As we settle into the latter half of the 2010s, our understanding of social complexities continues to heighten. Love and relationships tend to comprise a significant aspect of that matter. In most instances, they provide consistent solace and opportunity to be open; in others, a parting of ways takes place. …
Read More »Album Review: Steven J. Vertun – Ghost, Shadow and Sun
The musical journey of singer-songwriter Steven J. Vertun is a fine one to behold. As a 5-year-old, Vertun’s behavioral difficulties had his parents strapped for solutions. Eventually, an accordion proved to be—among all descriptors—instrumental. While it did little in providing Vertun tranquility, it ultimately fostered a musical proclivity that transitioned …
Read More »Interview with Jimmy Reeves of Sunndrug
Yesterday, Virginia Beach quintet Sunndrug released their debut album, Exit Wounds. Fans may recognize three of the band’s personnel—Jimmy Reeves, Chris Raines and Matt Beck—all of whom originated in Spitfire, a metalcore outfit popular at the start of the millennium. Sunndrug, by contrast, is a less stringent rock variant, bolstering …
Read More »Album Review: Sunndrug – Exit Wounds (Out October 31)
Sunndrug was conceptualized by the partnership of metalcore veterans Jimmy Reeves and Chris Raines. Backed by an additional 3-man personnel (Junior Favela, Clint Kesler, Matt Beck), their material rings interestingly and is wholly unexpected. For reference, I wasn’t much a fan of its members’ previous outings, Spitfire and Norma Jean, …
Read More »EP Review: Lightscape – For Present, For Past (Out September 2)
Last year, Norwich, England’s Lightscape debuted with a competent blend of alternative riffing and progressive textures. Within a relatively short span, assiduous work and tenacity would reward them considerably. The quintet went on earning large-scale exposure, having opened for acclaimed post-hardcore act Lonely the Brave as well as appearing on …
Read More »Album Review: The Drones – Feelin’ Kinda Free
Australian alterna-champs The Drones have returned in a league that shatters any stylistic boundaries in all of music. Vastly expanding since their 2000 debut in Perth’s isolated but rich underground, the Melbourne-based quartet ceases to look back. I’d consider their aesthetics in the vein of AC/DC: they’ve bordered the simplicities …
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