Ocean Hills - Santa Monica

 

Ocean hills are a five piece American rock band who have just come on to the scene this year (2020).  The band is made up of Zoltan Teglas who was the lead singer of Ignite for 25 years along with Peter Lukacs on lead guitar, Daniel Szebenyi on keyboards and bass, Reinder Oldenburger on rhythm guitar and an unknown on drums. To be honest I haven't heard anything by Ignite but it is clear that they were quite successful and have given Ocean Hills a bit of jump start in their career.  OH signed a worldwide record deal with German label AFM records back in April.  I can't even find any information about the other members of the band at time of writing in terms of their history.  

Due to this jump start, unlike a lot of bands, I found Ocean Hills pretty early in their journey as single "Death or Liberty" was on my release radar playlist on Spotify back in April/May.  That and other single "A seperate peace" were the first two singles released by the band and already they were on rotation across playlists not only Spotify but other streaming services too.  They really grabbed my attention.  I thought the lead singers voice was amazing, as was the kind of alt rock vibe they were creating.

I think the album "Santa Monica" was actually due to come out earlier in the year but got put back to end of November due to covid.  This is a great album full of pure rock anthems and great melodies.  One thing I like most about the songs is that most contain these great guitar solos.  They are not overly complex I would say but they sound amazing due to the cleaness and pureness of the sound thats made from them.  "Like a Lady" is probably my favourite for this.  This solo is a bit longer and in fact stretches out the track to just under 6 minutes but it feels like 4.   The thing that makes Ocean Hills good is that the guitar sound and Zoli's voice go hand in hand.

They do have a deluxe edition of the album but I would say its not really worth it.  This is because they have just made  extended editions of 3 of their hit tracks but although one of the tracks has been extended by 1 min 20 secs.  Another is only extended by 20 seconds and the other by 2 seconds!  And they are trying to get people to pay more for this?  

Overall though lets focus on the music. Afterall this is available to stream.  This is a really good debut album and I can see why they have managed to get themselves on so many prominent playlists across various streaming services so early in their journey.  Zoli the singer may have given them the platform to get out there but they have some cracking muscians to show this is just not a one man band.  I will be looking out for this band in the future to see how they grow for sure.

Albums I am looking forward to in 2021

 Thought I'd take a look at albums I'm getting excited about/hoping to get released in 2021

Avenged Sevenfold - Last album "The Stage" was released in 2016 and they have been active on social media about their new album.  From the sounds of it they know what they want to do but haven't recorded it yet. It sounds like they want to have a string section so it sounds pretty ambitious and exciting.  They also say though that they want to release it when they can start touring again so who knows if it will make 2021 or not. I hope so.

The Dust Coda - Band I discovered a few years ago. A great rock and roll outfit and they are set for releasing their second album "Mojo Skyline" in March.

Foo Fighters - "Shame, Shame" was disappointing as the first single to be released from their new album which is due out February. But they are the Foo Fighters and there is bound to be at least some bangers on the new album

Ghost - No release date set but an album is due next year.  They seem to be getting better and better so looking forward to see if they can keep the momentum going with the new album.

Greta van fleet - Singles "Age of Machine" and "Way to soon" sounding good.  This is due out in May and is sounding promising.

Myles Kennedy - This one is recorded and in the bag. No release date at time of writing but says it is heavier and electric than his first solo album.

Mason Hill - The debut album by Mason Hill is a long time in the making and was delayed by covid. The singles off this were sounding huge so looking forward to see if they can make the album match high expectations.

Nosound/Giancarlo Erra - Great band which is lead by Giancarlo Erra. Giancarlo has stated on social media that both a solo album and a Nosound album are on the cards for 2021.  Looking forward to see what direction he takes on these new albums. No release date at time of writing.

Red Hot Chili Peppers - This one is more of hope rather than knowing whether they are going to release an album in 2021.  With the return of John Frusciante I really can't imagine they have been sitting doing nothing this year even with Frusicante releasing a solo album.  

Royal Blood - "Troubles coming" was in my top 10 songs of last year. No release date for the new album yet but its on the cards.

Tremonti - He is using the same studio as Myles did his 2nd solo album to record Tremonti's 5th album.  Hopefully this will land in 2021 and knowing Mark Tremonti's workrate you wouldn't put it past him.

