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Fresh Friday Music Drops
Fridays are always fun. New albums drop, my release radar (usually) updates on Spotify, and alerts go out for new music videos. This week seemed extra busy for new drops. Enjoy some of my favorite finds for the week.
New Albums
Shapeshifter by Memphis May Fire
– I love this album, and will have a full review coming very soon. (Probably writing and scheduling it after this one…) Favorite song so far: Chaotic.Carnal – Deluxe Edition (5 new versions of songs!) by NOTHING MORE
– This is a re-release of Carnal with one new song, 3 remixes, and 1 live version. To be completely honest, I may like the JD Remix of Angel Song better than the original.The Place After This One – Underoath
– I haven’t had a chance to do a full listen on this one yet, but I plan to dive in soon. That said, Underoath performed Generation No Surrender when I saw them live in November, and it’s just a fun song to see live with a lot of crowd engagement.New Singles
Sleep Now in the Fire – Sum41
– Add this one to my list of incredible covers.Up From the Bottom – Linkin Park
– Very much continuing the new Linkin Park vibe.Rabbit Hole, Coward Pt. 1 – Chevelle
– First new Chevelle in 4 years, and I am digging it.Sweet Child O’ Mine – Emo Version – Todd Barriage
– My husband found this song and shared it with me. I’ve not really heard any music of his before. He seems to be primarily a cover artist. Normally, I wouldn’t include this here, but this cover is just too perfect not to share.New Music Videos
Holy Water, Ft Ivan Moody (Five Finger Death Punch) – The Funeral Portrait
– Always love me some TFP.Shouldn’t Feel This Way – Oni
– This song is just beautiful. The emotions are so raw. You can just feel it. -
Nevertake Reviews Personally
Today at midnight, Anberlin dropped the album Nevertake – a full rerecording of the album Never Take Friendship Personally with new touring lead singer Matty Mullins. The original lead singer of Anberlin, Stephen Christian, said he was taking an indefinite hiatus from touring with Anberlin in 2023. He hand-picked Matty Mullins of Memphis May Fire to replace him on the tour.
However, since then, the band has released several songs featuring Mullins on lead vocals. Two of the songs on the most recent album, 2024’s Vega, featured Mullins as the lead vocal. The newest single, High Stakes, also features Mullins on lead vocals.
Anberlin is currently in the middle of touring the 20th anniversary of Never Take Friendship Personal. I had the pleasure of seeing the show early in the tour in February. It was my first time seeing Anberlin with Mullins as lead and the show did not disappoint. I was honestly nervous about how the show would sound without Christian, the vocals of my young adulthood. (Enjoy some pictures of the show throughout the review.)
This review is not about this show though that information does provide context. To say I was caught offguard when I found out Nevertake was a full rerecord with Mullins is an understatement. I knew Mullins would be the touring voice, and he is obviously providing vocals on some of the new songs, but this almost seems a step further away from Christian’s involvement in the band.
Furthermore, I have a confession…
I like Nevertake better. Like, a lot better.
I sat and made a playlist of both albums interwoven – original, new, original, new – to truly see where the differences were. After a play-through, I focused on my favorites from the album: Paperthin Hymn, (The Symphony of) Blase, and – naturally – The/A Feel Good Drag (which has the change of “the” to “a” in the re-release).
In all of them, I like the Mullins version better – especially A Feel Good Drag. I sat and thought about why. Was it just the vocals? I tend to gravitate towards heavier vocals in my music. Truth be told, while I love Anberlin, they are probably my husband’s top band ever. Christian’s vocals are softer and more melodic than Mullins’ heavier, more driving vocal style.
It’s not just the vocals though. The guitars are more vivid, the drums more pronounced. Maybe it’s a comparison of 2005 recording vs 2025 recordings, but the original music seems more muted to match Christian’s softer vocals. The new recordings seem to match the heavier direction the band wants to take.
But don’t take my word that this is the direction the band is going. During the show we attended, Mullins made it very clear that the heavier sound is all belonging to the remaining members of Anberlin. The new song he most had influence over is High Stakes and he wanted it to have a more pop-rock sound in-line of old school Anberlin.
