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The Night Champion: Koe Wetzel’s Best Album Yet?

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The incredible indie-rock country star has been going from strength to strength since his breakout release a decade ago. Since then he’s garnered two gold-selling albums, and massive radio play globally. I’ve been along for most of the journey and, though I do tend to be drawn back to his rockier early days more, there is certainly a lot to love about his recent stuff, too. So, when this was announced we here at Overtone were pretty hyped, and there was no way I wasn’t give this my full attention. Let’s dive in!

‘Sinner’ opens things on a pretty chilled vibe, a souly, rootsy blues vibe with the guitars. Koe’s vocals come perfectly in over the top, sounding somehow even better than ever. The instrumentation builds, the drums adding another level before it opens up fantastically with the pre, the distorted guitar making it sound massive. The chorus soon takes over, being catchy and rocky and all-round awesome! We also get a maybe-too-short guitar solo tucked away in the middle, only adding to the southern rock awesomeness. Honestly, the whole song has a great vibe to it, and one I wasn’t expecting at all. He’s always has more of a rock edge to his sound, but this felt fresh, a renewed energy that harkened back to his breakout days. It’s a great track, and an awesome way to open the album!

The pace and vibe returns to more of what I expected from Koe with ‘Circus’. However, it still has that old-school (for him) rock edge to him, and is another excellent song! The lyrics are fun and so well written, while the chorus is made to be played to huge festival crowds around the world. And once again, we get a great guitar lead in the bridge, breaking things up excellently. It could easily fit up there alongside the very best from Noise Complaint, and is quickly becoming one of my favourite Wetzel tracks just from these couple of listens. Great stuff!

The first single of the album, ‘Hurts Like You’, is another slow start and excellent build-up of a track. The opening verse straddles the line perfectly between country and soft rock, not unlike a Kip Moore vibe, before the song explodes into another catchy-as-hell stadium country chorus. It’s a beautiful, emotion-filled love song, and was an excellent choice for a single. It’s also incredibly Koe; sounding like only he can. If you can’t tell already, I love this song too! I can’t get over his vocals, they sound somehow both smooth and gravelly at the same time, conveying each emotional beat perfectly. He very well may be at the top of his game currently! We’re three for three so far on incredible songs!

When I’m gone is the first fully ballad of the album, a beautiful acoustic -based track. Don’t get me wrong, it still has some distortion through the choruses, but doesn’t hit quite the same size and the energy stays lower along with the tempo. Still, it’s a catchy track, and fits the tone of the rest of the release so far perfectly. It’s a heartbreak song for sure, but delivered with an almost bittersweet feel to it from Koe, the track having an uplifting vibe as well as a sad one. It’s an interesting contrast that works far better than it has any right to. And yeah, that chord is awesome, as expected at this point from the man! Another fantastic track on an album so far packed full of them!

Single ‘Time Goes On’ is another dark, country rock song, a very Koe song that also reminds me of artists he’s since inspired like Treaty Oak Revival. The chorus is massive, a catchy, arena-filling romp that is definitely what the track is built around. It’s bound to be stuck in my head for days to come! It was definitely another great choice for a single, as it’s exactly what I expected from the guy. And, while it’s a standard formula and structure, it is done so well it’s hard not to love it. It’s easy to hear why he’s become a massive name in recent years when he’s putting out banger after banger like this!

‘Dollar and a Bottle’ is another ballad, emotion spilling out of it throughout as Koe details his heartbreak. It’s a simple, stripped-back song that really benefits from focusing mainly on the vocals. And those harmonies through the choruses are excellent, only adding to the depth and weight to the words. The same could be said about ‘I’ll Lock Up’ and the closing track. Both are stripped-back, acoustic-lead tracks that are filled with heartbreak and beauty in equal measure. The latter in particular is phenomenal, especially the female vocal coming in for a duet from the second verse. Try as I might, though, I really can’t find out whose voice it is! Regardless, they work perfectly together, and it somehow makes the track even more beautiful. It’s another big highlight track, and one that easily makes our playlist!

‘The Man’, while maintaining a slower pace still, definitely adds some rock back into it. The opening riffing almost reminded me of Radiohead, Koe keeping things constantly interesting. It all builds perfectly through the simple verses into a huge, almost grungy chorus, one that’s another big earworm. The solo in this fits perfectly too, honestly being one of my favourite parts of the whole album, it adding some epicness to it, making the whole final chorus feel HUGE. Shock horror, it’s another excellent song, and big high point for me!

The last two tracks on the album, ‘Nowhere Fast’ and single ‘Surrounded’, are more classic Koe tracks. The harmonica in the former, combined with the slightly higher pace, give off big Zach Bryan vibes in the very best ways. The chorus doesn’t quite hit the highs I expected/hoped it would, but it’s still catchy and a great song overall. Is slightly slower, and more of a 2000s country track, almost in a Darius Rucker sense with that chorus. However, it still has Koe’s signature indie-rock darker edge to it, it all combining together to make another awesome track! And it’s another excellent chorus to boot, a great single choice as it’ll be stuck in my head for days to come. Yet another truly amazing song!

Overall: This is somehow even better than I expected it to be! As I said before, I’ve been a fan of Koe’s work for a good few years now, but his last couple of albums have been slightly up and down for me. This, however, was excellent from start to finish! It felt like it somehow both returned to his roots, while also incorporating the very best bits of his modern sound. It’s packed full of amazing tracks from start to finish, and is honestly up there alongside Noise Complaint for me in terms of his top albums. If you are at all a fan of Koe, country or indie rock, this album is an absolute must-listen!

The Score: 9/10

Reviews

Solstice: The Brand New Album from Gothic Queen A.A. Williams!

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The London-based gothic singer-songwriter returns this coming Friday with her fourth album. I have to admit that, outside of maybe a track or two, I’m not hugely familiar with A.A. Williams’ work. I know her general sound, but have never had the chance to check out a full album by her until now. So, to say I’m curiously excited would be an understatement! She’s become a big name in the scene in recent years, and I’m very ready to see why that is. Let’s dive right in!

‘Poison’ opens the album perfectly, setting a dark, alt tone right off the bat. From the piano notes to the jarring distorted guitar coming over the top, but the melodic vocals and simple drums bridging the gap excellently, I was curiously hooked. It builds to a big, steady chorus. It somehow has a similar vibe as the verse will still feeling grander, everything flowing through the track excellently. It reminds me a lot of Chelsea Wolfe immediately, and that’s hardly a bad thing! It’s like pop-infused gothic, and it’s really interesting. The bridge, while not much different, keeps a similar level and adds even more epicness to the final chorus. And that outro with the lead guitar line over… DAMN. It’s not the sort of thing I tend to go for often, but I really enjoyed the song!

