Wanna Be

If you remember, a few weeks back I talked about artist Roderick.  Last Tuesday he released a new track "Wanna Be," and it is exactly how I thought it would be.

All About Roderick

[Photo:  Roderick, YouTube]

I personally consider this song to be my favorite of his.  It has a groove and vibe that is hard to find in current music--almost the same as The 1975, but unlike The 1975, Roderick's songs all sound different and creative (sorry fans of The 1975).  The engineering and mixing are both very professional, and that may be because he is the one doing all of the heavy lifting.  Jeff Lynne (you all know how much I love him) did the work for ELO and look how far it got them.  Having complete control is perfect in the music business, because you can put out music that you and only you believe in, which is a big reason why Roderick has been so successful thus far.

One of the most difficult things to achieve in music is releasing music that people can purely relate to.  I see a lot in popular music that music is perceived to be relatable, when in reality, the listeners just think it is because it is being performed by one of their favorites.  To dumb it down, music is easy to bullshit.  Roderick describes his music as "Songs about life from an honest perspective" (Source).  That description in itself is a very honest one.  Unlike artists on the charts who are almost 100% influenced by the people surrounding them, it is clearly evident in Roderick's music (in particular "Wanna Be" for the sake of this post) that he is using only his personal experiences to convey messages through music.

This NEW song (and his others) are absolutely worth listening to.  You can stream this track on Spotify.

The Collection

I have a pretty big record collection now, with the number totaling 299... only one more until 300!!

I'm pretty sure I did a post like this a while back, so if I find it I'll be sure to link it below.

My collection has grown a lot, especially in the past two years or so.  I have a journal where I write down every record I obtain, but I would fall behind adding them in.  That was until I found an amazing way to keep track of my record collection, and also learn the minimum and maximum values of what I have.  It's a site called Discogs, and they have made it super fast and easy to keep track of everything you have acquired over time.  All you need is the Cat#, which can be found on both the vinyl itself and on the front of the album cover, both pictured below.

They don't only have LPs, so if you collect CDs, cassettes, and DVDs.  No matter what you log, each item will have a minimum value, median value, and maximum value, so if you are ever looking to sell, you know the price range based on the condition of your item.  Here's an example by showing you part of my collection:

Logging all of my records took me probably around 5 hours to do.  Yes, it's time-consuming, but you have to make sure that you're logging the exact copy you own, that way you get an accurate value (I also took it so  seriously because my boyfriend and I had a contest to see who has a collection worth more).

One of the biggest reasons why it was worth it taking so long to complete was because I found records I forgot I had.  I found records that I at one point listened to almost every day.  Even though I'm still young, I still felt nostalgic--like I was in high school again.

This is not a paid sponsorship!  I just wanted to share my ways with all of you, especially if you are one of my longer readers.  Since I just went through my list again, my next post will probably be an updated version of my favorite LPs, so check back this week for that!

Be sure to follow me on Instagram and Twitter. 

Play Pretend

I am trying to broaden my fanbase by talking about different bands, because I feel like I pretty much only talk about alternative bands.  The only hardcore band I have talked about is Mom Fight, so today will be dedicated to introducing all of you to a hardcore band called MVA.

[Photo:  Silvio Capoferri & MVA]

Hailing from Bloomfield, NJ, their unique sound sets them apart from other bands in the same genre. Their style somewhat combines elements of skate punk, as well as metal and traditional hardcore.  "Circular / In Between," from their 2017 EP Eternal, encompasses skate punk chord progressions and hard-hitting drum sounds from hardcore.

The fifth song on the EP, "Play Pretend," is the perfect closing to an EP of this nature.  The track starts off as a break-neck speed hardcore song, but over the course of the song slowly disintegrates into a breakdown that consists mostly of drums.  One of the hardest-hitting songs on the EP, "Play Pretend" overall summarizes their main purpose and sound.

I know this post is short and sweet, but at only 9 minutes, it fits the EP very well.

Room For Rent

Stephen Kellner, also know as Roderick, is no newbie to the New Jersey music scene.  In it since around 2006, Stephen has a very diverse and expansive musical repertoire.  Van Atta High, who released their debut full-length Run Like Hell in 2007, went for a more pop-punk vibe, while Roderick has a sound more comparable to Dashboard Confessional.

