In an album that is about a breakup, the band is more unified and more cohesive than they have ever been before. I say it before with every Screaming Females album, but really, THIS ONE is the best one yet.

As talented as Oberst is on his own, his symbiotic relationship with the other members of Bright Eyes makes it easily Oberst’s best project and one I hope continues on for the foreseeable future.

These are the songs that cut deep and cut slowly.

Terror offers few surprises, but has delivered another solid slab of hardcore.

Overall, Our Pleasure feels musically intricate on a new level--thicker basslines, much more pronounced drums and priding itself with a lot of guitar-driven character. It's them at their most distinct and honestly, most assertively powerful stance.

Every Ghost album thus far has had a very distinct identity, and its hard to pick a favorite, but it’s safe to say that Prequelle is their most accomplished work yet.

All the hallmarks of Defeater's sound are here.

This album is 48 minutes long, and Hause musically repeats himself just a little more than is necessary. Still, Devour has more than enough quality moments to elevate Hause toward the top of the genre.

Creation Rebel, especially on their new album, have a foot in both worlds which is why the music doesn’t sound throwback or avant- it sounds timeless. And it’s catchy.

Be More Kind is another slight evolution in Frank Turner’s career. He takes some big steps and bigger lyrical swings, but ultimately you end up with reliable Frank Turner.

Yip and the band get it right--balancing all sounds to leave the scales oscillating between hardcore and punk, yet tipping more to the latter. And truth be told, that's an understatement. Turnstile has shed a lot of its hardcore skin and as cliched as it sounds, they're now... punk as fuck.

The set of tracks cultivated here flows organically and with an emotional tug that draws more than just nostalgia. They're stomping on the terrain again and doing so with a vociferous sound and one that they should be very fucking proud.

While these tunes might not have quite the caught-in-yer-brain stickiness of “I’m not a loser,” they’re longer lasting. Because the band is speeding so quickly, and rushing out combustible sounds, it takes more deep dives into the album to catch everything.

On this particular album, they achieve just the right amount of flair and flavour to spice things up with character and believe it or not, lyrical depth. Track-wise, there are some growers. Then you've got some tedious chores to work through mid-way but overall, the album ends on a fairly decent note.

Assembly shows that while Strummer solo may have more nuance or more room for interpretation, the raw power of his early work had been washed over with music that, was frankly, quieter. ... It also proves that Strummer solo can stand on its own, even if that stance will always be in the shadow of an earlier band.

Running at you full-steam ahead, seeing red and gutting you. This album is testament to the trials and tribulations they've endured and more so, how they've risen up.

One complaint though which does stand out is that a few of the songs are too long and gives way to Further Out feeling a tad front-loaded.

Kill the Lights is pretty, relatable and doesn’t have time to overstay its welcome.

With some new tricks as well. A Weird Exits runs a tad overboard and drags midway through but despite being about three or four tracks too long, don't let it slip by.

Long and loses steam at times, but it delivers.

They’re never going to knock you down with their raw power. But, like the Midwestern cities of southwestern Ohio that birthed them ... you’ll find a lot of beauty if you stick around long enough.

This album is like you're setting fire to your soul. And there's no better feeling in the universe. Because it has you feeling awake.

I think the punk rock attitude is to not easily be impressed with technical musicianship that doesn’t make you feel much of anything. American Head didn’t hit me in the heart or in the gut, but it did make me want to go back and listen to “She Don’t Use Jelly” again and, if nothing else, that’s a positive that comes from this experience.

The Crystal Fairy debut self-titled LP certainly feels like it was made in a flash. The eleven tracks speed by, flipping from riff to riff, track to track. In fact, the whole album has such an impulsive energy, it almost feels like it was recorded in a single, continuous take... and that’s a good thing.

This record blew away all expectations. It never stands still and always finds a way of resonating.

It's not loud or in-your-face. It's not preachy. Their stance is subtle yet strong.

While there are unmistakable comparisons to bands like PUP and The Dirty Nil abound, Precious Art rolls on to mesh together a lot of influences while still standing on its own, carving out an identity that's as distinct as it is loud and catchy.

The big hooks, crunchy guitars and foot-stomping jams will surely have fans erupting at live shows for these songs, because the album's such a rich, full novel, musically and lyrically which we all can, or will end up, relating to.