfect encapsulation of a band realising just how grand they can be.
You Me At Six are a band that are keen to show evolution on each album. This is often met with demands for the return of their early sound by certain portions of their fanbase. With ‘SUCKAPUNCH’ the band promise to continue their evolution whilst teasing heavier elements.
Those heavier undertones are apparent from the get go as ‘Nice To Me’ and ‘MAKEMEFEELALIVE’ kickstart the album with a blast of angst ridden rock. This abruptly drops into ‘Beautiful Way’ which as a song probably gives the best overall impression of the album.
You Me At Six – ‘Beautiful Way’
From here on in the experimental side of the band really comes to the fore. The title track ‘SUCKAPUNCH’ in particular wouldn’t feel out of place in a nightclub full of Instragram influencers. Well, at least what I picture that to look like!
Thematically this is a darker, harsher album from the band but it retains enough of the pop hooks that have always been present in the bands work. Whilst there is certainly that darker edge on this album it still manages to sound hugely anthemic throughout. Songs such as ‘Glasgow’ and ‘Adrenaline’ will be massive live, whenever that can happen.
You Me At Six right now are a band firmly located between a rock and a hard place. They will either be criticised for changing their sound or lambasted for relying on what made them popular. Thankfully You Me At Six are a band with a thick skin and an appetite to create the music that they want to make.
With ‘SUCKAPUNCH’ they have done just that. It will alienate some old school fans, but it will also earn them many more.
Who is going to make the Full Pelt Music Top 20 Albums of the Year List?
2020 – a year we would all much sooner forget. Certainly not the year we had all envisaged. Real life has been traumatic and upsetting for many. The effects of the virus have been disastrous for the music industry, with the collapse of live music and many delays and production issues for albums.
You’d think therefore that selecting an Album of the Year list would be difficult due to a lack of new music! We are however talking about the most creative and adaptable industry and in fact compiling this list has been hard for the opposite reason. Even through all the sadness and despair this year, we have been graced with some amazing new music.
More so, the uniqueness of this year has created a special connection to the music released during the most troubling times. This is therefore a highly competitive list and all 20 entries deserve high praise!
We have been counting down the list as part of our #AdventCalendar of music over on our Twitter Page. Be sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by clicking the icons below!
Finally, before we talk through our Top 20 Albums of the Year, a special mention to Yungblud and his new album ‘Weird!’ which we recently reviewed here. Released after the compilation of this list, the album is a stunning piece of work and had it been released earlier would have been competitive at the top of the list! But, now to the countdown…
20
HAYLEY WILLIAMS ‘Petals For Armor’
In a year that doesn’t seem to want to end, January seems a lifetime ago when Paramore’s Hayley Williams announced her debut solo album ‘Petals For Armor’. By the time that album arrived, the world had descended into chaos and all touring plans had been cancelled. When the album did emerge in May it represented a ray of light in dark times, and showed Williams has a lot to offer outside of Paramore.
we suggest you check out:
Hayley Williams – ‘Simmer’
19
DOVES ‘The Universal Want’
When Doves returned from an eight year hiatus in 2018 the band initially basked in that reformation glory. Thankfully for fans though it hasn’t taken long for the band to head back into the studio and the resultant album ‘The Universal Want’ is a timely reminder of what we had been missing.
we suggest you check out:
Doves – ‘Prisoners’
18
AC/DC ‘Power Up’
After a tumultuous few years with the tragic loss of Malcolm and departures of Cliff, Phil and Brian, AC/DC could have been easily forgiven for riding off into the sunset having had one of the greatest careers of any heavy rock band. But then that wouldn’t be the AC/DC way of doing things would it? Instead we get another classic AC/DC album in ‘Power Up’ with Williams, Rudd and Johnson back in tow!