The pace slows for ‘Wolves’, an almost menacing clean guitar chord progression starting things off before Williams’ powerful, low vocals come in over the top. The rest of the instrumentation and distortion explodes in for the chorus, before immediately dropping back out again after. The dynamics of the track are really awesome, a masterclass in writing and production. The atmosphere created throughout the track is truly fantastic, somehow having elements of black metal almost alongside the alt, pop and emo. It makes for really fascinating listening! The arrangement of the song is pretty simple, but it’s so grandiose and epic by the end that you just get swept up and lost in it. An easy early highlight!

Tracks like ‘Little by Little’ and ‘Hold It Together’ are both slower, goth-pop based tracks that absolutely explode into the massive, epic metal around the midway mark. Once again, there’s some elements of black metal in the guitaring. Between that and the synth/orchestral elements behind it, they add a level of massive to each track that is almost unrivalled. Each track takes the listener on a journey, which I imagine was the exact intent. The latter is my favourite of the two, but they are both good songs in their own right!

‘Outlines’ adds not only a proggy element to the sound, but also leans into the folk side of it. A lot of it is just Williams, a fantastically toned guitar and some other subtle instrumentation. Some of the heavier instrumentation builds in around the midway mark, but it feels more than earned at that point. It almost has a film score vibe to it, that’s how epic it’s gets. And Williams’ vocals over the top of the heavy stuff was honestly perfection, SO GOOD. And it all dropping back out again… *chefs kiss*. This is my favourite track on the album and easily makes it onto our playlist. Amazing stuff!

‘I’ve Seen Enough’ is the beautiful ballad of the album. The main focus is on just the simple piano chords and the effortless vocals. There are other instruments that build in throughout, but stuff like the strings and drums only add to the other two elements. The lyrics are utterly fantastic too, packed with emotion and fitting the tone of the song perfectly. The moodiness and almost ethereal captured here is truly special, and I’ve already given it multiple listens just to fully capture the bittersweet beauty. The whole last almost couple of minutes just being instrumentation building and swelling is honestly perfection. It’s another track I cannot get enough of, and I’d recommend it to absolutely anyone reading this. Fantastic stuff, and another massive high point of the release!

A similar vibe continues through ‘The Veil’ and ‘Breathe’ (though the latter is a guitar inside of piano), though neither hit quite as hard as ‘I’ve Seen Enough’. However, ‘Just a Shadow’ was another big highlight track for me! The almost poem-like opening is amazing, and the moody, almost grunge-like chorus is fitting and phenomenal. It’s maybe my favourite chorus on the album too, the melody soaring and rather catchy! It follows a pretty standard formula for the album, but all the elements just add up amazingly here!

‘It Won’t Rain Forever’ returns to a similar formula as the opening tracks, while closer ‘The Gentle Harm’ is another epic, slow build song that really feels like an amalgamation of everything before it. It has a bit of everything, the beautiful piano intro, the soaring, melodic vocals and dark lyricism, and the massive distorted guitars and drums later on. It’s epic, and the best way to close out an album like this! Another highlight on an album packed full of them!

Overall: I wasn’t too sure on this album heading in, but it won me over more and more throughout. Sure, it won’t be to everyone’s tastes, but I thought it wouldn’t be for me and was more than pleasantly surprised, so it’s well worth a try if you’re on the fence. There is a lot that’s similar, but it all fits together like the perfect atmospheric puzzle, and goes by surprisingly quickly. There are two or three tracks in particular that honestly blew me away! Williams has a big new fan in me, and I’ll certainly be spinning this again plenty in the weeks and months to come!

The Score: 8.5/10

Reviews

Reason to Believe: The Seventh Album from Kip Moore!

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The incredible country-rock legend Kip Moore is set to put out his seventh studio album this coming Friday. It is no secret that we are big fans of his here at Overtone, loving Solitary Tracks and even getting to see him live last year! So, to say we’ve been hyped since this album was announced may be an understatement! And, what’s better, it’s a touch shorter than his last too, making it a lil easier to write about… So, without further ado, let’s dive in!

Opener ‘Levee’ is a track we are already very familiar with. It’s an awesome song, and the fact that it’s the first track is honestly a great idea. It’s high energy; a real country/old-school rock track, and has been in my regular rotation since to dropped back in March. I can’t gush over it much more than I already have, but having such an up-beat, amazing song open the album sets the tone for the rest of it perfectly!

‘Get What You Give’ keeps the rockin’ vibes going, having an almost 70s, Quo riff running through it! Kip’s vocals fit perfectly over the top of it, and the way the instrumentation builds up through the verse is amazing. It explodes into a massive chorus, one designed to be played to huge festival crowds around the world! It fits perfectly in with his particular brand of country-mixed-rock, and is an easy addition towards the top of his massive catalogue of hits. It’s bound to go down a storm live, too! We even get an awesome couple of duelling guitar solos in this, not cutting them off and giving them plenty of time to breath, packed full of feeling. It’s the perfect Kip Moore track, and another big early highlight!

New single ‘The Darkness’ slows things down perfectly. A steady bass drum beat and a fantastic acoustic guitar riff opens things up, Kip’s powerful, gritty vocals soon slotting in perfectly over the top. It all builds to a fantastic, emotion-filled chorus, one that feels ripped straight from Solitary Tracks or SLOWHEART in the best ways! And it’s catchy as anything too, it’s definitely going to be stuck in my head for days to come. It probably helps that it’s painfully relatable at the same time, too. It’s a simply built track, but a fantastic choice for a single and the perfect way to break up the pace of the album after a couple of faster numbers. Three for three so far on incredible songs!

‘Heartbreaker’ picks the tempo back up, heading firmly into southern rock territory. The slide guitar was a nice touch, and the dynamics of it dropping down for the verses only to explode into the massive chorus again serves the track well. Said chorus is another huge earworm, and one that is bound to go down a storm live! It’s another track that gets a great extended guitar solo, the instrumentation being a massive and welcome focus of the album. The whole track is classic Kip Moore, and is another track that easily makes it onto our playlist. Amazing stuff!

