DYING HABIT – Album Review: “Until the Air Runs Out”

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From the picturesque Isle of Anglesey in northwest Wales hails alt-rock band Dying Habit, who in mid-October released their debut album Until the Air Runs Out. Officially formed in 2016 after a few years of informally playing together, the band now consists of brothers Nathan (vocals & bass) and Mark Jones (drums), and Alan Hart (guitar). Influenced by some of their favorite bands such as Dead Letter Circus, Katatonia, Biffy Clyro, Therapy?, The Wildhearts and Karnivool, they play an intense and grungy style of melodic alternative rock with progressive undertones.

I’ve previously written about Dying Habit a few times on this blog, first in July 2018 when I reviewed their magnificent single “Unrealities”, then again this past May when I reviewed their single “Solutions”, one of the tracks featured on Until the Air Runs Out. (You can read those reviews by clicking on the links under “Related” at the end of this post.) About the album, which dropped October 16th, band front man Nathan Jones explains: “Almost a year in the making, this album portrays our passion for music, grunge, and a 90s feel which has been given a contemporary makeover. It also explores the difficulties of how our world changed in 2020, as well as mental health, loneliness and how even in the darkest of times there is always hope.”

It’s an ambitious work, featuring 13 tracks and running a total of 46 minutes. There are quite a few gems here, and I’ll touch on the ones that most resonated with me. Kicking things off on an ominous note is “The Prey“, a dark track with heavy stab-like riffs of grungy guitars, spooky synths and a grinding, wobbly bass line, all of which succeed quite nicely in creating a menacing vibe. I really like the instrumentals a lot, and my only criticism is that Nathan’s vocals are sometimes overpowered by the music, making it difficult for me to understand much of what he’s singing.

“Lost On You” is a great example of Dying Habit’s superb songwriting and musicianship. I love the meandering melody that goes from a moody, Nirvana-esque groove to a dramatic crescendo, highlighted by a torrent of fiery buzz-saw riffs. I cannot gush enough over Alan’s phenomenal guitar work, and Nathan does a great job on both bass and vocals here as he sings of his frustration to a partner who doesn’t value or appreciate him: “I will never burn these bridges / What are we hurting for? All my reasons, all my conscience, must be lost on you.” The beautiful track “Solutions” speaks to feelings of regret over past mistakes and hurts inflicted toward others, and yearning to make things right but not fully knowing how: “Whatever my mistakes were / Whichever lies I told / The heat is overwhelming but my skin’s remaining cold / This serenity engulfs me yet the world keeps passing by / I long to find solutions.”

I like when bands leave unintended sounds at the beginning or end of their songs, so the belch heard at the beginning “The World’s Too Big For Us” is perfectly fine by me. That said, it’s a terrific progressive grunge rock song, with a chugging start-stop groove, highlighted by a cacophonous mix of super-gnarly and distorted guitars, heavy throbbing bass and spacey synths. Along that same vein, “Red Lines” delivers a wonderful fantasia of grungy as hell riffs, accompanied by pummeling bass, Mark’s crashing percussion and wild psychedelic synths that make for a dramatic and fascinating track.

One of my favorite tracks on the album is “Out of My Hands“, an enchanting song where the band shows their softer side. The chiming guitars are simply gorgeous, and accompanied by a subtle bass line and just the right amount of percussion that allow the guitars to shine. Once again, it’s hard to make out many of the lyrics Nathan sings, but the exquisite instrumentals more than make up for it.

The title track “Until the Air Runs Out” is another great track that’s heavy on progressive grunge vibes. The song starts off with dark, ominous sounds that conjure up images of an impending battle in a sci-fi movie, then a driving, bass-heavy rhythm ensues along with wailing buzz-saw riffs as Nathan begins to sing. As the song progresses, Alan introduces an upbeat melodic riff that ends things on slightly more optimistic note. “Scared of the People We Love” is a moody six-minute-long tour de force, with an extended instrumental segment that nicely showcases Dying Habit’s outstanding musicianship and skill at playing as a tight unit. And the mesmerizing melody, stunning guitar work, and hypnotic drum beats on album closer “Nowhere to Run” are fantastic.

