“Welcome to the Neighbourhood” is Boston Manor’s follow up album to their pop-punk debut “Be Nothing.” I vibed with “Be Nothing.”, but I find myself coming back to “Welcome to the Neighbourhood”more and more. The only way I can really describe this album is that it is dark. 

Actually, this Twitter user described it perfectly:

New @BSTNMNR album is as if Stephen King wrote music. Pure dark genius. I’m obsessed.

— Madison Goddangloff (@MadisonGangloff) September 7, 2018

The band from Blackpool, UK deliver to us an album that is dark, heavy and melodramatic. It’s a little bit more of a progressive pop-punk, leading into a more grungy, alt-rock sound. It’s hard to describe, but sonically, this album sounds very eerie and haunting throughout. The guitars are grittier, and vocalist Henry Cox toned down the yelling without taking away from the angry tone of the album.

This album, inspired by the downfall of Blackpool, touches on many themes. The neighborhood of Blackpool went from being a booming town in Northwest England to a “place where you can go to forget all your problems,” as Cox says. As most of the people search for how to get rid off alcohol addiction with the help of NJ outpatient rehab. Their first single “Halo” touches on drug addiction, more specifically addiction to heroine The lyrics allude to many things that come from heroine addiction, such as “cold sweats in the morning” and “a thick brown belt on my arm again.”

This album is very experimental for Boston Manor as they dip their toes into different techniques, such as using synths and different guitar and bass tones. On nearly every track, the instrumentation explodes into each of the choruses in their respective ways. Every instrument sounds like it fits in perfectly, and nothing feels out of place.

For the fans of Boston Manor’s more pop punk sound, not to worry: tracks like “Tunnel Vision” and “If I Can’t Have It No One Can” are driven by pop punk influences that make you want to bang your head.

The lull of this album comes in an odd place: the very last track. I like the closer, “The Day That I Ruined Your Life,” but it seems kind of odd to place as the last track of the album. However, I’m not really sure where else this song fits in. This sound would have definitely slowed down the momentum that was built up throughout the rest of the album. The entire song isn’t slow, as it brings in layering of other guitars and synths to continue the ominous sound of the album. We leave the album on kind of a solemn note.

Overall, I’d give this album a 8/10. While I was anticipating a good album from Boston Manor this year, they really exceeded my expectations and really set the bar high for their next record.

The post Album Review: “Welcome to the Neighbourhood” by Boston Manor appeared first on KRUI Radio.

The night started with Oakland, California native, Sayer, whose performance I was unfortunately only able to catch part of. For the part of the set I did see I was in awe of the way his soundscapes seemed to completely fill the space around you. The crowd also seemed to be quite into it, which isn’t always the case for openers in the Iowa EDM scene.

Sayer was followed up by the legendary Yheti, who is just an odd dude that you can’t help but love. Not to mention he makes bad ass music. On the night of the show G Jones sent out a tweet in regards to Yheti stating

“Yheti is the truth. Carving his own lane is an understatement”

After watching his set, I must agree. There is something about the way Yheti sculpts his sound that seems incredibly unique. At some points during his set he would be playing a slower, experimental tune but was able to transition so effortlessly into heavy, grimy dub. The guy is incredible. I was nearly on the rail for his set so I had a great view of him and the passion he puts into his music was very apparent. I went into the night excited to see him, but I left with a whole new appreciation for him and his music.

G Jones came on just after midnight. He performed multiple tracks from his recently released EP Visions. He also of course played one of my personal favorites Mind Tricks, his track with Bassnectar. Throughout his set he talked on the mic a minimal amount of times and also played hardly any remixes of over played songs, both of which were appreciated.

I also was impressed with his consistently high energy throughout the set, he was constantly bouncing around and getting into his music. In another tweet G Jones sent out the night of this show he stated

“imo [in my opinion] challenging an audience with something unfamiliar is important in ways that aren’t immediately apparent”.

His dystopian like tunes and conceptual beats did just that. This wasn’t just like any typical heavy bass set, it was one of a kind.

I will be seeing G Jones again this summer when he headlines Thursday night at Bonnaroo. I’ve been told G Jones is a master at keeping all of his sets one of a kind, so hopefully this will hold true. I’m also looking forward to experiencing one of his performances in a festival atmosphere versus a small venue. If given the chance everyone should attend a G Jones show, after his show at Blue Moose I can confidently say he will not disappoint.

Music by these artists can be found here: G Jones – Yheti – Sayer

The post Show Review: G Jones @ The Blue Moose Tap House 3/02/2017 appeared first on KRUI Radio.