we suggest you check out:
AC/DC – ‘Shot In The Dark’
17
REWS ‘Warriors’
The Shauna Tohill led REWS have somehow managed to equal if not surpass their debut album with sophomore release ‘Warriors’. Packed with punchy, catchy, bouncy rock and roll, we challenge you not to throw your heart and soul into this album just as Tohill clearly has.
we suggest you check out:
REWS – ‘Birdsong’
16
THE STRUTS ‘Strange Days’
With The Struts you should always expect the unexpected. This is not a band that plays by any kind of rule book. So why wouldn’t they team up with guests as diverse as Tom Morello, Phil Collen & Joe Elliott, Albert Hammond Jr and yes the actual Robbie Williams? ‘Strange Days’ solidifies The Struts reputation as the future of rock.
we suggest you check out:
The Struts – ‘Strange Days’
15
ALL TIME LOW ‘Wake Up Sunshine’
‘Wake Up Sunshine’ is somehow the eighth studio album for All Time Low, which makes me feel very old. Thankfully this isn’t an album that rests on any laurels and the band continue to deliver the goods with another very solid album added to that back catalogue.
we suggest you check out:
All Time Low – ‘Monsters’
14
THE KILLERS ‘Imploding The Mirage’
By now we know exactly what to expect from The Killers and thankfully their first album without lead guitarist Dave Keuning still delivers that classic feel. With the likes of Lindsay Buckingham instead contributing on ‘Imploding The Mirage’, there is even an air of freshness to their sound.
we suggest you check out:
The Killers – ‘My Own Soul’s Warning’
13
PHIL CAMPBELL AND THE BASTARD SONS ‘We’re The Bastards’
When Phil Campbell And The Bastard Sons released their debut album, to the surprise of many they delivered a classic rock masterpiece. Any doubters thinking they couldn’t do it again have now been proven wrong with the release of ‘We’re The Bastards’ In our recent review (here) we stated “The bands fans are the loyal kind hence their lyrics proclaim “…’cause we’re the bastards, and you’re a bastard too…”. If you’re in to good old fashioned rock and roll, give this album a listen and you too will be in that club”.
we suggest you check out:
Phil Campbell And The Bastard Sons – ‘Son Of A Gun’
12
GREEN DAY ‘Father Of All…’
‘Father Of All…’ may not sit highly amongst the bands back catalogue if we are being honest, but an average Green Day album is still a very good album in the grand scheme of things. Despite this album pre-dating national lockdowns the album has remained on rotation throughout the year which is a testament to its real qualities.
we suggest you check out:
Green Day – ‘Oh Yeah!’
11
BOSTON MANOR ‘Glue’
Nobody should be surprised at the quality of Boston Manor’s albums anymore. With the release of their third album ‘Glue’, the band have now delivered three high quality albums with plenty to unpack.
we suggest you check out:
Boston Manor – ‘Liquid’
10
HAIM ‘Women In Music Pt. III’
With ‘Women In Music Pt. III’, Haim have let it all hang out with a statement of an album that takes listeners on a musical journey of wonder. Taking elements of various genres and given them that now classic Haim twist, this album is a stunning piece of musicianship.
we suggest you check out:
Haim – ‘Now I’m In It’
9
PVRIS ‘Use Me’
With the release of third album ‘Use Me’, PVRIS have continued their evolution into something majestic, enormous and vital. The bands growth had been put out there for all to see and this album just encapsulates the power of Lynn Gunn.
we suggest you check out:
PVRIS – ‘Dead Weight’
8
BLACK STONE CHERRY ‘The Human Condition’
On ‘The Human Condition’ we get the Black Stone Cherry that we all love, just doing what they do best. Full of head banging and foot stumping this record sees the band confirm that they are here to stay, and that they have plenty left in the creative tank.
we suggest you check out:
Black Stone Cherry – ‘Again’
7
TRIVIUM ‘What The Dead Men Say’
‘What The Dead Men Say’ is a stunning piece of work that captures a band that has hit their peak. Trivium have mixed the lessons learnt from their past with their recently rejuvenated vigour and have come out the other side with an album that stands up that anything that they have previously released.