[Photo: Roderick, Instagram]

Roderick released full-length Memory in 2011, and then 12:34 in 2014 with an acoustic version of the album in 2017.  For the most part, the songs on Memory are somewhat bouncy--a mid-2000s-pop-rock-anthem type of album. "Room For Rent" is probably the best example for that analogy.   "Rhythm of Love" by the Plain White T's is a poppier version of Roderick's music, making "Room For Rent" the perfect cross between genres.

You hear some maturity in the quality of both his vocal style and songwriting with his second album 12:34.  Focusing on "Awake Before Dawn," Roderick exercises a better grasp on dynamics (volume) and arrangements.  This album is a good summary of his music career thus far.  You get a sense of his roots intertwined with his new approach.

I'm writing this post as a prologue to his upcoming single "Wanna Be," which is coming out on April 10th, so expect a review of that in the next few weeks.

You can follow him on Instagram and streams these albums on Spotify.

French Blonde

You may remember my post from a few months back about Deal Casino.  Since then, they have released a full length album that still transports me to a different place.  This past Wednesday they released a video for the NPR Tiny Desk Contest, featuring an unreleased song, "French Blonde," that is nothing short of a musical masterpiece.

Review of Deal Casino's EP

I like comparing new music to old to help paint a better picture of what I think a band was trying to achieve.  I have to say, though, that Deal Casino is a band that I have a hard time doing that with, mainly because of how original and creative their music is.  Their self-titled debut featured elements of classic rock, including '70s harmonies and a rich guitar presence.  While they are keeping their roots evident in this song, you immediately feel a sense of evolution and maturity.  Like most alternative rock bands, they are starting to become more experimental with different vocal and instrumental styles and techniques.  The spoken words in the verses, the pedal on the bass, and the added effects throughout the track all bind together in a way that I have never seen (or heard for that matter) before in any song.  While hearing things like this might get some people thinking that this song is an acquired taste, it's not.  Anyone with an appreciation at all for the art involved in music will find their own individual love for "French Blonde."

[Video:  Deal Casino, YouTube]

Lyrically, "French Blonde" is very unique from what they have released in the past.  The spoken words in the beginning and the rhyme schemes feel as if a Charles Bukowski poem has come to life:

I'm a dead animal

You're used to seeing my guts

You just pass me on the street

And drive right over me

While you're puttin' on...your makeup

I'm the next holiday

I'm your team, down by 6

I'm all your meals at once

A French blonde at Sunday brunch

They're strange (not in a bad way at all), yet oddly charming and intriguing, so you want to keep listening--something that Deal Casino has landed several times before...just never like this...and it's incredible.

I'm going to leave you off here, since I want you to enjoy this unreleased track for yourself.  Comment down below with your thoughts!

Click the Twitter and Instagram links at the top of the page and be sure to follow to get updates on new posts and featured bands!  Click subscribe on the right below my name to receive emails every time I post!

The Goodness

I had an interesting conversation with my boyfriend the other day about what "emo" really means.  It is very often that we hear people say things like, "I'm feeling emo today so I'm going to listen to Fall Out Boy."  Statements like that seem to drive us music lovers crazy.  So while sitting at dinner, my boyfriend and I talked about the characteristics of "emo," so I have compiled a list for you about the myths of emo.

MYTH NUMBER ONE:  Emo bands wear makeup and nail polish

The first band that comes to mind when thinking about makeup and nail polish is My Chemical Romance.  My Chemical Romance is NOT emo!!  Their first album, I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love, is somewhat close, but everything else is not.  Don't get me wrong--The Black Parade was a great album.  Everyone I know has gone crazy for "Welcome to the Black Parade" since sixth grade, but My Chemical Romance is basically pop punk with makeup.  Honestly, the best I'll give them is "mall emo," which is music that you would hear at Hot Topic.

MYTH NUMBER TWO:  A band is emo if they make you emotional

This is a tough one because emo is short for emotive, so to be fair, the term "emo" is overall very subjective, which is why you see bands falling victim to the stereotype more often than they should.  But let's consider music as a whole for a minute.  Think back to when you were younger, when you were first appreciating the theory and composition of music.  What was the first song that made you cry?  I don't remember mine, but it was probably something by a Classic or Baroque era composer.  Do my emotions make G.F. Handel emo?  Even though, like I said before, the decision is technically subjective, stylistically Handel is not emo.  So what do I mean by stylistically?

