2023: Album of the Year
Here's the master class to wrap it all up. While the list of EPs was exceptionally heavy on Screamo/Emo related records, this list is more weighed out. Once again, it was a great year for LPs, and I especially dig the last 15 records of my ranking... the quality is freakin' high up down there!
Honorable Mentions:
CRASHING FORWARD // Silent all those Years (Incendiary)
FERMIUM // Between Nothing and Always (Through Love)
FIDDLEHEAD // Death is nothing to us (Run for Cover)
IN DER WELT // In der Welt (DIY)
SO CONCERNED // A Handful of Recipes for Tomorrow (DIY)
Yeah, I desperately wanted to have this artwork on here, cause it's a joy to look at. Musically not everything hits home for me and also the vocals are not totally my cup of coffee. Still, "Cerebral Circus" is a nice and varied HC-record, that is a solid foundation going forward. INITIATE will definitely break through in the next few years! [Stream]
"Fragment" is the best outing yet by the always promising solo artist from Albuquerque, New Mexico. It's a very oldschool attempt at blending Screamo with Post-Rock. MY HAIR IS A RAT'S NEST takes their time to build vast song constructs and most of the time the pay off is worth it. Everyone into this special kind of Skramz will get a kick out of this album! [Stream]
It's quite interesting to see that the Melodic-Hardcore-sound of MODERN LIFE IS WAR, DEFEATER, VERSE or HAVE HEART has become a niche sound over the years. A band like NOVICE possibly would've been called „the next big thing“ 15 years ago. Nowadays they kinda fly under the radar. And that's a shame, as they do a good job on their debut album „Sorrow & Surrender“. With a stronger emphasis on melodies and melancholy as well as clean vocals throw-in, they surprisingly distinct themselves enough from the big names mentioned before. [Stream]
The new full length by SALEM'S CORYDALIS was one of the bigger '23-records to come out of the vivid Bedroom Skramz/Emo-community. With its diversity and some well executed guest spots, "The Lion who shot back" also was something like the record to "sum it all up". A lot of what's happening here became symptomatic for these Bedroom-solo-projects. As one of the pioneers of this sound (this is already the fourth SC-album), Sam absolutely delivered... [Review/Stream]
Three years after finishing it, LYPURÁ were finally able to put out their second full length in 2023. While staying true to theirselves, "c" is also the most diverse outing so far by the three-piece. Their trademark seems to be not committing to one specific style, as they smoothly flow between Screamo, Emo, Post-Hardcore, Indie- and Post-Rock and all that within the blink of an eye. I'm happy that these guys still carry on, with the German scene as dry as it is nowadays... [Review/Stream]
PRIVATE MIND have it easy with me, as I love the whole Long Island-shtick of the past (THE MOVIELIFE, TAKING BACK SUNDAY) and the present (SOMERSET THROWER, STAND STILL). On their debut album they do a perfectly fine job at capturing the „hear and feel“ of this kind of melodic Hardcore. It's catchy and driving througout. Maybe, just maybe it's a bit too much by the books, but I think they'll have enough time to grow beyond that... [Stream]
So that's what a "sexless marriage" is supposed to sound like, eh? I dig what the collective from Boston, Mass did on their second record. This is noisy, slightly metallic Hardcore in the vein of THE JESUS LIZARD, CHAT PILE and all sorts of Tim Singer-related projects (from DEADGUY to BITTER BRANCHES). As a whole "This is not Love" is a nice mix of mostly short, chaotic tracks and some longer, more straight forward tunes. [Stream]
Rightfully so COMIC SANS got some attention with their second full length. They not only seem to be extremely kind guys, they're also well versed when it comes to the twinkly Emo of ALGERNON CADWALLADER and SNOWING. "Éramos felices y no lo sabiamos" is a feel-good-record and quite basically the best offering yet by the band from Spain. [Stream]
Coming out January 6, this was the first album of 2023 that kept me busy and the one to kick off a phenomenal year in Screamo. The four-piece out of Berlin, Germany did a great job with their debut. Over the course of 10 tracks and roughly 20 minutes "Moirae" covers quite the ground, from blistering Emoviolence to reduced and moody Emo-sections to playful stuff. [Review/Stream]
California was THE american state when it comes to Screamo in 2023, and ONEWAYMIRROR's debut full length (at roughly 15 minutes) was one of the worthy additions to come out of the sunshine state. Their sound is not quite "sunny", for a fact it's claustrophobic and oppressive. These youngens did an awesome job of bringing back the heydays of ORCHID, JEROMES DREAM or LOVE LOST BUT NOT FORGOTTEN! [Stream]
The Darker the Shadow the Brighter the Light
