LVU and DustinSchoof.com Present: Best Albums of 2016
You’ve already seen our picks for best festivals and live performers. Now, Dustin and I return to tell you who we think put out the best albums in 2016.
Tag Archives: album review
Review: The Groove Merchants – Take It
Artist: The Groove Merchants
Album: Take It (LISTEN)
Released: Aug. 9, 2016
Genre: Blues/Funk/Rock
Need New Year’s Eve plans? Ring in 2017 with The Groove Merchants at The Hamilton Kitchen beginning at 9 p.m. Details here.
The Groove Merchants have gained a reputation for their big sound, funky rhythms, and stellar musicianship. They deliver on all of those points on their recent full-length effort, “Take It.”
Review: D.S. Bradford – Elemental Evolution
If you’re in the Philadelphia area, catch D.S. Bradford’s “Elemental Evolution” EP release show this Friday, Aug. 5 at the Dockside Bar at Dave & Buster’s.
Artist: D.S. Bradford
Album: Elemental Evolution EP (PRE-ORDER)
Release Date: Aug. 5, 2016
Genre: Alternative Rock
Philadelphia singer-songwriter D.S. Bradford describes his new “Elemental Evolution” EP as being “about evolving into a form of ourselves that is conscious of peace and embraces love.”
While that theme is ever present throughout the effort, there is another “evolution” at play – that of D.S. Bradford into a versatile musician who seamlessly intermingles alternative rock with the progressive and psychedelic.
Perhaps the track that best blends all of those styles together is the album closer, “A Call to the Stars II – A Home in the Sky.” The EP’s longest track, clocking in at just over seven minutes, is a dreamy epic that moves between ideas that represent themselves as movements. “A Call to the Stars II” temporarily forfeits its dreaminess about halfway through, picking up the pace with some killer guitar work, before returning to its roots and transitioning into a tender piano outro that brings about the conclusion of our galactic transmission.
For fans of straightforward alt-rock, you need look no further than “Oceans,” a fun, up-tempo tune, and the crisp, highly accessible title track, “Elemental Evolution.” Both songs contain great hooks and are radio-ready.
Track listing:
A Call to the Stars – Ascend the Lost
The Rise
Oceans
The Seasons
Elemental Evolution
The Move
A Call to the Stars II – A Home in the Sky
Review: Shawn Cav Ensemble – Glass Houses
Artist: Shawn Cav Ensemble
Album: Glass Houses (Pre-order)
Release Date: Jul. 30, 2016
Genre: Jazz Fusion
On July 30, break out your good headphones and listen to everything happening on Shawn Cav Ensemble’s “Glass Houses.” The eclectic Easton quartet showcases its musicianship and improvisational abilities to speak volumes without saying a word.
The band displays its ability to move between ideas – and even genres – on the new release. A perfect example is opening track, “Four Years in a Box,” which is underscored by groovy rhythms and a tradeoff between Steve Collins’ guitar and Matt Truscott’s tenor sax that walks a tightrope between jazz and rock.
Another highlight is “Faces,” a funk-fueled track with a hooky bass line where Collins and Truscott both take turns speaking lyrically through their instruments. In contrast, title track “Glass Houses” is mellow in a way that ties the effort together, revolving around Shawn Cav’s bass to build a climax and achieve the EP’s resolution.
Track listing
Four Years in a Box
New Beginnings
Faces
Roll Call
Looking Busy
Glass Houses
Review: Sunsets North – out_of_CTRL
Artist: Sunsets North
Album: out_of_CTRL
Release Date: July 25, 2016
Genre: Pop/Rock/Hard Rock
The guys from Sunsets North have mastered the ability to write catchy songs with pop hooks, while creating a rich, unique musical landscape on each individual track. Such is the case on the band’s upcoming EP, out_of_CTRL.
An underlying pop pulse is present throughout the Allentown-based four-piece’s latest offering, but the way Sunsets North expands upon those sensibilities is what makes “out_of_CTRL” so exciting. Album opener “Can’t Relax” is equal parts poppy and powerful, with an opening industrial vibe whose pulsing beat leads into hard-hitting guitar and vocal melodies from frontman Warren North and axe man Trevor Vaughan. Meanwhile, the title track offers a contrast, with more of a dance pop vibe and carefree, “ready-to-party” lyrics.
“Summer Love,” a tender rock tune, delivers an urgency to accompany its lyrics about making a fleeting, young romance last just a bit longer. Love seems to be turning sour by the next track, “Falling,” which features a heavy instrumental amid North’s desperation to keep a dying relationship afloat. Bright sounds return on album closer, “L.A.S.,” which creeps slightly into pop punk territory to bring the EP to a resolution.
Review: The Gone – Self-titled
Artist: The Gone
Album: Self-titled (LISTEN)
Released: Jan. 2016
Genre: Punk/Alternative
Lancaster’s The Gone pay homage to so many of rock’s titans, past and present. Whether coming in with a hook that is reminiscent of Stone Temple Pilots, or playing a melody that recalls the Foo Fighters, their influences have a clear and defined presence in the band’s sound.
That’s what makes the band’s self-titled album so exciting.
Right away, a listener will notice the band’s influences shining through a thin, but ever-present layer of punk sensibility. They play loud and with purpose, offering ten energetic pieces of music. A track like “Scapegoat,” a true headbanger, can set the tone for an entire live set, while “So” is punk with a dash of grunge that would light up CBGB in its heyday.
The album’s closing track, “Worlds End,” is perhaps the album’s highlight. The track features blistering guitar work and gunshot sound effects that make its texture as chaotic as its title suggests. For sure, The Gone should employ “Worlds End” at the conclusion of each of its sets. I can’t imagine a better way to leave each night with a bang.