we suggest you check out:
Trivium – ‘Catastrophist’
6
CREEPER ‘Sex, Death & The Infinite Void’
The release of ‘Sex, Death & the Infinite Void’ was a rocky road for Creeper, and not just because of a global pandemic. Various internal struggles and personal demons had to be overcome before Creeper could make their grandiose return. Sadly this return coincided with a certain virus which hampered the typical over the top promotion of a Creeper release. Thankfully for the band the record itself is brilliant enough to shine through even the darkest times.
we suggest you check out:
Creeper – ‘Born Cold’
5
BIFFY CLYRO ‘A Celebration Of Endings’
As we hit the top five Albums of 2020, things are very tight. A terrible year has thankfully seem some amazing music emerge to see us through. Biffy Clyro are another band whose plans were destroyed by this horrible virus, with tours cancelled and the album delayed. The early single releases from ‘A Celebration of Endings’ however provided much joy in the early period of lockdown.
When the full album finally found his way into the public domain, little did fans realise the treat that was in store for them. Biffy Clyro always evolve with each release, but they somehow manage to retain that Biffyness to their music. This is a unique band and ‘A Celebration of Endings’ is a unique record that mixes both the beautiful and the heavy as only Biffy Clyro seem to be able to.
we suggest you check out:
Biffy Clyro – ‘End Of’
4
ENTER SHIKARI ‘Nothing Is True & Everything Is Possible’
Another band whose releases were a small positive in the huge negative that was the first national Lockdown was Enter Shikari. It was clear from the start that ‘Nothing Is True & Everything Is Possible’ was going to be a very special album. The connection felt now with certain tracks only serves to ensure that this album will forever be seen as one of, if not the best Enter Shikari album.
All the normal quirkiness is there, along with the more mainstream elements incorporated into 2017’s ‘The Spark’. In fact, on this album Enter Shikari may have actually made the perfect Enter Shikari recipe and in turn the perfect Enter Shikari album!
we suggest you check out:
Enter Shikari – ‘satellites**’
3
BRING ME THE HORIZON ‘Post Human: Survival Horror’
Yes, ‘Post Human: Survival Horror’ is technically an EP, but it is just so outrageously good that it had to feature and feature high. Precursors such as ‘Ludens’ and ‘Parasite Eve’ had promised something special but I don’t think anybody predicted anything this good.
When we recently reviewed the record (here) we told you “This new EP takes the best elements from throughout their career and combines them in one stunning masterpiece of an album.”. Bring Me The Horizon prove with this album that the best is still to come!
we suggest you check out:
Bring Me The Horizon – ‘Obey’
2
FONTAINES D.C. ‘A Hero’s Death’
The battle for the number one spot this year was fierce. Actually, the battle for the top 5 was fierce this year. Fontaines D.C. are the band that gets the number two spot, but this album deserves Album of the Year. ‘A Hero’s Death’ shows that the band are no flash in the pan and builds on the basis of debut ‘Dogrel’. This album actually feels a step above that debut album, and is another that has created a huge personal connection during this tough year.
This record has already rightfully brought the band much acclaim and we can’t wait to hear these songs live. Fontaines D.C. are an unstoppable songwriting force and with ‘A Hero’s Death’ they have placed their claim to be the band of their generation.
we suggest you check out:
Fontaines D.C. – ‘I Don’t Belong’
1
IDLES ‘Ultra Mono’
It has been a crazy year, and this list has been heavily influenced by that. As mentioned the top of this list is massively impacted by new music I heard during the height of the initial lockdown. ‘Ultra Mono’ was an album that I was already extremely excited to hear; and the stream of songs released during Lockdown only served to raise that excitement to a fever pitch.
Thankfully IDLES didn’t disappoint and when the album arrived it was a pure masterpiece. It shows a natural progression on the bands first two records and grows the bands sound. It still captures what made us all fall in love with the band but by incorporating new elements into the bands sound the album shows that IDLES are no one trick pony.
