Beachheads
Beachheads
(Fysisk Format)
2/5
Norway’s Beachheads are best known for having members of metal band Kvelertak in their ranks, but here on their debut album they veer far away from metal. Heavily influenced by power-pop bands of yesteryear, the band shows potential but is dragged down by mostly depressing lyrics and songs that just sound too much alike.
Opening track “Moment of Truth” features fervent power chords that are almost indistinguishable from the second track, “Break Me Down,” which sounds like the third track, and so on. Most of the album continues in this vein with a few exceptions.
Things don’t really change until halfway through the album, when the band channels one of their major influences, Teenage Fanclub, on “Give Me Some Love”—so much so that it actually sounds a bit like Teenage Fanclub’s “I’m In Love,” which came out just a few months ago. While Beachheads may not have even heard this track when recording this album, the influence of their muses is certainly evident.
The band says they’re influenced by trailblazing punks Hüsker Dü, but this doesn’t help the album become its own creature. For any band to really stand out, they need to discover their own sound, even if they’re trying to capture the sound of a particular genre. It’s not enough to imitate one’s heroes, especially when Beachheads clearly have the talent to play and write very earnest and heartfelt lyrics about love and loss.
These songs could be really good if the band had spent a little more time finding sounds that match the emotions they are trying to convey rather than forcing their lyrics to fit music they want to play. Hopefully Beachheads will find its own voice soon, instead of relying too heavily on those of the past.
-Patrick Newman
Louise Burns
Young Mopes
(Light Organ Records)
2/5
Even though she’s been involved in the music industry for nearly two decades, the sound Louise Burns has chosen for her latest LP, Young Mopes, doesn’t feel quite right. It’s fun and upbeat, with some meaning and emotion mixed in, but something’s off.
The album feels too forced, too busy, and a little too ’80s. Burns’ voice is beautiful and unique but is consistently drowned out by the raucous instrumentation and persistent, rude percussion.
Young Mopes does, however, have some high points. The brave mixture of pop/rock with some country gives it flair, and Burns is a skilled lyricist. Also, the title track, despite having the same problems as every other song here, manages to break from its instrumental fetters and run free.
Let’s hope that for her next album Burns will drain out some of the background noise and really let herself rise.
-Jayden Grieve
Khodara
Where’s Your Love
(Independent)
3/5
Khodara showcases her beautiful, soulful voice on her self-produced debut EP. Even though it’s her debut, she’s got some experience behind her: she trained in Rome, where she sang for two popes.
“Where’s Your Love” is a disco-pop track that recalls the Donna Summer and Diana Ross sound of the late ’70s but showcases Khodara’s voice in a way that makes it more homage than derivative. “See You Later” is a dreamy little number that deserves to find a home on radio. “Trees” is smooth and sultry, while “Magic” closes things out on an upbeat note.
One can only imagine how hard it is to find your own place in pop music, and very few will ever be able to make it to the top no matter how talented they are. Khodara is talented, and it will be interesting to see what she could do with big production behind her.
-Patrick Newman
Terrifier
Weapons of Thrash Destruction
(Test Your Metal Records)
2.5/5
“Fine”—that’s the word that comes to mind when listening to Weapons of Thrash Destruction.
As a thrash metal fan, my first thought on the opening track, “Reanimator,” was that it was awesome, with classic thrash characteristics at play. The vocals are stellar, the guitar riffs the musical definition of beauty.
But as the album wore on through tracks like “Violent Reprisal,” I literally had to check what I was listening to because it sounded so similar to other songs on the album or to other thrash bands. “Bestial Tyranny,” however, is a fresh song, with vocals that are not overpowering and that shed light on the band’s other talents.
The talent is there, but the choice in composition felt a little on the lazy side, with the riffs and hoarse thrash vocals too repetitive. Every few songs they bring in an original sound, which shows promise but for now results in the tip-of-the-tongue feeling the album suffers from, never quite fully satisfying.
-Adam Marsh