Weekly Roundup - Unreviewed Releases: April 14-21, 2023

 

Calliope Music Weekly Roundup

Unreviewed Releases

April 14-21, 2023

Rated Albums

Jesus Piece - ...So Unknown 

5.5/10

Best Tracks: Fear of Failure -- Stolen Life -- The Bond

The sophomore effort of Metalcore band, Jesus Piece is utter hostility, guzzling with muscular guitar riffs and snappy kick drums. Two barking vocalists scream of mental and physical dysmorphia, rage against ignorance and affectionate sacrifice, accelerated by the thumping chugs of two contorting guitars. Brief moments of ambient distortion break up the otherwise constant pounding, acting as deep breaths before further sonic punishment. There is a degree of calculated explosion to this LP, swift in nature. While this aspect increases ferocity and shows the technical ability of the band, it often creates cursory progressions, leading to overly archetypal developments. Overall, ...So Unknown leaves an ample impression of torpedo Metalcore, albeit banal at times.

Feist - Multitudes

5.5/10

Best Tracks: Forever Before -- The Redwing -- I Took All Of My Rings Off -- Borrow Trouble

Seamless Contemporary Folk is upholstered by windy vocals and intrapersonal poesy. The 6th studio LP of Singer-Songwriter, Feist centers on commitment, isolation, a willingness to be wrong and embracing one's place in nature. Every track is anchored by a single acoustic guitar, where Feist's voice is only accompanied by backing vocals, damp piano, subtle synth effects and occasional tribal drumming. While Feist elegantly maneuvers internal conflicts with well grounded lyricism and her feathery voice, riskless progressions deny the increased impact of such concepts. Apart from bourgeois developments, Multitudes persists as faint, but spiritous Folk. 

Other Notable Releases

Maruja - Knocknarea

A lethal combination of Post-Rock, Post-Punk and Jazz-Rock, Maruja sets a truly daunting tone on the Manchester band's debut EP. Monstrous guitar and lawless drumming proliferate into buoyant saxophone, as sweet bass lines hum to doomful sonic landscapes. With only 22 minutes of material, Maruja proclaims major potential in ominous, yet expressive Art Rock.

Magdalena Bay - mini mix vol. 3

The first new material since the Pop group's debut LP Mercurial World in 2021, Magdalena Bay comes back with more refreshing Synthpop and nostalgic Chillwave. This 15 minute mixtape flows more melodiously than prior projects, utilizing punchy retro synths and fluent guitar grooves to create rich electronic landscapes. Although not as dynamic as previous works, mini mix vol. 3 is another splendid set of tropical electropop.

redveil - playing w/ fire

Up and coming rapper, redveil trials punchy Pop Rap and heated East Coast Hip-Hop in this 15 minute EP. Different that prior projects, playing w/ fire embodies bouncy bass-ridden beats and much louder, repetitive refrains. While redveil's production levels are much heavier and intricate here, the verses and hooks leave further depth to be desired. Nevertheless, a couple of dynamic guest features and vivacious manufacturing assist the Maryland rapper in continuing to establish himself in mainstream Hip-Hop.