Fans have been speculating for months about who was going to play the last tour, with guesses ranging from plausible to never-gonna-happen (*cough cough* a My Chemical Romance reunion). Alas, the lineup has been revealed and the consensus is split: some are very ecstatic about the lineup, and some are incredibly disappointed. As for me? I’m definitely excited, but I can see where people were disappointed.

Before I jump into my top ten picks, I want to address the certain marketing tactic that they used to announce the bands. As always, they post a photo with all the bands written on it in alphabetical order, with asterisks by the bands that weren’t playing the whole tour. This year, instead of asterisks, they put those bands in a purple font as opposed to the black font. At first glance, you don’t realize that they aren’t playing the full tour until you see the fine print at the bottom.

A lot of fans were upset about this, mostly because some really big bands are playing, with a lot of them only playing select dates. This sucked, because there are a lot of big names, Warped-esque bands, such as All Time Low, Asking Alexandria, Bowling For Soup, Sum 41, and Taking Back Sunday, that are only playing one or two dates. While they do clarify that they aren’t playing the full tour, one can’t really tell at first glance, which makes the lineup a little bit more disappointing.

But enough of that. I’m still pretty pumped about the bands that are playing the full tour, which all ten of these are.

1.) Movements

I CAN’T CONTAIN MY EXCITEMENT TO SEE THIS BAND LIVE AGAIN. I saw them at last years Warped Tour, when they were on a small stage with a small crowd, and this year they have been upgraded to the MAIN STAGE! These guys released a killer album last October, titled “Feel Something,” which skyrocketed their career (hence the spot on the main stage). If you’re into post-hardcore emo, then you definitely need to check out this band.

Favorite song: Vacant Home

2.) The Maine

The Maine also released an amazing album last year, “Lovely Little Lonely.” I’ve only seen them once before, but that was before LLL came out and before I was really that big of a fan. The Maine are a rock band from Arizona, and they’ve played Warped shows in the past. Now that I’m into their music some more, I’m really excited to see them this summer.

Favorite song: How Do You Feel?

3.) State Champs

Tbh, I’ve seen State Champs like 5 or 6 times already. What can I say? They’re one of my all-time favorite bands that also happens to be one of the biggest in the pop-punk scene today. When I first saw them at Warped Tour back in 2014, they were still relatively small. I’m excited to see them again this year, back on the main stage, performing my favorite songs. Talk about coming full circle, huh?

Favorite song: All or Nothing

4.) Knuckle Puck

Knuckle Puck are a band that I’ve fallen deeply in love with over the last few years. They just released their sophomore album, “Shapeshifter,” this past October. It took a little while to grow on me, but I absolutely love it now, so I’m definitely excited to see them play some of their new material live.

Favorite song: Want Me Around

5.) Real Friends

Whenever I think about Real Friends, I think about the first time I saw them at Warped Tour 2014. If you couldn’t tell already, that years Warped Tour was an amazing year that got me into a lot of my current favorite bands. Real Friends are a pop punk band from Chicago, and they always give fun performances no matter where they play, but there’s something a little bit more special about their Warped shows.

Favorite song: Summer

6.) Grayscale

At this time last year, I had no idea who Grayscale was. And now, I. love. them. I discovered them shortly after the release of their 2017 pop-punk album “Adornment,” and now I can’t get enough of them. They’re still relatively small(ish), and I think those are some of the most fun sets to see live at Warped. I haven’t had the chance to see them live yet, and I hear that they’re awesome, so I’m excited.

Favorite song: Beautiful Things

7.) Broadside

Broadside are a pop punk band that I tried to see at Warped 2016, but just barely missed. They also released an album last year, “Paradise.” I haven’t listened to it too much, but from what I’ve heard of it, it’s pretty good. I loved their album “Old Bones,” and their sound overall, so I hope that I get to see them this year.