This rerecord seems to leave a slew of questions in it’s wake for fans of Anberlin. What role does Christian play in the band going forward? Is Mullins the true future of Anberlin or is he an addition? The band photos all feature Mullins and Christian – seeming to point towards a combined future. The artist bylines on Nevertake are all “Anberlin, Matty Mullins” – indicating he is not a full-fledged member of Anberlin. Will we ever have a situation similar to the new Three Days Grace with two leader singers?
While the future of Anberlin seems unclear, I can say a few things with certainty: Matty Mullins is a perfect addition, I love the direction they are headed, and Nevertake is well worth the listen.
(Even if I feel a little guilty at liking Nevertake more than the original.)
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5 Metal Covers Better Than the Originals
It’s not secret that I am a huge metal/punk fan. My musical tastes tend to go deep rather than wide, so it’s not uncommon for me to find the metal cover of popular pop songs to be better than the originals. I know…that’s just, like, my opinion.
Stepping aside from my own biases, there are some covers that truly outrank their originals in my opinion. The emotion is ramped up, the vocals more driven, and the guitars more epic. Don’t just take my word for it. Have a listen and see for yourself.
5. Bad Romance by Halestorm
It is no secret that Lzzy Hale has vocal prowess for days. I have had the privilege of attending a Halestorm concert and her vocals are just…wow. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that Halestorm knocks Bad Romance by Lady Gaga out of the park. Lzzy’s powerful and angry vocals align perfectly with the feel of the song. The driving guitar is the cherry on the top of this incredible cover.
4. Bye, Bye, Bye by Further Seems Forever
This cover, admittedly, may be tainted by a bit of nostalgia. What millennial didn’t have their high school days filled with the over-the-top boy band craze. I was a metal head then as well, but my friends? Not so much. Therefore, ear-worms such as Bye, Bye, Bye were unavoidable. When I first heard this cover by Further Seems Forever on a Pop Goes Punk album, it was a true marriage of my love of metal and my memories of my best friend in high school, who swore up an down she would marry Lance Bass. (If we only knew…)
3. Smooth Criminal by Alien Ant Farm
This one almost was placed in the #2 slot simply because it may be one of the oldest covers in my playlist. While it’s hard to argue with the “King of Pop” himself, Smooth Criminal performed by Further Seems Forever wins the original vs cover hands down. Jackson’s version lacks the power captured in the cover. The beats and riffs are more noticeable and catchy in the cover, while they tend to blend together in the original. Let’s just say, when I went to compare the two, I barely even recognized the Jackson version given the preference of the Further Seems Forever cover on mainstream radio stations.
2. Careless Whisper by Seether
Growing up, my mom was a pretty decent George Michael fan. I heard Careless Whisper so many times growing up, I already knew the lyrics the first time I listened to the Seether cover. As with Bye, Bye, Bye, nostalgia may play a bit in this one being placed #2. That said, don’t let that bias discount how truly incredible this cover is. Seether replaces the haunting sax of the original with power electric guitar riffs equally as haunting. My favorite part of the entire cover is the bridge. The power and emotion in the vocals hits in all the right places leaving you feeling all of the anguish the songwriter intended.
1. Blank Space by I Prevail
When everyone you know is a Swiftie, you hear plenty of Taylor Swift songs. I’ve tried. I’ve really tried hop aboard the Swift train, but, try as I might, I just can’t. There are parts of her songs I like. Lyrics here, riffs there, but, as a whole, I just haven’t found the magic pull everyone else seems to find. Furthermore, in the effort of full transparency, I fell in love with this cover before I ever knew it was a Taylor Swift song. I knew I recognized it, and couldn’t place it. This one wins the top spot of a cover better than the original for finally making me like a Taylor Swift song.
Fun side note, the guys of I Prevail hate performing this song. They made that crystal clear when I saw them in concert and they performed it, but it is so highly requested, they give us the show we want anyway.
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Talia Wins: Metal Music Rules – My Playlist for Silver Blood
If Rachel Rener isn’t a metal-head herself, I will delete this post. A common theme in her books is the protagonists love of or interest in metal music. Metallica, Nunslayer, Godsmack – all of these bands get mentions in her books.
“‘…listening to metal music can be relaxing,’ she argued. ‘It’s a controlled outlet for processing intense emotions – anger, for one.'”
