NUMBER ONE GUN
WILD BEASTS
FANFARLO
MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA
THIS IS ALL WE KNOW
PRESENT TENSE
LET’S GO EXTINCT
COPE
[TOOTH + NAIL]
[DOMINO]
[NE W WORLD RECORDS]
[L O M A V I S TA]
One of the best Christian rock bands is back. This Is All We Know hinges on the melodic emo-rock tendencies of lead gunner Jeff Schneeweis, but check out the fantastic percussion, searing guitars and a vocal cameo by Stephen Christian from Anberlin. And they don’t bother with generic power-pop lyrics—The songs are about redemption and fresh starts in life.
The fourth Wild Beasts album has a spacious, well-honed feel. The drums pulsate against lush vocals. The band created a foundation layer with synthetic instruments and then added analog accents. You almost need to get your passport stamped before entering their furtive realm. The songs are about the illusions of love, temptation and clinging to what is true—even if it hurts.
Part of a series exploring evolutionary advancement, this third release from the Britrock group is more accessible, dreamier and less percussive. “We’re The Future,” about pioneering cell mutations, adds a touch of M83 and Shiny Toy Guns. The glockenspiel fills and musical saw make lines about future humans joined at the spine a bit more palatable. It’s Darwin by way of Moby.
Manchester Orchestra have retraced their roots. Cope is full-on garage rock that demands high volume. The opener pummels you with a buzzsaw guitar they borrowed from Motörhead. Assaultive drums, droning low-level distortion and a nearscreamo chorus on almost every song match the curiously transparent themes about a relationship gone awry.
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