Tracks like ‘Headlights’, ‘You & Me’ and the title track are more slower, soft-rock epics. All are incredible and again feel so very Kip Moore, fitting in perfectly with the rest of his back catalogue. The former builds perfectly into the choruses, a real country rock anthem. Meanwhile ‘You & Me’, while a little higher tempo, still has a ballad feel to it, and has once again one of my favourite choruses on the album! Then you have the slow, grandiose title track, the steadiest we’ve covered so far, but Kip does it such a way that it doesn’t get boring or long-winded having a few slower songs in a row. Heck, we also have the final single, ‘Faith in the Wind’, nestled in the middle…

Said track is feels like the big, emotional heart of the album. It’s a stripped-back, acoustic-driven song, and is honestly so beautiful! That chorus alone is amazing, especially with the double-layered vocals. I love the choruses getting bigger each time too, the production of the track doing a fantastic job. It’s once again so very Kip in all the best ways, feeling like a culmination of his previous slower sounds into this one, epic moment. What a shock, another highlight, on an album packed full of them!

‘Lonely Tonight’ reminds me of Billy Joel, opening on the piano and vocals and building in more and more as it goes. Much like other tracks on the album, it all leads perfectly to the massive, arena-filling chorus. It’s a rather understated chorus compared to others on the release, but is no less catchy and memorable. While it does feel ever so slightly ‘album track’, on an album this good that is hardly a complaint!

‘Long Time Coming’ is another slower track, a fully-country acoustic ballad. It’s the simplest arrangement, mainly just the one guitar and vocals, a few other strings and swells coming in sporadically throughout. There are some subtle harmony vocals at times too, and I’d be curious to know if it’s the same woman who is on ‘Levee’. It’s also somehow another song that breaks up the album a little, as although the last few have been slower, this is a lot less grandiose and layered, and feels like something completely different again. And, once again, the lyrics are utterly phenomenal. A truly beautiful, excellent song!

A similar vibe runs though ‘Wild Things Like You’, while the pace picks back up into a rock banger for ‘Sober’. It did feel a little “about time” after a few slower songs in a row, but honestly it barely felt like it dragged even a little! It still very much has a country edge to it too, almost an early 2000s radio hit vibe to it, while still fitting perfectly with the rest of the tracks. And it’s still a massive, stadium-rock chorus, and another that will go over a treat live. I almost feel sick of saying it, but it’s yet another incredible song, and big highlight!

The closing track, ‘Josephine’, feels like an amalgamation of everything before it! While acoustic-based, it still has a bit of a big band feel to it, and a slightly higher tempo too. The closest comparison I can make is something like Darius Rucker, which is never a bad thing! It feels like a beautiful way to draw everything from the album together and close it out, while also being a great song in its own right. A fantastic end to a fantastic album!

Overall: Hot damn, Kip knocked it out of the park again with this album! As much as I loved Solitary Tracks, which is a lot, I may love this even more! Almost every track on it is absolutely incredible, and there really isn’t a bad song throughout. I’d honestly put it up there alongside his very best, as far as albums are concerned. Kip is somehow still at the top of his game, some 14+ years into releasing music, and this album very much shows that. He is one of my favourite artists for a reason, and I cannot recommend this release enough to absolutely anyone!

The Score: 9.5/10

Reviews

EI8HT: How do Shinedown do This Deep into Their Careers?

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The hard rock powerhouse that is Shinedown are finally set to release their brand new album this coming Friday. The highly anticipated follow-up to 2022’s amazing Planet Zero, the band have been hyping this thing for over a year at this point, so have just a touch of expectations to deliver on. If the singles are anything to go by, however, we’re onto another winner. They have been one of my favourite bands for like a decade and a half at this point, through most of my teen years and beyond, so when this came through our emails it blew me away a little. There was no way I wasn’t diving deep into this thing, so join us as we do exactly that!

Opening on a piano and Brent’s vocals was an interesting choice, that’s for sure! However, the guitar and bigger instrumentation building in was excellent, instantly winning me over. Weirdly, it reminded me a little of The Black Parade, in the best way possible! And, after a quick verse, we soon EXPLODE into the rock, the distorted guitars and massive drums being the perfect punch in the teeth! It does drop back a bit for the second verse though, the dynamics being fantastic and pretty unexpected from the band, given their last album. It not only gives hints of ELO or Queen in its arrangement, but harkens back to previous albums from the band, almost feeling as a culmination of sorts. Oh, and on top of all that, the chorus is awesome, massive and hugely catchy, as only Shinedown can do! It all combines together perfectly, making not just a fantastic opening song, but a fantastic Shinedown song overall!

After that we are treated to the wonderful single ‘Dance Kid Dance’. Long-time followers of the company will know how much we love this and ‘Three Six Five’. Both are amazing songs in their own right, and are both a little more radio-friendly in their song structure. They’re also the two ends of Shinedown’s sound; the former being a boot stompin’ rocker while the latter is a rock ballad akin to Def Leppard, but with an indie-rock edge. I don’t want to linger on them too long as we have already covered them and this is a long release. However, damn, both are excellent, fit the release perfectly, and are definitely firm album highlights!

‘Burning Down the Disco’ continues the energy from ‘Dance Kid Dance’, being another up-tempo rocker. However, the track definitely has the expected sound given its title; a fantastic disco beat running through it from Barry Kerch. It’s another great chorus too, one that will surely go down a storm live. However, it does have a slight album-track feel to it, so maybe it won’t see a live setting all too much. Still, it’s a damn fun, quirky hard rock song, and yet again feels like a sound that only Shinedown could pull off. We get an awesome, albeit brief, lead line from Zach Myers tucked away in the middle, but honestly his guitar work throughout is great! It’s another good song!

‘Young Again’ not only slows things down a bit, but adds a synth element to the release that I genuinely wasn’t expecting. From the intro to the massive riffing, it starts out great, and it dropping back to the steady drums, solid bass and the vocals for the verse was excellent. It makes the chorus hit even harder when it bursts back in, being hugely impactful. It helps that the chorus is more typcial Shinedown awesomeness, infectiously catchy and some truly awesome lyrics. It’s another track that gives off more of a Threat to Survival or ATTENTION ATTENTION vibe to it. However, that breakdown riff in the middle is heavy, and still firmly grounds the track in the bands hard rock roots. It’s a good slower song, and another one that is begging for a big radio campaign!

