Having praised the single ‘Paranoid’ from the rooftops earlier in 2017, Norwegian singer-songwriter CAL continues where the former single left off (included here as part of the EP). By adopting a new alias and setting real name Frida Amundsen on hold for the time being at least, the new direction CAL is pursuing is one largely steeped in pop music, but one that is less concerned with the frothy commercialism of the mainstream as ‘pt. 1’ represents something far more detached and isolated. Such instances can be heard during opening track ‘Charlie’ that is full of melancholy and icy beats and suffers from a heavy dose of rejection. The following ‘Fragile’ suggests comparisons with Kate Bush and Tori Amos in the vocals, and offers lines such as, “If I had a super power, I would get myself a break,” giving way to the idea that a severe breakdown in communication of the relationship kind has occurred, but at least the chorus offers some solace as it melts the senses, especially via its glorious backing vocals. ‘When I Grow Older’ is the lighter of the bunch with a far more instant and catchy appeal that provides balance to a very good EP.

Grab yourself a rather large pot and throw in the ingredients of pop, punk and alternative rock with a little emo, and then stir continuously until you solidify the mixture and come up with A Will Away. Such a concoction is music to our ears because the melodic tunes, combined with raw emotions that A Will Away seem to churn out effortlessly, run aplenty throughout the band’s album ‘Here Again’. With opening song and title track ‘Here Again’ full of nostalgia that tugs at the heartstrings via its tuneful melody and Matt Carlson’s sweet and raw vocals, the band’s latest LP gets off to a perfect start. It can be said that there is a definite scent of Jimmy Eat World to a number of the tracks available here, most notably ‘Pay Raise’ (which is deserved of a wage increase such is its brilliance!) and the summery guitar sounds of ‘Agoraphobia’ where the anxieties expressed are brought out in a splendour of melodic tunefulness that then runs into a similar feat supplied by way of the vocals, only the soreness expressed is sometimes a bit more evident (see previously). There are occasions where A Will Away tend to run down the same musical avenue (‘Better Reluctant’ and ‘Well-Adjusted’), which is something Jimmy Eat World had a tendency to fall victim to, leaving one to ponder that perhaps bands of this ilk would be better served with EP only releases. As it stands, ‘Here Again’ possesses enough saving graces via several of its concluding tracks; namely the glorious ‘The Shakes’, ‘Gravity’ and ‘Into The Light’ to help weed out any familiarity felt, and therefore leave a feeling of contentment rather than abject disappointment.

Turku, Finland, is the location where you will find all-female fronted group Viper Arms and their debut album ‘Black Aura’. With the band taking inspiration from their hometown and the Aura River that divides it, Viper Arms combine a hardedge rock sound with profound lyrics reflecting feelings of despair and loneliness mixed with sleazier ingredients that make up the standard rock ‘n’ roll cocktail. However, far from this album being a clichéd affair, Viper Arms blaze a trail from the start with the driving beat and forceful vocals of lead singer Niina during ‘Time Bomb’. If that wasn’t enough to raise the hairs on the back of one’s neck, then the aforementioned vocals really dig their claws in throughout ‘Lucky 7’, puncturing the surface of its thrash laden rhythm and then continuing to hang on for dear life before hollering nearing its climax, “You’ve got the lucky seven”. Phew! It’s breath-taking stuff. The pace eases once the excellent, and certainly more melodic, ‘To The Wolves’ enters the fray, only to revert to the thunderous tempo from before with the lyrically frivolous ‘Sugar Rush’ that steamrolls by in a blur of electric guitars. Thankfully, Viper Arms understand the notion of balance when it comes to writing and recording an album because ‘Everything Nothingness’ provides such diversity with its ballad-esque qualities that also extends to the (pop) rock of ‘Black Surf’, ‘The Worst Candidate’ and reflective ‘Crossing The Border’. There is one final sting in the tail of this album however, and that arrives via the thrash rock of ‘Sightseeing To Hell’ that will leave your jaw gaping and finger poised to hit the repeat button once this song concludes. Viper Arms may have a few anxieties to deal with, but they’re certainly tackling them head on via a combined effort of steely determination and philosophical reflection that is rolled out evenly throughout the contents of ‘Black Aura’.

Adopting a more American outlook in more ways than one, Swedish export Stiffy Jones issue new album ‘Narrow Road Of Memories’ via Sound Pollution Records. With a heavy dose of Springsteen’s blue collar observations, and similar in sound to the more recent Gaslight Anthem, not to mention any number of punk rock bands that heavily littered the music scene during the 90s where punk and rock music had a habit of melding tightly together, Stiffy Jones may not be reinventing the wheel but what they produce during latest album ‘Narrow Road Of Memories’ is to be highly commended. Look no further than the rolling tumbling rhythm of ‘Disconnect Me’, to the boisterous chorus of ‘Once This Car Starts Moving…’, and supplemented by the contemplative and rather excellent ‘Echoes’ to grasp a good understanding of what this band is all about. Full of honest emotions and laced with driving rhythms, ‘Narrow Road Of Memories’ is a welcome release in 2017.

Still on the treadmill, Depeche Mode follow-up 2013’s Delta Machine with their fourteenth studio album under the title ‘Spirit’. With James Ford (Artic Monkeys, Foals) producing, the boys from Basildon continue where they left off with more dark electronic rhythms and a series of lyrics that show they still care. First single ‘Where’s The Revolution?’ provided one such example that is a reaction to the troubled waters we find ourselves swimming in with no apparent opposition on the horizon; something of which is identified by Depeche Mode when singing, “Come on people you’re letting me down.” A deluxe version of the album ‘Spirit’ is also issued alongside the standard format with the difference being a twenty-eight page booklet containing exclusive artwork and photos, in addition to five remixes of tracks worked on by Depeche Mode, Matrixxman and Kurt Uenala. Still producing the goods, Depeche Mode show their relevance in 2017 with the highly recommended ‘Spirit’.

Rückwater make a return with latest EP ‘Bonehead’. With the band offering a predominantly raw and uncompromising stoner rock sound, coupled with occasional smoother passages that highlight the depth at the heart of this three-piece unit, Rückwater give a thorough account of themselves over the duration of six wild and wonderful tracks. From the distorted few bars of country tinged guitar that opens out into a full-blown affair of stoner rock supported by strong vocals, ‘Once More With Feeling’ is the perfect track to air the grievances felt by Rückwater. From there it’s a melange of garage, punk rock and metal via the frantic twitching of ‘No Gain’, before flipping its mood to the drifting tone and rather excellent ‘Labyrinth’. The universal theme found during ‘Super Frustration’ lives up to its title by offering a short and dramatic kick to the ribs by way of a full throttled assault of drums and guitars. The title track almost follows a similar pattern to ‘Super Frustration’ only the sound is more expansive where freedom is given to the guitars and the vocals more clarity. Rückwater display their experimentation further during final track ‘Flame Doesn’t Cast A Shadow’ that fluctuates between stoner rock and shoegaze and shows them as a band to be truly reckoned with. It’s a full star rating for Rückwater and their latest EP ‘Bonehead’ as the genre of stoner rock doesn’t come more recommended than this.