Above all other releases this year and those that feature in this list, this was the album that we needed this year. In a year where we have all been knocked down one way or another, IDLES and ‘Ultra Mono’ has been a call to arms, to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves down and keep going.
we suggest you check out:
IDLES – ‘Model Village’
So, there you have it, the Top 20 Albums of 2020 as considered by Full Pelt Music. We are sure that your lists will be different to ours and we want to hear them, so why not share yours with us on social media!
I can still remember vividly the shock and sadness that consumed me with the death of Chris Cornell in 2017. Cornell’s unique voice had helped to soundtrack the formative years of my life through his solo work and that of Soundgarden, and for me the biggest influence – Audioslave. Memories of not just his death but the manner of that death still thrust great sadness upon me and no doubt his legion of fans.
I recently spoke of the relationship between my mental health and music in my blog ‘Mental Health, Music and Me’. It’s important to remember that talking helps and you can find some vital links to resources in that blog.
With the surprise release this week of the aptly named ‘No One Sings Like You Anymore, Vol. 1’ fans of Cornell have been given an early Christmas present; the chance to savour once again those dulcet tones of his. Looking at the tracklist I must admit that I hesitated to listen to the album. Not because I wasn’t sure that the work would be amazing, but because I knew that hearing Cornell sing these songs would elicit a range of emotions including immense sadness.
I’m really glad however that I took the dive into this amazing snapshot of Cornell. Through the course of the album many emotions are felt including thankfully joy and celebration of an incredible once in a lifetime artist. I’m not ashamed to admit that the one-two punch of ‘Patience’ and ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’ hit very hard and deep. Be prepared to cry at times and smile wide at others. This album is perhaps the perfect way to seal the legacy of a true icon in rock music.
As you progress through this stunning album you can see the effort put into the careful curation and construction of the record. You can feel the love that has been put into the album by those upholding the legacy of Cornell. This is not a cash grab release, and fans of Cornell are privileged to have the opportunity to listen to these songs. On this release, the true power and adaptability of Cornell’s heavenly voice is there for all to see.
Whilst I close by saying that this is a must own for fans of Cornell and his previous work; I must also stress that this album is an incredible piece of work in its own right, and even those not familiar with the great man will find joy, sadness and everything in between, on this record.
Yungblud, or Dominic Richard Harrison to his friends, has been on the cusp of world domination since the release of his debut album ‘21st Century Liability’ in 2018. Now it appears he is finally ready to take up that mantle. His second album ‘weird!’ came out on Friday and is a stunning piece of work that may well be recognised as his masterpiece when all is said and done.
From the opening notes of ‘teresa’, listeners are thrown headfirst into the captivating world of Yungblud. The album transcends genre as Yungblud manages to blend tender with ferocious and emerge with outright pop. The crossover appeal of this album will be huge with all ages and persuasions finding the content very accessible. Yungblud comes of age with this release and has set a very high standard for his future output to reach.
‘cotton candy’, ‘strawberry lipstick’ and the exceptional ‘mars’ build this party of an album perfectly to its middle section, which is absolutely packed with sing-a-long anthems such as ‘superdeadfriends’. It has to be said that ‘love song’ sounds like a huge anthem, and is a subtle change of pace together with ‘god save me, but don’t drown me out’ before the electric trio of ‘ice cream man’, ‘weird!’ and ‘charity’ raise the bar again.
As we get towards the albums finish we see Yungblud collaborate once again with Machine Gun Kelly to fantastic effect on ‘acting like that’. It’s then down to ‘it’s quiet in beverly hills’ and the prophetic ‘the freak show’ to close out this superb collection of music. With this release Yungblud has achieved that seemingly rare feat of actually living up to his enormous potential. Expect to see the name Yungblud everywhere from now on, and with music this good, deservedly so.