Maybe I'm too much of a fanboy, or maybe I know nothing about music. At RYM the new record by THE STREETS is deemed his worst studio album so far. But damn, I spinned it a lot when it came out and think it's on par with the stuff he released after "A Grand don't come for free". I definitely get the struggles with this. Skinner isn't as interesting anymore, as a storyteller as well as an MC. Also the tracks are extremely superficial and thus it was clear in no-time that I won't go back to this record in the future. But I also don't get back to anything of his that isn't one of the first two LPs. Maybe I enjoyed "The Darker the Shadow the Brighter the Light" cause so much time passed since Skinner released a studio record and it definitely gives me a nostalgic chill here and there. On top, the gimmick-y nature of the whole record gives this a lot of diversity and thus it's quite entertaining. Yeah, yeah, I'll stop justifying myself and will just admit, that I fucking love Skinner. [Stream]
When I was getting into Screamo around 2002/3, the european scene was going bonkers, with huge releases coming out of Germany as well as Italy and most definitely France. Therefor, a band like EUX always makes me wistfully think back to those times. On "Mor(t)sang" the band out of Paris brings the nostalgia, as they do everything you'd expect from a Screamo-band out of France. With their more rocking drive they even distinct themselves a bit from the big names of the 2000s. A well done debut album by EUX! [Stream]
MAAFA out of Brooklyn, New York brought something new to Hardcore in 2023 and that's what I truly adore about them. The foundation pretty much is that of the "classic" HC/Punk of the 80s, but they incorporate varfious Latin- and African-Folk-elements in their sound. And that makes "Because we are" a fresh listening experience! They use all sorts of exotic percussion instruments (among some others) to give their tracks a cool, outlandish feeling. [Stream]
"Elysian Skies" sees the Indie/Emo-band LAKES at their most melodic and most polished yet. Listening to rough-as-fuck stuff most year, I had to open up for all the crystal clear tunes on this record. But as I did, I appreciated all the upsides of their third full length. Musically the six-piece from the UK is at their absolute best with "Elysian Skies". The melodies and harmonies are beautiful and the songwriting is full of fresh ideas. [Review/Stream]
I could use more records like this, but they infrequently cross my way. REGAL CHEER play fast, melodic, lightfooted and sincerely sloppy Punkrock or how they call it "Short Attention Span Punk". It's 10 songs in 17 and a half minutes and the best thing about it is, that these guys hail from the UK, thus they pack this uncomparable, british snottiness on top of it. And that's something I always loved. A great debut album and an obvious proof that Punkrock got too serious and meaningful... [Stream]
I'll probably better abstain on this one, ey?! At first glance RID OF ME's second full length felt like it was a clear improvement over their debut, yet it couldn't keep me as occupied as "Traveling". Was it too much of an obvious successor for me? Was it too less of this "wow"-effect that "Traveling" gave me? Or was it just bad timing? I don't know. Maybe a bit of all of the above or maybe nothing at all. I still think it's a high quality-release somewhere inbetween Hard-, Alt-, Noise- and Punkrock. Without a doubt, they would've been huge in another era... [Review/Stream]
I'm quite sure I would've ignored this record if it wouldn't come from MASSA NERA. I liked what they did so far, and 2022's "Derramar | Querer | Borrar" was not just their most well defined outing yet, but also one of the best records of the last few years that blended Screamo with Post-Rock. For the first anniversary of their album they released a remix version of it, in which they gave each and every track to a different artist, nearly all of them coming out of Electronica. And the result is terrific, also if Noise, Techno or Drum'n'Bass is nowhere near my comfort zone. Knowing and liking the original really helped big time! While the songs all got de- and reconstructed, you still can hear a lot of similarities. The love and effort that went into this is quite huge and as a result this is way more entertaining than it had any right to be... [Review/Stream]
I'm happy that the Metalcore-revival was going strong in 2023 with labels like Ephyra, The Coming Strife and DAZE. I always was a sucker for 90s-Metalcore and the early 2000s-stuff, but could never get into the modern, all-too-metallic style. KILLING ME SOFTLY were one the few bands that stood out to me this year. They threw me back to the time of legendary acts like 7 ANGELS 7 PLAGUES, POISON THE WELL, ZAO, NORMA JEAN and THIS DAY FORWARD. Their music is chaotic, but always groovy and they play it with a lot of dedication. They also got it right when it comes to the melodic dose of it all, cause most bands fail at this sooner or later. For now, KILLING ME SOFTLY are one of the most promising new bands coming out of this wave. [Stream]