Favorite Song: Coffee Talk

8.) Simple Plan

You might be thinking, “Simple Plan are still around?” and the answer is yes, yes they are. I actually got to see them live here in Iowa City a couple years ago for the University of Iowa Homecoming (review of that here). While that was a fun, outdoor night show, I want to see them during the Warped atmosphere. They’re definitely one of the more popular Warped Tour veterans, having played the festival 1999-2005, 2011, 2013, and 2015. I’m excited to hear their most popular tunes.

Favorite song: I’m Just A Kid

9.) With Confidence

After some drama went down with the band over the past year, they’ve been kind of silent. But now, they’re ready to play Warped this year, and I’m pretty excited. I saw them as an opening band once, but what I’m really looking forward to is seeing them at Warped.

Favorite song: Voldemort

10.) Mayday Parade

And last but not least, Mayday Parade. I’ve already seen them live a handful of times, two of those being at past Warped Tours, but nonetheless, I’m still excited to see them. Mayday Parade always puts on a great show with their outstanding stage presence. They’re always so excited to be playing live, making the Warped experience that much better.

Favorite song: Just Say You’re Not Into It

So there you have it! Make sure to stay tuned for my review of the festival this summer. In the meantime, check out my review of Warped Tour 2016 here, Warped Tour 2017 here, and also my thoughts on the end of Warped Tour here.

The post Jen’s Top Ten’s: Bands I want to see at Warped Tour 2018 appeared first on KRUI Radio.

1.) “Where Do We Go When We Go”

This was one of the first singles released in anticipation for this record, and I think it does a fantastic job showcasing the themes discussed in this album. Lead singer Ben Barlow’s dad passed away before this album came out, and you can see that the death of his father inspired a lot of the songs on this album. This song questions faith and religion, calling it a “fallacy.” The song itself has an uplifting message, saying that you should enjoy your life right now, because there is no proof of an afterlife.

2.) “Can’t Kick Up The Roots”

This song, coming off their second full length album “Life’s Not Out To Get You,” has always held a special place in my heart. It’s a song about loving your hometown, despite how boring it can be sometimes. I moved to Iowa from Colorado when I was 10, and while Iowa is pretty boring compared to Colorado, I love this place and can’t kick up the roots. The two lyrics that resonate with me most are “It can be grim, and send you west from time to time,” and “I’m not stuck, I’m staying.”

3.) “Gold Steps”

“Gold Steps” is that uplifting song that everyone should give a listen. The album title “Life’s Not Out To Get You” comes from this chorus, actually. This song talks about how it’s normal to have ups and downs in your life, but at the end of the day you’ll be fine.

4.) “Silver Lining” 

With the heavy instrumentation and lower vocal range for Barlow, this song is a classic early Neck Deep jam. It always amazes me how great their lyrical content was in their early days. Lyrics like “Drown your sorrows in this bottle / It’s full of the things I’ll never say to you” and “You always want what you can’t get / And I always want what I’ll regret” get me every time.

5.) “What Did You Expect?”

One of the best things about early Neck Deep is that you can feel the angst that they feel simply because of the lyrics and instrumentation. This one is heavy, just like “Silver Lining,” and also talks about a failed relationship. It’s a pessimistic jam, with lyrics like “You went and fucked this up / Because you couldn’t keep your legs shut” and “You’ve got some nerve thinking we could be friends / Well what did you expect? / A fucking compliment?”

6.) “Losing Teeth” 

Ahh, the memories. This was the first Neck Deep song that I ever heard. It was featured on the Warped Tour 2014 compilation CD, and I was beyond excited to see them. This song definitely showcases who Neck Deep is — a generic pop punk band that’s made their mark in the genre. It’s a song that is driven by awesome guitar riffs, vigourous drumming, and a passion-filled yell from Barlow. It’s a good listen.

7.) “Crushing Grief (No Remedy)”

This is a killer track for so many reasons. It’s honestly one of the best songs that they play live, because the whole crowd is moshing, crowd surfing, jumping, you name it. I haven’t seen them in a while, so I’m not sure if they still play it life, but it’s a hoot.