Tracks like ‘Dizzy’, ‘Back to the Living’, ‘Wide Open’ ‘So Glad You Asked’ are more epic-feeling, slower songs. All are good in their own right, and definitely have a 2010’s Shinedown feel to them. And, in the context of the album, they definitely work very well. My favourite of the bunch is probably ‘Back to the Living’. There’s something about Brent’s powerful, beautiful vocals over a simple piano playing that is so incredible. The rest of the instrumentation comes in over the top after the first chorus, don’t get me wrong, but the main focus still feels like it’s based around those two elements. It reminds me a little of ‘I’ll Follow You’, which was my wife and I’s first dance, so of course I love it! Having said that, ‘Wide Open’ also has an Amaryllis vibe in the most beautiful way. And that heavy riff that breaks through after the choruses… DAMN! Meanwhile the latter is VERY Threat to Survival, in both a good and bad way. All are great songs, but are fairly similar, so I didn’t want to repeat myself too much given the length of the review already!

‘Imposter’ is a darker, moodier rock track that would definitely fit well on Planet Zero or even Leave a Whisper. It has that post-nu-metal vibe to it, and is very guitar driven with the chuggy playing leading the bass and drums. And, while the chorus isn’t much bigger than the rest of the track in terms of the scale, or the fact that it’s a similar vocal melody through the verses, it’s still infectiously catchy and memorable! It’s definitely a song that’s going to be stuck in my head for days to come! We also get more focus on the guitar leads throughout, Zach getting multiple moments to shine. It’s an awesome song, and one that easily makes it onto our playlist!

‘Machine Gun’ perfectly picks up the pace again. Strangely, again the riffs give me MCR vibes, but I’m certainly not complaining. The solid, quick drums and Brent’s powerful vocals complete the sound perfectly, and it all builds masterfully to a massive pre, let alone the even bigger chorus. The track is definitely designed to be played to huge festival and arena crowds around the world! And, while definitely being more of a hard rock track than others, it still has a poppy, radio-edge to it, even again slightly indie too; the melodies are so damn catchy. It’s an interesting track that’s for sure, that blurs the line between ballad and heavier song perfectly.

Next up we have a run of singles. ‘Outlaw’ is another slower, emotion-filled ballad. It’s beautiful and powerful and packed full of incredible lyrics. Meanwhile ‘Safe and Sound’ is maybe the heaviest track on the album, and it’s fucking excellent! That riff is amazing, and sets the tone for the most old-school Shinedown song in a while. This thing could have been easily ripped from Us and Them, Zach playing very much like Todd did/does. And that chorus… *chefs kiss*. The lead guitar line through the bridge is awesome too, harkening back to Sound of Madness in the best ways! This may be my favourite track on the album, at least after a couple of listens, and would easily put it up there alongside some of their best. On a generally lighter album, it’s nice to hear some of their older heaviness still rearing its head!

We change pace massively again with the crossover hit ‘Searchlight’. This debuted at the Grand Ole Opry, which should give you some indication of what it’s like, sonically. It’s an outlaw country acoustic ballad, and is another excellent song! We even get some fiddle, adding another amazing layer to their sound. Heck, there’s a banjo in the back by the end, somehow being a departure from their usual sound while still sounding and feeling so very them. It’s a beautiful, touching song that has had more than a tear out of me at times, the first time one of their tracks have touched me like this in a while. It’s like a traditional Shinedown (Amaryllis and prior) ballad, but with a fantastic country twang to it. Yet another amazing song, and a big personal highlight!

Tracks like ‘Bear With Me’, and ‘Deep End’ are two more great rockier tracks. The former has some attitude to it, but in more of a pop-punk way than a rocking swagger. It’s kinda simple, but a fun listen! The latter, meanwhile, opens on some more interesting synth, it driving the track but sadly not being as present as I feel like I’d have maybe liked throughout. It feels like Shinedown’s answer to an industrial/new-wave track, and is a damn interesting listen, if a touch forgettable after it finishes. Both tracks, while good, very much have a similar feeling as ‘Burning Down the Disco’ in that they very much feel a bit more album-track than a lot of the rest. That isn’t a bad thing at all, not all tracks can be singles, but these, while good, wouldn’t fit that mould.

Speaking of singles, ‘Killing Fields’ is the last from the album (so far). Opening on that rather ominous guitar riff and Brent’s fascinating vocals over the top, it goes to a surprisingly uplifting pre, and then a massive, stadium-filling chorus. While it does feel a touch disjointed at first, it has grown on me with a few listens. It’s theatrical, like ‘BRILLIANT’ or, again, something like MCR or Panic!. It’s a wild song, the most experimental one aside for the opener, and makes for a damn good listen! And that chorus is honestly MASSIVE, maybe one of the best they have ever written. It really feels like what the whole track is build around, but the rest of the parts are also awesome. It’s another fantastic song, and yet another massive high point of the album!

Closer ‘The Pilot’ is yet another slower track. It’s a simple, acoustic-lead song, the most stripped-back of the record. It’s a phenomenally beautiful and well-written track, and was exactly what I expected given the rest of the album leading up to this. The lyrics are some of the best Brent has ever put down, and it once again made me shed a (manly) tear. While I’m a bit hit-and-miss when it comes to slow closers, this was absolutely the right choice to close this album. Not only does it feel the most fitting, but on a release with so many slower tracks, it may have struggled to stand out so much if it was lost in the shuffle in the middle. Another absolutely huge highlight, both on the album, and in the career of the band itself.

Overall: So, damn, there are a lot of thoughts and feelings to unpack here. Firstly, I do want to say that this is an amazing album. Every track feels different in its own right, hence why the review is so long, and they all fit together rather perfectly on this record. It’s their most theatrical and experimental so far, and is an interesting, fun listen if absolutely nothing else! There will be a lot of people who LOVE this record, and rightfully so!

…I’m just not convinced I’m one of them. At least, not yet. As I’ve said already, this is a long album, and I’ve only sat with it two or three times so far. I was rather on the fence with Threat to Survival and ATTENTION ATTENTION when they dropped, and they have certainly grown on me since. However, after the hard rock juggernaut that is Planet Zero, I guess I was hoping for them to continue on that vein. However, the band have certainly been known to experiment in their time, and this is their most experimental yet. Some of it definitely stuck with me, like the opener and ‘Killing Field’. But, I think I’d have preferred a more concise, focused album over a longer one with more filler. Planet Zero was long too but certainly had arguably more highs than this. So, while I very much appreciate their musicianship and did very much enjoy this album, my immediate reaction is that it’s not quite as good as their last. They have a very solid 10 tracks on here, and they maybe could have cut a couple, but it certainly isn’t a bad release by any stretch. It’s still Shinedown, after all!