Their label compared EXCRUCIS to THESE ARMS ARE SNAKES, and you could definitely name them a more straight-and-to-the-point version of them. The band out of Chicago has a playful style of Screamo that comes with a lot of Post-Hardcore-influence and fresh attempts at the genre. The charismatic vocals alone give EXCRUCIS much distinction. Adding to this, their songwriting is something else, nervously swinging between Screamo-attacks, rhythmic onslaughts, catchy hooks, math-y guitars and ever-present melodic undertones. And all that with 9 tracks that clock in under 20 minutes of playtime. EXCRUCIS' debut was among my genre favorites of the year and would've deserved more love, no doubt. [Stream]
While this might be the weakest part of the „Magic“-trilogy, I couldn't understand the „heat“ this record got at some places. It clearly is on the same high level of quality like all the other NAS and HIT-BOY collabs of the last years. It's ten tracks (plus an intro) in roughly 30 minutes and there's no bummer to be found anywhere, even the 50 CENT-feature couldn't ruin the track completely. The beats are cool and catchy and the whole record flows perfectly from start to finish. If this is NAS and HIT-BOY at their worst, than I'd love them dishing out a few more of these „average“ records... [Stream]
As a native German speaker the wave of German Emo-Punk-bands of the 2000s and early 2010s was quite important to me. Among all the ambitious bands back then, CAPTAIN PLANET were always on the forefront in my opinion. There's probably no other German-singing Punk-band like ever, that touched me as much as the guys from Hamburg did. And now, they're back, 7 years after their original swan song "Ein Ende". While they can't add anything new to their legacy, it just feels good to have them back. Their music was always unique and so they play the old tricks and make it seem like they were never really gone. "Come on, Cat" isn't among their peak material ("Inselwissen", "Treibeis"), but it easily is on the same solid level as "Ein Ende" and delivered an handful of new, soon-to-be-classic songs. Thanks for everything you gave to me, CAPTAIN! [Stream]
No
doubt, this is the comeback of the year! Nearly 29 years after their
sole LP and 27 years after disbanding, MEAN SEASON return like
nothing of note happened in the time between. For those who don't
know, the band out of California basically shaped the early
Metalcore-sound of the 90s along bands like INTEGRITY, EARTH CRISIS
and UNBROKEN. Strangely enough they always flew under the radar,
though I'd call „Grace“ one of the best Metalcore-records of the
whole decade. Now, they came back with the original lineup (minus
their old drummer) of said album to produce a record that picks up
where they left off in 1996. It's mindblowing how close they come to
their original sound and what's totally bizarre is, that all this
happens in the middle of the 90s-Metalcore-revival! „Go to Hell“
is a triumphant return for those legends and among my favorite Metalcore-records of the year. [Stream]
This „new form“ of NEW FORMS (after some line up changes) rocks like hell! They totally succeed at being a more melodic and emotionally crafted version of technical Screamo/Emoviolence-bands like NUVOLASCURA or AMPERE. Just like them, they always get to the point on their record, with 12 tracks clocking in at 15 minutes. I love Screamo-records like this, with no useless fat to be found anywhere. As constantly gorgeous as this album might be, I feel that NEW FORMS haven't reached their peak yet. They'll be up to huge things and here's to hoping that it won't take them another 4 years...[Review/Stream]
TIME SPENT DRIVING are a mighty nostalgic act to me, as they were one of the first Emo-related bands I've discovered sometime back in 2001. Their debut EP "Walls between us" holds a special place in my heart, but still, I wasn't sure about their return 20 long years after their most relevant run. Honestly, comebacks like these don't have much worth to it. The guys get older and even when they intend otherwise, they can't add much to their heritage. "Estrangers" is different though, as it's a perfectly fine comeback record. They give you a lot of their trademarks, but add just enough growth and maturity to keep it fresh. [Review/Stream]
With the death of their friend and DEPECHE MODE-founding member Andrew Fletcher looming all over this album, "Memento Mori" will remain a special record in the monumental discography of the british band. And maybe that's also the sad reason why "Memento Mori" turned out as great and as intense as it did. While I liked "Delta Machine" and the kinda underrated "Spirit", their 15th studio album definitely is a level above and overall their best effort since "Playing the Angel". And that's really something special for a band into their 44th (!) year. Some of their darkest, most emotional and most brooding material yet is to be found on "Memento Mori" and I'm sure Fletch is proud wherever he is now... [Stream]
