280 Music

Music reviews in 280 characters or less. contact [email protected] for submissions!

[280 Music @280_music]

#GLOWON

If you’d told me yesterday that hardcore punk & samba work well together I’d have laughed. Today, I’ve heard DON’T PLAY; a standout from @TURNSTILEHC’s 3rd album.

That fusion is emblematic of the innovation which elevates this beyond a standard hardcore record.

9/10

[280 Music @280_music]

#PressureMachine

This is not the album I was expecting at this stage in @thekillers career.

In this honest portrait of rural, forgotten America, we get the people, the problems, the idyllic, the isolation, the beauty & the bleak.

It is humbling, proud, & beautiful.

10/10

[280 Music @280_music]

#TheHumanCondition

@yumhoneyblood��s Stina Marie Claire has dropped the moniker for her new single to reflect a new sound.

The result flows effortlessly, with touches of languid, LCD Soundsystem-esque synths serving as the foundation to perfectly self-reflective lyrical musings.

[280 Music @280_music]

#WereAllAloneInThisTogether

When @Santandave1 is in flow, it’s hypnotic. On We’re All Alone, Heart Attack & Three Rivers you can lose yourself.

Or you can delve into the beauty, love & pain laid out with precision in the lyrics. Either way, this album will captivate you.

10/10

[280 Music @280_music]

#LoSoul

There are few things more soothing to the soul than @RoddyWoomble’s dulcet, svelte tones.

On his latest solo record, the Idlewild frontman is at his philosophical best. The result is an album that feels effortless in its elegance & meandering.

9/10

[280 Music @280_music]

#Typhoons

If you listen to @royalblooduk’s new record hoping for the blood & thunder rock’n’roll of their first 2 albums, you’ll be disappointed.

Typhoons has a cleaner sound, dusted with traces of disco & funk. It takes some getting used to, but makes for a fun listen.

7/10

[280 Music @280_music]

#TheMillionMasksOfGod

This @ManchesterOrch album feels like a sister record for their last, given their mirroring themes.

Whereas ABMTTS explored parenthood & new life TMMOG deals with loss. The result is more sombre but undoubtedly beautiful: no surprise for an MO album.

8/10

[280 Music @280_music]

#HeSaidSheSaid

What a delicious slice of pop perfection! @CHVRCHES comeback single sees the trio whip up a tantalising mix of sugary sweet synth melodies, layers of deep bass and thumping rhythms.

And the cherry on top? As always, Lauren Mayberry’s sumptuous vocal performance.

[280 Music @280_music]

#SLEEPSSOCIETY

This is an exquisite example of modern metal. Every track on this new @whileshesleeps record is purposeful & meticulously thought out.

They all leave a lasting impression both as stand-alone songs and in their contribution to the collective.

9/10

[280 Music @280_music]

#CalifornianSoil

@londongrammar’s 3rd outing is a more smokey, somber affair than the band’s old work.

There are still moments of delightful synth pop (How Does It Feel), but on the whole this record has a maturity & brooding feel that displays great growth from the trio.

7/10

[280 Music @280_music]

#ROADRUNNERNEWLIGHTNEWMACHINE

From the pounding introduction of BUZZCUT, @darkskinmanson’s effortless contribution to CHAIN ON to the gritty THE LIGHT & funky DON’T SHOOT UP THE PARTY; every cut on this refreshing @brckhmptn record is razor sharp & totally compelling.

9/10

[280 Music @280_music]

#G_dsPeeATSTATESEND!

Letting a new Godspeed You! Black Emperor record wash over me is always a welcome event.

While recent albums have felt like a rushing river, this effort is subtler, like a rising tide: sweeping you up & carrying you away long before you can stop it.

8/10

[280 Music @280_music]

#Is4Lovers

The riffs are bombastic as ever on @dfa1979’s 4th album, but the record as a whole lacks a certain precision.

However, in the midst of that muddled sound, there is a lot of fun to be had. Fun which merits your attention and draws a smile over and over.

6/10

[280 Music @280_music]

#LifeInYourGlassWorld

@CitizenMi’s newest album is a real melting pot of sounds.

Mixed up in there are hints of their old work & sprinklings of new explorations; all of which is anchored by a base of solid song crafting & musicianship.

A very tasty morsel for your ears.

8/10

[280 Music @280_music]

#Limbo

This is the most exciting cut @royalblooduk have released so far from their new album.

The grooves are painfully funky, the guitars crunchy, & the chorus delightfully catchy.

Then just as it seems to be winding down, it unfolds into a magnificently self-indulgent outro.

[280 Music @280_music]

#TodayWereTheGreatest

I kinda miss the breezy pop of @MiddleKidsMusic debut album.

The band’s 2nd record is more mature & considered, only allowing itself a couple of carefree moments in ‘R U 4 Me?’ & ‘I Don’t Care’.

It’s still quality, but not quite what I’d hoped for.

7/10

[Architects @Architectsuk]

🧑‍🚀🚀✨

[280 Music @280_music]

#YoureWelcome

This is great fun. Touching every corner of @adtr’s armoury from incendiary hardcore to sunny pop there’s joy for every pop punk fan here.

7 albums in & 5 years away, after many of their contemporaries lost their spark its testament that ADTR sound so fresh.

8/10

[280 Music @280_music]

#ForThoseThatWishToExist

15 tracks seems long these days, but I suspect @Architectsuk needed the extra space on this latest album, their most expansive work to date.

The heavy sound is more industrial than usual & there are experiments with electronics, acoustics & brass.

8/10

[280 Music @280_music]

#AsTheLoveContinues

It’s hard to place why, but there’s something very wholesome & satisfying about this @mogwaiband album.

Everything comes together maybe not as you expected, but as it should. Waves of noise crash over you, you reflect & realise yes, that felt right.

8/10