Sugar, we’re fallin’ in
Fall Out Boy MANIA Universal
AS one of emo-punk’s earliest adopters, Fall Out Boy have come a long way since its 2001 origins. Sure, clever lyricist Pete Wentz and rough soulful vocalist Patrick Stump can yammer on about “childhood heroes having fallen off or died”, and, maybe a few driving gloved fists get thrown.
For the most part, however, MANIA is so busy, poppy, glossy and over-zealously ebullient that no one working within its confines could’ve been mopey. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing when you consider FOB’s new sugar-rushing EDM-inspired sort-of pop acts best with the quartet’s usual brand of complex melody/ hook writing.
Vigorous to a fault, MANIA moves from the galvanic mega-metal of The Last Of The Real Ones, the fussy thundering electro-clash of Young And Menace, the waltzing wonk of Heaven’s Gate ,to the torrid tropical house of Hold Me Tight Or Don’t awkwardly but with such bristle and floss, it works as a unified whole.
The one tune that doesn’t fit is Champions. Co-written by FOB and bluer-than-blue composer Sia Furler, the song chugs weirdly in comparison to the rest of MANIA – a raspy anthem with a sporty name and no cause or stadium to play in. And it’ll be a smash. – A.D. Amorosi/The Philadelphia Inquirer/Tribune News Service
Dream Wife Dream Wife Lucky Number
DREAM Wife’s name is a commentary about society’s objectification of women, OK? And the British, all-female punk trio’s Dream Wife is a raucous, powerful protest about gender roles and inequality.
The album opens with Rakel Mjoll wailing, “Let’s make out! Let’s maaaaaake outttt!” You can almost hear her patience waning as guitarist Alice Go rolls out roaring riffs and bassist Bella Podpadec keeps a groovy beat.
But Dream Wife only gets more wondrous from there. There’s an element of ‘50s innocence in the hand claps and cooing backing vocals that begin Hey Heartbreaker, then Mjoll starts taunting the object of her initial affection.
That’s not to say that Dream Wife doesn’t have its moments of sweetness. The gorgeous Love Without Reason feels like a pretty chant that crosses the Sugarcubes with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. The lovely Kids bubbles with the joys of young love and scratchy guitar riffs, as Mjoll fondly recalls memories of upstate New York.
Dream Wife is a career-making triumph, as bold as Mjoll’s exertion of unflinching control throughout her lyrics, and the first undeniable breakout performance of 2018. – Glenn Gamboa/Newsday/Tribune News Service
Abby Diamond Sorceress Independent
AFTER hours musical magic thrives on the spellbinding debut from bubbling under musician Abby Diamond. The New Orleans songstress delivers woozy electronic numbers over an effortlessly ethereal sound on the five-track collection.
Opener There’s A Light In The Room sets the mood with its R&Besque sentiment that glazes over a polished electronic production. Meanwhile, Good does wonders in highlighting those jazz-trained vocals. Diamond’s voice simply shines over a sexy shimmering beat.
Elsewhere, the 24-year-old tackles the topic of feminism and sexuality. The intricately layered Yes My Heart Is Open, No You Can’t Come In sees the Los Angeles-based singer owning her strong ideals over dreamy harmonies. – Chester Chin
Calexico The Thread That Keeps Us Anti
CALEXICO have long used the wide-open landscape of Mexican American border country as inspiration, both lyrical and musical.
The Thread That Keeps Us, their ninth studio album, has traces of their usual mariachi horns and cinematic reveries, but they are tempered by dissonance. Apocalyptic opener End Of The World With You strikes the keynote with lines about “love in the age of extremes” and an increasingly abrasive guitar line that suggests our politically discordant world.
Unlike 2015’s bright Edge Of The Sun, which featured guests such as Neko Case and Iron & Wine’s Sam Beam, leaders Joey Burns and John Convertino stick mainly with their core touring band, and the tone is often ominous and insidious.
“Show me a sign when the world falls apart,” Burns sings in Under The Wheels, an insistent track punctuated with trumpets. The Thread That Keeps Us is still expansive enough to encompass restrained funk in Another Space, rough-edged rock-and-roll in Thrown To The Wild, and gentle acoustic balladry in Music Box, which closes the album on a note of resigned optimism in the power of love and music: “Listen to the song and where it takes your soul.” — Steve Klinge/ The Philadelphia Inquirer/Tribune News Service