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GROUPLOVE
Big Mess
The American indie-rock
conglomerate comprised of Hannah
Hooper, Christian Zucconi, Daniel
Gleason, Andrew Wessen, and Ryan
Rabin is better known as Grouplove.
Most easily recognised by their
long, carrying verses, and quickly
identifiable ‘movie trailer soundtrack’
sound, the group are jumping
straight back in with their latest
release
Big Mess
. The 11-track disc
is a classic Grouplove throwback
from start to finish, with standouts
like
Spinning
and
Welcome To Your
Life
the best way to ease into their
third studio album. Once again,
this is a release laden with tracks
perfect for throwing on shuffle in the
background of your aunty’s birthday
BBQ. They’re back in business.
(
Big Mess
is out September 9 via Warner)
Alesha Kolbe
TWIN ATLANTIC
GLA
You’re not going to find any bagpipes or highland dances
here.
GLA
, the new record from Glaswegians Twin Atlantic,
is set to propel the group to face-melting new heights.
The Scottish rockers are back with a bang; the inevitable
stadium rock transition that most punk rock bands attempt
resulted in the hot polished mess that the was third album
Great Divide
. Thankfully, Twin Atlantic have taken a step back
to their roots and have produced
GLA
, an honest, gritty,
balls-to-the-wall punk rock album.
Most reviews are going to compare Twin Atlantic to their compatriots Biffy Clyro,
but that’s too easy.
GLA
is more reminiscent of an early Jane’s Addiction, with
lead single
No Sleep
the biggest piece of evidence. Frontman Sam McTrusty’s
signature squall sets this group alone in their own sphere of rock ‘n’ roll, highlighted
perfectly in opening track
Gold Elephant: Cherry Alligator
which is boosted by
Barry McKenna’s menacing, boisterous bass line.
Valhalla
provides a slinkier and
more obscure moment, Ross McNae’s
riffs run riot in
You Are The Devil
,
and
Ex El
provides a quieter space… well, as quiet as a punk rock band can sound, right?
(
GLA
is out September 9 via Red Bull/Sony)
Tim Lambert
PARTYNEXTDOOR
PARTYNEXTDOOR 3
Welcome to the New Toronto.
Fresh off of delivering the biggest hit of the year (he
wrote Rihanna’s
Work
), Drake’s OVO stable mate, Canadian
PARTYNEXTDOOR, has found his lane between Drizzy and
The Weeknd; he drops tropical dance floor bangers and
piano-driven, baby’s-bum-smooth RnB on his new album
PARTYNEXTDOOR 3
.
For the Jamaican-inspired beats that are trending through
hip hop at the moment, we have this guy to thank. The long-
time Drake collaborator had a huge hand in
Views
this year, and
P3
plays out like a sequel to it. Album opener
High Hopes
has a distinct ‘90s RnB feel
with a sinister twist.
Not Nice
is
Work
’s
jaded little brother and
Only U
continues the
dancehall vibes, followed by the ultra-minimalist treats in
Problems & Selfless.
The same way the freedom he has in his own work creates some moments of
brilliance (
Come & See Me
featuring Drake), there are times when the record dips into
self-indulgence, showing there’s still plenty of room to hone his skills in time for
P4.
(
PARTYNEXTDOOR 3
is out now via OVO Sound/Warner)
Tim Lambert
RAE SREMMURD
Sremmlife 2
From the kick-your-door-down
beginnings of
Start A Party
, Rae
Sremmurd’s
infectious over-exuberance
cannot be mistaken; brothers Swae
Lee
and Slim Jxmmy sure know how to
write a club banger, although legendary
producer Mike Will might also have
something to do with it.
Real Chill
(feat. Kodak Black) and
Black Beatles
(feat. Gucci Mane) show
a more lyrically verbose side to the
Swae’s songwriting, while the latter
parts of the album play out like the
morning after – a fitting comedown
to the uber-highs of the album’s first
half – giving the brothers a chance to
experiment with their darker side.
While their debut album
Sremmlife
may have been a No Flex Zone, the
Mississippi brothers are certainly
brandishing their musical muscles on
this effort.
(
Sremmlife 2
is out now via EarDrummers/
Interscope)
Tim Lambert
MUSIC
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