@ va Have an idea for a story? M arts@theotherpress.ca QaQq The rise and fall of the Phoenix Exploring public art at your own pace How ‘This is Where | Leave You’ transitioned from book to movie And more! Seether’s new record rocks as hard as ever > ‘Poison the Parish’ album review Caroline Ho Arts Editor kek fter almost two steady decades of making music, Seether’s newest album Poison the Parish (2017) proves that grunge is still infectiously alive. Poison the Parish, released this May, is the seventh studio album from the South African band and the follow-up to 2014's Isolate and Medicate. Seether’s sound has matured while retaining their compelling intensity. They even manage to sound heavier and darker than some of the material off their last few albums. Poison the Parish is full of awesomely-dark driving riffs, and vocalist Shaun Morgan’s voice still sounds phenomenal, though some of the songs do feel a little less fresh. The album opens forcefully with the angsty single “Stoke the Fire,” bringing a depth of mood that sets the tone for the album. Lyrics like “Taking and taking from the rich and the restless” are full of passion, and Morgan’s scream of “Who’s gonna stoke the fire?” is a definite highlight. Track four, “I'll Survive,” is probably my favourite off the album. It’s one of Seether’s more positive tunes, reminiscent of their previous album’s “Save Today” (which happens to be my favourite from that album as well). “I'll Survive” rings strongly with a message of resilience in the face of adversity, a message Seether has always been able to convey with conviction, especially given their advocacy for suicide prevention. “Let You Down,” the lead single off Poison the Parish, is another heavy hitter, bolstered by its pre-chorus that shows off Morgan’s impressive vocal range. The driving guitar riffs throughout also lend the song a certain radio-ready quality— the single’s managed to top the Billboard Mainstream Rock Chart for several weeks—without sounding at all bland. Even with radio success, Seether’s Photo of Sag hervia #Melaseronline.com never been afraid to express their darker emotions, and Poison the Parish is full of satisfyingly unadulterated venom. It comes out clearly in tracks like “Saviours,” with lines as cathartically spiteful as “And I hope you wither out / Fuck you, you're a poor imitation” and “You worship yourselves / Youre all just bigots and liars.” The third single, “Nothing Left,” has a similarly dark and driving pulse, as well as a chorus containing another demonstration of Morgan’s spine-chilling screams. The slightly slower-paced track “Emotionless” manages to convey its titular sentiment effectively and is one of the album’s most compelling songs. The verses have a haunting and forcefully-hollow quality, although the chorus sounds somewhat less powerful in their lyrics and harmonies. The regular edition of Poison the Parish has 12 tracks and the deluxe has 3 additional, though the only one of the bonus tracks that really stands out to me is the final song “Take A Minute.” The chorus is fairly unexceptional, but the song makes up for it with the melodic and lyrical strength of the bridge and outro, ending with the lines “Take a minute to destroy this all,” which I find to be a more evocative finale than the official last track of the non-deluxe edition. Some of the songs off Poison the Parish did feel almost interchangeable, with somewhat repetitive riffs and harmonies, but as a whole the album consistently shines. It certainly succeeds in maintaining its dark, hefty tone throughout, proving that Seether’s still capable of returning to a harder, rawer sound. It might have been nice to hear at least one softer melody, since some of Seether’s earlier songs— most notably 2004's “Broken’—prove Morgan’s capability at bringing just as much emotional depth to a ballad as to a growl. Nonetheless, Poison the Parish is as heavy and intense as anything you might want from Seether. From one-hit wonder to adored pop darling > The criminally-underrated Carly Rae Jepsen Carlos Bilan Staff Writer ou should know who the British Columbia-born Carly Rae Jepsen is by now, and if you don’t, then perhaps the lyrics: “Hey I just met you and this is crazy / But here’s my number so call me maybe” might ring a bell. Interesting fact about the song: It was actually a sleeper hit as it was released in 2011, yet only gained massive popularity the following year. When Selena Gomez, Justin Bieber, and other celebrities made a parody of it, thousands of people followed suit and the whole world was dancing silly while lip-synching to the teen bop. It was a remarkable feat that had unfortunate drawbacks, as “Call Me Maybe” became both a blessing and a curse for Jepsen. A blessing because the extremely catchy hit eventually became the best-selling digital single of 2012, accumulating 12.5 million units in worldwide sales—according to [FPI— while staying at the summit of many charts for several weeks. The curse was that, due to its massive success, the song became overplayed to the point that people got annoyed, and after the album Kiss was released—which had a lukewarm reception—her follow-up singles didn’t live up to the worldwide smash hit, so she was dismissed by the general public as a one-hit wonder. Fast forward to 2015, when Jepsen released “I Really Like You,” which was intended to emulate the success of “Call Me Maybe.” Unfortunately, the song ended up not being as successful as hoped. This also lead to her follow-up album, E*MO-TION, flopping commercially. However, Jepsen’s E-MO-TION received acclaim from music critics and was placed on numerous 2015 year-end lists. It was a big surprise to many, because how could Jepsen be getting such critical acclaim, especially from elitist indie critics like Pitchfork and Stereogum? The truth is in the album; from late 2015 to this very day, many have been claiming E*MO-TION is the best pop album of the decade, to which I agree. Jepsen has continued to gain a big cult following by winning the hearts of those who dismissed her and those who do not generally listen to pop music. A meme surfaced late 2015 that revolved around videos sampling “Run Away With Me,” the glorious opening track of E-MO-TION. There are numerous variations of the song, but the most popular one depicts a seal playing a saxophone along to the intro of “Run Away With Me.” Many were hoping that the meme’s viral status would make the best pop song of 2015 a sleeper hit, but unfortunately, the song didn’t achieve the mainstream success it deserved. In a perfect world, Jepsen’s E*MO-TION would have been as commercially successful as Taylor Swift’s 1989. In fact, some critics thought that E-MO-TION is the album 1989 tried to be, since E-MO-TION is considered the superior love-letter to ’80s synth-pop and has been commended for its cohesiveness. Even the follow- up E*MO°TION Side B was praised by critics and considered a strong work, despite the album consisting of tracks that didn’t make the final cut of E-MO-TION. In fact, Jepsen said to Radio.com that she wrote 250 songs for this album. The fact that the album has undergone a meticulous process demonstrates Jepsen’s attention to detail and her excellent craftsmanship. Jepsen has recently released “Cut to the Feeling,” a song originally intended for E-MO-TION. Jepsen felt the song was “too theatrical,” to include in the album. Thankfully, Jepsen found the perfect home for the track as it is now in the original movie soundtrack of the upcoming animated film, Leap, coming }.. to theatres & this ys August. RS The euphoric track has been A universally praised re and many are calling re it a potential summer Z anthem. ye Perhaps we will see ‘© ~=«Jepsen turn the tide of ro mainstream pop this year. | believe that if her label plays their marketing cards right, Jepsen will finally receive the overdue recognition she deserves. I swear that, after listening to E-MO-TION, I have developed a strong love for Jepsen; I just want the best for her in life and ’m sure that most who have listened to her recent works feel the same.