This new band by former MOM JEANS, JOYCE MANOR and JUST FRIENDS members was one of the freshest things that came to my ears in 2023. They recall the Emo-Pop of bands like DASHBOARD CONFESSIONAL, TAKING BACK SUNDAY and PANIC! AT THE DISCO, but just like them at their very best, KID LIGHTNING's tracks are up-beat and driving, while being among the most catchy tunes in a long time. I sincerely hope that this get's a sequel! [Review/Stream]
2023 was a year full of comebacks. And one of the greatest was that of JEROMES DREAM... eventhough it wasn't exactly one. But, damn, it felt like a great resurrection after the disappointing "LP" (their real comeback-record) from 2019. They brought back the intense screaming and once again discover the beauty of screechy-distorted guitars. "The Gray in Between" delivers some nostalgic throwbacks to their classic "Seeing means more than Safety", though it rather feels like a "best of" of their career. It's downright unreal that these legends are still going strong like they are right now! [Review/Stream]
This record was quite a surprise to me. It's not like HEART ATTACK MAN put out progressive, sophisticated and deeply touching music in the past, but... I was quite baffled at how simple and immature their new record turned out to be. Maybe that's why all the smart experts kept underrating it! "Freak of Nature" is straight-up Bubblegum Punk and would have made HEART ATTACK MAN superstars in the early 2000s, alongside BLINK-182 and SUM41. In fact, this is better than most of what these two did in their (way too long) careers. It's a throw-away intro-track and a slightly better outro-track, but what happens in the 25 minutes between is a firework of catchy hooks. Yeah, it's the kind of music that throws the chorus around your head 'til your numb, and yeah, it's no record I could listen to every day or four times in a row, but it's silly-stupid-juvenile fun with silly-stupid-juvenile lyrics and gimmicks like the sound of an exploding bomb in a track called "C4" and the sound of a clown horn in a track called "Clown School". As long as I can recall the inner child in me (probably 'til my heart stops beating), I'll have a knack for records like this! [Stream]
Despite "Heater" being the fourth full length by PHONY already, I completely missed out on this project. But thankfully there's Counter Intuitive Records, a label that is known for cool, emo-ish Pop-Punk. Therefor, the label and the solo-artist (and former member of DONOVAN WOLFINGTON) make a match! "Heater" is the perfect kind of this record, sitting somewhere between Emo, Indie and Pop-Punk, somewhere between touching/melancholic, catchy/fun and punchy/driving. The flow is stellar, and the short runtime of 21 minutes made me click on "repeat" all the time, in the first few weeks when this came out... [Stream]
Jacob R. West aka C H POINT aka Summer 2000 aka Spring 2005, on this very project, is one of the most important individuals of the Emo-underground. Even when he's not around for all too long (2020), Jacob was a great inspiration to the Bedroom-scene that flourished in the last few years. He also manages to put out quality music, year in, year out. 2022 with his band ELDER JACK, and 2023 on his own, with the successor to "John Krasinski", the record that really put him on the map three years ago. To keep it short, "Ellie Kemper" is West's most well defined solo record so far. He stays true to his unusual way of writing records and weaving miscellaneous sounds together. He also boosted the ratio of Shoegaze, Dream-Pop and Noise on this, so as a whole "Ellie Kemper" is very multifaceted.... but, still the record flows beautifully and those brilliant Emo-moments inbetween are goosebump inducing to say the least. [Stream]
All these Things we thought we had invented
PICKPOCKET totally won me over in 2023. With their noisy, screamy Post-Hardcore and the production of their debut album they remind me of the legendary SHOTMAKER or kinda similar acts like JULIA or DRIVE LIKE JEHU. What's even better is, that they go for some mysterious, SLINT-esque, quiet section every once in a while, that are also very chilling. I'm in love with the whole 90s-vibe of this record and the best thing about it is, that PICKPOCKET are fuckin' rough around the edges and not as smooth as a baby's bottom. Hence, there's potential going forward! [Stream]
WELCOME TO BERLIN have that special kind of something you can't really describe. That "something" may consist of tons of passion, or shameless talent, or huge human beings behind, or maybe just maybe, it consists of everything mentioned and then some. You probably gotta feel this "something" and you should! What impresses me the most about this band is, how they manage to write very differental songs like "Shell", "Dance Song", "Reciprocator" or "(Forward) Invertor", but are able to keep up the quality and intensity throughout. The first two thirds of "...and it's Blinding" are full of amazing moments, yet the last third drags a bit. But I guess, they need room for improvement, right? [Review/Stream]
