HYPERYOUTH – Joey Valence & Brae
May 8, 2026
I’m kinda scared to admit, I’m afraid of growing up…
Hiya all! This week (finally), I’m recommending a considerably recent release, the third and latest album by Joey Valence & Brae. It’s HYPERYOUTH! Let me try to articulate the compliment I mean to pay this album: few artists can do something so immature so sincerely. I never once doubt that they love what they make, and it’s contagious. Like JVB’s previous projects, HYPERYOUTH lives in its own world. The performances from Joey Valence and Brae are commendable, Brae in particular brings a more dynamic performance to this record than he ever has before. One of the highlights of the album is the fearless use of major dynamic shifts and beat flips to keep every moment unexpected. JVB never linger on an idea; as soon as you get your footing, you’re on to the next thing. The lyrics shift between club fun to themes of maturity and deterioration the scene with ease. The track WASSUP is exciting, with a fitting feature from JPEGMafia. LIVE RIGHT’s poignant beat and beautiful melody epitomizes the maturity of sound JVB has undergone. HAVE TO CRY features a particularly creative interaction between the beat and lyrics. THE PARTY SONG is distinctly and darkly electric, the flip into the outro pleasantly surprising. DISCO FOREVER’s instrumental all but spins around your head until the breakdown, a twist more than deserving of the final spot of the album. My favorite off the album has to go to SEE U DANCE. From the hypnotic beat, to the striking hook sung by the very talented Rebecca Black, or even the energetic dynamic between bars, flows, and voices, SEE U DANCE surfaces a snapshot of the 2010s and captures the heart of the album. Check out HYPERYOUTH now!
A Rush of Blood to the Head – Coldplay
May 15, 2026
How long must you wait for it?
Hello all! This week, I’m recommending an album that I think many forget how good it is. It’s A Rush of Blood to the Head by Coldplay! Following their debut Sparks, I consider this record the pinnacle of early Coldplay. It has a distinct sound, yet a refreshing dynamic between tracks. One of my favorite parts of A Rush of Blood to the Head is the creative use of music theory to compose unique yet accessible songs. You can often feel when someone is trying too hard to incorporate a flashy complexity (I admit I’m guilty of this myself), but on A Rush of Blood to the Head, Coldplay puts the song first. Through this method, we get sharp, interesting writing that feels natural and expressive. Just the addition of the moving string arrangements widens the band sound into an atmosphere, almost an environment. I also really like the subtle yet instrumental bass work. The more I write, the more I find that my favorite basslines tend to resemble either Guy Berryman, Chris Wolstenholme (of Muse, which is a major influence on Coldplay) and/or Tyler Joseph (who’s been inspired by Coldplay, especially in Twenty Øne Piløts’ early discography). In My Place is a highlight single, the chorus in particular notably poignant. God Put a Smile Upon Your Face employs some unnerving phrygian motions to capture a spooky sound. The Scientist has grown on me significantly too. Clocks is pretty unmatched, however; influential, recognizable, creative, and beautiful. Yet the back half of the album doesn’t lose steam. Warning Sign is laid back yet impactful, whereas A Whisper is climactic and epic and A Rush of Blood to the Head is moody and foreboding. Amsterdam closes the record on a weary yet hopeful note. My favorite track is an odd but undeniable one: Daylight! The lift those chords provide is transcendent. It really does feel like daylight breaking. I’ve yet to hear something quite comparable, unlikely and peculiar yet exciting. Go give A Rush of Blood to the Head a try!
Fantasies – Metric
May 22, 2026
Who would you rather be, The Beatles or The Rolling Stones?