8.) “Staircase Wit”

The guitar riff at the beginning is what really draws me in, and the lyrics keep me around. This is another one to see live — hell, pretty much any Neck Deep song is fun live based on their stage presence.

9.) “Serpents”

This song comes off of “Life’s Not Out To Get You.” Right off the bat, we see improved vocals from Barlow, the perfect amount of bass guitar, and compelling lyrics. Basically, Barlow is saying that this chick is a snakes a** h***, but like, in a nicer way. I love it. *sips tea*

10.) “In Bloom”

And last but not least, my new favorite Neck Deep song. This came out on “The Peace and The Panic,” and I think it’s fantastic. It’s definitely one of the softest songs that they’ve ever written, but I think it still fits in their sound. Neck Deep prides themselves in this song, saying it’s one of the best songs they’ve ever written, if not the best. I definitely agree with that — there’s just something so pleasing about it. I think it’s the chorus.

Those are my favorites! I love Neck Deep so much, so narrowing this down was kinda difficult. Let me know what your favorites are!

Feel free to follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr where I upload concert pictures and you can be up-to-date on where I’ll be next.

The post Jen’s Top Ten’s: My Favorite Songs by Neck Deep appeared first on KRUI Radio.

There are times in life when you come across a band that really impacts your life in a way that you never could have imagined. A time when lyrics leave you weak in the knees and numb to the bone. A time when the fast paced melodies of that bands’ song leaves you with adrenaline rushing through your veins. Real Friends are one of those bands that I stumbled upon one day and fell in love with. While I enjoy pretty much everything they’ve put out, I’ve narrowed it down to a list of ten songs that I think you should check out from this Chicago pop-punk band.

1.) Summer

This one is for the people trying to find strength within themselves to make it through day-to-day life without somebody else (in this context, a past lover that seems to have really screwed them over).

With the lyrics “I miss you like the summer / Right now I think I need you here / But I don’t really need you / I’ll get through the winter without you”, we can see that the deeper meaning is that the winter is equivalent to dark, depressing times, and that they can make it back to happiness (the summer) without this past lover. It’s mixed with the perfect amount of desperation and aggression (“I’m a little worn out / Since you fucking tore me down) to make for an enjoyable listen.

2.) Loose Ends

With awesome guitar riffs and scratchy vocals singing about borderline self-deprecating lyrics, this song is sure to catch your attention. The instruments lie on the heavier side of the pop-punk spectrum, making this an instant Warped Tour hit. In fact, that’s where I first heard this song — on the Warped Tour 2014 compilation album. This song is what really drew me in to Real Friends and made me check out their other stuff.

3.) Late Nights In My Car

One of the things I’ve always loved about Real Friends is how relatable the lyrics felt. While many criticize Real Friends’ plain lyrics, they get straight to the point and are easy to understand. This song negatively reminisces on the past, mentioning that they were “naive and weak” back then.

The most uplifting part of the song comes towards the end, with the lyrics “If you never break / You’ll never know how to put yourself back together” which implies that there’s a reason that we break down sometimes — so that we can build ourselves up to be stronger.

4.) I’ve Given Up On You

This song showcases the softer side of Real Friends. While it features a more laid back electric guitar, the riffs are flawless next to lead singer Dan Lambton’s voice that crescendos from soft to loud. The song is aggressive in the most toned down way possible (if that makes any sense).

There aren’t any backing drums or bass, just the single guitar with Dan’s voice, which is raised. The guitar is still fast paced, but ends up being anticlimactic. Taking the lyrics into consideration, I interpret this as the lead singer showing anger but also being too worn down to be angry.