I must admit that I’m generally more a fan of melodic and dream rock than heavier grunge or progressive-style rock. Nevertheless, I still have a great deal of respect and appreciation for those genres, and do enjoy a fair amount of it. Dying Habit have packed quite a lot of complexity and nuance into their songs, and it took a couple of listens for me to fully get into Until the Air Runs Out. But once I did, I fell head over heels in love with this excellent album. I’ve been following this band pretty much since their beginning and I’m so proud of them. I know they worked hard on this album, and their skill and dedication for producing quality music really shows.

Nathan is also a talented visual artist, with a number of remarkable paintings to his credit. Inspired by their lyrics, album, lockdowns, and anxiety, he created this wonderful abstract oil painting titled ‘Until The Air Runs Out’:

Connect with Dying Habit:  Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Stream/Purchase their music:  Apple Music / Spotify / Amazon

100 Best Songs of the 2010s – #53: “Human” by Rag’n’Bone Man

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The song at #53 on my list of 100 Best Songs of the 2010s is “Human” by British blues artist Rag’n’Bone Man. An intensely powerful song with a gospel feel, “Human” was a huge breakout hit for the imposing singer/songwriter born Rory Charles Graham. With his soulful and raw bass-baritone voice, he passionately sings of having human frailties, and that he’s neither a saint nor a demon, nor does he have all the answers: “Some people got the real problems / Some people out of luck / Some people think I can solve them / Lord heavens above / ‘Cause I’m no prophet or messiah / You should go looking somewhere higher/ I’m only human after all / Don’t put the blame on me.” I love the deep, booming bass line, thunderous percussion and soaring string synths.

The song was released in July 2016, but didn’t chart in the U.S. until early 2017. It reached #1 in many countries, including Austria, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Russia and Slovakia, as well as the Billboard Alternative and Adult Alternative charts. Shockingly, it peaked at only #74 on the Hot 100, a chart I personally now find largely irrelevant.

The video for the song has been streamed more than 1.175 billion times.

Top 30 Songs for November 8-14, 2020

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  1. DOWNS – Roadkeeper (2)
  2. CAN I CALL YOU TONIGHT? – Dayglow (1)
  3. IS IT TRUE – Tame Impala (3)
  4. BLOODY VALENTINE – Machine Gun Kelly (4)
  5. ARE YOU BORED YET? – Wallows featuring Clairo (7)
  6. MARIPOSA – Peach Tree Rascals (8)
  7. MY OWN SOUL’S WARNING – The Killers (5)
  8. FEEL YOU – My Morning Jacket (6)
  9. GIANTS – Dermot Kennedy (10)
  10. COME & GO – Juice WRLD featuring Marshmello (11)
  11. MOOD – 24kGoldn featuring Iann Dior (12)
  12. IT’S YOU – The Frontier (9)
  13. IDENTICAL – Phoenix (17)
  14. TANGERINE – Glass Animals (18)
  15. THE LET GO – Elle King (19)
  16. HOODIE UP – MISSIO (13)
  17. MONSTERS – All Time Low featuring blackbear (14) 21st week on list
  18. AMOEBAS IN GLASS HOUSES – Moonlight Broadcast (20)
  19. VISITOR – Of Monsters and Men (21)
  20. BURN THE VISION – Amongst Liars (22)
  21. VIRUS – Vanity Fear (23)
  22. FAULT LINES – Callum Pitt (15)
  23. FRIDAY NIGHT – Heist At Five featuring Francesca Confortini (16)
  24. FIRE FOR YOU – Cannons (27)
  25. CAN I BELIEVE YOU – Fleet Foxes (28)
  26. BEAUTIFUL ANYWAY – Judah & the Lion (26)
  27. THINK I’M CRAZY – Two Feet (30)
  28. HALLUCINOGENICS – Matt Maeson (24) 23rd week on list
  29. SKIN AND BONES – Cage the Elephant (N)
  30. NERVOUS – Au Gres (N)
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0gUqKhyOm1bX8XJIzuFfze?si=-e0vdDGcQvCiUxM_EpY7yA

100 Best Songs of the 2010s – #54: “Highway Tune” by Greta Van Fleet

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The song at #54 on my list of 100 Best Songs of the 2010s is “Highway Tune” by Greta Van Fleet. The young Michigan foursome literally blasted onto the music scene in 2017 like a little bundle of TNT. I’ve possibly ranked this song too high, but ‘wow, just wow!’ was my and nearly everyone else’s reaction upon first hearing this explosive head-banger (though the group’s had their share of detractors who’ve dismissed them as a cheap Led Zeppelin cover band – to whom I say go fuck yourselves!)

