Label: 300 Entertainment
Press release: Pop-rock trio Waterparks have announced the release of their new album, Greatest Hits, for May 21st via 300 Entertainment. With the release of their fourth album, the band are revving up for a whole new era. Waterparks never sit still. The Houston trio—Awsten Knight [vocals, guitar], Otto Wood [drums], and Geoff Wigington [guitar]—manically move forward, shucking and jiving between fits of rock, alternative, and electronic with pop ambition and hip-hop’s bold and blatant disregard for the rules. As they usher in the Greatest Hits era, the band only pick up the pace.
My thoughts: The back half of this record stands out over the front half which has some of my favourite singles but not much else I'd go back to after 1 listen. The non-single highlights are The Secret Life Of Me, See You In The Future, Violet! and Like It. Lots of hip hop influence on this record which shouldn't surprise since Awsten loves singing fast as it's not something most can do but with the emphasis on electronics on this record it comes off more hip-hop then past songs that featured the same style but backed by guitars (Little Violence and Blonde). Only time will tell if I will enjoy this as much as the previous 3 Waterparks full lengths but we're off to a good start.
Label: Wax Bodega
Press release: Like many bands last year, Lansing, Michigan’s Hot Mulligan—the #1 Hot New Band per their Facebook page—put out an LP in 2020 that they didn’t get to tour. This year, they’ll release I Won’t Reach Out To You, an EP that operates as a response to their 2020 full-length You’ll Be Fine. The EP is bookended on the first and last tracks by a resounding glance-back at a world that simply doesn’t exist anymore: “Stay home, stay home/You said it wouldn’t make a difference whether we could be together or not.” The new EP comes out on May 28th on Wax Bodega.
My thoughts: Coming in at 5 tracks, 2 of which clock in at 1:30 or less there isn't much that Hot Mulligan gives us here, though I'd be amiss to expect a lot given the full length has barely been out a year. The two singles, Featuring Mark Hoppus and Pop Shuvit are the only 2 I'll likely come back to, the closer has potential but not sure I'll give it enough listens to properly change my mind but we shall see!
Label: RCA Records
Press release: In what's clearly the biggest news story of the weekend, Foo Fighters have officially announced the details of their new album. The 10th studio effort from Dave Grohl and company is called Medicine at Midnight, and is due out February 5, 2021. The album announcement comes after the Foos debuted "Shame Shame" during their performance on Saturday Night Live, which aired just hours after the U.S. presidential race was called Saturday in favor of Joe Biden over incumbent President Donald Trump.Medicine at Midnight is self-produced by Foo Fighters along with Greg Kurstin, who also produced the band's last effort, 2017's Concrete and Gold.
My thoughts: Colour me surprised. After listening to the 4 singles that have gotten the music video and radio treatment I was not terribly excited for this album but low and behold the deep cuts are better. I didn't hate Waiting On A War or No Son Of Mine but lead track Making A Fire and perhaps the most classic Foo's sounding track Holding Poison are by far the best tracks on this 9 track full length. Definitely moving in a more 80's rock direction (think Queen or Bowie) but I don't hate it. It's better than treading the arena rock water that they had been for about a decade.
