Review of Music in 2017
Hey guys, it’s Muneeb here with another review post. This is gonna be a little lengthy so heads up! As the title suggests,I’ll be reviewing some of the music released in 2017 that I have listened to. Each section will include a little backstory of how I got into the respective artists and some background history. I’ll be talking about albums from PVRIS, Paramore and Imagine Dragons. Enjoy!

PVRIS - All We Know of Heaven, All We Need of Hell (AWKOAWNOH)



The electro pop rock outfit are back with their sophomore long player, and damn, it's good. I personally came across the band for the first time a couple months before the album dropped when the music video for What’s Wrong came across my YouTube recommendations - and was immediately captivated by the atmosphere the band gave.

The combination of Lynn Gunn's voice and the catchy beat of the song had me hooked, not to mention the visually impressive video itself. I gave it a listen and found myself a couple days later with the song stuck in my head, giving me the motivation to delve further into this band, and boy, it was worth it.

I came across Heaven - the only other single for the album released at the time - and was intrigued as to what they had to offer. Came across White Noise - their first album - and fell in love.

On the debut you could hear the slightly experimental side of the band as they made an effort to find their unique sound. With AWKOAWNOH, they sound so much more confident with themselves, so much louder and bolder.

Each track on this album carries weight and meaning. They also give an insight into Lynn’s feelings these past couple years and her struggles with depression and heartbreak, something which I know a lot of the fanbase - the CVLT -  has been through. It’s the heaviness and depth of each song that make this record so much more than the breakup album it seems to be on the surface. No single song feels like a filler, and I can only imagine how good each would sound live, hopefully I’ll be able to find out for myself one day.

Another plus for this album I feel is that any song could be a fan’s favourite song: and while there are songs that will obviously be played in each live set, I can see the band struggling to pick out the rest of the set because pretty much the entire album is requested to be played, which is just awesome.

Overall, this album is an amazing second record for the band and truly cements their imagery as a powerhouse. It's bold and takes risks that pay off so well and if PVRIS don't receive even greater worldwide attention, I'll be damned.

Rating: 9.5/10
Favourite song: Same Soul or What's Wrong

Paramore - After Laughter



After a turbulent couple years, the pop punk giants are back with what is potentially their best album to date.

I’ve been following Paramore since the release of the self-titled album and love this band immensely. After Laughter only increases that love.

The road to the album was a bumpy one; the departure of bassist Jeremy Davis and a legal battle with him, the return of original drummer Zac Farro and Hayley Williams’ own life struggles all fuel the songwriting.

Lead single Hard Times paved the way for how the album was going to sound - inspired by and using elements of 80s synth, a funky beat and gloomy lyrics. I personally fell in love instantly with the song, though I know it left other fans with mixed feelings.

Told You So was the second single and it took me a little while to warm up to its simpler lyricism and instrumentals. This song became a radio hit in the months that followed the release, which for once, I didn’t mind.

The album dropped about a week later and with each listen to it i fall more and more in love because honestly, it’s that good. This is one of those rare albums where I never think, “nah, this isn’t an appropriate time to listen to it”.

On a first listen to the record I instantly fell in love with the catchiness and imagery of Rose Colored Boy, a song about keeping your dark self hidden from your peachy friend (my interpretation anyway). Grudges and Fake Happy were also instant standouts to me, songs about letting a rocky past in a friendship go and starting anew and hiding how sad you are behind fake smiles respectively.

The sombre 26 is so tear-jerkingly beautiful with Hayley’s soft vocals singing about holding onto “hope if you got it”. Idle Worship is raw and catchy, flowing into the weird No Friend, which sees mewithoutyou’s Aaron Weiss take the lead and use the lyrics to describe Paramore’s history, filled with references to their discography. Tell Me How  rounds off the record in the form of a piano ballad about losing friends and finding yourself at a crossroads.

Overall, the album feels like the heaviest the band has released in terms of its lyrical contents. It feels like the most honest and transparent the band has ever been, something they truly feel happy about. This is reflected by the clips of the group onstage full of energy that I constantly see on my Twitter feed, making the need to see them even greater.

Rating: 8.7/10
Favourite song: Hard Times or Fake Happy

Imagine Dragons - Evolve



As the title of the album suggests, the band keep evolving.

Having following them ever since I heard On Top of the World on FIFA 13 {just before they shot to mainstream fame), I was very much hyped for this album.

Believer was the first single and an instant hit for me with its lyrics about using pain to power you on, using it as fuel for motivation to do what you love. Thunder followed, another instant hit for me, once more with inspirational lyrics and impressive vocals from Dan Reynolds.

Whatever It Takes was the third single, again with inspiring lyrics about whatever you can to reach your full potential. Once the album finally dropped, I really liked it as a whole as a start with standouts Rise Up and Mouth of the River. It took me a couple listens for I Don’t Know Why to grow on me and now I really like the song and its catchy chorus. Walking the Wire was released just before the album and sounds more like the band’s older music with its anthemic, arena-filling blend of vocals and instruments.

Start Over is another track with catchy beats that I found stuck in my head for a while after finishing my first couple listens of the album. Dancing in the Dark is a soft closer to the record, a good way to end it in my opinion.

Overall, Evolve may seem a little samey, but that’s not to say it isn’t a good album, one that I cannot wait to hear live at the end of February!

Rating: 8.3/10
Favourite song: Believer

Sidenote: I didn’t include review of albums from All Time Low, New Found Glory and While She Sleeps purely for brevity of this post.

And that rounds up my review of music in 2017! It was a pretty good year for music, the stuff I listen to anyway.

In 2018 we can expect new music from:

  • Tonight Alive (album drops two days before this post goes up!)
  • Fall Out Boy
  • Breaking Benjamin
  • Architects
  • Shinedown
  • Against the Current (hopefully)
  • Bring Me the Horizon (I bloody hope so)

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