Wayward sons - I watched a Planet rock lockdown gig this year where these guys were headlining and they were excellent. They have announced a 2021 UK tour to go with the new album but doesnt seem to have a release date for their 3rd album yet but they do say its due out in 2021

Steven Wilson - Pretty much the god of prog but seems to be going in a rock pop direction. Still as adventurous as ever in his music and looks like more keyboards to appear in this album than before.  "Future bites" due for release end of January.

With the lack of touring in 2020 I think their will be a bunch of albums in 2021 but these are the main ones I am looking forward to.

Nothing But Thieves - Moral Panic

 

"Moral Panic" is the 3rd album by Essex lads, Nothing but thieves.  The band formed in 2012, releasing their self titled debut album in 2015. They then went on to release their second album "Broken machine" in 2017 and now in 2020 we have 3rd album "Moral Panic.  This is a 5 piece band comprising of Conor Mason on vocals, Joe Langridge-Brown on guitar, Dominic Crack on guitar, keyboard and piano, Philip Blake on bass and James Price on drums. NBT are a band I have been aware of for a number of years now.  I think their most famous track and really the one track I had heard prior to this year was "Amsterdam" which was on their "Broken machine" record. I have to admit that song didn't really do it for me and it didn't make me want to investigate them further at that time.

Fast forward to March 2020 and one of my gig buddies brought a single which NBT just released to my attention which was "Is everybody going crazy?".  This song was the first single to be released off "Moral Panic and is not only an incredibly catchy pop rock song.  But it was also incredibly timely given what was happening in the UK when it was released. This was at the time Covid first hit and the country went into lockdown and "Everybody going crazy?" seemed to some up well the wellbeing of the nation, not only then but now as I type this.

It wasn't just a one off monster of song they released as the quality of the singles released after this continued to build the momentum for the album coming out in October 2020 showing not only quality but the bands versatility as well.  "Real Love song" was another memorable anthem while "Unperson" mixed things up about with a really funky riff almost making you want to get up and dance to it.  Then "Impossible" turned things on its head as it slowed things right down and really displayed the amazing vocal range of Conor Mason.

These tracks also fitted well into the album.  One thing I really notice about this album is the amazingly creative variation in the structure of the songs. Yes there are songs which you could put in the typical verse, chorus, verse chorus pigeon hole like "Real love song and "Everybody going crazy". But when you look deep into the record songs like "Phobia" and "Can you afford to be an individual?". You find a band that really are trying to step out and do something different.  Combine that with Conor Mason's extreme vocal range and different is something we really do have here.  "Can you afford to be an individual? is probably my favourite song on the album at time of writing as its one of those songs which builds and builds and Conor's singing ends up sounding like Rage against the machine's Zach de la Rocha.  Probably a comparison you wouldn't have thought when you first listen to NBT.

Overall this is a great record. I do think that it was unfortunate in the timing of the release of the album.  They had always set October as the release date and this became a time when many other artists delayed their album too as well as other artists who had planned an October release date. Meaning it may not have had the attention it deserved at the time. And I would definitely admit I haven't spent as much time with this album as it deserves and that is why I am glad I have gone back to it now.

Kalie Shorr - Open Book

"Open Book" is the debut album by 26 year old country singer/songwriter Kalie Shorr.  In the few years preceding this album she had released a few singles and an EP where she gathered some momentum leading up to the release of this album in 2019.  I actually only discovered Kalie this year by watching a Country 2 Country virtual gig which I was watching due to Tenille Townes playing.  It was a unique gig in the sense that it was being streamed worldwide on you tube and the 5 female country artists playing were socially distanced on stage and took turns playing their songs.  For me that night Tenille and Kalie were the stand outs and that is how I started to get into Kalie's music.

It is quite intreging looking at both Tenille and Kalie who are of similar age and also both having released their debut albums in the last few years. Also both are country artists who have fantastic range in their voices. But when you look at their albums and what they are writing about that really is where the similarity ends.  Tenille's album although dealing with some sad topics is mainly full of hope and joy. While Kalie really seems to have had a hard time and is dealing with these hard times by putting a pen to paper and taking it out through her music.

"Open Book" is a terrific album on a number of levels.  I am not often a lyrics person and more often than not it's because I don't really understand what artists are talking about and the deep meaning behind songs. But here Kalie is just so up front, honest and straight to the point in her lyrics it's not only easy to relate to them but it's easy to understand them.  One of my favourite lyrics in the album is on the opening track "Too much to say" where she sings "I've got more unclaimed baggage than an airport lost and found, if no-one picks it up it just goes round and round and round".  This is not only a brilliant analogy but also something everyone experiences at one point or another in their life.  Mental health struggles are real and if you don't talk about it, it will just keep doing loops round your head until you do.  