Greta Van Fleet consists of the three Kiszka brothers Josh, Jake and Sam (Josh and Jake are twins) and drummer Danny Wagner, all of whom were in their late teens or early twenties when they recorded the song. Despite their youth, these guys are all skilled musicians, and lead vocalist Josh – a diminutive guy with a gargantuan bluesy voice – sounds disarmingly like a young Robert Plant. The song was featured on their debut EP Black Smoke Rising, and reached #1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock and Active Rock charts.

New Song of the Week – CALLUM PITT: “Sea of Noise”

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This past summer I had the pleasure of learning about the immensely talented young British singer-songwriter Callum Pitt when he reached out to me about his single “Fault Lines” (you can read my review here). A beautiful song with biting lyrics decrying governmental and media efforts to divide and polarize society, “Fault Lines” has enjoyed a 10-week run on my Weekly Top 30. The prolific artist has been releasing singles every two months in 2020, beginning in May with “Out of the Trees”, followed by “Fault Lines”, “Ghost” and now his latest, “Sea of Noise“, which I’ve chosen as my New Song of the Week.

Based in Newcastle Upon Tyne in northeast England, Callum writes folk-inspired alternative and dream rock songs influenced by such great acts as The War on Drugs, Bon Iver and Fleet Foxes. With his soft, pleasing vocals, rich harmonies, captivating melodies and meaningful lyrics, he’s captured industry attention and built a growing fan base since the release in 2017 of his gorgeous first single “You’d Better Sell It While You Can.” His equally beautiful second single “Least He’s Happy” has been streamed nearly two million times on Spotify, an astonishing feat for an indie artist. 

About his latest single, released on October 6th by label Humble Angel Records, Callum explains “‘Sea of Noise’ alludes to feelings of helplessness and hopelessness while feeling surrounded by quite a lot of negative things. Despite this, it mainly discusses the importance of having a person (or activity) which takes your mind away from that mindset, keeps it away and gives a feeling of having a form of control in life.”

With “Sea of Noise” Callum delivers yet another outstanding track for our listening enjoyment. The song is beautiful, with a sweeping back and forth melody driven by a powerful stomping percussive beat, and accompanied by a lush mix of shimmery synths and moody strings. But the highlights for me are his gorgeous intricately-strummed chiming and jangly guitars and enchanting falsetto vocals. His voice nicely transitions with ease from a gentle tenderness to soaring passion as he sings of finding solace from the surrounding din through another’s support: “The colours were running from all this distortion in my head / The speakers were humming, circling feedback in our ears / Swept by the currents further until the choruses blurred and your shout was a murmur / Felt your tug away from the crowds ‘cause, everything always seems so loud / While we’re drifting in this sea of noise flooding in our ears and our eyes.”

Follow Callum:  Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Stream his music:  Spotify / Apple Music / Soundcloud
Purchase:  Amazon / iTunes

100 Best Songs of the 2010s – #55: “Believe” by Mumford & Sons

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The song at #55 on my list of 100 Best Songs of the 2010s is “Believe” by British folk rock band Mumford & Sons. Formed in 2007, the London-based band has been putting out consistently great music, beginning with their debut album Sigh No More in 2009. I love many of their songs, but my absolute favorite is the magnificent “Believe”, from their third album Wilder Mind. It’s a gorgeous, deeply moving and impactful song.