Hello all! This week, I’m recommending a weird, creative album that I’ve never seen claim its rightful spot on the indie rock podium. It’s Fantasies by Metric! If you’ll excuse an excessive metaphor, Metric slathers the cracks in a 60s daguerrotype with 2010s keyboards and production. To describe the album in one word, I’d choose “spacious”. The biggest moments on Fantasies feel full but never overfull, emphasizing the quality of each element over quantity. Fantasies finds its place beside the likes of The Strokes, The Killers, and Muse, yet holds on to something distinct that makes it special. Part of it for me is that Metric is no stranger to sprinkling in some creative, spacey changes, and Fantasies’ chords are no exception when paired with hypnotic melodies and Emily Haines’ captivating performance. James Shaw’s guitar really works to bring out the best in the vocals as well. In fact, the whole band work to give one another space at the most opportune times. Perhaps this is what lends to the space of the band. Help I’m Alive is an energetic yet labyrinthine track and a perfect starting pistol to the album to come; if you dare count the meter, you’ll hear Metric earn its name (although the band is actually named after a stylish keyboard preset). Satellite Mind, Gold Guns Girls, and Front Row harbor a shared gritty, heavy energy. Ethereal, transient Twilight Galaxy experiments with texture and lo-fi sounds, as does calm and thoughtful Collect Call, both of which bearing a flavor of otherworldly revelation. Stadium Love cuts through the lingering contemplative haze of Blindness (of which I must compliment the moving bassline) and concludes the record on a massive note. Yet of them all, Gimme Sympathy has to take the cake as my favorite track. The synth work is beautiful, the melody is haunting, the drums are driving, and the guitar work pulls the whole thing together. All in all, the pieces just fit together really well. Best, it feels like a pop song only Metric could write. However, I have a suspicion that with each listen, different tracks will begin to surface as favorites. Right now, my money’s on Twilight Galaxy. If you want an album built wholly from viable favorites, check out Fantasies!
Ocean Avenue – Yellowcard
May 29, 2026
I can feel you breathing!
Hiya all! This week I’m recommending a pop punk classic that fittingly turns Twentythree later this year. It’s Ocean Avenue by Yellowcard! Despite the success of One for the Kids, it was Ocean Avenue that really sent Yellowcard into the mainstream. The songwriting on the album uses the pop punk toolbox to its advantage, yet it isn’t afraid to reach outside of it. Sean Mackin’s violin actually compliments and meshes with the rest of the punk sound greatly, and is the highlight of Yellowcard’s sound in my opinion. What I notice more is the interwoven flavor of country, particularly in the cleaner, calmer corners of the record, as well as a little of Yellowcard’s Jacksonville roots. The sound is tight and dynamic, with plenty of thanks to producer Neal Avron. Lyrically, Ocean Avenue features through lines of homesickness and mourning; never hopeless, yet never settled either. The title track Ocean Avenue is set to live on as a paragon of pop punk as well as a favorite of the community. Besides the striking violin arpeggios and catchy melody, I am particularly drawn to the concise song structure and clever uses of arrangement to make each listen engaging long past the first. However, the album actually opens with what I dare say is an equally energetic track, though several shades darker, with Way Away. Way Away also kicks off a lot of the narrative themes, acting as something of the album’s inciting incident. Empty Apartment pauses the adrenaline for a regretful, thoughtful moment, just in time for Miles Apart to pick it back up with a strong emotional core. View From Heaven is a great, sweet song with an undercurrent of a folk sound, but the highlight for me is the simple detail of Alieka Wijnveldt’s supplementary vocals on the track. She adds so much just with her infrequent contributions! I hope someday she’ll do more, as I can find very little information on her work past this one brief feature. Believe is a climactic, vividly emotional track with a lot of substance. And finally, Back Home closes the album on a moving note of conflicted, homesick wistfulness, reflection, and revelation. My favorite track has bounced around from Ocean Avenue to Way Away to Believe. But right now, I think I have to choose a recent favorite as #1: Breathing. The dark, manic nature of Breathing blends with moments of restrained tension and anthemic power before the bridge drops into a beautiful melancholic feeling. One of the highlights of Ocean Avenue is the use of major dynamic shifts to convey emotion. This is personally one of my most revered elements of music, and it also means that Ocean Avenue has a lot of different sounds to offer. See if one strikes your fancy! Give it a listen!
Supermodel – Foster The People
June 5, 2026
Are you what you want to be?