As well as mental struggles being a theme throughout the lyrics in the album, Kalie also outlines the reasons for those struggles too with things like drinking whiskey and smoking and having been played by ex-boyfriends.  You don't need a degree in music to work out what the song "FU Forever" is about.  I do wonder if that song may shoot her in the foot as it is basically swearing.  But at the same time now Taylor Swift is swearing in albums it kind of opens up the floodgates for it just being acceptable.

So lyrically this album is brilliant but that's not the only thing about this album that makes it great. On another level, musically it is great too.  Right from the opening track where a mouth organ comes in, in the opening notes, it pulls you in to the album instantly.  "The World Keeps Spinning" has this amazing slow marching drum beat.  While "Gatsby" has this great moment which means the song was made for live performance.  When it gets to later in the song and Kalie sings "When I get up, I get down, I take my meds and I hit the town".  It's just one of those moments which is perfect for audience participation as its a singalong moment.  For me though the biggest highlight comes in "Lullaby" in the chorus where Shorr's vocals just seem to glide and soar.  It's such a memorable and magical moment I just want to play the track again and again.

Overall Shorr may have gone through many hoops and challenges in her personal life leading up to making this record.  But through channelling all these hard times into her record and combining it with her amazing song writing ability, she has produced a record which has succeeded on so many levels.  At the time of writing (December 2020) she has now released an extended version of the album. Interestingly and unconventionally she has not added extra songs on to the end of the album but mixed them into the rest of the songs on the album.  Not heard of this being done before and not sure how I feel about it but the new tracks are good too.

Tremonti - Cauterize

 "Cauterize" is the second album by American heavyweights Tremonti which was released back in 2014. For this album, Wolfgang Van Halen replaced Brian Marshal as bassist.  In 2020 Wolfgang is getting quite a name for himself after releasing a track in his own project but he has been around the music scene a lot longer than some people may think.  Eric Friedman remained on guitar for this album while Garret Whitelock was on drums.  The tracks from "Cauterize" and 3rd album "Dust" were recorded at the same time, with "Dust" being released a year later. The spearhead of the band, Mark Tremonti, who is on vocals and guitar said that the tracks on both the albums were divided so that both albums had balance in terms of different types of songs.....

Well yes he certainly divided them up ok and you can see in "Cauterize" there is a mix of songs.  But one thing, in my opinion, he didn't do was divide them up in terms of the actual quality of the songs.  I just feel that not only is this the weakest album he has put out as a Tremonti release but also anything he has put out by Alter Bridge too.  I do feel quite alone in this opinion as from what I have read it does seem like this album got a favourable reception.  But I do feel there are songs on here which either just don't work or I just don't think are very good.

First of all "Flying Monkeys".  This was actually released as a single and the two times I went to see Tremonti in 2018 supporting their "Dying Machine" record, they played this song both times.  And I tell you what - every other song he played those nights I thoroughly enjoyed.  But when "Flying Monkeys" came on I felt disappointment. I just wanted the song to end each time.  The guitars feel so heavy that it feels like it is just weighing the song down. For me it just doesn't work.  Another song which falls flat on the album is "Providence".  For me the "epic" track was attempted here to finish with a bang as it sits at nearly 6 minutes.  But it feels messy as if the different parts have been glued together badly.  The solo is a highlight but it comes too late to save the track. Given the standard Mark has delivered in both Alter Bridge and this band before this I know for a fact he is a lot better than this.

I have just gone into 2 tracks here I don't like and I would say there are more tracks that I think are just really average, particularly someone with the talent of Tremonti. But there are also some bright moments in amongst these.  The album starts off with "Radical Change" a ferocious track which actually starts the album off well with a catchy chorus and infectious hooks.  Title track "Cauterize" and "Another Heart" are main stays in the bands live set to this day.  "Cauterize" being in the same vein as "Radical Change" while "Another Heart" being more anthemic and slightly slower.  These are easily the standout moments from the album and worth listening to.

Overall this is the weakest effort out of the 4 Tremonti albums currently available.  Mark and members of the band are so talented and the 3 other albums are awesome. To me this is just like a bump in the road.  Nobody's perfect.  As I say though there is some good tracks on here that are worth a listen and since this album was well received maybe it is just me.  But for me this is an album I don't go back to and don't plan on going to in the future.  But this won't put a dent of what I think of Tremonti. A very, very good band.