5.) Empty Picture Frames

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GMO0HC7n9k

While this wasn’t chosen to be a single off of their latest release The Home Inside My Head, it definitely sounds like it would’ve been a hit. Right off the bat, I could hear the growth and maturation just from the opening guitar riff. Dan’s vocals seem to be cleaner, a refreshing change of pace. The lyrics have also matured, become more complicated to interpret, but not impossible.

6.) Sixteen

If you were a loner throughout high school (or life, really), I feel ya. And so does Real Friends. Honestly, this song is incredibly depressing. The lyrics discuss how they’ve been distant since they were sixteen, and how they felt like they’ve been walking through life alone. This song is perfect for a rainy day.

7.) Short Song

The title doesn’t lie — this track plays just below two minutes. In this short song, an important message is delivered. It starts off as a song that seems to be dwelling on the past, but soon turns into a more hopeful message that this is just how life has to be, and that things happen for a reason. It’s oddly uplifting, leaving the listener with a sense of hope.

8.) Mess

This is another song off of their latest release that showcases their development as a band. All of the instruments and vocals are cleaner, yet the edginess is still there. The lyrics are nostalgic (“I’m still a lost boy”) which pokes at their previous releases (many of which include lyrics claiming to be a “lost boy” — see below). This song is about letting go of the past, with the past being a recurring theme throughout all of their albums and EP’s thus far.

9.) Lost Boy

The title says it all — clearly this boy is lost (mentally). The lyrics deal with a lot of depression and what it’s like to not only lose a person (in this case, a love interest) but also apart of yourself. The tone is bitter, but at the end they become accepting with the lines “But that’s the way I always want to be / Forever a lost boy with bony knees”.

10.) …And We’re Just Changing

I hate to end this list with a slightly depressing song, but… I’m doing it anyway. This is the perfect closing track on their first album Maybe This Place Is The Same, And We’re Just Changing. Like the title implies, it’s about change and figuring out where to go from here. The electric guitar is slow, but it builds up with the drums to become a song that represents who Real Friends are as a band — just a group of lost boys.

Check out Real Friends’ Spotify down below!

The post Jen’s Top Tens: My Favorite Songs by Real Friends appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Ahh, summertime. Nothing feels more like summer to me than an ice cold lemonade, humid nights, and of course, Vans Warped Tour.

Vans Warped Tour is a summer-long festival that kicks off every year in June and runs through August. Warped Tour focuses on the rock scene and has been touring around the United States every year since 1995. Over one hundred bands hop on the tour each summer, varying from up and coming bands to the leaders of the punk rock scene. The most popular genres played at Warped are pop punk and metalcore, although there are many hardcore, street punk, and even hip hop acts that are thrown in.

July 31st, 2016 marks my third time attending the Vans Warped Tour in Denver, Colorado. If you’ve never been to Warped Tour before, let me give you the low down. The tour arrives at your city the morning of and sets up stages, tents, porta-potties, etc. The line-up is different every day; bands normally don’t have a set time that they play every day. The schedule is not set in stone until the morning of. If you’re like me and you love to have things planned out, then Warped is going to stress you out. In previous years, I’ve missed seeing some bands live because there was another band playing at the same time. It’s always a shame, but it happens.

My best friend Ily and I arrived at the venue around 9 am (TIP: it’s always best to get there a couple hours early so you can get in line and just in case your favorite band is first to play). If you bring in three non-perishable food cans, then you get to skip the line and enter the venue before the normal general admission line (do this. Trust me. Just do it.) We finally got into the venue around 10:45, where we rushed over to the Full Sail tent to grab some wristbands to get into a meet and greet with one of our favorite bands, Real Friends. After finding the big inflatable schedule, we bought a $2 flyer with all of the set times on them (TIP: buy the flyer. It’s a lot easier than taking a crappy picture and not being able to see the set times).

