Architects / Holy Hell

Jennifer Russo

Oh, the wait is over, thank whatever god you believe in. If you like things heavy, but with a good dose of clean vocal, the new Architects album is for you. Holy Hell, released Nov. 9, balances technically perfect instrumental with blaring melodic screams and softer vocals, which pour the emotions right out of the speaker into your waiting ears. It’s sensory overload in the very best way.

Their first release since the passing of their guitarist Tom Searle, the album is wrought with raw, questioning lyrics, but it is certainly not a black hole of depression and angst. The album shares the pain of horrible experiences, but also a hope and a desire to live your most full life. It opens with “Death is Not Defeat,” which sets the course for the rest of the record. The second track, “Hereafter,” has one of the most compelling lines on the album – “Now the oceans have drained out, can I come up for air cause I’ve been learning to live without and I’m fighting with broken bones.” The song is about fighting to live and finding your way despite hardship.

I love every song on this album. Each one has a unique and powerful message to share, but the one I resonate most with is “Doomsday.” This one showcases the pain that the band has experienced, and anyone who has lost a loved one can immediately relate to the mix of feelings you deal with making it through the day.

The last track, “A Wasted Hymn,” demands an answer to the question, “Can you live a life worth dying for?” The band is scheduled to tour our area this spring, so stay tuned in for more info.

For more information, visit architectsofficial.com.

Gin Blossoms / Mixed Reality

Jason Savio

You just can’t keep a good band down.

Gin Blossoms’ new album, Mixed Reality, is defiant proof of that. At 15 songs long, the Arizona group’s sixth studio effort is a reminder of just how talented a band they are, no matter what year it is.

Chances are you’re familiar with Gin Blossoms’ hits “Hey Jealousy” and “Found Out About You” from the ’90s. The Blossoms’ patented, catchy, jangle-pop sound juxtaposed to sometimes somber and introspective lyrics is still here on full display on Mixed Reality, and just like their older material, it sounds just as fresh today as it did back then.

“Break” has the Blossoms’ classic DNA of shiny pop hooks with a twinge of bittersweet backpedaling, as does the radio-hit-in-waiting “Angels Fly.” The former would have been at home on one of their first couple albums, while the latter has a bit more of a modern gleam to it.

Singer Robin Wilson has never really gotten his due credit, and he continues to provide a believable and authentic vocal delivery on Mixed Reality. The best song of the collection is “Wonder,” with Wilson singing, “How could we know years ago that time would go so fast/ Our plans are more like fairy tales never meant to last,” over an aching melody, before calling out for someone no longer with him. The perfectly placed notes in the guitar solo drop like tears.

At 15 songs long, Mixed Reality could benefit from a trimming. Nevertheless, it is still a strong showing by a band that is aging gracefully.

For more information, visit ginblossoms.net.

Jess Glynne / Always In Between

Mike Wood

How British singer-songwriter Jess Glynne is not yet a superstar stateside is anybody’s guess, but Always In Between could be the album that changes all that for the popstar from across the pond. You might recall her name (or her voice) from Clean Bandit’s “Rather Be,” Route 94’s dance anthem “My Love” or the ubiquitous 2015 pop hit “Hold My Hand.” (More recently, Glynne paired up with Macklemore for the infectious “Someday.”) Now, however, it’s Jess Glynne’s day, and the artist is ready for a spotlight all her own. And, here’s the thing: She deserves it.

The soulful voice that emanates from Glynne belies the fiery redhead’s slight frame, but what probably makes the artist so ripe for a massive following is just how normal and regular she appears in a pop landscape overrun by over-the-top personalities – where image often overshadows talent. Glynne’s lyrics focus on everyday life, too, and this makes her accessible, her songs quietly and comfortably resonating with audiences, even if she’s influenced by powerhouse crooners like Adele and Amy Winehouse.

Glynne is most in her element on those poppy love songs we mention. Take “All I Am,” the album’s second single. It’s already a hit, and it’s a “you-love-me, I-love-you,” feel-good pop ditty meant to summon shoes to the dancefloor. It recalls her debut album’s aforementioned hit, “Hold My Hand,” and it’s where her strengths lie. Since this is just her second full-length album, we can expect Glynne to continue to grow as an artist, but we’re hoping she maintains the bouncy pop pep and step that speaks to those who just want to keep on dancing.

For more information, visit jessglynne.co.uk.