Author Archives: Kevin McGuire

Cool Hand Luke – Of Man

genres: indie rock In light of Holy Week about to begin, it is essential to cover one of the greatest religious albums ever made. I say ‘Religious’ instead of ‘Christian’, as there’s a real devotional spirit and desire to liturgically rest among both the narrative and the characters of the Gospels and hear what theyContinue reading “Cool Hand Luke – Of Man”

Sienna Skies – Truest of Colours

genres: metalcore + electronic This is what nostalgia sounds like. To me, at least. The first ‘proper’ heavier album I got fully immersed into, this album I happened across by accident has had a massive impact on the types of music I like. There’s an unfettered joy flowing through this debut album, showing a bandContinue reading “Sienna Skies – Truest of Colours”

Palisades – MIND GAMES

genres: post-hardcore + pop + electronic Probably the least acclaimed album among my all-time favorites, I dearly love this album. For being lambasted as “generic” by many critics when it was released, there really hasn’t been anything released in the six years since that sounds like it. There’s a brilliant mix of pop and metalContinue reading “Palisades – MIND GAMES”

An Autumn for Crippled Children- Try Not to Destroy Everything you Love

genres: black metal + post-rock + dream-pop Black metal and beauty don’t go together often. Many would say they fundamentally never should. Even Deafheaven’s genre breaking Sunbather was an abrasive, mostly inaccessible wall of sound cloaked in unusually bright tones. And yet, Try Not to Destroy Everything you Love is undeniably a beautiful record. Lo-fiContinue reading “An Autumn for Crippled Children- Try Not to Destroy Everything you Love”

Falling Up – Captiva

genres: experimental alternative + indie rock for fans of: Sleeping At Last, Switchfoot, Relient K, Owl City There’s been a handful of times an album has truly changed my perception of what music can be, so it seems like a good opportunity to talk about those. I’m sure at some point I’ll get around toContinue reading “Falling Up – Captiva”

Einar Stray Orchestra – Dear Bigotry

genres: indie pop + post-rock + classical + alternative folk for fans of: Sufjan Stevens, Sigur Rós, Mumford & Sons ‘Orchestra’ is a good descriptor for this band, even if it refers more to the songwriting philosophy than to the musical compositions themselves. For sure, there’s a variety of actual string and wind instruments mixedContinue reading “Einar Stray Orchestra – Dear Bigotry”

Architects – For Those That Wish To Exist

genres: metalcore Somehow this famously non-religious British band have written the greatest theological response to the Christian nationalism plaguing the United States. Maintaining their edge and power, Architects have nonetheless shifted in a decidedly more accessible direction that makes For Those That Wish To Exist likely to be one of the biggest rock albums ofContinue reading “Architects – For Those That Wish To Exist”

Blackout Problems – Dark

genres: indie rock + emo + alternative for fans of: Twenty One Pilots, Bring Me The Horizon, Thursday From raw alternative rock to expertly crafted indie, the evolution of Blackout Problems has reached a new level with new album Dark. Though the aggressive edge present in earlier releases hasn’t dulled, the band deploys it muchContinue reading “Blackout Problems – Dark”

Trippie Redd – Neon Shark

genres: melodic trap + pop punk This is a weird album (or more particularly a weird portion of a deluxe album). Continuing the recent development of major artists merging modern rap and rock elements (and particularly Travis Barker’s involvement), Neon Shark makes another leap into the combination by refusing to compromise on either element. InContinue reading “Trippie Redd – Neon Shark”