Hello all! This week, I’m recommending an excellent and under-appreciated record by a band that’s recently been burning through my favorite artists ranks. It’s Supermodel by Foster The People! I have to confess, after listening to their blowup debut Torches, I didn’t bother trying their continued discography under an ill-founded yet unshakeable reasoning: I couldn’t imagine how they could make something that lived up to Torches that wasn’t part of Torches. It took spontaneously catching them on this year’s Coachella livestream to convince me to continue into their discography, and I’ve been proven wrong in the best way. Like their debut, Supermodel has strong central sound, even taking this a step further into concept album territory. The lyrics explore themes of fame, beauty, artistry, commercialism, and their effects on social expectations. Supermodel swims through atmospheres of psychedelic spaciness while staying grounded with acoustic instrumentation and touches of funkiness. I notice a greater emphasis on the guitar for this record, as well as some hints of world music, particularly bossa nova. The songwriting feels clever and creative, careful to entertain the unexpected when facing the conventional. Are You What You Want To Be? serves as an explosive opener with a delightfully catchy hook that poses the main narrative question of Supermodel. Ask Yourself is a calm and spacious yet focused track, whereas Coming of Age is fun, energetic, and charming. Best Friend is ridiculously groovy for its conflicted lyricism. A Beginner’s Guide to Destroying the Moon is dense and enigmatic, featuring commendable and previously unexplored grit and misgiving from Mark Foster. In the Supermodel yearbook, I vote A Beginner’s Guide to Destroying the Moon for “most likely to grow on me in my coming listens”. If introspective, lyrically stunning Goats in Trees is the crisis of the album, The Truth is a climactic revelation of hope. I actually have to choose The Truth as my favorite track. The soundscape builds from chaos into a unity so powerful and sincere, it’s a comforting weight. One of my favorite themes on Supermodel is purpose in the face of subjectivist meaninglessness. The Truth reenforces that there are answers out there, there is meaning, and it’s worth looking for. Fire Escape is sort of like The Truth’s outro, in my mind; a warning and a call to action. There is a truth! Go give Supermodel a try!
PS. If you were expecting a Sanctuary recommendation, it is on its way. I want to take my time to give it plenty of listens and reflection before I put my recommendation on the page.
Transatlanticism – Death Cab for Cutie
June 12, 2026
I wish the world was flat like the old days; then I could travel just by folding the map.
Hello all! This week, I’m recommending an album I was myself recommended by a friend, who has provided yet more evidence of great taste. It’s Transatlanticism by Death Cab for Cutie! I don’t know what I was expecting from this album, but it wasn’t that it would shoot to the top of my recommendation queue. But here we are. I might place Death Cab for Cutie’s sound beside the likes of other indie bands like Jimmy Eat World or American Football; warm, thoughtful, and colorfully complex without becoming inaccessible. Transatlanticism has its big moments for sure, but most of it drifts in the tension of calm reflection. One of the highlights of the record is its vivid lyricism, deceptively unassuming and commonplace before ambushes of sudden profundity. I’d also like to commend the drumming by Jason McGerr. I know from experience that as soon as you break from a simple backbeat, it’s terribly easy to lose your momentum. Yet when McGerr gets unorthodox, he keeps the pace and improves it, something I intend to learn from. The New Year embodies an anxious brightness that drives the record into motion, pushing through a murky swim through Lightness and into the adventurous Title and Registration. The title track Transatlanticism is a slow, climactic build worthy of its length. Death of an Interior Decorator sounds almost too sweet for a song so sad. Haunting, cloudy, contemplative Tiny Vessels, as well as The New Year, come close to my very favorite, but I have to choose We Looked Like Giants. The grit and darkness of the riff, the moody chords and melody, and the metamorphosis from angst into something more nebulous make it feel like a massive, important moment for the record. I’m still new to Transatlanticism, but I can feel that it’s one of those records that sticks with you; one that as it gathers dust, it gathers nostalgia and personal meaning. So while I continue to listen to it, go give it a try yourself!
Also, if you’re wondering where my Sanctuary recommendation is, I want to take my time on that one; nothing but the best for you! If you’re a fan of The Bitter Truth or the first half of Fallen, it’s likely right up your alley.
