MONTHLY MUSIC ROUNDUP - AUGUST 2020

There’s plenty of music released every single month, and with each Monthly Music Roundup article, we share some quick reviews of several releases from throughout the month that we personally enjoyed and want to cover.

ALBUMS

Glass Ocean “The Remnants Of Losing Yourself In Someone Else”

After a handful of singles and EPs over the years, Glass Ocean have released their debut LP, titled “The Remnants Of Losing Yourself In Someone Else.” The album starts off strong with its opening track “Voyage,” which begins with softer instrumentals and vocals, accompanied by hard-hitting, intricate and impressive drums. The melodies on here are pretty good as well and the vocals only stand out more and more as the song goes on. That opener is one of many more upbeat tracks on this album. “Burn” brings catchy instrumentation right off the bat, as well as another strong vocal performance that really grabbed my attention, “Divide” and the closing track “Almaida” have some really catchy choruses, “Beyond Us” brings a huge chorus with a lot of emotion in its performances, as well as a catchy guitar solo, and “Pride” is one of the most memorable tracks on the entire record. “A Dream From Which I May Not Wake” is a bit darker and on the much slower side, but similarly to the more upbeat tracks, this one also contains catchy instrumentals and another interesting vocal performance. Aside from the harder hitting drums, “Asteroid Blue” is driven by softer instrumentation, which really allows the vocals to shine, and “Soul Slumber” and “Bolero” are both much softer as well. Amongst all of these tracks is an interlude titled “Self & Sacrifice,” a track that’s simple, yet still pretty catchy. From the intricate instrumentals to the intriguing vocals, “The Remnants Of Losing Yourself In Someone Else” is an interesting debut from Glass Ocean.


Serious Matters “Mistaking Wasps For Dragonflies”

Serious Matters have released their debut LP, titled “Mistaking Wasps For Dragonflies.” A lot of the album consists of songs with some darker composition that really showcases the band’s post-hardcore influences, starting right away with the opening track “This Is The Emergency!,” which contains catchy instrumentals and melodies (especially leading up to and during its very memorable chorus), as well as a noteworthy guitar solo later on. “The World Over Heaven” brings some intriguing composition and performances, as well as plenty of energy (for most of its duration), “Summer Tides” shows off the bass a bit more, and the huge chorus really stood out with its harder-hitting instrumentals and memorable melodies, and the more midtempo “Vacant” brings attention-grabbing performances right off the bat, and is one of the best examples of how the band incorporates these sorts of influences into this record. The record also contains some pop-punk and alternative influences, shown in “Sixth or 6th” and “Weary,” two captivating tracks where the vocals really stand out, as well as the catchy single and closing track, “Night Terrors.” The remaining tracks on this album are filled with energy, from the extremely catchy and upbeat “Nature Holds The Crown” and “Never Knows Best” to “Eyes Wide Shut,” which contains another strong vocal performance. “Mistaking Wasps For Dragonflies” does a great job at combining the pop-punk, alternative rock, emo, and post-hardcore influences found within this band’s sound, and makes an impressive debut for Serious Matters.

EPs

The Middle Room “Better Than Here”

The Middle Room have released their debut EP, titled “Better Than Here.” “Right For Me” instantly brings catchy melodies and instrumentals from the moment the song starts. The vocals stand out, only doing so when more as the song continues, especially in the huge chorus, where they’re accompanied by energetic drums and some very catchy guitar riffs, as well as the second verse that follows it. Catchy composition is contained in the beginning of the title track “Better Than Here” as well, followed by some really impressive vocals and energetic instrumentals once the verses come in. “Run” is also very energetic and catchy,  and it’s honestly one of the catchiest songs on this release. The bridge really shows off the instrumentation leading up to the song’s final chorus. The final track on this EP is the band’s cover of one of Halsey’s latest hits, “You Should Be Sad.” The cover puts a pop-punk twist on the song, brings a lot of energy during the chorus, and it’s overall a really solid cover. From the impressive performances to the catchy composition that those performances contain, “Better Than Here” is a great debut EP from The Middle Room.

NOT A TOY “NOT A TOY”

NOT A TOY have released their self-titled debut EP. The EP begins with “Demise,” where the vocals quickly deliver catchy melodies and the chorus brings extra emphasis to the song as more instruments come in. “J Cash” is driven by catchy guitars and hard-hitting drums, and the vocals really stand out during the verses, delivering some pretty good melodies. “Watch Me” is led by softer vocals and keys, and the added synths and guitar bring a bit more energy to it, and the indie/alternative-tinged “Quit Quitting” is one of the catchiest songs on this whole release. “Antidote” also starts out on a much softer note before more instrumentals eventually get added in, and it also incorporates a few more influences (particularly pop and rap). The acoustically driven “Sideways” brings some more catchy melodies to the table before the more laid-back “Drive Slow” concludes the EP. NOT A TOY’s self-titled debut shows the various influences that make up their sound and contains some pretty memorable moments throughout

State Champs “Unplugged”

Following the release of their 2018 LP “Living Proof,” State Champs have released their second acoustic EP, titled “Unplugged.” “A Thousand Hearts” begins with catchy guitar parts, and the vocals shine from the moment they come in, bringing melodies as catchy as those riffs. The vocal harmonies added during the memorable chorus emphasize that vocal performance, making it stand out even more than it already does. “The Recipe” is a pretty upbeat track and one that also shows off the vocals and contains very catchy melodies early on. The added guitars and guitar harmonies make the instrumentation more interesting and make the song stand out. “10 AM” is one of the most memorable songs on here, led by extremely catchy melodies (especially in the chorus) and the upbeat drums, synths, and acoustic guitar. “Crying Out Loud” is also pretty upbeat, and brings catchy riffs and melodies early on, leading up to a bigger chorus where the vocals really stand out once again before a softer bridge. The EP concludes with acoustic versions of two of the songs from the band’s 2018 LP, “Living Proof.” The acoustic version of “Criminal” is a lot slower than the original, but I enjoyed the more laid-back take on the song, and I love how the acoustic guitar builds up to the song’s unforgettable chorus. The other song that got an acoustic version is “Dead And Gone,” and the softer instrumentals allow the vocals to shine leading up to the choruses and bridge, where the instrumentals do so just as much. From the newer tracks to the more laid-back renditions of some older fan favorites, State Champs have created another great acoustic release.