Tremonti - All I was

 

"All I was" is the debut album by Tremonti which was released back in 2012.  On the surface it looks like a solo project as the band name comes from Mark Tremonti's surname. And he is very much the driving force behind the band.  But it is very much a band rather than a solo project with Eric Friedman on guitar and bass on the album and Garret Whitlock on drums.  I only got into Tremonti a couple of years ago when a mate asked me if I wanted to go and see them live.  I had never heard of them before that so started watching some You Tube videos.  I learned a valuable lesson that day.  The first few videos I watched were of live festival performances and it sounded awful.  After watching a few I was about to give up when I think it was "Proof" where it was an official lyric video came on.  The song actually appears on this album.  And it pulled me in and I started to listen more to them.  I must add here that I have now seen Tremonti live twice now and they are amazing. And I wont be judging bands on mobile phone footage again!

Mark himself does lead vocals and guitar on this album and is more well known for his work in Creed and Alter Bridge. But this band still has quite a following but at the same time they have not had the same kind of success as those other bands.  The feel and tone of the music on "All I was" is different from Creed and Alter Bridge too.  It is heavier and the tone of Mark's voice has got a more aggressive feel to it. This makes it not have the same mainstream appeal as the likes of Creed.  Although Mark's voice is more aggressive I must note here, at no point does he scream or have that growling sound.  He is actually singing.  It's just the tone of his voice does give off that dark and aggressive vibe.

But is "All I was" actually any good?  Well yes this really is a fantastic album from such a versatile songwriter.  From what I have read, one of the reasons Mark formed this band was because he had songs that just didn't really fit on Alter Bridge or Creed albums but were still good enough to see the light of day. And thank goodness he did.  The thing about "All I was" is that I wouldn't say there are any songs on here which stand head and shoulders above the rest. And at the same time there is not really a weak link either.  It's a collection of songs which work well together and are of high quality without their being an absolute monster hit.  In the time of writing this Tremonti has 4 albums out and in his live set he still plays many songs from this album.  Which personally I think is the testament to how good an album is. That if after 4 albums you are still playing songs from your first album and at the same time you have quality output from your other three albums. You must have been doing something right in the first place.

As I said the album doesn't have a weak track on it but at the same time doesn't have any monster hits. But I do have my favourites, namely "Things I've seen", "Proof" and "New Way Out".  These songs have really good melodies and perhaps the more lighter moments on the album.  I also love "So you're afraid", particularly the bridge of this song.  It has these great drum fills followed by what sounds like a really technically hard guitar solo.  That song and "You waste your time" were the main singles to come from this album. But listening to this album as a whole they blend in rather than stand out.  Another song which is still good enough for the live set is "Wish you well" which is often played at the end of the show as Mark introduces the song.  "This is our last song, and until next time, I.........wish......you.......well" before diving into the song which is another great tune and I love it when he does that.

Overall "All I was" is a great album.  I think now I have heard all 4 of his albums I don't think its quite as good as "Dust" or "Dying Machine" but there are certainly no duds on this album and as I say it is the album that got me into Tremonti and does show what we knew already. Just how talented Mark is. But in addition to this it also shows he is a good recruiter in Eric and Garret and they certainly play their part in making this a great album too.

Alter Bridge - The Last Hero

 

"The Last Hero" is the 5th studio album by American rockers Alter Bridge and was released back in 2016.  A bit of background to this review first of all.  I only got into Alter Bridge the last couple of years and reviewed "Walk the sky" when it came out last year. This year I have gone back to the beginning and reviewed their first 4 albums in order.  All of them are absolutely fantastic and I have really enjoyed listening to them. But I tell you what. There is something about 4th album "Fortress". Usually I can stop listening to albums once I have reviewed them and move on to the next one to review. But a sign of a really, really good album is one which I go back to after reviewing and "Fortress" is one of those albums. So much so getting to listen to "The Last Hero" has taken me a while to get round to.

But in saying that one of the tracks off "The Last Hero" which was "The cradle to the grave" was actually the song that pulled me into the world of Alter Bridge a few years ago. I think "The Last Hero" is seen by many and even by the band as one of Alter Bridge's weaker album.  I have seen fans rank Alter Bridge albums and often this is low down.  And even in Alter Bridge setlists not many tracks off this album get much of an airing.  I think when I went to see them last year only "Crows on a Wire" was the only track in their setlist from this album.  But is it a weak album?  I really don't think so.  