The Score: 8.5/10

Reviews

Jon Pardi, Alyssa Flaherty and Bec O’Malley Rock Manchester Apollo!

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We headed down to one of our favourite venues last weekend to see one of our favourite country artists, like a match made in heaven! We’ve been hoping to see him for a few years now too, with him dropping out of The Long Road a few years back and us missing him on the subsequent rearranged tour. Joining him were two of the fastest rising stars in the genre, one from Nashville and one from Manchester, so it was set to be a fantastic night all-round!

Firstly, a quick shoutout to Randall King. He was supposed to be main support on the tour, but has taken a step back from live shows the last couple of months to work on his mental health and personal life. From what I know of him (even having the pleasure of meeting him a couple of years ago), he seemed like a great guy, and hopefully he manages to work through whatever he’s going through. Mental health is so very important, and it sucks for anyone to be going through struggles. You got this, brother!

Another thing before we talk about the artists; this show made me remember why I don’t go to many big country shows on their own. Goddamn, the crowd was terrible! Talking through not only both supports, but a good chunk of Pardi’s set too, just until his big hits came up towards the end. It really ruins the experience somewhat for those who actually went there to watch the show. I honestly don’t understand the thought process behind paying £40+ to go to a gig and not watch most of it, I canny afford that! It’s surprisingly a younger, more me/gen Z crowd that are doing it too, the TikTok crowd. Shame on y’all.

Anyway, enough negativity, let’s get on with the artists!

Seeming newcomer to the scene Bec O’Malley came off a massive day before, playing Royal Albert Hall for Highways and putting out his first single, and showed up big on Saturday too! He and his two backing players owned the large stage for the entire time they were up there, playing (and singing) their asses off. And, honestly, their set was arguably too short. I get why it was, with only one song released it may have been harder to hold the crowds attention, but he did it masterfully. His unique blend of UK folk, Americana and modern country came across excellently live, and he was a pretty decent frontman, too. Closing on the excellent debut single ‘Let it Go’ was awesome, and a highlight of the night in general. However, his other originals were just as good, honestly! And he even snuck a cheeky cover of Ella Langley’s massive ‘Choosin’ Texas’, to the delight of the crowd! Bec is gonna be a big name in the UK and global scene sooner rather than later, and it felt awesome seeing him get this sort of shot right out of the gate. Hopefully he sticks with his guitarist and fiddle player too, as both fit him excellently!

Next up was Alyssa Flaherty. For just a woman and her guitar, she sure packed out the sound in the theatre! It’s probably because her vocals were powerful and absolutely incredible! I wasn’t too familiar with her heading into the set, but left being a big new fan. Her original music is great, and was performed excellently by just her and her guitar. Honestly, I’d love to see her again with a full band backing her, but this was a great set in its own right! For an acoustic set it was definitely one of my favourites in recent memory!

After a rather short changeover, Mr Saturday Night himself took to the stage! Opening on the tours namesake, it was awesome right from the get-go. Honestly, it was a bit of a shame that we didn’t get more off said album, with just ‘Boots Off’ and ‘Friday Night Heartbreaker’ making the cut. The latter was a massive highlight of the whole night, though! The highlights packed out the whole set, though! Whether it was ‘Tequila Little Time’, ‘Mr. Saturday Night’, ‘Last Night Lonely’ or his collaboration with Thomas Rhett ‘Beer Can’t Fix’, there was awesomeness sprinkled throughout. Then, there was the absolutely incredible run to close out the set; from ‘Dirt on my Boots’ to closer ‘Head Over Boots’, it was banger after banger! There was maybe a slight lull in the middle, but that was more from the crowd not paying attention than any of the songs being bad!

In terms of the performance too, it was amazing! Pardi is a born front-man, and put on an excellent show from start to finish. His vocals are just as good live as they are on track, and when not holding one of his many guitars, he was bouncing around the stage, holding the crowd in the palm of his hand and having plenty of energy! The rest of his band added so much to the show, too! Everyone up on that stage is some of the best musicians at their craft, and worked their asses off from start to finish. They performed like one of the very best of a big-country-bands around, which they very much are! From all of the different instruments being played to the incredible soloing to the energy throughout, it was all a top-class performance. There whole set went by in a flash, and I’d have happily taken another full hour of it!

And there you have it, folks. Three incredible acts putting on an amazing show for a packed out crowd. I had a blast throughout, and the two opening acts definitely won me over in a big way. I’d recommend checking out all three of them both live and on track, and I’ll certainly be seeing them all the next time they’re nearby! It was a fantastic night of live music, and one I’ll not soon be forgetting!

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Change of Plans: How Does 49 Winchester’s Latest Album Live Up to Their Previous?

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The country rock collective are set to release their sixth studio album this coming Friday! As already big fans of their music, we’ve been excited about this one since it got announced. Add to that that the single or two I’ve heard is great, and it’s made this album an absolute must-listen for us! Oh, and add to that the truly beautiful artwork, and this is already set to be a release to remember. Without further ado, let’s dive in!

The album opens on a chilled-out southern rock riff; the guitars setting the tone and the drums and bass following suit excellently. Isaac’s vocals fit seamlessly over the top, keeping the mood and tone relaxed and steady. It rather surprisingly explodes into a catchy, rockier chorus, reminding me of a Darius Rucker kinda sound in the best ways. Having said that, it also fits the vibe of the rest of the song perfectly. The lyrics are excellent for it too, both catchy and packed full of emotion. And the bridge, while simple, has some fun little guitar lead runs, channelling the bands Southern rock roots fantastically. And it drops back to just vocals, piano and some quiet guitars after, giving the track some great dynamics before it bursts back into that awesome final chorus. It’s a great way to open the release, establishing the mood of the album perfectly.

‘Bluebird’ adds a bit more blues to the proceedings, surely intentionally a little punny. Having said that, it still keeps the generally slower pace from the opener, especially with the acoustic, lower verses. It’s all builds perfectly to a massive, arena-filling country rock chorus, one that once again reminds me of that early 2000s sound. And not only that, but we get an epic, Aerosmith-esque bridge and lead bit separating the choruses perfectly. This is a really excellent track, and one that easily makes our playlist. I’m honestly shocked it wasn’t a single, but it could easily be one after release, it would do great as a radio country-rock track!

