Bon Jovi – 2020
Seeing as Bon Jovi literally hasn’t released a good album since before I was born, I can’t say I was too ecstatic about this one. But to my surprise, 2020 is…different. For this one, Bon Jovi have taken their recent trend towards Springsteen-style populist heartland rock as far as it could go, completely shedding their 80s hard rock roots. Overall, this is probably the softest, most ballad-centric album that Bon Jovi have ever released, even with the band’s 90s output already relying so heavily on ballads. And while some of these songs are nothing short of beautiful, others are pretty forgettable, making for large sections of the album that just drag. That’s not to say there aren’t more upbeat moments, but these songs can be even more frustrating, essentially blueballing listeners with lame hooks that don’t live up to what the verses promise. And this is especially disappointing from this particular band. I mean, this is Bon Jovi we’re talking about. As many stones as you can throw at them, they’re certainly a band that have proven time and time again that they know their way around a big, stupid, catchy chorus. And we just don’t get any of that here. Even the band’s 2010s output consisted of cheesy, but anthemic singles such as “Because We Can” and This House is Not for Sale.” And overall, the instrumentalists are pretty much out to lunch here. This is more or less a Jon Bon Jovi solo album, featuring a pretty straightforward musical backdrop from his bandmates. But in spite of all this, the lyrics are where this album really shines. Jon Bon Jovi pulls no punches, expressing his true feelings regarding COVID, immigration, gun violence, police brutality, our government’s treatment of veterans, and a whole slew of other relevant political issues, and he does it in a way that’s as convincing and impassioned as you could ever want, making these some of his most effective songs in years. Ultimately, this leaves me with pretty mixed feelings. Musically, this is far from Bon Jovi’s best work. But lyrically, this is easily some of JBJ’s best writing to come out in my lifetime.
Score: 3/5
Gorillaz – Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez
This is a big one. In fact, had I been aware that this was coming out when making my schedule, it would probably have gotten a full-length review. But hey, maybe that was a blessing in disguise, because frankly, I have no desire to discuss this album at length. All this to say, I didn’t enjoy it at all. Gorillaz have more or less made a bland, by-the-numbers, 2020s hip hop album, entirely carried by guest appearances, most of which aren’t even good. A sad state to find one of the flagship bands of 2000s alt rock in. And while the overabundance of guest appearances is a problem I’ve consistently had with this band, even on their better records, there are moments on this record where I forget I’m even listening to Gorillaz. With this one, the band have really taken a backseat, essentially going the way of the 2010s EDM DJ, laying down lazy, generic instrumental tracks that serve as little more than a platform for the guest vocalists. And as I said earlier, most of the features just flat out suck. The first two tracks, featuring Robert Smith and Beck respectively, paint a false picture of what the album will be, being the only two rock songs on the record. The rest of it is dominated by lame hip-hop tracks, featuring the likes of ScHoolboy Q, 6LACK, and Octavian. In fairness, we get a pretty nice Elton John feature as well, but even that, along with the other tolerable moments here, come nowhere near being memorable. It’s hard to say how this album will measure up with Gorillaz fans (since frankly, I’m not much of one), but I won’t be coming back to this one anytime soon, and I can’t think of anybody I would recommend it to.
Score: 1/5
I DON’T KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME – RAZZMATAZZ
What we have here is the debut studio album by a super-duo, consisting of former Panic! at the Disco bassist Dallon Weekes, and former Falling In Reverse drummer Ryan Seaman. I DON’T KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME have turned heads in the emo world with a series of singles and EPs, peppered across the past few years, and with good reason. Their flair for fun, upbeat electronic-infused emo pop-rock, is undeniably irresistible (plus, extra points for their name being a Back to the Future reference). And fortunately, this full-length debut lives up to the expectations set by their work up to this point. The layering of electronics, rock instruments, and even big band instruments, ensures that there is never a dull moment across this fun, infectious blend of pop-rock, funk, and jazz. A handful of extremely pretty and well-placed piano moments keep the flow of the album from getting too stagnant, and give the more upbeat, danceable moments room to be missed, and to provide an extremely welcome return. Around the second half of the disc, songs that continue in this style can start to feel a little redundant in the context of the full album, but ultimately stand up on their own, for the most part. With a sonic palette this eccentric and delightful, I DON’T KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME have successfully pulled off the bombastic, big band pop-rock sound that Brendon Urie’s current iteration of Panic! at the Disco has been trying, and failing miserably, to do for half a decade now. RAZZMATAZZ is leagues better than anything either member of this duo would otherwise be doing with their respective former bands, and I expect big things from them in the future.
Score: 4/5
Puscifer – Existential Reckoning
A Perfect Circle album in 2018, a TOOL album in 2019, and this year, a Puscifer album? I think it’s safe to say that Maynard James Keenan’s creative juices have really been flowing in recent years. Though I must say, I didn’t really know what to expect going into this album. While TOOL and A Perfect Circle have pretty distinct sounds, Puscifer, which is more or less an alias for Keenan’s solo work, represents a whole wealth of his most unique and diverse ideas. So thus far, Puscifer’s albums have all been pretty different from each other. And if I’m being honest, they’ve been pretty hit-or-miss for me. So what do we get with this new one? Well, we get the same electronic textures that have always been at the center of Puscifer, but paired with the brooding instrumentals, haunting melodies, surreal and existential lyrics, and odd time signatures that are commonly associated with TOOL, leaving me to wonder if perhaps these songs are TOOL outtakes. And while this album admittedly isn’t as good as any of TOOL’s albums, keep in mind that Puscifer is Keenan’s second side project. We’re never going to hear the man’s best ideas come out under this name, and hey, I’m alright with that. But the more time I spend with this album, the more I like it. It’s beautifully produced, and spaciously panned, giving every element room to breathe, and putting the infectious and mesmerizing bass lines front and center where they belong. Keenan’s vocal performances are as great as you might expect, and are complimented beautifully by the vocals of Carina Round, who really adds something special here. This is perhaps Puscifer’s most consistent album to date, and is likely my favorite from them thus far.
Score: 4/5
Phil Klinker Music Reviews 