Alter Bridge albums are the equivalent to the top 6 teams in the English Premier league.  All capable of winning but they can't all win.  The competition is really, really high.  The tracks are the equivalent to the players the teams have.  You've got "Blackbird" which is probably the Kevin de Bruyne  and so on.  "The Last Hero" is probably like Tottenham.  They may not win any title or trophies due to the competition but they are always up there and competing. Basically last hero is still a fantastic album.  

Alter Bridge I have noticed that they do like strong openers and closers to albums and this album is no different.  "Show me a leader" kicks things off and the epic title track "The last hero" closes proceedings.  "My Champion" has a really fun riff and a strong chorus which I like a lot.  They are probably the stand out tracks but tracks like "The writing on the wall", "This side of fate  and "You will be remembered" along with other tracks combine to make a rollercoaster of an album.

Overall a brilliant album with a lot of good songs on it. If I'm being honest not their best album. But if you compare this album to other artists without comparing it to their own. This is a very good album and well worth your time.  If this album was released as the first Alter Bridge album it would have been a lot more successful. But when you are coming after an album like "Fortress". You have got an uphill battle to be on the same level at it to begin with.

Taylor Swift - evermore

Well who would have thought that this year we would get 1 new Taylor Swift album never mind 2 Taylor Swift albums.  It just shows someone who is completely in love with her craft.  "evermore" is Taylor Swift's 9th studio album. Considering she is only 31 that is a pretty impressive amount especially considering how successful they have been.  But not only that the difference and uniqueness in the albums can be seen as she keeps reinventing herself and pushing herself to make new and refreshing music.  That is until now. As "evermore" is more of a continuation from "folklore" as the sounds and general feel of the albums are generally speaking the same.  She said herself that she was just in a happy place and it just felt right to keep on recording songs after "folklore" and those songs became "evermore".

It's interesting looking back on "folklore" now.  I was so glad and surprised when it came out.  To me "Reputation" and "Lover" which were the albums that came before "folklore" were quite disappointing. The shift "folklore" took was wonderful and it was a really strong album just to kick back to.  However for me, while it is a good album, apart from "betty" its not an album I found I really go back to.  And believe me when I say during albums 2 to 5 I went through long phases of Taylor Swift. But with "folklore" I found that I had other albums out at the time I would rather listen to.  I think the reason for this is the type of album it was and the same goes for "evermore".  The main focus of the albums are storytelling so I think to truly appreciate and really get into these albums you need to appreciate lyrics and the stories these stories that Taylor is telling.

Now I would say on the whole I am just not a lyrics person.  I am much more focused on the instruments and how the vocals sound rather than what is actually being said.  Now that's not to say  the music isn't good on "evermore" because there are good tracks on this.  But in terms of listening to it a lot I think you need to be into the lyrics more.  I think its more down to the type of music.  These soft folky type songs are good but there are no anthems on these types of record.  They are not the type of songs you would sing along to at a concert. They are more the type you would go to an intimate, seated venue and would be sat in silence while being wowed by Taylor's talent.

Looking closer at the tracks in "evermore". Opener "willow" has some amazing vocals by Taylor especially the chorus which is particularly soothing.  Second track "champagne problems" is piano driven and another tender track.   "no body, no crime" is one of my favourite tracks of the album as she collaborates with old friends HAIM. Interestingly it appears it is just Taylor on vocals as it feels HAIM contribute more with their instruments rather than their vocals to this song.  I like the beat to it and one of the more interesting songs on the album.  Another cracker is "long story short" which to me is the "betty" of the album". Nice upbeat song.  There are a few songs which do feel a bit flat and pedestrian like "happiness".  It feels those tracks are like what I said earlier and focus on the storytelling rather than how they are sung and the tune behind it. Making them not really standout as much.  There is just not much vocal variation on songs like this.

Overall though this is another strong album by Taylor.  There are some forgettable moments but there are many moments of magic too which see Taylor at her best.  In terms of listening to this long term I don't think this will be an album I will go back to but that is down to the type of music it is rather than the actual quality of the output.  One thing is for sure is that Taylor has spoiled us this year and given us something refreshing and different in this difficult year, twice over.  Personally I would hope in the future she would go down more of the "betty" and "long story short" direction.  Just so we get that more upbeat direction which personally I prefer to listen to from her.