Neck Deep, Self-Titled
Ana Bellamy, Arts & Entertainment Co-Editor
Each of the 10 tracks on this album is a certified bop, in my opinion. Every band member gave each song on this album their all. Each song is a punch to the heart strings and a blast to scream too.
My top songs on the album are “Sort Yourself Out, “It Won’t Be Like This Forever” and “Go Outside!” “Go Outside” is a cry for help and understanding. As someone who struggles with my mental health, this song is super relatable as the narrator talks about getting stuck in a self-destructive cycle and how hard it is to ask for help.
“Self-Titled” shares its similarities with their other albums “Rain in July” and “Life’s Not Out To Get You.” They’re honestly not that experimental, but it definitely is a return to their old sound for the listeners that did not enjoy the last album.
Little Rope, Sleater-Kinney
August Stephens, Co-Editor of Opinions
It genuinely pains me to say this, but starting the album with “Hell” could have made me feel satisfied turning the album off completely. As someone who has found a home in Riot Grrl and 90s alternative music for as long as I can remember, it was an unfortunate start to their first album release since 2021.
The haunting instrumental chords and slower tracks do not serve the listener. “Little Rope” manages to bring the tone of a potentially industry-changing album down in the matter of three songs. As with every Sleater-Kinney song, their vocals never falter, making every song a trip in and of itself. This album does not necessarily echo the sound of older songs, so if you are a new Sleater-Kinney fan, I recommend listening just to try something new. Overall, the album was disappointing at best.
Saviors, Green Day
Ana Bellamy, Arts & Entertainment Co-Editor
“Saviors” has been noted as a highly-anticipated comeback album from the 30-year-old pop punk band and I agree with this statement. The songs on the album are catchy. The lyrics range from childish, sarcastic and emotional. The album is chock full of power chords and energetic drumming belonging to Tre Cool. I wish that the bass was as prominent as other lines in the Green Day discography, but Mike Dirnt’s bass runs can still be heard faintly.
The album brings up some nostalgic vibes from earlier Green Day albums. The album is not as spontaneous as their earlier albums “Kerplunk!”, “Dookie” and “Insomniac.” However, this album is well-rounded with fast and slow songs about anger, love, substance abuse and the current state of America. All of the songs kinda sound the same, but there is enough variation in the songs that it did not bother me as much.
My top songs of the album are: “Bobby Sox,” the newest addition to my Pride playlist as it is queer and oh-so euphoric, “Saviors,” and “1981.” The song “Goodnight Adeline” sounds like “Give Me Novacaine” off of American Idiot, which I enjoyed, and One-Eyed Bastard does sound like the Pink song “So What,” but I did not mind the potential rip-off.
All in all, I give the album a 7/10. It was a way better album than “Father of All…”
