Album Reviews

Tristan Turdean – 5 SONGS TO GET OVER YOU

July 17, 2025

Tristan Turdean aims to tug at our collective heartstrings with a brand new breakup EP that traverses all the different stages of grief… From denial all the way through acceptance (we omitted anger, bargaining, and the all-encompassing depression, but Tristan sure didn’t), 5 SONGS TO GET OVER YOU is a nu-age pop-punk journey that aims to assault all of your senses with powerful musical compositions, heart-on-your-sleeve vocals, and excellent production.   Normally we’d start with the opening song, but we’re giving our nod for album favorite to album closer, “Leave You In The Past.” While the rest of the EP is an incredible ride, there is something special about hearing Tristan’s acceptance of his situation. Especially since, as per his words: “This project is about feeling everything, surviving it, and moving forward stronger.” on “Leave You In The Past,” Tristan delivers vocals that are restrained yet emotionally resonant, while the[...]

Plàsi – Camino

June 23, 2025

“Scandinavian clarity and Mediterranean warmth” – a design element that fits oddly well when describing singer/songwriter Plàsi. On his latest EP, Camino, the Greco-Swede explores gentle, acoustic-folk with his trademark vulnerability. Hushed and intimate while simultaneously exploring the genre’s infinite bounds, Camino is an album that encourages you to break free from expectations and societal pressures. Instead, project mastermind Mikael Bitzarakis crafts natural-sounding songs that are the aural embodiment of following your passions and retaining a childlike sense of wonder.   Even when Plàsi is exploring heavy topics, like a rough father/son relationship on album opener “Father’s Eyes,” his music sounds warm and inviting. It speaks to his talent as a writer – exploring these hard-to-breach subjects with an underlying musicianship that makes them feel approachable and normalized. Here’s a little more from Bitzarakis about the powerful message beneath the song:   “… We don’t want to see or learn from our similarities.[...]

Zach Tabori – Attack of the Clout Chasers

June 17, 2025

For once, we may have found ourself at a loss for words… But we’re still going to pump out about 400 of them regarding Zach Tabori’s latest offering, Attack of the Clout Chasers. This album is a wild ride – a kaleidoscopic, genre-defying, Zappa-esque grind that’s equal parts progressive experimentalism, sci-fi dystopia, and political satire. Tabori throws listeners head first into this ten-track, 40 minute concept that whirrs with chaotic energies – a meticulously-crafted opus that has a hawk-eyed glare (and eagle-taloned grasp) on today’s modern dystopic existence… And while you think Tabori might be all-Zappa-all-the-time (and we wouldn’t be surprised, seeing as how he’s a member of Dweezil Zappa’s band), he’s got an impressive pedigree, having written for pop luminaires like Téo and Jaden Smith. Are you as bamboozled as we are? It’s ok – Tabori is probably reveling in your wide-eyed stupor.   In what I can only[...]

The Unlimited Stars – Impossible

June 16, 2025

Whip out your black outfits and eyeliner – Texan quartet The Unlimited Stars (TUS) have a new EP out that’s sure to please your inner goth. They’ve named the EP Impossible – four songs (including a live track and a radio edit) that showcase the group’s penchant for ’80s-inspired post-punk that brings The Cure and Siouxsie and the Banshees to mind while also channeling shoegazers like Slowdive… And while don’t want to get ahead of ourselves, consider this a last hurrah of sorts for this version of TUS – the chameleon-esque band will be switching to a more high-octane industrial/EBM sound in the near future, reflecting their shared love of industrial metal.   The EP kicks off with the title track, “Impossible – LIVE,” a song that has evolved with the band over their four-year tenure. The band purposely worked to capture the je ne sais quoi of their live sound,[...]

Post Death Soundtrack – IN ALL MY NIGHTMARES I AM ALONE

June 8, 2025

What does it mean to release a 90 minute album in 2025? Post Death Soundtrack (PDS) explores that approach on their fifth full-length album, IN ALL MY NIGHTMARES I AM ALONE (IAMNIAA). A true exploration of heavy sounds, experimental vibes, and everything and everything in between, IAMNIAA is a wild collection of songs. An amalgamation of a forgotten album from the late aughts and 15ish new offerings, project mastermind Stephen Moore deconstructed what it means to make music in our modern landscape. Throwing caution to the wind and doing what feels right takes a certain amount of chutzpah – here’s a bit about the process from Moore himself:   “This album is in some ways a complete breakdown in audio format. I find it beautiful and powerful to express what often is not acknowledged or communicated. I learned that from Kurt Cobain and I’m very proud of this work.”   It’s not[...]