Track listing:
Down in the Garden
Hit the Wall
Always the Same
Scapegoat
Change Your Mind
Middle of Life
You’re Scared
The Road to Hate
So
Worlds End
Review: Megan Knight – Self-titled
Artist: Megan Knight
Album: Self-Titled (BUY)
Released: Dec. 7, 2015
Genre: Country/Rock
The marriage of country and rock has become increasingly popularized in recent years. This trend is brought out in full force on Megan Knight’s self-titled effort, which successfully straddles a line between the two genres.
Knight’s powerhouse vocals render her capable of doing great things in either genre. This much is apparent right off the bat on up-tempo album opener, “Go Home.” Meanwhile, tracks like “Half of a Man” and “How to Say This” have a definitive rock flair, with the former showcasing pointed, angry vocals from Knight, and the latter featuring a bit of power balladry and an opening riff that recalls Bon Jovi’s “Thank You for Loving Me.”
The shining moment, however, is the Jewel cover, “Who Will Save Your Soul,” which closes out the album with a bang. Knight’s vocal chops are again present here, as she expertly nails the essence of this folk rock classic with her own flair.
Track listing:
Go Home
Fall for Two
Half of a Man
A Lifetime’s Not Long Enough
Time Machine
How to Say This
Subconsciously Attached
Desperate for Acceptance
Everything You Said
In Case You Cared
Who Will Save Your Soul
Review: Slumlord Radio – Too Pretty for Tijuana
Artist: Slumlord Radio
Album: Too Pretty for Tijuana (LISTEN)
Released: Sept. 11, 2015
Genre: Punk/Action Rock
Slumlord Radio comes to us from all the way in Grand Rapids, Michigan with a brand of music they call “high-energy, dirty action rock.” Their latest effort, “Too Pretty for Tijuana,” delivers on that promise with tracks that are in-your-face as they are progressive.
Lead single “Bullwhip” starts the album off with a bang, featuring a catchy opening riff and gang vocals reminiscent of KISS, all while staying true to the band’s underground punk vibe (true to form, its music video is banned in China!). Another track of note is “Tycoon,” a gritty, instantly-recognizable headbanger with a chorus containing the album’s title (and which you just may have heard somewhere before)…
“Too Pretty for Tijuana” is raw and unapologetic, and that is exactly what it needs to be. Slumlord Radio has captured the essence of who they are as a band, and it rocks with no questions asked.
Review: Slingshot Dakota – Break
Artist: Slingshot Dakota
Album: Break (LISTEN)
Released: March 11, 2016
Genre: Indie punk
On Friday night, Slingshot Dakota returns home to Bethlehem to hold a hometown album release show for its newest release, “Break.” The duo, which released its newest effort on Topshelf Records, blend indie pop instrumentation and atmospheric distortion to re-imagine popularized genres.
“Break” grabs you right away with dreamy distortion on album opener, “You,” which pulls a listener into an atmospheric soundscape that is contrasted on the next track, the grunge-influenced, fuzzy “Monocacy.”
Pop sensibilities reign over a couple of tracks, like the laid-back “Lewlyweds,” which carries a Minus the Bear-esque vibe, and “Paycheck,” an anthemic tune and clear candidate as the album’s first single.
Slingshot Dakota shows an affinity for balladry on “Break.” The searching, stripped-down “Too Much” laments a love on its last legs, while the album’s title track closes things out with a sweet-sounding performance from vocalist Carly Comando.
Overall, Slingshot Dakota’s “Break” builds a wall of sound that should carry well into the Bethlehem night on Friday. The duo returns home this weekend with much to celebrate.
Track listing:
1) You
2) Monocacy
3) Lewlyweds
4) Stay
5) Doreen
6) Paycheck
7) Too Much
8) Storytellers
9) Break
Review: JD & the Straight Shot – Ballyhoo
Artist: JD & the Straight Shot
Album: Ballyhoo (LISTEN)
Released: Jan. 15, 2016
Genre: Americana
When JD & the Straight Shot comes to the Sands Bethlehem Event Center this Friday to open for Jewel, they’ll surely play selections from their latest release, “Ballyhoo.”
If that’s the case, those in attendance at Friday night’s show are in for a treat.
The 11-track, all-acoustic offering is JD & the Straight Shot at their stripped-down best. Mirroring the band’s typical acoustic songwriting process, the record features poignant stories told in frontman Jim Dolan’s baritone voice, rich vocal harmonies, and a variety of influences spread across music history.
Album highlights include the title track of “Ballyhoo,” where Dolan takes a carnival barker approach to remind us that each of us has a “freak” inside. The song also features a blazing, fiddle-driven instrumental break that picks up in tempo and intensity, showcasing violinist Erin Slaver at her very best on the album.
Slaver also adds important accents on “Hard to Find,” an old-time waltz that laments unwelcome winds of change brought on by love and life. Another unique moment is the uplifting “Glide.” Bright and with a bluegrassy feel, its lyrics approach life with a childlike enthusiasm and sense of boundless wonder.
For any fan of storytelling roots rock, “Ballyhoo” is a must-have. The album will give you a greater look inside the human condition, while leaving you in awe of its musical sophistication.
Track listing:
1. Empty
2. Better Find a Church
3. Under That Hood
4. Perdition
5. Glide
6. Nature’s Way
7. Don’t Waste My Time
8. Ballyhoo
9. Hard to Find
10. Here He Comes
11. I’ll See You Again