REVIEWS: Punk Newcomers Anxious Keep Up With Legends Comeback Kid, Billy Talent And More (Jan 21, 2022)

Things get LOUD on this week’s album review round-up! Canadian punks Comeback Kid and Billy Talent share new albums to add to their extensive discographies, while newcomers Anxious and Onsloow release captivating debut albums. Oh, and who can forget Montreal-based genre-fluid artist Les Louanges?

Feast your eyes and ears on the new video below, or read the video’s transcript just past. Don’t forget to subscribe to the channel!

Anxious – Little Green House

While us older emos are trying to decide if the When We Were Young festival is a scam or not, the next generation of hardcore and emo music is creating their future, dropping milestone-making records at our feet.

One such band is Connecticut-based five-piece Anxious. And as you might suspect, their music is riddled with self-doubt, insecurities, and raw emotion, stemming from their formative years and high school days – since they are just barely legal. To be honest, I’m not sure if they’re even old enough to drink yet in the states.

Regardless, their debut full-length Little Green House has been something in the making over the last five years. A handful of EPs and some note-worthy opening slots at shows around the country prepared them for their slot as one of the top emo bands of their graduating class.

Sensational ‘90s-branded alt riffs, meet with a mix of clean and hardcore vocals, a couple slow jams, and dysfunctional lyrics about the changing tides of relationships – platonic, romantic, and familial.

At the risk of sounding like an old man, Little Green Houses is a fantastic introduction for a band that has so much ahead of them.

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8/10

Comeback Kid – Heavy Steps

Speaking about the emo elders, Winnipeg hardcore punks Comeback Kid have returned with their phenomenal seventh album Heavy Steps. They started writing it pre-pandemic from across the country, and ended up returning to Winnipeg to crank out a handful of tracks that sound like traditional Comeback Kid, but with a refreshed and newer feel. Their riffs are tighter, heavier, and melodic as ever, and despite having started over twenty years ago, Comeback Kid are sounding energetic as ever. There’s a consistent and cohesive dynamic to the album that holds throughout; Heavy Steps is a ferocious half hour of speaker-basting hardcore punk, built around a collection of songs that feel urgent, and unapologetic. They’re not reinventing the wheel, just confirming their status as one of Canada’s best hardcore acts.

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8/10

Billy Talent – Crisis of Faith

Continuing in the theme of long-time Canadian acts, Toronto’s very own Billy Talent have released their sixth album; an album like many that had to face the obstacle of COVID and the ever-changing world. Almost into their third decade as a band together, Billy Talent have solidified themselves as a household name in Canadian culture, with the iconic vocals of frontman Ben Kowalewicz have been at the forefront of their sound all these years.

While they’ve always had a knack for writing sturdy, ridged riffs in their own alternative-rock-punk hybrid style, their sixth album Crisis of Faith continues the downward trend of intensity, leaning more for pop-forward sensibilities, rather than holding onto their visceral punk style of the early ‘00s – i.e. “End of Me” featuring Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo. Ironically enough, a lot of bands are aiming to recreate that style, while the older bands are trying their best to fit into the modern music scene. It’s a weird topsy-turvy situation that’s coming out a bit one sided.

Nevertheless, Crisis of Faith does have its moments of triumphant and roaring, sing-along choruses, but the mix-match style and energy of the tracklist feels somewhat choppy and disjointed, making it difficult to feel like there’s a cohesive spirit to the record. It plays more like a rock opera about the imperfections of the world, but without the climactic intensity that leaves you invigorated and ready to go again.

It sounds like Billy Talent, but doesn’t quite fit into their chart-topping discography. For me, this isn’t a record I would really want to revisit, especially when their repertoire boasts such amazing stuff.

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5/10

Onsloow – S/T

This next band is flying under a lot of people’s radars right now, so hopefully this helps change that. Norwegian indie rock outfit Onsloow have released their debut S/T, and it is the definition of a hidden gem.

Right out of the gate, Onsloow rip into an energetic indie rock tune that balances hints of pop-punk, glossy indie pop, and lead singer Johanne’s sugar-coated vocals.

It’s always exciting when the singles that precede the release aren’t the only favourites from a record. With 8-tracks, the majority of S/T is a no-skip release, with only a few moments that feel somewhat dragging. But the ones that stand out, make up for it. With an underlying dream-pop demeanour to the record, Onsloow bring the energy up a notch with recurring elements of pop-punk and post-punk. And when they’re at their best – which is more than a handful of tracks – there’s something absolutely irresistible about their hooks and songwriting.

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7/10

Les Louanges – Crash

I’m going to be honest about this next record – I understood about 10% of it. And that’s me being generous. But it doesn’t matter; great music can overcome any language barrier, and for Francophone R&B artist Les Louanges, his new album Crash speaks to the masses through groovy melodies and ear-tingling production. The 15-track effort from the Montreal-based artist alternates between R&B, soul, jazz, and funk, allowing his soft croon to playfully alternate through different styles.

Despite not knowing what he’s singing about (turns out it’s about love, relationships, and the chaos of life), his performance is engaging and flexible, switching effortlessly depending on the song’s direction.

Clocking in at around 45 minutes, it does feel a bit long at some points, but he mixes in some spoken interludes and energy resetting bangers.

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