Ded En – The Gala

June 8, 2025

Ded En has made their doom-filled debut with the five-song EP The Gala. A showcase of brutal guitar atmospherics, this solo act pushes limits of genre by incorporating elements of shoegaze, slowcore, and doom metal into a melancholy meditation. Expect walls of blown-out guitar rhythms, gloopy guitar leads that drip like thick molasses, and through-an-old-phone vocals that chant with a brooding monotone affect. If you’re wondering what it feels like to die (in a good way, if that’s possible), The Gala might be a good place to start.   The album kicks off with an instrumental, “March.” Immediately, we’re introduced to the recurring motifs of Ded En’s sound. Fuzzy bass plunking, triple-Big-Muff (TM) guitar tones, and surprisingly tender drumming… And while the brutality of the guitar tones is the album’s real calling card, the quiet drumming keeps these songs grounded, rooted just as equally in slowcore as doom metal. It’s a[...]

Cartman – Waves

May 30, 2025

One listen to the new album from Denver-based artist Cartman and you’ll wonder if he’s telling the truth about recording it in a walk-in closet in a guest bedroom. Residing at the vertex between hip hop, indie rock, and pop music, Waves is a collection of breezy, summer-sounding songs that rest heavily on excellent production, acoustic-guitar twinkles, squiggly synths, and Cartman’s past as a hip-hop artist. Expect plenty of earworms, perfect for putting on for your next poolside gathering.   The mysterious and nebulous “Gold” opens this fantastic album – at just about a minute in length, this one is fleeting, but hits hard. Cartman’s flow is smooth and unbothered, gliding over a 3:4 time signature like some sort of modern day waltz. Just when you think it’s about to explode into something beautiful, he launches into song two, “Tonight.” “Tonight” is an archetypal Cartman song – catchy hip-hop-inspired rhythms, twinkly[...]

Glitter Etiquette – CERULEAN, DEEP BLUE

May 29, 2025

Glitter Etiquette (GE) dives deep into synth-forward indietronica bliss on their latest release, CERULEAN, DEEP BLUE. Highly conceptual, the album dives deep into highbrow ideas about socioeconomic and cultural archetypes… And while we’re usually pretty good at parsing out the meaning behind lyrics, in these instances, it’s usually better to hear a snippet from the band’s own words – see below:   “The album contrasts the tranquil, expansive hue of blue (cerulean) with the ominous force of darkness thru the metaphoric red army, portraying a cosmic battle between clarity, empathy, and depth versus aggression, ego, and decay. These colors become metaphors for clashing worldviews: blue as the fading ideal of unity and imagination, with the antithesis showing the toxic acceleration of greed, polarization, and control. Through its swirling textures and lyrical critiques, Cerulean warns of the rise of socioeconomic and cultural archetypes—techno-feudal overlords and their machine counterparts, influencer-worship, manufactured identity—that[...]

Rob Finlay – Sunset | Darkness | Sunrise

May 21, 2025

Whatever happened to the humble singer/songwriter?! Rob Finlay is here to prove that the artform isn’t dead with his latest EP, Sunset | Darkness | Sunrise (SDS). As with any good, acoustic-driven music, SDS is a well-orchestrated and emotional affair, finding Finlay wearing his heart on his sleeve more often than not. With a bevy of pro musicians in tow (including session musicians from Feeder, Rag’n’Bone Man, Beyoncé, and Keane), this collection of songs is dripping with emotion and a longing-but-hopeful disposition. Led by Finlay’s ever-pleasant voice, this EP was meant for those that grew up in the 90s, particularly the late ’90s, when Matchbox 20, Edwin McCain, and your favorite one-hit-wonder bands were ruling 1998-era pop radio.   For those looking for a quick one-two punch, we’d recommend starting with lead single “Afterglow.” An archetypal Finlay jam, “Afterglow” jangles along with a deep and touching emotion, letting his poetry[...]

The Sunmills – The Art of Burning Bridges

May 8, 2025

Seeing as how we’re located in the northeastern US, we don’t get a ton of opportunities to cover acts from Utah. Here’s hoping The Sunmills are our first of many – they’ve just released their debut album, The Art of Burning Bridges, an eight-song collection of riffy rock n roll that catalogues the messy roller coaster that is, well, love. Whether we’re talking ex-girlfriends, failed situationships, and self-deprecation, The Sunmills cover it with a wry smile and a healthy dose of sarcasm. You might leave a listening session of The Art of Burning Bridges wondering “… Are these guys ok?” At the same time, you’ll notice their songs have the same sunshine-y polish that you’d expect from ’90s luminaries like Third Eye Blind, Everclear, Fastball, or Semisonic… And it’s not like those guys weren’t singing about failed relationships to great success.   The album opens with “Take Me Away,” a blast of pop-punk energy[...]

