Since forming in the late summer sun of 2016, the emo collective have solidified a robust reputation for themselves in recent years. Yet it was their 2019 long play debut Through Love & Death, You’re All I Have Left yet fully catapulted the band into the public eye of the UK emo scene. Two years and one pandemic later, Dude Trips are keeping the momentum running with what may be their most earnest material to date.
Laying it all on the line for melancholic opener ‘Leaving’ the acoustic number sets the tone as Dude Trips ease comfortably into the uncomfortably raw quite literally wearing their vulnerabilities on their chests. Seemingly talking about the pain of deteriorating health and eventual death the song is short but the message is clear.
Lead single ‘Evergreen’ is a straight up anthem reminiscent of the sorts of quality dished out by Seaway, Weatherstate and even Deaf Havana. A song that talks of the highs and lows of a relationship commenting on past times, the pain felt both at the time and the feeling of missing the good times now it is over. Vocalist and bassist Jamie Mathers said: “I haven’t written too many break up songs but I feel this one is emotive and the most important one I have written to date—showing that everything can fall apart even at the best of times. My partner at the time struggled a lot with mental health and something I learned along the way is that although you’re there to help, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to just go away. She still means a lot to me and I guess this song is a thank you to her for the time we spent together.”
Additionally the song talks of depression and the effects of suicide and this has been an important message the band have raised awareness for as well as raising proceeds for Y Suffer In Silence, a local charity that support those struggling with mental health disorders and issues.
Being released via Amateur Pop Incorporated, Gender, Trauma & Friendship is more or less what it says on the tin. It’s essentially the full and expansive encapsulation of the vital fixtures that form and bind Slash Fiction as a collective; the joy that comes with refusing outdated gender norms, the love that comes with the embracement of one’s true identity and the time-tested genre of emo that has always been a vessel of articulation for such themes. The twinkling opener of ‘Pick My Stitches’ establishes all of this immediately with unashamed and bold bombast. Destined to be a colossal singalong once Slash Fiction take to the stage once gain in the hopefully not too distant future, the track see’s all five members of this band unionised in passion and emotion, belting out messages to persevere through times of relentless struggle.
The consecutive tracks of ‘I’ll Get There, If I Leave Everything But My Bones Behind’ and ‘How’s This For Heartbreak? wonderfully showcase the musical components that serve as the bedrock of this record. Much like the group’s initial EP Flowers, this record see’s Slash Fiction channeling the synth kissed stylistics of The Get Up Kids, Spanish Love Songs and early The Wonder Years – which are subtly referenced throughout this record – all whilst emitting the same sense of warmth associated with close scene mates Itoldyouiwouldeatyou, Kermes and Nervus. As evident with the universally relatable earworm of ‘Hows This For Heartbreak?’, this very much is a record of naked exposure and vulnerability, one that brings the clarity of catharsis with the public airing and detailing of one’s issues. Whilst this may be a universal aspect of all records that use the emo art form as a channel for personal pain, Gender, Trauma & Friendship is totally removed from it’s peers through it’s remarkable sense of musical diversity and variation. This very much is a record of pure eclecticism, one that utilises an entire array of genres to detail it’s narrations on love, loss and resilience with inspiring finesse.
But regardless of their namesake, it’s safe to presume everyone who has been curiously drawn to their sound has found themselves becoming a part of their ever burgeoning fanbase. Obtaining just a few extended plays and standalone singles under their collective belt, the Dublin based two-piece Bicurious have become a vital component of the European post-rock scene, with their inventive, playful and downright rowdy take on the genre being a far cry from the stoic stereotypes of the genre. Showcasing the group’s irresistible approach to the genre even further is their long awaited debut LP (re)constructed, a record that directly counters the argument that post-rock is a stagnant genre.
The short interlude ‘Intro (Voices)’ opens the floor to the first proper track on the record ‘Like We Used To’, which stands as an infectiously danceable establishment of the manic and energetic zeal that binds this record. Constructed around a wriggling central riff that grooves and dances in odd positivity, the track is a buoyant and animated affair that harkens thoughts of Cleft, Alpha Male Tea Party, Last Hyena and Giraffes? Giraffes! in the fashion it crashes joyously through it’s breakdowns and joyous motifs. Lead single ‘Palapalapa’ continues this sense of raw fun in a way that’s reminiscent of the ever idiosyncratic Battles. With it’s sense of chemical intoxication and wild chanting, it’s almost akin something like a surrealist football chant, but except for the pot-bellied lager louts it’s for the types you find at subterranean noise shows and in the swamped fields of ArcTanGent. It’s totally wild, very strange and irresistibly enjoyable in the way it leans into a sense of unfiltered rawness.
Boiling emotions, earth-shattering riffs, technical aptitude and dark personal themes – all of it defined the success of their first releases, and The Five Hundred have brought this and more to the latest piece of work, A World On Fire. Shifting the focus from personal struggles with mental health and addiction to the impending environmental apocalypse feels like a natural progression for the band, especially with the backdrop of the insanity that is a global pandemic. The Five Hundred have locked themselves in the studio for six months, diving deep into the abyss of the generation-defining crisis. The result is an absolutely ferocious record, filled with larger-than-life bangers, avalanche of emotions and a powerhouse delivery.
Developing their sound even further from 2019’s first full length Restless Heart, Keep Running the American post-hardcore band are certainly following the mantra of that album title. Showing no signs of slowing down – not even a pandemic can stop them – they’ve swiftly followed up with mammoth second record Separate.
And although the subject matter is a little depressing – most of the songs are inspired by guitarist Joe Mabry’s recent and painful divorce and all the fall-out from that – it’s not all doom and gloom. There’s optimism too – rising from the ashes of that darkness and emerging through the other side, not unscathed but still alive. It could even be described as inspirational and uplifting, if you listen to it the right way. There’s hope in the pain; and the lyrics explore emotions, feelings and experiences that everyone will be able to relate to on some level.
Sonically, the band are going from strength to strength and feel incredibly secure in their own sound now. They set out to achieve an ‘all killer no filler’ vibe on this record, and the Florida five-piece have certainly come pretty close. Nearly every song on the record has some sort of unique hook to it. From opener ‘Pretext’ to closing song ‘Decline’, there’s something that captures the listener’s attention, makes you want to bop your head to the beat, sing along to the infectious chorus, or jump up and down in a pit.
The Nottingham anti-facist post-black metal five-piece may have been around since 2015 but haven’t rushed into the release of first full length Our Bodies Burned Bright On Re-Entry, describing the album as a vision of “many years in the making.” Having gone through a vocalist change in 2019, it’s been a difficult time for the band especially with the pandemic to boot, but the record is something they should all be immensely proud of.
With sprawling sections of instrumental broken up by sudden growls and spine-tingling screams, the record has everything you might expect from ‘a black metal album’ but with plenty more thrown in to fully animate it’s lyrical themes of addiction, systematic exploitation and mental turmoil. Having taking time to really hone their sound and figure out what they wanted, the band have developed an eerie, sinister mix of dreary soundscape shoegaze and raw black metal.