Released in March 2015, the song was written by band members Ben Lovett, Winston Marshall and Ted Dwane, minus front man Marcus Mumford, and is a departure from their usual acoustic folk-rock sound. For it and the rest of Wilder Mind, they abandoned their signature acoustic instruments (such as banjo and upright bass) for electric ones, and added a session drummer to fill out their rhythm section. The result is a dramatic, sweeping song that builds to a near-epic crescendo with screaming guitars and galloping drumbeats, leaving me covered with goosebumps and with a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes. I realize that I’ve mentioned how many of the songs on this list give me goosebumps, but isn’t that one of the best signs that a song moves us in powerful ways? And quite frankly, if this song doesn’t move you – as fellow British rock band Muse put it in one of their songs – you’re dead inside.

The lyrics speak to feelings of uncertainty and possible betrayal in a relationship. Mumford passionately cries “I don’t even know if I believe, everything you’re trying to say to me / So open up my eyes / Tell me I’m alive / This is never gonna go our way if I’m gonna have to guess what’s on your mind / Oh say something, say something, something like you love me.”

100 Best Songs of the 2010s – #56: “High” by Sir Sly

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The song at #56 on my list of 100 Best Songs of the 2010s is “High“, by Los Angeles-based alt-rock band Sir Sly. Released in March 2017, the marvelous song was the lead single from their second album Don’t You Worry Honey. Led by a dominant buzzing bass line, the deliriously upbeat track lives up to its title, bopping along with a snappy dance beat and roughly-strummed jangly guitars. I love lead singer Landon Jacobs endearing vocals, and the guys’ exuberant vocal harmonies in the choruses just make me feel happy!

In a general sense, the song title would seem to represent a double-meaning – feeling high from drugs and/or feeling high on a life free from drugs. The opening lyrics “I’ve been smoking on the peace pipe. I’ve been wondering just what would peace be like” speaks to using drugs as an escape, and wondering what the world would be like if discord was replaced with peace and tranquility. “I remember back in Oakland. I was lying there in rapture on the bathroom floor” refers to an incident when Sir Sly was touring with The 1975, and Jacobs got much too high from the drugs he’d been using, and ended up having a panic attack on the bathroom floor of their motel room. He stated the lyric was originally to be “I remember back in Oakland, when I thought that I was dying on the bathroom floor”, but changed it after realizing the panic attack was actually a positive, transcendental experience. But then he sings of going through withdrawal and struggling to stay clean and resist the temptation of drugs: “It feels good to be running from the devil / Another breath, and I’m up another level / It feels good to be up above the clouds / It feels good for the first time in a long time now.”

I love this song, and the delightfully trippy video is my absolute favorite of 2017. How can anyone not like this band and song after watching them dancing about like marionettes channeling Cirque du Soleil!

100 Best Songs of the 2010s – #57: “Fever” by The Black Keys

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The song at #57 on my list of 100 Best Songs of the 2010s is “Fever” by The Black Keys. Originally hailing from Akron, Ohio, but based in the music city of Nashville since 2010, The Black Keys consists of childhood friends Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney. The duo have been putting out fantastic music for nearly 20 years, and I love many of their songs – two of which are included on this list. The first of them is “Fever”, released in March 2014 as the lead single from their eighth studio album Turn Blue.

The song, along with many of the tracks on Turn Blue, was co-written and co-produced with noted producer Danger Mouse. The recording sessions for the album coincided with Auerbach’s divorce from his wife, which inspired many of the album’s lyrics. The songs on Turn Blue are generally more melancholy and introspective than those on their previous album El Camino, and represented a continuation of the duo’s departure from their earlier blues/garage rock roots, much to the chagrin of some of their fans.

“Fever” has a slicker, psychedelic rock vibe, with an infectious dance beat and greater use of lush, throbbing synths in addition to driving guitar riffs and snappy drums. And that deep bass line is fantastic! The song was nominated for two Grammy Awards, for Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance. “Fever” was one of my favorite songs of 2014, and was a big hit on the Billboard Alternative, Adult Alternative and Rock Airplay charts, spending 11 weeks at #1 on the Alternative chart. Unbelievably, it peaked only at #77 on the Hot 100.

The unusual video features Auerbach portraying a sweaty televangelist preaching to an audience as drummer Patrick Carney sits nearby.

