At the end of the summer Finch (post-hardcore band from California) released their first full length album since 2005 and I finally got a chance to give it a listen. Normally I don't make a big deal about labels and producers, but I found it interesting that they had some pretty big names for a release that only real fans would be likely to pick up. The cd Back to Oblivion is out on Razor & Tie records, a label that has taken on a lot of hard rock artists that had been floating around or dropped by bigger labels (All That Remains, Dee Snider, Hatebreed, HIM, Nonpoint, Norma Jean, Yellowcard, etc.) Funny enough, they are most famous for Kidz Bop and the Wiggles, but at least they are giving rock bands a fair shake. The disc is produced by Brian Virtue who has worked with Thirty Seconds to Mars, Jane's Addiction, and Chevelle. This got me pretty interested.
There are some hard rockers on Back to Oblivion as well as some softer songs. It definitely sounds like Finch, but in my mind I don't think they could ever recreate the masterpiece that is their debut, What It Is To Burn. That disc I routinely go back to and often play start to finish. Following a string of reunion shows commemorating the tenth anniversary of that effort and some dates on Warped tour 2014, the band seems to be back! The new album is a nice effort, but fails to maintain any momentum in terms of energy or emotion, in my opinion. If you like their faster tempo stuff, highlights include the title track and "Further From the Few".
Flyleaf came out with a new disc entitled Between the Stars. Unfortunately, singer Lacey Sturm has left the band to devote more time to family and the band just isn't the same. New frontwoman Kristen May can sing, but her voice doesn't have the same range, passion, or grit that Lacey's has. The band is simply pop-rock now. I personally think it deserves a name change. Though I couldn't buy the new record, I picked up the last disc that Lacey appeared on called New Horizons (2012). With Lacey's voice, production by Howard Benson, and mixing by Tom Lord-Alge it is hard to go wrong. Songs like "Fire Fire" and "Call You Out" really rip.
While on iTunes I also came across a new album from Red Jumpsuit Apparatus that I had apparently missed, most likely because it was an independent release with no advertising. This band has always put out great emotional hard rock. This one is no different with anti-suicide song "Not My Style" and a song about lost loved ones called "Other Side."
Reading up on this album I found out that there was some controversy surrounding the band around the time of its release. They had allegedly posted pictures without proper clearance which led to some backlash from their photographer over copyright infringement. The band then went on to say that they think most digital art should be free and released their entire catalog of music for free. Since that time this offer is no longer available and capitalism has been restored. I happily paid $9.99 for the album called 4. "California" is a song about lawyers, which highlights exactly what the band thinks they are good for - nothing. In addition to the songs mentioned before, "It Was You" is a good emo song, but not the calibur of their best work. I've really taken to the song "I Know Right" about falling in love. It has deep, poetic lyrics, sticks in your head, and rocks hard enough that I can't stop listening to it. With the songs about suicide, death, love, and the very blatant "Jesus is My Rockstar," RJA is not shying away from their Christian beliefs. I don't mind if they keep putting out the headbanging anthems.