The definition, in terms of style, changes depending on the "wave of emo."  Emo wasn't even a term in the '80s, so the first wave of emo was the early '90s, when it was pretty much punk music.  The second wave came in the late '90s and was much different than the years preceding.  This wave was more quiet but had more complicated guitar parts.  And finally, the early 2000s was close to being pop-punk without really getting all of the way there.

MYTH NUMBER THREE:  "They're emo because they SCREAM in their songs"

The biggest reason why the above statement is a myth is because over the years, people have attached characteristics to emo music simply because they didn't know what emo was and probably just wanted to sound cool.  Screaming should have never been associated with emo.  The screaming that kids were probably actually referring to was metalcore screaming, which is in its own genre completely, which is fine because I'm not touching that with a ten-foot pole.  Think of it this way:  A band that has an excess of emotions is not going to scream in the way that A Day or Remember or Converge does.

MYTH NUMBER FOUR:  If a song has a heavy guitar, then it's emo

We're at the one I have been waiting for, and it's is another one where I have absolutely no idea where it came from.  The guitar has been a staple of music since the 1950s when rock and roll first hit radios.  Years and years of development eventually led to guitars producing heavier sounds from different pedals and fuzzboxes.  With all of this in mind, how does a sick guitar make a band emo?  The Rolling Stones weren't and never will be emo, and the same thing can be said for Led Zeppelin and Jethro Tull.  All-American Rejects, even though they had very few heavy guitar parts, still managed to make it onto some emo lists, along with Pierce the Veil and Escape the Fate.  I don't really understand the All-American Rejects one, except for the fact that maybe people thought they were emo due to their look?  The Pierce the Veil and Escape the Fate one is easier though... scene bands have commonly been confused with being emo.  If you aren't sure what "scene" is, think of the girls who shopped at Hot Topic and wore plaid skirts, awfully layered and colored hair, peace signs with their tongues sticking out, and very heavy eyeliner.


I know, I threw a lot of information at you, and if you're unfamiliar with this topic, you're probably a little overwhelmed.  I have seen so much of this lately, though, with the early and mid-2000s being so far away now... people are "reminiscing the days of 'emo.'"  Just thought I'd nip it in the bud now while it's still relevant.


Follow me on Twitter @jordanblogger for updates and be sure to subscribe to get notified when I post again!

Don't Give Up

So I went MIA again, so I apologize.  But on a good note, there's a lot happening in the field of music right now, so be prepared for plenty of amazing posts coming up.

To start off my comeback, Blue Hawk Records is preparing to release their seventh album on DECEMBER 9th!!!  I can first-handedly say that this is one of our most rocking' albums yet, so be prepared to be bombarded with posts about the upcoming release!

Another thing you'll have to look forward to is a bunch of random information.  If you've been a reader of mine for a while (and I thank you if you have) you'll already know that I talk about some really random stuff sometimes, so it's only appropriate that that continues.

If you have a Spotify, a lot of my posts will probably involve playlists, but if you don't have a Spotify, I will be sure to make the songs accessible to you.

So that's basically what I am going to be talking about from here on out, but I'm going to try to make it as interesting as possible.  So things you will NOT see anymore on here are song reviews (so no, I will not be covering "Hello" by Adele) and people I'm sick of seeing in the music industry.  So many people are sick of Taylor Swift, so you don't want to hear me say I'm sick of her when a majority of the world is already saying it.

So to leave you today on a good note, here's One Direction's latest music video (because if you've been a reader for a while you will know that I love the boys).

[Source:  YouTube]

What Lies Beneath the Parkway North

So many great artists have gotten their start in the legendary Asbury Park, NJ such as Bruce Springsteen, Southside Johnny, and Bon Jovi.  The talent, however, doesn't end with them.  Asbury Park-based alternative rock band Flammable Animals is one to look for.

[Photo: AM Productions]

This quartet consists of Guy Battaglia (vocals, guitar), Kevin Houston (vocals, guitar), Pat Napurano (bass), and Joe Enright (drums).  I had the amazing opportunity of hearing them audition for Monmouth University's Blue Hawk Records' Spring compilation album back in February and they sound just as incredible live as they do in the studio.  In a nutshell, they are not what some would think a college band would sound like, I'll tell you that.

