Viva Belgrado - Cancionero de los Cielos
A- Tier
A decade sure is a long time; ten years ago, Viva Belgrado released their legendary debut LP, featuring a serene approach to the Post-Rock / Screamo combo. Contrast that with their newest release, Cancionero de los cielos, an album ripped from the La Dispute / Touché Amore school of Emo. However, fans are keenly aware of how gradual the change occurred over the last four albums and are likely thrilled to listen to one of the smoothest pieces of Post-Hardcore-tinted Emo to come out in years with that signature Viva Belgrado atmosphere.
Wapddi - Like Our Friend Murphy
A- Tier
Infectiously fun, wildly explorative and ridiculously melodic, South Korea’s hidden Emo gem Wapddi delivers one of the freshest albums of the entire year. 5th Wave Emo fans rejoice! This release takes influence from a multitude of other genres, including Math Rock, Power Pop, Indie and Post-Rock. The superlative influences actually meld together quite naturally here, with song after song feeling instinctively in its place as the album presses on. Some of the catchiest vocal and instrumental melodies of the entire year are just casually found several places throughout each song.
Blind Girls - An Exit Exists
B+ Tier
Blind Girls is perhaps the best Emoviolence act going right now, and certainly so for the Southern Hemisphere. An Exit Exists further canonizes the band as such with one of the darkest and most ferocious albums of the entire year. Anguish-soaked shrieks permeate the chaotic instrumental accompaniment with everything you’d expect from the genre: walls of distorted guitars, destructive drumming and slightly less noisy sections that highlight the true pandemonium within each song. Only further-defined volume dynamics could have improved this release at all, and that’s only my subjective opinion.
Respire - Hiraeth
B+ Tier
Simply put, this album is gorgeous. The Post-Rock soundscapes the band crafts in each song are dense, filled with rich sonic textures and heaps of grandiosity. The strings and horns in each song contrast the Blackgaze-inspired-Screamo perfectly, giving them a balanced sound that doesn’t stray too far into chaos territory. The band is the crown jewel of Toronto’s Screamo scene and with yet another epic release, they further their reputation in The Great White North. However, I’d argue there’s perhaps a bit more sizzle than steak on this record.
Comic Sans - Ojalá fuera mi cumpleaños
B+ Tier
One of Spain’s best kept secrets of the 20s, Comic Sans releases a mathy, melodic and fun record that harkens back to the days of Twinkledaddies royalty like Glocca Morra. Truly excellent guitarwork punctuates action-packed tracks that fizzle into lower intensities, the hallmark of many Emo greats of yore. With the band refining their production and tightening up their songwriting on this EP, they are poised to explode onto the international scene any day now.