The last chapter of the NAS/HIT-BOY-collab might be the their peak moment for me. It's nothing groundbreakingly new if you know all their other records, but there are a lot of bangers on this and as a whole the album flows pretty well. In a state where I can't get down with most modern Hip-Hop, the simple Boom-Bap-style is exactly what I'm longing for. I'm pretty sure that "Magic 3" wouldn't shine as bright in the heydays of the 90s, but in the 2020s NAS and HIT-BOY were quite important for me and the genre. [Stream]
There's really not much Austrian music to be proud of. Worldwide (if they know our country and don't confuse it with Australia!) we're known for our Lederhosen-Folk-music, which is rightfully meme-ish at best. And even our Pop- and Rock-music is nothing to write home about. While the German language got more important in the last few years, it also became a fashion, hence even the alternative radios are flooded with this questionable stuff. But, I guess I'm guessing, as I don't really listen to these stations. I rather stick to STS and AMBROS. Or to HIDDEN BY THE GRAPES. The seasoned band from Graz was bothered that they could get called copy-cats when switching to the German language. But, for a fact, it was a great move. They're not shy of throwing our beautiful dialect in it as well and as a result "Opus" includes the best and most original german-sung tracks in quite some time. Deutsch: 1. Setzen. [Review/Stream]
I guess I'm one of the few who wishes for HOME IS WHERE to go all Screamo. I loved their side of the RECORD SETTER-split and I dig the harsher moments on "the whaler". The fact of the matter though is, that their 2023-outing is more on the mellow and matured side of things. Musically (the way they incorporated the Folk this time around is very original and wonderfully done) as well as lyrically, they took the next step with "the whaler". The record is full of poetic, cryptic, at times disgusting but mostly thought-provoking words and metaphors. And these words match the music perfectly fine, to create a mood somewhere between chillingly beautiful and abyssmaly discomforting and saddening. In its big picture, "the whaler" is as artsy as it can get for an Emo-record... [Stream]
This was a cool surprise. Not cause "Oxen" is a great record. I also loved the EP before and knew of the talent these guys have. Yet, they grew a lot over the short period of one and a half years and evolved their music cleverly. While the four-piece still feels comfortable in the pigeonhole of Post-Hardcore, they're now dealing with all sorts of unconventionally but beautifully executed harmonies, melodies and song progression. The result is a noble, delicate, at times nearly symphonic piece of Post-Hardcore that feels singular in today's scene. Speaking of scene and such, VILLAIN OF THE WAR are still one of its best kept secrets! [Review/Stream]
I'm calling all the Lightes out now
A RISE (AND FALL) OF A DILAPIDATED HOME is a diamond in the rough. And that's what I love about it. This debut album is my favorite stuff so far by the solo-artist from Ohio. I like the calmer approach to it and I like Thatcher's softer vocal delivery better as opposed to the scream-y and/or whiny vocals in a few tracks before. This guy puts so much effort and ambition into the songwriting and the lyrics ("I'm calling all the Lightes out now" is a fictional concept album) as well, it's just mindblowing. There's so much awesome moments to be found in those 41 minutes and 4 seconds. The young musician proves to be an innovative, refreshingly unconventional and highly talentend songwriter. At certain parts I feel that his music is a bit too ambitious for its own sake. The whole record as well as all those moments would probably have more effect if he could trim down his overflowing creativity a bit. Still, that's just what I love about this record. I love it for being something else and I'm deeply touched by this music. Thatcher reminds me a lot of Tim Kasher, and this record reminds me a lot of the rough stuff that CURSIVE did in their early days. You and I know, that they wrote two straight masterpieces with their third and fourth albums... and I'm sure Thatcher has such a masterpiece in him. For now, this record very very impressive for a debut album... [Stream]
