DOUBLE REVIEW: "Further Joy" by The Regrettes and "Ego Trip" by Papa Roach

 "Further Joy" by The Regrettes 

So, if I'm gonna be honest, I don't listen to a lot of Garage Rock. The over simplicity of it tends to leave a lot to be desired for me. But I'm always willing to make an exception if I find them interesting. Case in point, The Regrettes, who infuse riot grrl messages with Strokes-like composition. It's this blend here that garnered these musicians a strong following over the years and has made them stand out from the crowd. So I was kinda shocked when I heard the lead single for this album "Monday" sorta abruptly abandon that sound for a more 80s influenced indie pop sound. Wait, doesn't that sound familiar? Yeah, I'll get to that in a sec. With the following singles going in a similar direction, it became apparent this was a different Regrettes, so what do we get?

     So, let's talk about the sound change first. After listening to it a few times, I picked up on the After Laughter era Paramore vibes with a hint of the more indie side of Twenty One Pilots. That's a very noticeable change and VERY DIFFERENT from their Garage Rock origins. What wasn't changed, however, was their important knack for hooks, like on songs like "That's What Makes Me Love You" and "Subtleties", the latter of which is the best to me, combined with the feathery production, Frontwoman Lydia Knight's way of drawing out the "yous", and how at surface level it looks sounds like she's singing to a loved one, but might actually be singing to herself. But the overall most standout track to me is the second single "You're So Fucking Pretty", where Lydia tackles the troubles of telling a close female friend how she has deep feelings for her and maybe has missed her chance to. Combined with the simple piano and light orchestral arrangement leads to an elevated and heartbreaking tune.

   That being said, there were some songs that didn't quite seem to hit as hard. "Anxieties" feels too simplisticly written to the point where I feel I've heard it before as well as not having the best of production and "La Di Da", despite its message of ignoring the voices in your head so they won't get the better of you, has some annoyingly fuzzy production and a VERY childish hook. But the rest of the album is good enough to where I can let it slide.

Faves: Subtleties, That's What Makes Me Love You, Better Now, Show Me You Want Me

Least faves: La Di Da, Anxieties 

4.5/5

"Ego Trip" by Papa Roach 

    Okay, so what can I say about Papa Roach that has already? The Hard Rock/Rap Rock band has been around for nearly 30 years, started in and outlived the Nu Metal scene, made some solid hits, and surprisingly stayed out of major trouble. Of course, depending on who you ask, their music is either super helpful or embarrassingly cringey. But they're still kicking it and have put out their 11th album, so what do we get here?

    Well, first off, this is very frontloaded as hell... with the bad shit. Thankfully. But throughout the album, there's a theme of be the better person, like on songs like "Stand Up" and "Cut The Line", the latter I prefer more. The production is solid throughout too, although spotty in some places, such as on the aforementioned "Stand Up", where it tends to get rather tinny in spots. Now, the reason I called it frontloaded is because from "Swerve" to "Liar", we get a three song shitshow. "Liar" has the most childish hook on the album as it's based on the saying "lia liar, pants on fire", "Bloodline" is just weak all around from the hook to Jacoby's rapping, and there's a reason "Swerve" was my worst song of 2021, with its obnoxious "cross me and I'll knock you out" message, Sueco trying to do his best CORPSE impression and getting buried in the mix, and Jason Alan Butler for... just being on a track that seems below his standards. 

     Thankfully, this album picks up, starting with the title track. The production sounds consistent, there are some solid bouncy riffs like on the title track and "I Surrender", and any pop punk fans might get a kick out of "No Apologies" and "Cut The Line", despite what Jacoby might say. If this is your jumping on point to the band, it's a good start.

Faves: Dying To Believe, Ego Trip, Cut The Line, No Apologies 

Least Faves: Swerve, Liar, Bloodline

4/5