Tag: Blink-182

Album Review: KennyHoopla – Survivors Guilt: The Mixtape// (Columbia Records)

By: Jesse Striewski

Last year when newcomer KennyHoopla dropped the brilliant single “how will i rest in peace if i’m buried by a highway?//,” it was apparent there was something uniquely special about this rising star. Now barely even a year later, he proves to be more than just a fluke with this brand new eight-song release.

Listeners first caught glimpse of Survivors Guilt: The Mixtape last November via the straight-to-the-point, 2-minute single and video, “estella//,” which also features Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker on it. Along the way, there’s painstakingly heartfelt slices of pop punk, indie, and emo that perfectly echo the soundtrack to youth. Tracks like “silence is also an answer//,” “smoke break//,” “turn back time//,” and latest single, “hollywood sucks//,” all display the singer’s raw talent and energy perfectly.

Every once in awhile, an act will come along and help restore my love of a music genre that I have often largely lost faith in. KennyHoopla has done just that, and if he keeps this up, he’s sure to lead the way at the top of his very own movement for years to come.

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Album Review: Atreyu – Baptize (Spinefarm Records)

By: Jesse Striewski

Remember when a host of young bands began to emerge in the late ’90s/early ’00s to create an exciting new sub-genre known now as metalcore? Atreyu were one of the leading bands at the forefront of the movement, but unfortunately seemed to lost their way for a minute there (I can barely even remember much from their last release, 2018’s In Our Wake, which I also reviewed at the time for another publication). Thankfully, the band finally seems to be fully back on track again.

And like many, I too had doubts whether an Atreyu without now-former frontman Alex Varkatzas would be worthwhile or not. But Brandon Saller (who was already half of the band’s voice from behind his drum kit) and bassist Marc McKnight have done more than admirable jobs in his place. Any reservations I may have had about the lineup change were quickly dissipated quickly upon first listen of Baptize.

While I wasn’t too blown away by the generic-sounding first track the band released from Baptize as a single, “Save Us” (still probably my least favorite song on the album), its follow ups in the shape of “Warrior” (featuring Blink-182’s Travis Barker), “Underrated,” and the title track, were much more exciting numbers. But like any great album, the true magic is in the deep cuts, which are just as eclectic as ever here. Saller really belts his heart out on more emotionally-driven numbers like “Dead Weight” and “Stay,” while the band is firing on all cylinders on tracks like the Iron Maiden-inspired “Weed,” and the just-for-fun “Fucked Up.”

In all honestly, I was completely expecting to give just another mediocre review here. But I’m glad I approached Baptize with an open mind. It not only had me revisiting much of their older material, but helped to reignite a love for a band I forgot I once had so long ago.

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars