This should be an interesting one.
School has rapidly ramped up over the course of the last week and it just so happens to be at the worst possible time. I, Sean Chesman – occasional contributor for the Evolution 107.9 website – have never felt more stressed/confused/overwhelmed in my life: No, it’s not because the Vancouver Canucks clinched an actual playoff spot for the first time in nine years (article coming soon).
I think the music I’ve been listening to this week is reflective of where I’m at, which is another reason why I wanted to make this a series: I can essentially use these as capsules to see how I may have been doing at any given time.
I don’t want to get into anything but the music itself, though. So, while we reminisce on the week that was, let’s sit back, put the headphones on and listen to what I’ve been spinnin’ this past week.
This is a series highlighting some of my favourite music over the last week. It can be new songs, old songs, albums, artists, etc.
Where The Streets Have No Name – U2
You know exactly why I’ve been spinnin’ this one, don’t ya?
The song that the 2011 Vancouver Canucks would skate out to is the song that I’ve probably listened to the most over the last seven days. I mean, haven’t you heard? The Canucks are headed back to the playoffs!
The song is amazing even without the crazy nostalgia factor. The intro is a contender for my favourite in any song, ever, and that’s full credit to The Edge‘s guitar work; the use of the delay pedal is absolutely masterful. When the drums and bass come in, instant chills. The intro on this song is actually so next level, man.
The rest of the song is incredible, as it essentially just finishes what the introduction started. I honestly wouldn’t blame you if you checked this one out just for the intro. It’s that good.
I’m not a U2 fan, but Where The Streets Have No Name will forever be one of my favourite songs of all time.
(Three songs from) Nevermind – Nirvana
It had been a minute since I had tapped into this album.
“Nevermind” is not only consistently touted as one of the greatest rock albums of all time, but is also one of my personal favourites. The hits on this album are undeniable, but it’s the album’s deep(ish) cuts that usually serve as the catalyst to bring me back.
I said “deep(ish) cuts” like most of them don’t have hundreds of millions of streams on Spotify: Again, one of the greatest rock albums of all time. The album’s consistency is what makes it an undeniable classic and it has no shortage of loud, semi-punky/grunge bangers that – unless you’re a Nirvana fan who has already heard these – you need to hear.
Breed
Kurt Cobain idolized the energy and care free attitude of punk rock as a teenager, and a lot of that energy comes through on this album, especially on Breed.
This is essentially just a perfectly written punk song with the signature fuzzed out, distorted guitar tone that frequented the Seattle grunge scene of the 90s. It’s so good that my Dad – who has never liked Nirvana – called the song “undeniable”.
If a song manages to get my Dad’s seal of approval, then it might actually be alright.
Territorial Pissings
So, I hear you want more grunge/punk crossover songs?
Territorial Pissings is a ferocious song with a non-stop pulse. Even when the song dials it down before the final chorus, you know what’s coming. Kurt Cobain’s screaming and wailing at the end of the song is a perfect capper to what is maybe Nevermind’s most sonically intense track.
Also, “Never met a wise man. If so, it’s a woman” is such a bar.
Drain You
This is – maybe – my favourite Nirvana track.
Drain You is just an undeniable alt-rock masterpiece, thanks in large part due to the song’s bridge section. The verses and choruses are – once again – undeniable, but there’s just something about the weird, ambient, and creepy bridge that keeps me coming back to this song almost 15 years after I had first heard it.
These three tracks don’t even do this album justice; every single track off of this thing is the best material of the grunge era. If (for whatever reason) you haven’t heard this record, you need to get on it.
Now it’s time for some rapid fire picks.
Red Summer – Thornhill
A grand metalcore banger from one of the better albums the genre has ever seen. If you’re even remotely into metalcore, “The Dark Pool” is a great record and Red Summer is a highlight amongst a track list that’s full of ’em.
Vancouver – Jeff Buckley
This is one that I had never previously heard prior to last week, but I’m so glad that I found it! Vancouver has a bit of a different feel compared to what’s on Grace, but it still features Jeff Buckley’s angelic vocals, with him going full on Geddy Lee as the song concludes.
A LA CARTE – Quadeca, brakence
This song is going to live in my head forever.
Into Dust – Mazzy Star
Simply put, this song is stunning. A five-and-a-half minute-long acoustic ballad with luscious string bits and an incredible vocal performance.
And with that, the rapid fire section is complete.
The Invisible Man – Maruja
Maruja needs to be studied.
A band that seemingly came out of nowhere, Maruja shocked underground music fans with one of 2023’s better EP’s: “Knocknarea”. I would personally love to thank the random man on TikTok for you page who made a video about it last year, but I unfortunately don’t know who it was. What I do know is that Knocknarea was one of my favourite music projects of 2023, and the band hasn’t stopped pumping out quality since.
The Invisible Man might be the Manchester quartet’s best work to date; a song so electric that it could cause power outages. It’s essentially the same, fiery post-rock formula that I’ve become accustomed to since hearing the band’s breakthrough EP, just with a slightly more sinister feel to it all, which sounds intentional.
Every single performance on this song is flawless. The spoken-word vocals in the verse and the chilling refrain of: “The truth, it hides!” makes this the most epic sounding piece the band has put out to date. The drumming – as always – is phenomenal. It’s the same busy approach that is consistent no matter what song you hear from the band; but the added percussion bits during the song’s chilling bridge section and the intensity in the final refrain before the outro seal this as the best drumming on any Maruja song, so far.
Thunderous bass, added background instrumentals, and guitar leads that’ll make your hair stand on end all help round out the song; and, man, those saxophone passages are something else.
Lyrically, the song is all about witnessing loved ones struggle with mental health (as per the band’s Instagram). The band have been writing more tracks about mental health, but the instrumentals, vocals, and production on The Invisible Man perfectly incapsulates just how intense the thoughts inside one’s head can be, and you have to give the band full credit for it.
It’s dark, borderline dystopian, and just an incredible song, overall. These guys know what they’re doing. One of the brightest new bands in music right now.