THE IVINS – Single Review: “Bloom”

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Predictions that rock is a dying genre have been made for years, and despite the fact that not much of it seems to appear on the Billboard Hot 100 chart anymore, there’s still a lot of really great rock music being produced by musicians in America and around the world. One act doing their part to keep rock alive and well is Nashville, Tennessee band The Ivins. Consisting of brothers Jim and Jack Ivins (with Jim on guitars & vocals and Jack on drums), Hatton Taylor on lead guitar, and Regan Akers on bass & vocals, they make a hard-hitting, guitar-heavy style of rock they refer to as “Loud Alternative”. I’ve featured them twice on this blog, first in June 2017 when I reviewed their phenomenal debut album The Code Duello, then again in April 2019 with the review of their single “Certain”. (You can read those reviews by clicking on the links under “Related” at the end of this post.)

Earlier this year, they released a beautiful cover of Halsey’s song “Graveyard”, then followed in July with “Composure”, a song addressing personal serenity and overcoming anxiety that was written and recorded remotely during the COVID-19 quarantine. Now they’re back with “Bloom“, the second in a series of singles they plan to release every two months for the foreseeable future, and which will be featured on their forthcoming second album Conditions. 2020 also saw The Ivins earn a nomination for Best Alt Rock band at this year’s Nashville Industry Music Awards, and Jim Ivins spearheaded a Nashville-centric collaborative album called Quarantunes, which featured more than 50 Nashville musicians, including members of Florida Georgia Line, 3 Doors Down, Daughtry, Tonic, Relient K, CKY, Accept and The Dear Hunter. 

“Bloom” is another rousing banger, with an onslaught of jangly and reverb-soaked gnarly riffs delivered by Jim and Hatton’s dual intertwining guitars. Regan drives the powerful rhythm forward with his pummeling bass line while Jack smashes his drum kit with his signature brute force. The blistering guitar solo in the bridge is terrific, as are Jim’s fervent vocals as he sings of his love and devotion to someone who makes him a better person: “That you are with me is just all I need to know. You are the water that makes all my dead leaves grow and cleansed them from poison to thrive in bloom.” He told me that the song was inspired “from personal experience in being a very lost person kind of floating through life, and how it really only takes one person and one connection to turn everything around.

Connect with The Ivins:  Website /  Facebook /  Twitter /  Instagram
Stream their music:  YouTube /  Spotify /  Apple Music
Purchase it:  iTunes /  Amazon

100 Best Songs of the 2010s – #58: “Closer” by IAMWARFACE

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The song at #58 on my list of 100 Best Songs of the 2010s is “Closer” by British electro-rock band IAMWARFACE. The London & Brighton-based act are among my favorite indie bands making music today, and I’ve featured them on this blog many times over the past four-plus years. Their aggressive name is a fitting metaphor for their bombastic, groove-based sound, and I love every single one of their songs, beginning with their explosive debut single “Say My Name” in 2016. But my favorite is their monumental song “Closer” which literally stunned me the first time I heard it in 2018.

The fiercely beautiful track opens with ominous throbbing synths that slowly build into a dramatic otherworldly soundscape, enveloping us as band vocalist Matt Warneford wearily implores to someone with whom he seems to have an obsessive and destructive relationship: “Who, who am I? I’m just living to die. This old night, when it comes, I’ll be free of these old bones.” With that, the music erupts into a maelstrom of grinding synths, fuzzy guitars, buzz-saw bass, and thunderous percussion, punctuated by almost violently crashing cymbals that emphasize the intense feelings of abject desolation expressed in the bitter lyrics. Warneford’s intense vocals are filled with despair and resignation over a love affair that now lies in tatters. “Feel I’m walking on shattered glass. This romance just has to end, to reset, erase, begin again.” The song is incredible, and leaves me covered with chills every time I hear it.

The dark video, which was filmed in stark black and white in a decrepit, abandoned warehouse, has a gothic quality that’s at once disturbing and breathtaking. Warneford is shown singing the song while a ghostly Simona Martini, dressed in a torn and dirty gossamer gown, does a stylized, almost tortured modern ballet dance. It’s absolutely brilliant.