The Evan Whitton Blog: After Hours

RVG - Brain Worms - The Singles, Reviewed  It’s generally accepted I think that the threshold of quality for opening acts is incredibly mixed. Some can be incredibly forgettable, while others leave a serious impression despite their opening slot, and after seeing them open for Billy Nomates, I see hard-edged indie shoegazers RVG falling into the latter category very comfortably. So after their set finished, I did a quick Google, and you can imagine my excitement when I saw they had a brand new album, ‘Brain Worms’, set for a June 2nd release. So of course, I had to check out the singles. Common Ground If you’ve never heard RVG before, I’d wager this is a very good introduction, because it showcases the band’s appeal, or at least a significant part of it, in a perfectly distilled way. The reverbed, depressive guitar leads and classically post-punky bass sound very alluring, playing some very cool melodies, and the drums still have a heft and punch to them despite the ambient sound. ...

Foo Fighters - But Here We Are - The Singles, Reviewed Foo Fighters were one of my first loves in music. For a seven year old, I thought their tracks were the heaviest things on the planet at the time, and I’ll always hold the hits off seminal albums like ‘The Colour And The Shape’ and ‘There Is Nothing Left To Lose’ in very high regard, as they could be said to at least partially ignite my passion for music. Despite that though, for whatever reason, I never really kept up with their output too closely despite the seismic effect the hits had on me. However, like everyone, I was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of longtime drummer Taylor Hawkins, and was obviously unsure if they’d continue. So with the announcement of a new album called ‘But Here We Are’ set for release on June 2nd, I knew I owed it to them to give this one a proper go. Rescued This for my money does a pretty good job of being a Foo Fighters comeback single, while also paying ample respect to the contexts surroun...

Rancid - Tomorrow Never Comes - The Singles, Reviewe d  Rancid are one of the biggest names in the skate-punk genre. Led by frontman Tim Armstrong, their mix of punk, pop and ska has given them a very loyal fanbase, as well as a few genre highlight records with albums like ‘...And Out Come The Wolves’ and ‘Let’s Go.’ Now, 6 years after their ninth, the band are back with their tenth album ‘Tomorrow Never Comes’, set for release on June 2nd. So let’s take a look at the singles. Tomorrow Never Comes For all intents and purposes this does a pretty good job as an opening track. The fiery guitar riffs, punchy d-beat drums, grinding, wiry bass, all tricks straight out of the classic hardcore punk playbook, and so obviously they all work very well. The guitar solo is pretty run-of-the-mill but to be honest at the same time I’m not sure what I was expecting. Vocally and lyrically, it basically follows in the instrumentals footsteps. Tim’s rapid fire, angry delivery on the verses works well...