Speaking of singles, their cover of ‘Changes’ is banger of a ballad. It works surprisingly well as a southern rock song, and is only one of my favourite versions (and there are many) of the track. Honestly, Isaac is probably the best singer to have performed it, in this writers opinion. He puts so much passion and emotion into every line, clearly being a fan of the original. And instrumentally, it works perfectly, the organ, drums and guitaring carrying the somber tone amazingly. It’s interesting to have it placed so early in the album, but it fits rather well alongside the previous songs, so it’s hard to complain!

Songs like ‘All Around Me’, ‘All Over Again’ and ‘Bringin Home the Bacon’ are more tracks that fit in with the opening few. All are boot stompin’ country rock bangers in their own right, with ‘All Over Again’ being a particular personal highlight. And, while I have grouped them together to make the article easier to read, it does also reflect that the album is so similar. It is both impressive that it’s so cohesive, but also makes for an ever so slightly harder listen, at the very least when reviewing. It doesn’t make any of it bad per se, but does make my tiny-attention-spanned brain a touch less likely to listen to them all, especially when they are all so close together!

‘Slowly’ is a beautiful, acoustic-based track that honestly I can’t get enough of. From the simple arrangement that builds perfectly throughout to some of the best lyrics on the release to that chorus that’ll be stuck in my head from day to come, everything about it is amazing. And those vocal harmonies, GODDAMN. It’s easily one of my favourite tracks on the album, and may be up there alongside my top songs from the band in general, honestly. This is definitely one to check out if you are going to dive into any! A damn worthy single!

‘Oh Savannah’ is another beautiful slower song, while ‘Pardon Me’ is another incredible, catchy southern rock track designed to be played to huge festival crowds around the world. Both are great in their own right, but the latter in particular is another huge highlight of the album! And then, just like that, we reach the end to this surprisingly short release with ‘Heavy Chevy’. It’s another good song, giving off Whiskey Myers vibes massively with the vocals. The double track on them was an interesting choice that pays off massively, and once again Isaac puts on one hell of a performance. It builds perfectly through the acoustic stuff into a distorted, rockier second half, the dynamics being fantastic. We even get some awesome duelling guitar solos in the middle, feeling very Skynyrd in the best ways possible. Somehow it’s yet another huge highlight track on an album rather filled with this. It’s also the perfect, truly epic way to close the release, and is another song that’s up there alongside my favourites from the band as a whole!

Overall: This is a great release! It’s a damn good country/southern rock album, jam packed with some real amazing tracks. While it does take a slight dip in energy in the middle, both the start and end are phenomenal, providing some of the best tracks I think the band have ever put to tape. If you are at all a fan of the band or the genres in general, this is well worth a listen! I’ll certainly be spinning it plenty in the weeks and months to come, that’s for sure!

Overall: 9/10

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Suburban Legends and Codename Colin Rock the Bodega!

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It’s been a hot minute since we made it down to The Bodega, and then it was for a pretty different gig! This time was for the ska legends Suburban Legends, returning to the UK after last years acoustic tour, and for their first electric shows in seven years! Y’all should know how big of a fan we are here at Overtone of ska punk by now, and we get far too little come over to the UK these days, so there was no way we were missing this! Of course we were going to have a blast, but read below to find out just how great of a night it was!

It felt slightly odd only having two bands on the bill, but it is becoming increasingly more of a thing in recent years. However, when both bands are this good and get given some time, it’s really hard to complain! And Codename Colin really brought it last night! I wasn’t too familiar with them aside a couple of songs I checked out before the show, but I came away a pretty damn big fan of the band! Even despite some technical issues with the guitar the band played a fantastic set, sounding awesome and coming across as damn professional. They were a little heavier live than I was expecting too, having an air of metal to them, especially in the half-time outros. All four of them were insanely talented too, getting their own time to shine at various stages throughout.

And, their setlist was pretty great! From their amazing originals to a couple of fantastic covers, it honestly left me wanting more! ‘Hit Me Baby One More Time’ was a personal highlight, but I found myself enjoying their original stuff just as much, truly. Hell, the new songs they threw into the set were awesome, and have left me excited to hear what’s next in store for them, release-wise! They played their asses off throughout and clearly impressed a lot of the crowd, including us. This certainly won’t be the last time I see them, and hopefully they’re back nearby soon!

After a pretty brief changeover, it was already time for the headliners! I’ve wanted to see them for so long, not able to make it to their last full tour pre-pandemic, and somehow they didn’t disappoint even with my high hype for them! From the moment they took to the stage I was obsessed. Opening on old classic ‘High Fives’ was a great choice, and kicked off well over an hour of catchy, high-energy ska punk. From Day Job bangers like ‘Arigato’ and perennial closer ‘Whoa’ to more older classics in ‘Hey DJ’ and ‘Bright Spring Morning’ to even ‘Forever in the Friendzone’, the set was packed full of the very best of their back catalogue. And, of course, we can’t not address the Disney songs. From Toy Story’s ‘You’ve got a Friend in Me’ to Lion King’s ‘Just Can’t Wait to be King’, ‘DuckTales’ to ‘Under the Sea’, the band have done some of the funnest ska covers, and Disney covers, around!

And the show the collective put on… DAMN. I don’t have the energy to do what they do now still in my 20s, let alone 15+ years down the line. The energy that every one of them put into their performance was infectious, having the crowd dancing, clapping and bouncing along throughout. Heck, they managed to get a solid 60-70% of the not-particularly-young crowd squatted down, ready to jump-the-fuck-up and pretend to be fireworks. That’s commitment from everyone involved, right there! The choreography was also amazing; synchronised dancing is always impressive but to do it to ska music, as well as sometimes while singing/playing a horn, is honestly awesome!

Plus, everyone sounded awesome. Vincent’s vocals are amazing live, and it blows my mind still that he wasn’t even originally the singer of the band. The backing and harmonies were awesome too, with Aaron sounding great and being a born frontman in his own right. And all the rest of the band absolutely killed it too, being so tight live and sounding really excellent. The talent throughout them all is truly off the charts, and to witness it live was something truly special. Damn, I could gush about this band all day!

