Friday Music Drops, 9/18/26
Introducing a new series of posts that I'll likely abandon after just this FIFTEENTH entry: it's Friday Music Drops! The idea is that every Friday I will listen to the handful of new release songs my Spotify account recommends to me based upon my previous listens and write my quick, off the cuff thoughts on each, without really doing any research, so that these posts are as pure as possible. Here we go!
Emma Ruth Rundle -- "Powerless"
"Powerless" is the final single from Rundle's new album, These Killing Times, which actually released today. Actually this, and several albums I've been dropping singles from, released today, so I've got a lot to listen to. I loved Rundle's emotionally ravaged 2021 album, Engine of Hell, and this song takes that energy, amps it up, and introduces a full band to the song. "Powerless" starts with the bare bones piano and acoustic style of Engine of Hell and Rundle's unique, raspy, introspective voice before a sudden, juicy, full band chorus. The bridge and its sudden, unexpected guitar arpeggio-change-of-pace is just absolutely wonderful. This is one of my favorite songs of the year so far.
As I Lay Dying -- "Polarized"
A perusal of past entries will prove I've been a fan of Rundle for a half decade, but you can trace the entire history of The Nicsperiment and find that I've never been a fan of metalcore band, As I Lay Dying. I've always found the Faulker-titled band to be the most generic of metalcore, not worth my time, and that was before the vocalist went to prison for putting a hit out on his own wife. Spotify recommended their new single "Polarized" because I like some other bands in their genre, but don't recommend them again please Spotify because this song is as generic as any other As I Lay Dying song I've heard. This band is lame.
Architects -- "Machine"
Architects is one of those bands I should like on paper, and though I have liked when their vocalist pops up elsewhere ("Yellowjacket!"), I just haven't been able to get into them. The weird...generic techno tones "Machine" imbues into its vaguely metalcore sound do nothing for me. The song isn't bad, it just...I don't know, there's so much stuff that sounds like this and none of it is interesting to me.
Novelists -- "Ravage"
I guess I just want to listen to a girl sing today. You could categorize Novelists in the same genre as As I Lay Dying and Architects, but the able vocalist here does some trick where she somehow integrates an early 00s pop hook into the chorus and makes it feel seamless with the rest of the song, especially miraculous considering she screams the pre-chorus. The music here is a little funkier and more exotic than in the previous two songs and I really like the unexpected and unique usage of strings in the second bridge. Novelists officially have my attention.
Finally, apropos of nothing, featuring a male vocalist I actually want to listen to today, here is Stephen Wilson Jr., performing the song "Gary," live at Starland Ballroom.
Emma Ruth Rundle -- "Powerless"
"Powerless" is the final single from Rundle's new album, These Killing Times, which actually released today. Actually this, and several albums I've been dropping singles from, released today, so I've got a lot to listen to. I loved Rundle's emotionally ravaged 2021 album, Engine of Hell, and this song takes that energy, amps it up, and introduces a full band to the song. "Powerless" starts with the bare bones piano and acoustic style of Engine of Hell and Rundle's unique, raspy, introspective voice before a sudden, juicy, full band chorus. The bridge and its sudden, unexpected guitar arpeggio-change-of-pace is just absolutely wonderful. This is one of my favorite songs of the year so far.
As I Lay Dying -- "Polarized"
A perusal of past entries will prove I've been a fan of Rundle for a half decade, but you can trace the entire history of The Nicsperiment and find that I've never been a fan of metalcore band, As I Lay Dying. I've always found the Faulker-titled band to be the most generic of metalcore, not worth my time, and that was before the vocalist went to prison for putting a hit out on his own wife. Spotify recommended their new single "Polarized" because I like some other bands in their genre, but don't recommend them again please Spotify because this song is as generic as any other As I Lay Dying song I've heard. This band is lame.
Architects -- "Machine"
Architects is one of those bands I should like on paper, and though I have liked when their vocalist pops up elsewhere ("Yellowjacket!"), I just haven't been able to get into them. The weird...generic techno tones "Machine" imbues into its vaguely metalcore sound do nothing for me. The song isn't bad, it just...I don't know, there's so much stuff that sounds like this and none of it is interesting to me.
Novelists -- "Ravage"
I guess I just want to listen to a girl sing today. You could categorize Novelists in the same genre as As I Lay Dying and Architects, but the able vocalist here does some trick where she somehow integrates an early 00s pop hook into the chorus and makes it feel seamless with the rest of the song, especially miraculous considering she screams the pre-chorus. The music here is a little funkier and more exotic than in the previous two songs and I really like the unexpected and unique usage of strings in the second bridge. Novelists officially have my attention.
Finally, apropos of nothing, featuring a male vocalist I actually want to listen to today, here is Stephen Wilson Jr., performing the song "Gary," live at Starland Ballroom.
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