This line…*chef’s kiss*. I make the joke all the time that metal is angry music for happy people, and it’s true, at least for me. All you have to do to see my love of metal is to look at any of my other playlist posts or the “On Repeat” playlist in the widget tab – which shows my top songs of the week. The fact that Rener infuses metal into her books made this playlist all the more fun to make.
Naturally, there is some Metallica on there. I would be completely remiss not to include some of Talia’s favorite band. In her honor, Master of Puppets makes an appearance on the list. Included my personal favorite, Nothing Else Matters.
“For the time being, at least, the slightly better of two abysmal choices was to keep her under the watchful eye of the devil she knew.”
As cliche as it may seem, the song Devil You Know by Tim Montana was a must on this list for this line alone. Zayn continued with this thinking throughout the book, viewing himself as the threat Talia knew, even if she didn’t understand, more than anything else. I also think Zayn would appreciate the clean vocals, even if he doesn’t like metal.
The rest of the songs on the list are ones the made me think of Zayn’s mental state. My heart broke as he continued to tear himself down when his heart is beyond good. The way he treats Talia, Breta, Lamswyth, even just random girls in the bar who need a help to get out speaks volumes to the true nature of his character. It’s complete opposite to who what he thinks of himself.
I hope you enjoy the playlist as much as I enjoyed making it! -
Music for Empowering Women – Weyward’s Playlist
Weyward by Emilia Hart didn’t inspire a lot of music in me as I read it. I think the dark themes in the book made it hard to find the light in the moment that music brings to me. After reading, and for the purpose of this post, I went to build a playlist, and was drawn to songs of women empowerment. I guess, in that sense, the book hits it mark of building the resilience of women. You can find my review of the book here.
First, I found a pre-built playlist of songs for survivors put out by domesticshelters.org. The songs were suggested by survivors of domestic violence that have empowered and inspired them in their journeys. I would be remiss if I didn’t include it here. “Goodbye Earl” by The Chicks is a particularly fitting song for Weyward.
Once I gained a little inspiration from their list, other songs from my own inner repertoire of music began to present itself. Some of these songs made me directly think of the book. For example, “Monsters” by Shinedown is highly fitting for Kate’s moment of power. “Down with the Sickness” by Disturbed made me think of Violet and her father.
Others, such as “Titanium” by David Guetta ft. Sia and “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus just spoke to me in the sense of general female empowerment. (Sidenote: I also included a favorite cover of “Flowers” by Fame on Fire just because.) I also included some of my favorite mental health songs such as “Under Your Scars” by Godsmack and “Leave a Light On (Talk Away the Dark)” by Papa Roach.I truly hope any woman in situations the women in Weyward find themselves in find their way to freedom. Seek help. Please. There are others out there willing to help you even if they don’t even know you. You are worthy of love and worthy of a life well-lived. If you find yourself in need of help, please check out https://www.domesticshelters.org/ for help near you.
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Playlist for the Enchanted Letters Series
More often than not, my brain is full of music. There is a never-ending playlist of songs feeding through my subconscious at any given moment. Most of the time, I give in to the need to quiet my ADHD brain with the music it desires. Often, a song or a lyric will pop into my head in response to something that was said or something I read. Anyone who knows me well will know that I will 50% of the time respond in a song lyric. The other 50% I’m holding it in.
This affinity for my brain to match my life to music also works with books. I will read a line a character says or a scene and instantly be transported to a song. Similarly, I can hear a song and link it back to the book I’m reading. I thought it might be fun to start putting these book playlists together and sharing them with you. As I just finished reading the Enchanted Letters series by Rebecca Ross (review here), I decided the first playlist shared would coincide with these books.
However, I built this playlist a little differently than I plan to do in the future. While I was reading these books, songs did pop into my head, but all I could think about was how they didn’t fit aesthetically. While the lyrics worked, the sound was off. After all, Ross does a great job of transporting you back in time to her early 20th century timeline. Then, it struck me: Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox is the perfect blend of modern lyrics with the swing style one might place in the early 1900s.
In building this playlist, I looked through the repertoire of Postmodern Jukebox and picked the songs that spoke to me about the book series. (Sidenote: A brand new album, Lounge Language Models, dropped yesterday. I highly recommend a listen.) Some are songs that are normally a part of my in-head playlist; others were fun finds in browsing through the catalogue. Some, like Grenade, were just too perfect to pass up. If you know, you know.
I really hope you enjoy the music!