Their individual talents mesh together perfectly, making their presence sound similar to that of a band like Brand New and The Wonder Years.  It's pretty rare that I actually feel music, but I feel it with this group.  From every lyric, to the instrumentals of each track, their passion for music is very evident in the recordings, as they convey feelings in ways that no pop or R&B group ever would, and that's what makes them a true pop-punk band.

[Artwork: Michael Burke, Summerlyn Astrom, Alexis Morrison, & Erin Holmes]

Their debut EP, What Lies Beneath the Parkway North, isn't what you would expect from an alternative/pop-punk band . . . It's so much more.  There is an intro track called "Initium" that sets the extended-play of on a great start, and each song is perfectly placed on the album, making it flow very nicely through the ears of the listener.  As put by Guy himself, "This record is a culmination of New Jersey sounds, spirits, and smells that were recorded in Steve Kellner's (Van Atta High) basement as a result of a horrible Christmas."

Here's a video of them performing the second track of their album, "Frozen Grapes."

[Source:  YouTube]

Their album is available pretty much everywhere.  You can buy it from Bandcamp here.  Or if you're more into iTunes, you can buy it here.  And for those of you who like CD Baby, click here.

Like them on Facebook

Subscribe to them on YouTube

Spaces

"Does it ever drive you crazy just how fast the night changes?  Everything that you've ever dreamed of, disappearing when you wake up.  But there's nothing to be afraid of.  Even when the night changes.  It will never change me and you."

~~~~

"Only half a blue sky.  Kinda there but not quite.  I'm walking around with just one shoe.  I'm half a heart without you."

~~~~

Today marks a very sad day for me and my fellow Directioners.  I found out this afternoon at 12:40 that Zayn Malik has left One Direction.  Being a fan for three years, this was a day I thought I would never have to see.  One Direction would not only break records, but they would stay a complete band forever.  I was naive.  No band ever sticks together.  No, One Direction has not broken up, but I can't help but think that this is the beginning of the end for them.

I had been awaiting Zayn's return to the tour.  After finding out today that he would not be returning for the remainder of the On the Road Again Tour or to the band in general, I was very heartbroken.

While most people reading this will think I am just a dramatic fangirl, something everyone should understand is that I have put so much into this band.  I was finally able to go see them last year during their Where We Are Tour and I was beyond excited.  This year, when I attend the OTRAT, I won't get the same feeling I got last year.  I will never stop being a One Direction fan and I still can't wait to see them this August, but it's not the same without Zayn.

But I am not mad at him.  I have noticed a big change in him this past year.  He has seemed upset, like he hasn't been enjoying himself as much as the other boys have been.  Not that he didn't like the amazing opportunity he was given, but the fame and spotlight made him unhappy.  Everything happened so quickly for One Direction.  They were formed on The X Factor, and only a few weeks into the live shows, they had hundreds of girls lining up outside the studio to see them.  Between releasing a new album every year and going on 9 month tours non-stop since 2010, it's been too much to handle, especially for Zayn, who is someone who likes to have some time to himself.