And there you have it folks, an awesome night packed full of some incredible punk music! Two bands that I am already desperate to see live again, and would recommend checking out to anyone if they are anywhere nearby you. And, what’s more, it was all at one of the best small venues in the country! I certainly had a blast, and couldn’t have asked for any more!

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Hotter Than the Sun: The Debut Album from AK and the Red Kites!

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The debut album of the Dust Coda front man’s other project drops tomorrow! Their 2024 EP was amazing, and they have only gone from strength to strength since then, so to finally have this coming out is pretty damn exciting! Their combination of blues and hard rock is a lot of fun, so let’s dive right in!

The album opens right into some great instrumentation, an almost punk flavour to the riffing and drumming at first. AK’s powerful vocals soon come over the top, a great, catchy melody over some chuggy riffs. There’s some awesome harmonies and tracking around the vocals too, adding so much depth to the delivery. It all builds to a massive chorus, one designed to be played to huge arena crowds! There’s a touch of the blues the band are known for coming out of the choruses with that riff too, fitting perfectly alongside the punkier rest. We also get an awesome little guitar solo tucked away in the middle, packed full of feeling an emotion, sounding fantastic! This is an amazing song, and a perfect selection for the opener and a single, kicking things off with a bang!

The energy stays high heading into ‘Born to Lose’. Once again I get as much Wildhearts vibes as I do blues, definitely a punky edge to it all. Andrew’s vocals fit perfectly over the simple riffing and driving drums, once again building excellently to a massive chorus. Said chorus fits perfectly into the back of the verse though, the instrumentation staying similar, just getting bigger, making everything sound massive as a result! The lyrics here are great too, packed with attitude and being some of my favourite on the whole album. The solo here is more technical this time, fitting the lighter natural of the song and giving the perfect reprieve from the standard structure of the rest. My only complaint is that it was so short, but I get not everyone wants sprawling solos! Another excellent song, and an easy highlight of the album!

Things turn sharply into the blues direction I expected from the release with ‘Stronger’. It still fits perfectly in with the heaviness and tone of the release so far, but definitely feels like it focuses much more on the blues guitaring than the others. The riffing is awesome, and I LOVED the ‘ooo’s in the build-up intro, too. A stripped-back verse leads to a bigger, catchy chorus. However, that driving riff from the guitar and bass are definitely the main strength of the track. And, even in a track barely 2:30, we still get some awesome lead work out of that second chorus. It’s short and sweet, in-and-out and very to the point, and I think it serves the track well, as any more of the same sort of idea, outside of jamming it out for minutes of proggy soloing, may have gotten a bit much!

Single ‘Karmic Rituals’ heavy’s things back up again, while still very much maintaining that blues riffing awesomeness from the previous song. Andrew’s vocals once again sound awesome over the top, weaving a fantastic melody over the driving drums and bass, the guitar cutting in intermittently Honestly, the closest thing I can compare it to is Mammoth, which is certainly a compliment! The verse is catchy enough, but then effortlessly leads into an expectedly great chorus, catchy and certainly one to sing along to. It’s another short, simple-structured track, but I liked the riffing for the bridge too, and the final chorus hits hard! It’s one that easily makes our playlist!

A dirty blues riff forms the basis of ‘Pearls Before Swine’, the guitar kicking it off but the bass and it’s incredible tone carry it on perfectly through the verse. It has a bit of swagger and attitude to it, making for an incredibly fun listen. Honestly, it’s got some funk rock to it, like a Living Colour or Staggered Crossing, and I’m a little obsessed! The whole thing is massively catchy, but that chorus is on another level! It’s my favourite track on the album, and a song that I’ll be spinning a lot in the coming weeks and months to come. Wow!

Tracks like ‘West Coast Romance’, the title track and ‘Trouble Again’ are more steady-paced, blues-dripping stompers, all as good as the last! The latter is my favourite of the group, the riff being great and AK putting in one of his best vocal performances to boot. However, all are great and fit the tone and pace of the album fantastically, none of them even feeling like album tracks. It was easier to group them together to save me repeating myself with my fan-girling over and over!

‘Sierra Starlight’ is the slower track on the album, but is still infused with blues, soul and roots. It feels ripped straight out of Sinners, almost having a country edge to it. Yet, somehow, it also fits perfectly in with the rest of the album. Arguably it could have done with being a little earlier, as it breaks things up tonally incredibly, but also felt just as natural here. It’s another amazing song and HUGE album highlight, showing off the band’s range impeccably.

The last two tracks left from the album, singles ‘We Belong’ and ‘Cosmic Train’. Both are on the heavier end, more Black Stone Cherry-like than a classic blues thing. They’re amazing songs both in their own right, and were two more excellent choices for singles! The latter in particular is another huge high point on the release, and closes things off perfectly. All three members get their time to shine throughout, and it makes for a damn fun listen! Two more great songs on an album packed full of them!

Overall: This is an awesome release! Every track is as good as the last, and it has an amazing flow to it, going by in a flash. All three guys killed it throughout too, showing off that they are some of the best in the scene right now. They really are going from strength to strength as a band, and this is surely set to push them up to the next level! I’ll certainly be spinning this plenty in the weeks and months to come!

The Score: 9/10

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Voodoo Sioux, Eddie & The Wolves and Tender Vendetta Rock Percy’s Cafe!

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We headed down to one of the coolest small venues in the country last weekend to check out three awesome hard/blues rock bands! A bar that still very much incapsulates the grungy, dirty rock scene of the 70s and 80s, and three bands known for a cracking live show, what’s not to love!

Kicking things off strong were the Wolves-based sleazy hard rockers, Tender Vendetta. Bringing high energy right from the jump, the band launched into an impressive setlist filled with plenty of their own awesome songs. They battled through some early technical issues to deliver fully, too. It’s easy to see why they are getting a reputation as a fantastic live band, and are gaining a fair bit of momentum around the UK. Matty Nicholls is one of the best frontman around in the scene today, and the rest of the band do a great job in matching his energy and stage presence. We even go a cheeky, albeit brief, Sabbath cover, which fit the bands sound surprisingly well, even if they are typically on the faster side of rock. They are certainly ones to watch, that’s for sure!

Eddie & The Wolves soon took to the stage next! Best band ever and all that. Apparently the band have played the venue a couple of times in the past, but it must have been before my time with them. Regardless, it was a blast playing, from the quirky setting to the great sound to everyone packing out the place to watch! Thank you for everyone who came out, I hope we put on a decent set for everyone! It at least felt good from up on stage, that’s for sure!