It feels good to have PAINT IT BLACK back after such a long time. And what's better is, that they haven't lost a step, 10 years after "Invisible" came out. "Famine" is them at their very best, gushing out their trademark brand of vicious, yet catchy and thoughtful Hardcore/Punk. This had the potential to be the absolute PAINT IT BLACK-record, but however, it ends pretty abruptly. At first I was like "so, I've waited 10 years for 16 minutes of music???", but eventually I made piece with the way the record closes. My words can't express how much this band means to me! [Review/Stream]
I need this one record a year that makes me jump around like an idiot and fuck everything up to. And this was the record. Olth you! [Review/Stream]
The 8-person-strong posse from St. Louis, Missouri was one of the best things that happened to Emo and Post-Hardcore in 2023. They're kinda symptomatic for this new wave of young bands, that have an excellent taste in music, are extremely ambitious and seem to give a shit. Not everything on their debut album is polished, but heck, that makes it even better! They try themselves out. They're bold. They're gutsy. And they put everything in it. There's much going on in these 45 minutes - from big, deeply touching moments to strangely bewildering to downright silly moments. But, ultimately, in the end, when everything is set and done, and the final note has been played... FACED OUT's debut album is more than the sum of its parts. [Review/Stream]
What do Beatdown-Hardcore and art have in common? Well, it's ZULU. Or rather "A New Tomorrow". The debut full length by the L.A.-collective deals with the question, why black people are always remembered for their pain and suffering and not for their beauty and their distribution to different cultures. What's phenomenal is how ZULU match the topic not just lyircally (it's haunting stuff), but musically as well. They more or less dive into different kinds of music styles that were influenced and evolved by black musicians: From Soul to Hip-Hop to Funk to African Folk and much more. What fascinates me is, how good these parts are and how well they were incorporated within the heavy-hitting, metallic Hardcore of ZULU. It's definitely a "love it or hate it"-thing, as a lot of people already disliked the collage-y character of the record. I for once, think it's done brilliantly. ZULU proved with "A New Tomorrow" that they're not just one of the best HC-bands around, but one of those special kind of bands that are able to grow beyond it... [Review/Stream]
Ben Wolgamuth comes from the circle of Flowerpot Records in Ohio and THE HEAVY FORGIVENESS is his solo-project. Albeit it sounds like a full band-album, Ben just recorded all the instruments himself, besides some additional stuff like strings and horns. Musically and production-wise it's a pretty vast album, with frisky elements and lovely details to it. Most of the time it's the catchiest Indie-Rock I've heard in a long time, bordering on Pop(-Rock) and refined with bits of Emo (think THE GET UP KIDS or THE PROMISE RING, though a in loose kind of way) as well as heavy keyboard-usage, that gets quite essential in no-time. As unrelated my thoughts are, as smooth is "LISOGA" as an album. It's a word-y affair, even a sort of concept record, and I just love how Ben puts the words together, they way he tells his stories and writes his songs. "LISOGA" is one of the finest albums of the year and such a joy to listen to from start to finish! [Stream]
I hate to say I told you so, but I already hinted at MSPAINT's excellence three years ago. The smart-ass I am, I still loved seeing this band excel in 2023. They got huge support by MILITARIE GUN, played an Audiotree-session and were celebrated by a few experts. And it all was well-deserved, cause Punkrock hasn't seen such a fresh style in yeeeears! They kinda put the whole genre to shame, as everyone seems to overthink it somehow. In that regard they remind me a lot of RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE. Their music wasn't exactly complex, in fact it was pretty simple, one-dimensional and those words got repeated over and over and over again. You can say the same about MSPAINT, but they just sound so fresh and so unique that they get through with every thing they do. [Stream]
Yeah, some things never change. Upon listening to hundreds of Screamo/Emo/Hardcore-related records in 2023, it was a different kind of album that demanded my time like no other record. But I surely wouldn't have bet on a Country-record?! I don't know quite if it's Country, Folk, Singer-Songwriter, Indie, or something inbetween. But what I know is, that ALAN LUETH is an excellent songwriter that was able to touch me with his music and his lyricism. At heart, however, he is Punk as fuck, as he and his songs are the opposite of pretentious. Even if it feels cheesy to say this, but I have the feeling, that I got to know this seemingly cranky dude from Ohio pretty well while listening to his songs over and over again. At certain bits I even saw myself in those lyrics and could totally identify with the music. Any good Country recs, anyone? [Review/Stream]
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