I love Zayn more than words can describe and I've never even met him.  If leaving the band is what it takes to make him happy, then that's what it takes.  I love you, Zayn, and you'll be a member of One Direction.

~~~~

"Ooh, spaces between us keep getting deeper.  It's harder to reach ya even though I try.  Spaces between us hold all our secrets, leaving us speechless and I don't know why.

Who's gonna be the first to say goodbye?"

Unzip Your Harrington

The first time I listened to the Drowners, I assumed, because of their sound, that they were English.  And don't get me wrong - the Union Jack (even though paired with an American flag) did nothing but add on to the deception from this post-punk NYC-based band.

[Source:  Amazon]

Now, my "false" predictions that the quartet is English weren't completely false.  Lead singer Matthew Hitt moved from Wales to NYC.  See?  I kind of know what I'm talking about!

Anyway, enough with my ongoing obsession with Englishmen.  Everything about this band is perfect.  To start, their songs are not long at all . . . we're talking Beatles lengths.  In fact, only one song from their debut album Drowners was over 3 minutes.  Even though the songs are short, they don't seem unfinished like some shorts songs do.

Their songs are also very lyrically well put together.  "Watch You Change" has the repetitive line "There's not a shoulder cold enough for me to give her," and "Unzip Your Harrington" starts the chorus with "I'm gonna hang around long enough to be part of your furniture."

It's crazy I have gone so long without knowing this band and their music.  Bands with such cool tunes deserve a lot more recognition.  Share them with a friend, they'll probably love them.

Cheap and Cheerful

Garage rock is a genre we have seen since the 1960s with groups like The Kinks and Andy Warhol's The Velvet Underground.  Of course one could say that garage rock has evolved, but to be honest, what doesn't age through generations?  Despite that being fairly true, I don't see much of an evolution with garage rock and here's why.

First, listen to "All Day and All of the Night" by The Kinks from 1964.

[Source:  YouTube]

Now, listen to "Cheap and Cheerful" by The Kills of their 2008 album Midnight Boom.

[Source:  YouTube]

Aside from the obvious difference in quality, what's the major change between the two tracks?

Well there isn't much.  I know this may be true for these songs only, but it does go to show that the genre clearly hasn't done much changing in the past 50 or so years.

I first heard "Cheap and Cheerful" when one of the people I follow on Tumblr posted it from Spotify.  The first listen I took didn't make me too pleased.  It wasn't until I continued playing it on Spotify that I fell in love with it and bought it on iTunes.  It's quite good.

Talking Body

I was on iTunes yesterday trying to find some new music to buy and stumbled across one of Tove Lo's songs from her debut album Queen of the Clouds called "Talking Body."

After the chart success of her single "Habits (Stay High)," I had to give the track a chance.  After only twenty seconds of the minute and a half preview I fell in love with the electropop tune with 50 Shades of Grey raunchiness.

"Now if we're talking body, you got a perfect one so put it on me.  Swear it won't take you long.  If you love me right, we f*** for life on and on and on."

[Source:  YouTube]

Speaking of 50 Shades of Grey, I am also in love with "Love Me Like You Do" by "Burn" singer Ellie Goulding.  I guess Valentine's Day has a big effect on me - I'm in love with songs about love at the moment.  At first, I wasn't a huge fan of this song, mainly because I thought the chorus was too repetitive, but I did like the strong use of percussion and lyrically is a great song.

"Fading in, fading out, on the edge of paradise.  Every inch of your skin is a holy grail I've got to find.  Only you can set my heart on fire, on fire."

"Yeah I'll let you set the pace 'cause I'm not thinking straight.  My head's spinning around, I can't see clear no more.  What are you waiting for?"

[Source:  YouTube]

When You Were Mine

In my Business of Music class, my professor plays a song or two from a new(er) album.  He played four different artists today, one of them being Night Terrors of 1927.  The LA-based duo just released their debut album through Atlantic, Everything's Coming Up Roses.

One of the songs my professor played was "When You Were Mine," featuring twins Tegan and Sara.  After hearing it that one time, it's probably one of my favorite songs at the moment.

[Source;  YouTube]

It may sound a little amateur, but I really like how this song has two duos.  It's pretty symmetrical - it goes well with my OCD.

Nobody Does It Better

If you have been a reader of my blog for a while, you will know that I go through quite a number of obsessions.  Sometimes they're songs, while other times they are people or groups (ahem One Direction:  still going strong!).  Well, right now I have a new obsession with an old song.

"Nobody Does It Better," the theme for The Spy Who Loved Me, performed by Carly Simon.

[Source:  YouTube]

I have probably heard this song around fifty times in my nineteen years of living.  "Why is she so obsessed with it now?"  Well I am glad you asked.

The song is phenomenal if you have not heard it - if you haven't heard it that means you didn't watch the video I so kindly provided above.  Typically when you hear someone talking about a James Bond song, you think of a song like "Goldfinger" - something a little more on the jazzy side.  While the song may not sound like the other Bond songs, it still did something that most 007 songs do:  the writers, Marvin Hamlisch and Carole Bayer, incorporated the title of the movie in the song.

