Weekly Roundup: July 24th
Weekly Roundup: July 24th
Featuring Angel Du$t, The Gaslight Anthem, Citizen, and more.
MOSH PITHY:
A curated selection of cool shit for you to listen to.
Citizen – “If You’re Lonely”
Fresh off their anniversary tour for their 2013 debut, Youth, US alt-rockers Citizen have announced their forthcoming fifth album, Calling The Dogs, out October 6th through Run For Cover Records. The new LP acts as the follow-up to 2021’s well-received Life in Your Glass World and represents the band’s new era, approaching “themes of self-reflection, personal growth, and resilience.” According to frontman Mat Kerekes, the lead single “If You're Lonely” focuses on:
“Growing up around a narcissistic parent and [absorbing] a lot of that behaviour over time, negatively affecting people close to me. [It’s] about recognising that, growing from it, and becoming a reliable shoulder to lean on.”
Watch the video for “If You’re Lonely” below:
Fugitive – Blast Furnace b/w Standoff
I’ve been waiting for Texan thrashers Fugitive to drop new material, and my patience has now been kindly rewarded. The project of master shredder Blake Ibanez, formerly of Power Trip (RIP), including former/current members of Creeping Death, Skourge, and Impalers, Fugitive’s latest effort is a rollicking two-track single that matches their hardcore intensity with the quicksilver riffage of 80s crossover thrash—think galloping rhythms, pounding drums, and throaty vocals. It plays like a rifflord’s fever dream, and I cannot wait for their rumoured full-length debut. Stream the two-track release in full here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
Night Verses – “Arrival”
We haven’t heard from instrumental prog-rockers Night Verses in some time, which probably has something to do with the group’s drummer Aric Improta focusing on his work with Fever 333 in recent years. Given Improta’s exit from that band late last year, it makes sense that he’d fire up his previous outfit for another round. The trio have returned from their five-year hiatus with a powerful new single called “Arrival,” and it picks right up where From The Gallery of Sleep (2018) left off. If you’re into stuff that sounds like mid-2000s-era Pelican, then you’ll fuck with this. Listen to “Arrival” here.
The Gaslight Anthem – History Books
They say never to meet your heroes, but what about collaborating with them? Last we heard from rockers The Gaslight Anthem back in April, the group had come back from hiatus with the release of their “Positive Charge” single. Well, now the New Jersey quartet have announced their first album in nine years, History Books, and it’s due out on October 27th via their own label Rich Mahogany Recordings. The record’s title track also acts as its second single and features a guest appearance from The Boss himself, Mr Bruce Springsteen. As frontman Brian Fallon explains:
“When Bruce Springsteen said I should write a duet for us, I think my head exploded. It will never get old to me that one of the greatest songwriters in the world, and the voice of one of my heroes will forever be captured in a song I wrote at a small wooden desk, in October, in New Jersey.”
Stream the LP’s pre-release singles here (Spotify).
Sparing – “Static At The End”
Longtime readers of this newsletter should recognise the name Zach Godwin and his incredible alternative project Sparing. Sticking to his 2000s-era pop-punk roots with a charged new single, “Static At The End,” Zach combines Sparing’s signature high-energy sound with undeniable, catchy hooks. The track is also part of a limited-edition 7-inch split release with Boston outfit Lovewell, and it’s out now through Another Year Collective (Zach’s own label) & Armageddon Records. Listen to “Static At The End” here.
Harms Way – Common Suffering
I was a huge fan of Harms Way’s last record, 2018’s stellar Posthuman, and its groove-oriented, existential battering-ram stylings. The Chicago metallers are now roaring back into release mode with their follow-up LP, Common Suffering, which is set to drop on Sep 29th through Metal Blade Records. While the quintet’s press material describes the album as “easily the most musically diverse undertaking in their catalogue,” I’m also hearing something more raw, aggressive, and refined than their previous outings. Which, just to be clear, is a good thing. Stream the LP’s pre-release singles here (Bandcamp/Spotify).
The Menzingers – “There's No Place In This World For Me”
With word of their eighth album forthcoming, Philly-based rockers The Menzingers have hit us with a roaring while-you-wait single in the form of “There’s No Place In This World For Me”, out now through Epitaph Records. The track finds vocalist Greg Barnett pushing the limits of his natural rasp and twang into new territory, drawing inspiration from both “the gritty punk rock tradition and the introspective storytelling of folk music.” It was produced by Brad Cook (Waxahatchee, Kevin Morby), mixed by Jon Low (Taylor Swift, The National) and mastered by Ryan Smith (Coldplay, Smashing Pumpkins). Watch the video below:
Angel Du$t – Brand New Soul
Baltimore outfit Angel Du$t, who feature members of Turnstile and Trapped Under Ice, have also announced their latest record. It’s titled Brand New Soul and arrives on September 8th via Pop Wig. The LP follows on from 2021’s Yak: A Collection of Truck Songs (wild name, to be honest) and was recorded by Paul Mercer, mixed by Rob Schnapf and Steve Wright, and produced by frontman Justice Tripp. If you’re into pop that retains the essence of hardcore punk mentality, then this is for you. Stream the LP’s pre-release singles here (Spotify).
Listen to all these tracks and more on the TPD 2023 CUTS playlist, updated weekly.
HEAVY METTLE:
A closer, more in-depth look at a new record that ticks all my boxes.
Johnny Booth – Moments Elsewhere
I don’t want to belabour the point here, but this comes without any sense of hyperbole: Long Island’s Johnny Booth are the most underrated band in heavy music, and if you’re not on board with their new album, Moments Elsewhere, you’re simply fucking up. (There, I said it.) The quintet’s previous effort, 2019’s Firsthand Accounts, is one of my favourite albums of the 2010s and was the shot in the arm metalcore so desperately needed in its third decade of existence.
On their stunning full-length follow-up, the band have levelled up their songwriting yet again, pushing their dynamic sound into striking new territory. Tracks like album centrepieces “Only by Name” and “Why Becomes How” exemplify Johnny Booth’s ability to evolve and innovate, effortlessly folding in melodic, ambient, and post-hardcore textures while retaining their penchant for hard-hitting breakdowns and quaking heaviness.
Stream here: Bandcamp | Spotify
ERRONEOUS BOTCH:
Speaking of Johnny Booth, frontman Andrew Herman joined The Pitch pod last week for a rundown of his cracking Hit List. We discussed the anticipation and intent behind the group’s aforementioned third full-length album, how legacy and artistic integrity inform creative pursuits, and Andrew’s fervent love for breakneck 80s hardcore. It’s a great episode and well worth your time. Check it out below:
That Johnny Booth record is really good!