Now Playing at TGE: August 2018
Now Playing at TGE is a collection of short reviews regarding some of the releases we can't get enough of.
words: matthew latham, gordon phillips, and lauren rearick
Love is Dead - CHVRCHES
If love is dead, then the members of CHVRCHES are loudly dancing defiantly over it's grave for their third full-length release. The influence of external producers for the first time is felt throughout, but instead of watering down their signature sound, the outsider perspective has helped hone their best bits and work on them. The results are more introspective and conceptually linked songs throughout, yet still sounding bigger than ever before. It also can make a claim to have the best opening track of any album this year in "Graffiti". // words: ML
I Went Swimming Alone - Warm Thoughts
This record is so good and it totally caught me off-guard. Elliot Babin, who played every instrument on the album, drums in Touche Amore and used to call this project "Dad Punchers." This record sounds like Motion City Soundtrack meets Ben Folds or something. Babin's voice is super-accessible and the production is pristine. "The Pier" has such a memorable chorus and builds momentum really well without being overly dense, structure-wise. // words: GP
Nothing is Special - Forest Green
Forest Green is another one of those Michigan bands that ends up on No Sleep, you blink and then they're touring as direct support for all your favorite bands. The guitars are thick, the melodies are gratifying and you don't have to strain to hear early Title Fight or recent Basement in their sound. I'm pretty sure there's a breakdown in "Nothing Is Special", but I don't think necessarily have internet permission to go throwing that word around. Regardless, things get heavy.
everyone is talking but you - gladie
Teeming with emotion and sincerity, everyone is talking but you effortlessly combines the work of Augusta Koch (Cayetana) and Matt Schimelfenig (Thee Man Cannon) into an unforgettable listen. From fuzzed out and relatable ballads on finding optimism even in periods of isolation and darkness ("20/20") to the moody and rich acoustic work that stands in stark contrast to Koch's husky vocals ("pages"), the EP makes a remarkable impact. So often the work of Koch and Schimelfenig feels confessional and vast, as if you've been permitted to witness an outpouring of feeling and secrets, and together, that message feels even more weighted, and even more stunning. // words: LR