After a brief changeover, the mighty headliners took to the stage. Outside of seeing their name about on bills, I was pretty unfamiliar with Voodoo Sioux’s stuff, but they really blew me away here! The talent of all four men was off the charts, and was on full display throughout their set. And the energy they brought to the stage from the first moment they stepped onto it was palpable. They had a full 40+ minute set and really made the most of it, rattling off collection of their very best tracks, to the delight of the crowd. They have been around a little while now and have really honed their craft to perfection, putting on one of the most polished shows I’ve seen in an intimate venue, even with the occasional sound issue. They were a fantastic headliner, and a band I will certainly be seeing again as soon as I can!

And there you have it folks, three awesome bands playing at one of the coolest venues in the country, what more could you ask for?! I cannot recommend any of the bands any more, be it live or on track, and I’d certainly implore you to see them live ASAP. And, if you are anywhere near Percy’s Cafe anytime soon, definitely drop down, it’s as awesome a bar as it is a venue! A truly great night!

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One: Sevendust’s Best Album in Years!

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The incredible alt/nu metallers are set to release their whopping 15th studio album on Friday. You’d be hard pressed to find a more consistent band, be it in terms of output, quality or even band members. They haven’t had more than a three year gap between album releases, and have had next to no lineup change across the decades. And, on top of that, they still go hard! We enjoyed their last release back in ‘23, and the singles from this so far have been awesome! So, to say I’m excited for this may be an understatement! Let’s dive right in, shall we?

A massive, nu/industrial riff opens up the title track, immediately showing that after another three years since their last release, the band have not lost even a fraction of a step. Lajon’s powerful, melodic vocals soon come in over the top, and the occasional harmonies and doubled up vocals add so much depth and catchiness, and we’re only on the verse still! It all builds to a massive, arena-filling chorus, and one that’s going to be stuck in my head for days to come! I can see why they’ve played with Alter Bridge a lot recently, as it’s very much like their/Tremonti’s modern sound. We get an awesome guitar solo tucked away in the middle of this too, over the top of a pretty heavy breakdown riff or two. Both Clint Lowery and John Connolly are criminally underrated players, as are all of the band members in general, and they get to shine as bright as Lajon throughout. This is an excellent track and the perfect way to open the album. An easy early highlight!

Some pretty epic synth and keys opens ‘Unbreakable’, building fantastically. It actually reminded me of the theme of the movie of the same name, which I truly hope was intentional. The chorus soon explodes in; massive drums, a great guitar melody and some more effortlessly powerful vocals. The verses are pretty heavy, the riffing behind Lajon’s vocals being almost metalcore, and that snare hit being so good every time. I love it dropping out for the pre too before exploding in with that huge, effortlessly catchy chorus. It honestly gives off vibes of Smash Into Pieces and that more European pop melody, which is an awesome addition to their regular sound. My only slight thing is that there isn’t much going on in the bridge, just a quick, simple, repeating guitar lead and then straight back onto the chorus. Still, it’s a damn strong chorus, one that the song is built well around, and was a great choice for a single!

Speaking of singles, the albums lead, ‘Is This the Real You’, is up next! It’s excellent, from the incredible opening riffs to the groovy, catchy as anything verses and choruses to the heavy breakdown-bridge with the lead guitar ringing perfectly over the top. It’s classic Sevendust, and also reminds me a lot of Nonpoint in the best ways possible. It’s a lot of fun, equal parts heavy and melodic, and is a track that very easily makes it onto our playlist. It’s been stuck in my head periodically since it first dropped, and is easily up there alongside their other big hits.

Somewhat crazily, they get the singles out of the way fast, as ‘Threshold’ quickly follows suit. it’s a slower track but no less heavy. Starting off low was a great choice, the vocals ringing excellently over synth. It also makes it feel even bigger when the chunky guitars and drums come in. And those vocal harmonies/double-tracks… *chefs kiss*. The chorus is another massive one too, designed to be played to huge festival crowds around the world. The band have a fantastic ability at picking the very best singles they can from the album, as all three showcase a different end to their style. And, what do you know, this is another awesome song!

Tracks like ‘We Won’, ‘Construct’ and ‘Blood Prince’ channel more of that swaggering early 2000s energy the band came up in. It’s the perfect blend of nu metal and industrial, Drowning Pool and Static X, and is impossible not to love. The solo in the latter is a big high point of the album as a whole too, packed full of not just emotion but technicality. Meanwhile, that chorus and the dynamics in ‘Construct’ make it another huge highlight song, up there alongside ‘Is This the Real You’. And everything about the latter is amazing, from the chugging riffing to the screams perfectly breaking up the catchy cleans and that AMAZING breakdown. The band have very much perfected their sound over the years, and these tracks show that off perfectly!

Both ‘Bright Side’ and ‘The Drop’ are on the slower, plodding side of Sevendusts sound, almost sounding sinister when combined with their awesome heaviness. They still have their trademark big choruses too, alongside all the chuggy and melodic guitar and bass work. Both are excellent tracks in their own right too, packing out the album phenomenally and feeling every bit as good as anything else before or after it!

The closer, ‘Misdirection’, is the slower song on the album. It’s interesting that they’d choose to do the modern metal/metalcore approach of closing on a ballad. However, it’s an excellent song in its own right, and it’s hard to argue its spot here! It’s quirky; a simple beat with Lajon’s vocals soon coming in rather delicately over the top. It builds excellently with a high harmony soon coming fantastically over the top, alongside a light high-hat beat. I honestly wasn’t expecting anything to remind me of Slipknot’s ‘Spiders’, but here we are! The distortion does come in not long before the two-minute mark, a great riff exploding in with the big drums, but it still feels more like a ballad than anything else. It also gives Tool vibes for me, though I’m not sure why! Maybe it’s the chuggy bit in the middle, or the general melodies used. Either way, this fucking RIPS, closer or otherwise. Another amazing highlight of a track on an album packed full of them!

Overall: This is an amazing album! As much as I enjoyed Truth Killer, this is definitely a step up in terms of quality. Every song is as good as the last, and the album as a whole has a really fantastic flow to it! For a band as consistent with their output as this, some 30+ years at it and on album 15, there is no way they should still be this damn good. If you are at all a fan of the band or the rough genres as a whole, this is an absolute must-listen!

The Score: 9/10