Luckily, none of our bands overlapped, much to our liking considering the line-up this year was stacked with my favorite bands. The day for us started at 12:20 where we got to see State Champs at the main stage. I reviewed a State Champs concert before which you can read about here, and this time had the same vibes. This was my fourth time seeing State Champs live, and each time they just get better and better. Fans went crazy for this popular band, with many surfing through the crowd just to get close to the quintet. Starting with the song “Shape Up“, they powered through their set list, finishing up with their first single “Secrets” from their latest album Around The World And Back.

After State Champs performed, I was already exhausted from feebly lifting fans off of me and sending them forward. Ily and I sat on a grassy patch that sat near the Full Sail stage, where we got to hear Broadside, an up-and-coming pop punk band from Richmond, Virginia.

Around 1:15, we headed over to the Full Sail tent to wait in line for our Real Friends meet and greet. While waiting in line, we got to hear one of my favorite bands from middle school, 3OH!3. The duo, originating in Boulder, Colorado, played many iconic songs from their debut album Want and their most recent album Night Sports. Even though I haven’t listened to Want since middle school, I still knew all the words to the classics “Starstrukk“, “Don’t Trust Me“, “Chokechain“, and “Punkbitch.” It was a blast to listen to and middle school Jen was pretty thrilled.

We also got to briefly hear part of We The Kings’ set before heading off to meet Real Friends. Meeting Real Friends was one of the highlights of my day, considering they quickly became one of my favorite bands after seeing them at Warped Tour in 2014. The guys were all so nice, even though we briefly chatted. Earlier in the day, we got to talk to bassist Kyle Fasel at their merch tent more in depth. Check out my review of their last album here.

Ily and I rushed to the main stage to catch another one of our favorite pop punk bands, The Story So Far. The Story So Far leans more on the harder and angsty side of pop punk, making their sound unique and relatable. Adrenaline pumped through my veins as we jumped and yelled the lyrics back at the band. Their set list included “All Wrong“, “The Glass“, “Nerve“, “Quicksand“, “Empty Space“, “Heavy Gloom“, “Things I Can’t Change“, and “Roam.”

It was around 3:00 pm when Ily and I sat down to eat again. After munching on light snacks (TIP: bring a lot of snacks because the food at Warped is expensive and the lines are long) we headed back to the main stage to catch Issues, a metalcore band from Atlanta, power through their set with hardcore energy that pumped fans up. They played a couple songs off their latest release Headspace, as well as some older fan favorites such as “Mad At Myself”.

Once Issues wrapped up, we headed towards Knuckle Puck’s tent to meet the band. Each member was so friendly, shaking my hand and introducing themselves. I briefly mentioned seeing them in Iowa City last October, which one replied saying that Gabe’s was one of their favorite venues. After taking a quick selfie, we headed over to sit under a tent. On our way there, we spotted lead singer Derek DisCanio of State Champs at their tent, so we popped over to get our t-shirts signed. This was my third time meeting Derek and he was just as humble as he was the first time we met at Warped Tour 2014.

Ily and I filled up our water bottles and munched on some goldfish before we jumped in the crowd to jam out to the latter half of Sleeping With Siren’s set. The crowd was packed as fans watched from all across the parking lot. The girly screams of the crowd reflected Kellin Quinn’s uniquely high pitched voice perfectly as they belted all of the lyrics back. Their set was a nice mash-up of old and new songs, which was pleasing to fans no matter what Sleeping With Sirens era they liked most.

After Sleeping With Sirens, we pushed our way to the front of the crowd so that we could be close for when Real Friends played. One stage over, we were able to hear Sum 41, an iconic 2000’s pop punk band. Towards the end of their set, they played their cult classics “In Too Deep”, “Still Waiting”, and “Fat Lip” which got almost the entire arena parking lot to chime in.

Real Friends took the stage, opening up with the fan-favorite “Late Nights in My Car” which got the crowd energized right off the bat. Old songs faded into new songs, highlighting the slight change in style but still reminiscent of their previous EP’s. Bassist Kyle Fasel occasionally jumped on the riser, shouting lyrics and waving his hands up and down, getting the crowd to jump along with him. Real Friends finished up with “Loose Ends”, a single from their first full-length album Maybe This Place is the Same, and We’re Just Changing.