little champion – Peaks Island and Other Places

May 8, 2025

It’s tempting to make a silly turn of phrase like “little champion… big sound” when discussing the new album from Asheville, NC-based singer/songwriter Dustin Goldklang (aka the aforementioned little champion)… But that would be a lie. The reality is that little champion specializes in intimate and loquacious slices of life – aurally painting what seem like oddly-specifically descriptions of oddly-specific places. Underneath the specificities of his writing lies a little pain – like that found in an awkward moment stuck in your head for eternity or, as LC puts it, “trying to laugh about things you’re not sure are funny.” That’s the vibe you can find throughout his latest album Peaks Island and Other Places – super intimate and a little awkward (in the most endearing possible way). at the end of a listen through this album, you really feel like you’ve grown up alongside Goldklang in the oddly-specific town of[...]

The Ram – I Am Nowhere, I Am Everywhere

April 30, 2025

The Ram, the affectionate nickname for singer/songwriter Mark O’Donnell, is an “American triptych” (I wish I came up with that, but those are his words, not mine). Living a refreshing Southern California lifestyle while remaining influenced by his northeastern roots (go Bills), his latest album, the Americana and surf inspired I Am Nowhere, I Am Everywhere (IANIAE) is an amalgamation of everything that has made The Ram’s long and winding life what it is. Full of rosy-colored reflections on family life and his beloved late father, IANIAE glides through your speakers with the ease of California living while not-so-subtly informed by his snowier roots.   A cursory observation of IANIAE will show that there are only a few songs that are less than five-minutes long. While there are no three-minute, hook-in-your-face, ruthlessly-catchy radio rock hits on this LP, you’ll soon realize that IANIAE is more of an artistic expression – a picture[...]

Mission to Sleep – A Spark or The End

April 30, 2025

Boston-based act Mission to Sleep have recently dropped their debut album, a seven-song collection of relentless and cinematic alt rock they’ve titled A Spark or The End. Across the EP you’ll hear downtuned guitars, impassioned vocals, and layers upon layers of textures. Fans of the nuanced side of nu-metal (think Deftones) will love what they hear here, as well as fans of heavier, mid-aughts emo-influenced acts like Thrice, Glassjaw, or The Receiving End of Sirens.   The album starts out strong with “No Anchor” – here, you’re immediately thrown into the maelstrom of Mission to Sleep’s sound. This band has found a way to weave intricate, metal-inspired instrumentals into catchy, pop-oriented melodies. They were smart to start here – there’s an immediate hook in the chorus: “Search mission is over!” It’s a juicy earworm, and a harbinger of what to expect as you meander through the rest of this album. Song[...]

PHWOAR – Flowers Through the Concrete

April 22, 2025

Birmingham-based duo PHWOAR come out swinging with a strong mission statement on their debut release, Flowers Through the Concrete. Full of full-fledged rock n roll vibes, you can expect big guitars; tongue-in-cheek lyrics, and spot-on takes on social commentary. Driven heavily by guitars and four-on-the-floor drum bombast, this duo of Paul (guitar/vocals) and Helena (drums/vocals) have crafted a full-throated sound that would sound perfect destroying your eardrums in your favorite dive bar.   The EP opens up with “Reckless” – a glammy and snotty introduction to this energy-packed duo. Buzzsaw guitars blast through your speakers with an impressive fervor, while drums slam along as the perfect accompaniment. There’s a retro quality to these tunes – nodding to 90s alt rock greats (think Spacehog or Garbage) while filtering in a bit more 2010s energy from acts like The Black Keys. Being reckless is what this kind of music is all about –[...]

SOZI – Bloom

April 13, 2025

As we enter a much-needed Buffalo summer, it’s time to refresh our playlists with new and exciting music that reverberates that infectious energy – we’d like to direct your attention to the latest from SOZI on her new, four-song EP, BLOOM. Full of airy and infectious alt pop, BLOOM “is all about stepping into a new season of growth and letting go of what’s been holding you back.” If you’ve been stuck indoors for the last six months like we have, this is the perfect way to break out of your shell and embrace the incoming springtime.   “Seconds” kicks off the album with a lighthearted-but-energetic opening. Quick percussion lays the backbone for SOZI’s lilting presence – coming fully into fruition in the super catchy chorus – “How do the seconds turn to minutes? I just can’t keep up.” SOZI continues the profound lyrical content with lines like “these are your best years,[...]