ALBUM REVIEW: "The Peace & The Panic" by Neck Deep

Welsh pop-punk group Neck Deep's third full-length album is another really strong offering of instantly singable tracks, and a reminder to me that pop-punk can be interesting when done right. Having said this, The Peace & The Panic is a slight step down from the excellent Life's Not Out To Get You overall, despite some of the band's best tracks being on this new album. "Happy Judgement Day", "In Bloom" and "Don't Wait" (which features a slightly less exciting than was hoped feature from Architects' Sam Carter) are all fantastic, and "Where Do We Go When We Go" finishes the record with probably my favourite of the eleven songs. There is a slight sonic change to be heard on this new album, with a change in guitarist. A lot has happened to the band in between album cycles, including singer Ben Barlow's father passing, so it is no surprise that this is not the same Neck Deep we heard on Life's Not Out To Get You. With the forward motion I found a slight dip in overall quality; the deeper cuts don't hold up to the same scrutiny as they did on LNOTGY. It's still a great pop-punk record, though; it sounds great, there are innumerable catchy choruses, and enough change in sound while sticking to their guns.

Favourite Songs: In Bloom and Where Do We Go When We Go

Least Favourite Song: Parachute

Rating: C+

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1 YEAR LATER: "22, A Million" by Bon Iver

Bon Iver's third studio album turns 1 in about a week (where did that year go?), so I thought it would be interesting to talk a bit about how my impressions of the album have changed - or how they haven't - over the last 12 months. When this album was released I was more excited than I think I ever have been to hear a new album. For Emma, Forever Ago is one of my all time favourites, and I love his self-titled second album too, so I had huge expectations for this album, but was also wary that expectations might ruin my experience of the music. This was particularly the case for 22, A Million , because it is unlike anything else Justin Vernon has released. There have been hints at this more processed, electronic direction previously, like the song "Woods" on the Blood Bank EP and occasional flourishes on Bon Iver , but 22, A Million is a drastic departure from the Bon Iver sound we had grown accustomed to at this point in time. Or at least, that's what I thought...

ALBUM REVIEW: "A Man Apart" by Ben Ottewell

Ben Ottewell's third LP A Man Apart goes boldly where he has been before, and while it certainly does that pretty well it doesn't manage to either strike new ground or any real emotional response. There is a distinctly "nice" feel to this record, which is, um, nice I guess if that's what you want. But it just doesn't feel like there's any immediacy or forward motion on any of these songs, like Ottewell is content with writing songs that could be on four wheel drive ads. Again, there isn't really anything particularly bad here, it's just a singer-songwriter album that isn't trying to break new ground. His typically growly voice is also beginning to give way to a more accessible, smooth tone, which could place you on either side of this record. For me it just cements it's place firmly in the middle ground somewhere. Favourite Songs: Own It, A Man Apart and Lead Me Least Favourite Songs: Watcher, Back To The World and Bones ...

EP REVIEW: "Same Kind Of Different" by Dean Lewis

Dean Lewis offers up six largely acoustic-driven tunes on his debut offering, all of which are clearly aimed at wider appeal. The acoustic-pop thing has never really done it for me (read my recent Ed Sheeran review here ), mainly because behind the slick production and singable hooks there's a general lack of songwriting to be had. This is where Same Kind Of Different sits a rung above most other similar albums; take the sugar and fairy dust away and there are still six complete songs that could be on a singer-songwriter album, rough and bare. I can appreciate the way these songs have been tailored to be played to a larger audience, but the substance behind the shine is more important to me. The six songs do sound very similar, however, and they do tend to blur together into a singular mass - which could be a good or a bad thing, depending on who you are. For me that was a bit of a concern on second and third listen, but I was generally pleased by Same Kind Of Diffe...

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