Ily and I then pushed our way out of the crowd to run to the other side of the venue to catch Knuckle Puck at the Poseidon stage. We got there right in time as they were opening with “Disdain” off of their latest record Copacetic. I was surprised at how much smaller the crowd felt, considering they’re a huge up-and-coming band that’s gained a lot of popularity since they were on last years’ Warped Tour. Lead singer Joe Taylor jumped around the stage passionately, occasionally screaming lyrics and holding the microphone out to the crowd. They played some of my favorite songs, such as “Untitled“, “No Good“, and “Pretense“. There was not a still person in the crowd during their set, making it one of my favorites of the day.

As Knuckle Puck packed their stuff up, a band called Waterparks opened up their set at the Cyclops stage, where a small group of fans gathered around to jam out. Ily and I were able to sit comfortably a little ways back and watch the band. They made for an enjoyable listen while we passed time. Once they wrapped up, we turned our heads back to the Poseidon stage where Roam, a British pop punk band, played catchy songs to a slightly larger audience.

Ily and I then headed back over towards the main stages and sat again, this time listening to Arizona locals The Summer Set. They played a few songs I knew, my favorites being “Boomerang” and “Lightning in a Bottle”.

We decided to go stand in the crowd for the long wait to see Mayday Parade. Four Year Strong was playing, a band described as pop punk/melodic hardcore. Fans formed what is called a “wall of death”, or extreme moshing. While we were safe on the side, it was fun to watch fans get passionate about the music and run about the pit.

While waiting in the crowd for Mayday, one stage over New Found Glory, formed in 1997, made for an enjoyable listen. They ended with their classic “My Friends Over You”, which got everybody in the parking lot to hum and sing along.

Finally, the moment we were all waiting for. Mayday Parade closed out Warped Tour by opening with fan-favorite “Jersey”.

The crowd went crazy for the band with nobody being able to push their way to the front. That left them with one option: crowd surfing. While I’m all for crowd surfing, it gets tiring after a while. Fans began surfing from three different spots in the back, all leading to the center of the stage with 4 or 5 people surfing at a time, all snapchatting their adventure. It got to be overwhelming, and we found ourselves looking back in fear that our necks were going to be snapped rather than looking forward and enjoying the band that we had waited all day to see. At the end of the day though, we weren’t gonna let a few crowd surfers ruin our day.

While many of us have been at the venue going on 11 hours, the energy was just as copious as it was when the day started. Fans jammed out to crowd-favorite songs, making it an enjoyable listen for any casual Mayday fan. Mayday ended with another fan favorite “Jamie All Over”. Once the guitars faded out, the crowd chanted for an encore. Ily and I decided we were pooped and that the only thing we wanted was a hot shower and our beds.

To say the least, Warped Tour 2016 was by far the best Warped experience I’ve had thus far. I highly recommend making the drive out of Iowa to experience Warped, as this is a day that I surely will never forget!

The post Festival Review: Vans Warped Tour 2016 appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Real Friends, a pop punk band from Tinley Park, Illinois, is a band that has quickly made their way up in the scene and also on the list of my favorite bands. After seeing them live at Warped Tour 2014, I became obsessed. While the pop punk scene is huge, I had heard nothing like Real Friends before. They stood out to me, especially with their first full length album Maybe This Place Is the Same and We’re Just Changing that debuted in July 2014. Now, almost two years later, Real Friends drop their sophomore LP with Fearless Records, The Home Inside My Head. Without further ado, lets jump into the review.

The album starts out very promising with the song “Stay In One Place,” a guitar-heavy and drum-driven track that sets the stage for what the album entails and who Real Friends are as a band. We then jump into the second track, “Empty Picture Frames,” which I was pleasantly surprised with. The opening guitar catches the ear of the listener, and the catchy chorus keeps them around for the entire song. I was surprised that this song wasn’t a single released prior to the album release, considering it is arguably the biggest standout track and fan favorite from this album. Not to mention, the albums title comes from the chorus: “The home inside my head has a bed for me / that no one will ever get the chance to see.”