I love the pace of the song, as well as the lyrics.  "I wasn't looking but somehow you found me / I tried to hide from your love light / But like Heaven above me / The spy who loved me / Is keeping all my secrets safe tonight."  Nothing says "James Bond" better than using "spy" and "secrets" in the song.

Ghost

We're more than a week into 2015.  I think that means it is time to talk about who I want to see more of in the music industry.  Normally I would add the acts I wish to not see, but I'll skip that for now.

There's one person in particular I am excited to see this year - someone I have already spoken a little bit about.  Who is it?

Ella Henderson.

I remember back in 2012 when she was eliminated from UK's The X Factor.  She was removed from the competition with quite the number of weeks remaining and people everywhere were in shock.  Her audition (an original track) wowed the judges - Tulisa Contostavlos gave her a standing ovation along with the entire audience.

[Source:  YouTube]

Ella's debut album, Chapter One, is available on January 13th.

Irresistible

Fall Out Boy have done nothing but impress me so far with this new album of theirs, American Beauty/American Psycho, which is set to be released January 20th.  The most recent song released from the new record is "Irresistible" and already holds the number one spot on iTunes, bumping Mark Ronson's and Bruno Mars' "Uptown Funk" to number two and T-Swift's "Blank Space" to number three.  The band also has "Centuries" in the number nine spot.

As put by Ryan Reed in his Rolling Stone article from yesterday, the song is "deadly love."  "You're second hand smoke / I breathe you in, but honey I don't know what you're doing to me" starts the bridge, while lyrics such as "I didn't come for a fight but I will fight till the end / This might be your battle, might not turn out okay" line the verses.

Whether you're a fan or not of this pop punk/alternative rock band, this track - hopefully as well as the rest of the LP - is a must buy.

[Source:  YouTube]

Santa Claus is Coming to Town

I felt a really big urge to post this because I still love One Direction.  Jimmy Fallon, The Roots, and One Direction performed "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" with classroom instruments... all while wearing ugly Christmas sweaters.

[Source:  YouTube]

Silent Night

One of my favorite Christmas songs is Sinead O'Connor's version of "Silent Night."

She has such a beautiful voice, especially in this song.

[Source:  YouTube]

Yours

I am completely obsessed with Ella Henderson's new song "Yours" from her new album, Chapter One, set to be released in January.

The song is vocally beautiful.  She has such a flawless voice that is complemented so well by this song.

Hearing her sing this reminds me of her X Factor audition back in 2012.  She auditioned with an original tune and blew the judges away.

[Source:  YouTube]

I can not wait for her album to come.  I loved her first single "Ghost" and hearing "Yours" really puts me on the edge of my seat.  There's talk about her possibly being the new Adele?  I guess we'll just have to wait and see!

18

The questions of the day are:  Why haven't I posted in weeks and why am I just posting about this topic now?  I unfortunately can't really answer either of them.

Remember when I said how I was really hoping I would like One Direction's new album more than Midnight Memories?  That hasn't quite happened...

Yes, the album is very good, and yes, their sound has evolved a lot in the past year, but there's something missing with this album that was present with their third record.  For one thing, this album doesn't have the edge they were saying it was going to.  I heard months ago that this was going to be a very edgy album, something along the lines of Midnight Memories.

Here's the track list:

1. Steal My Girl
2. Ready To Run
3. Where Do Broken Hearts Go
4. 18
5. Girl Almighty
6. Fool's Gold
7. Night Changes
8. No Control
9. Fireproof
10. Spaces
11. Stockholm Syndrome
12. Clouds
13. Change Your Ticket *
14. Illusion *
15. Once in a Lifetime *
16. Act My Age *

* Deluxe tracks

'FOUR' Deluxe Tracks

The boys have made it clear that this album connects the most with them since they contributed to most of the writings - yes, that means they're written from personal experiences.  "Fool's Gold" is supposedly about Harry Styles' ex-girlfriend Taylor Swift.  Call them even because she has some songs about him, too.

But apart from growing socially, musically the boys have shown growth from a boy band to a man band with the album.  "Fireproof" is a soft-rock tune that, according to Jon Dolan of Rolling Stone, can be compared to Fleetwood Mac's "Gypsy" with "Christine McVie-style keyboards."

"18" is my favorite track.  Co-written by Ed Sheeran, the song starts off with an acoustic, like most of the tunes Sheeran has written for the boys.  Then with the second chorus comes a wave of percussion and what could be a group of string instruments.

"Night Changes" was the second single released for the album.  The ballad's music video was directed by Ben Winston, who also directed the videos for "Story of My Life" and "Best Song Ever," their highest peaking song at number two on the Billboard charts.

[Source:  YouTube]

Listening to the whole album shines a light on the evident '70s and '80s rock-influenced tracks.  Out of 5 stars, I'll give the record 3 1/2.  They worked extremely hard on this album and it is clear in the lyrics and the compositions, but I still wish they had tracks like "Little Black Dress" and "Little White Lies" on this album.