We continue on with “Keep Lying To Me,” a song that showcases a lot of vulnerability from the band. Bassist and lyricist Kyle Fasel includes a lot of clever word play on the word “lying,” using its different definitions and synonyms. It’s a strong track that keeps the album moving forward. “Scared To Be Alone” is up next, an inspiring song that is instrumentally and lyrically pleasing. It focuses on the idea that we shouldn’t settle because we are scared to be alone.

The album takes a turn with “Mokena,” a track that reinforces the idea that they are a group of ‘Illinois Sad Boys,’ a self-titled name that can be seen on a lot of their merchandise. Instrumentally, I love this song. The electric guitar is simple and slow, which paired with lead singer Dan Lambton’s soft voice during the verses and raspy voice during the choruses makes for an enjoyable listen. Lyrically, it isn’t all there. It kind of seems like Kyle Fasel was trying too hard to be deep and introspective with this track, which can be seen in the first verse with lyrics that are all over the place. It feels a little bit too forced.

The album picks up again with “Mess,” a single that sounds like a typical Real Friends song — loaded with guitars and drums. The line “I’m still a lost boy” made me crack a smile as it would with any Real Friends fan. A first time listener would think it’s just in reference to the themes throughout this album about feeling lost and alone, but a true fan will hear the dog whistle and know that it’s a stab at many of their old songs, where they reference being a “lost boy with bony knees,” a signature line that has been repeated throughout their music career. That line was special and stood out because it tells us that they’re the same guys they’ve always been, even though now they have been launched into mainstream pop punk since their debut album release in 2014.

“Isolating Everything” was written by Dan, a refreshing change in theme and lyricism from the repeated style and lyrics that Kyle composes. With Dan’s strained and raspy voice, it sounds like something that would be on their debut album. “Well, I’m Sorry” is next, a track with emo-influences, a drum-driven beat, and lyrics that follow the theme of acceptance.

We jump right into “Basement Stairs,” a song that follows a great melodic chorus and has a lot of momentum building up throughout. This is a song that I’m sure will be played live because of its high energy vibes. Next is “Door Without A Key,” a more basic run-of-the-mill Real Friends song. It’s not a bad song, it just doesn’t have anything particularly special about it. On its own, it’s borderline forgettable.

Up next is one of my favorite tracks, “Eastwick,” a breathtakingly beautiful and heartbreaking acoustic track. Brilliant lyrics matched with Dan’s softer vocals really help to carry this song and induce sad vibes upon the listener.

Real Friends close up the album with the track “Colder Quicker,” the perfect closing song for this record. It embodies all that this album is about by bringing together all of the themes present. The momentum in this song builds up and remains throughout the entire track.

Overall, I would say this is a great album. It’s a step up from “Maybe This Place Is the Same. . .”, and you can definitely see the growth in music style and vocals. The biggest issue I see with this album is the lyrics–some of them feel as if they were thrown together, and others don’t match the melodies. Kyle writes his lyrics in more spoken-poetry style with overflowing emotion, while Dan writes melodic lyrics that sometimes lack emotion. If only the two could have collaborated better to find what would work better, I think this album would have been a 10/10. Real Friends have written some amazing yet simple lyrics in the past, so I know they have it in them to write some more. I only see them getting bigger from here, and I think that the more they experiment and collaborate with their music, the more they will continue to grow and become better.

Real Friends will be playing all summer on Vans Warped Tour (stay tuned for that festival review!).

Feel free to follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr where I upload concert pictures and you can be up-to-date on where I’ll be next.

The post Album Review: “The Home Inside My Head” by Real Friends appeared first on KRUI Radio.