Tutto è Possibile – Finley
June 19, 2026
Your words are poison and this is the truth: No fame, no glory, just rage against you.
Hiya all! This week, I’m recommending one of my recent favorite pop punk records. It’s Tutto è Possibile by Finley! Finley is primarily known in their home country of Italy; other audiences may know them from both of the awesome LEGO: Legends of Chima theme songs. I find their very solid debut record undeniable. I’d compare their sound most to Riot!-era Paramore. They have a propensity for movingly dissonant, sometimes bluesy melodies, which really elevate the emotion and impact of their writing. I want to highlight Stefano Mantegazza’s colorful bass work, particularly the tasteful harmonic licks that add a lot of depth to each song. Often so much of punk bass is focused on holding down the roots, so breaking the mold opens up a gamut of subtle complexity. I can’t comment on the Italian lyrics (any fluent Finley fans are welcome to speak up in the comments) but the scattering of English songs deal with longing, grief, and identity faced with the allure of fame. Funny story; I listened to this album several times before realizing a handful of tracks on the back half of the record are English versions of earlier songs. I think that speaks to how enjoyable this album is. I’m usually very adverse to listening to a song twice in close sequence, yet I didn’t bat an eye (ear?) while enjoying the same instrumental a second time. Sole di settembre/Ray of Light has a beautiful poignance underpinning its energy that follows into the more somber Fumo e cenere. Addio/Grief is gritty and a bit The Offspring-reminiscent, whereas Diventerai una star/Dollars and Cars is explosive and a bit blink-182-reminiscent, wrestling with the intoxicating temptation of fame and indulgence. Scegli Me/In My Arms Again is built on a beautiful clean, almost funky guitar line against quite mournful lyrics. Plus, it features an ever-so-rare tasteful bass solo! My favorite has to go to Sirene/Siren. The weighty chords, the biting lyrics, the sharp guitar leads, the rhythmic interest, and just the overall intensity make it stand out as a pillar of the record. Go give Tutto è Possibile a try!
Bittersweet 16 – McKenna Grace
June 26, 2026
Now I’m crying in a taxi ride home; I deserve to be alone.
Hiya all! This week, I’m recommending an awesome album—OK, fine, It’s an EP, not an album. But with Mckenna Grace cast as Daphne in the upcoming Scooby-Doo! Origins, odds are we’ll have to wait for her debut record. Plus, at 8 tracks, Bittersweet 16 could be an album if it wanted to be; it certainly has the cohesiveness and quality of one. The EP mixes sarcastic lullaby melodies with pop rock edge and lyrics that manage to be creative and clever while remaining direct and sincere. The production is clear but isn’t afraid to get gritty or lo-fi for effect. Overall, I consider it a razor-sharp debut with strong, memorable songwriting and great vocals. It uses the best tools pop has to offer, yet is always conscious to indulge the unexpected to keep things interesting around every corner. The EP blasts into action with Ugly Crier, a fearless bearing of insecurities behind a catchy, singalong hook. City Leaver is sharp, confrontational, dynamic, and rocking. Post Party Trauma is a trip through a sickeningly atmospheric miasma that emerges into a striking bridge. The title track Bittersweet 16 closes the EP with a more stripped-back production and an exhausted sentiment, the lingering moment of swept confetti. Buzzkill Baby is almost my favorite. Buzzkill Baby is ridiculously catchy, the playful vitriol coming through with punky guitars, dancey drums, and fun synths. My favorite has to go to Checkered Vans. The electric instrumental, ceaseless beat, and powerful performance make for a really tight, witty rock track with a ton of character. I think that’s Bittersweet 16’s secret sauce: character. It balances fun and colorfulness with expressiveness and emotion. Give Bittersweet 16 a try!
If you didn’t catch my last post, my schedule will be changing after next week’s recommendation. Be sure to tune in!
American Beauty/American Psycho – Fall Out Boy
July 3, 2026
I REMEMBER!
Hello all! My first album recommendation was Folie á Deux, so it’s only fitting for my last one (for now) to be the only Fall Out Boy album I haven’t recommended: American Beauty/American Psycho. Plus, with Independence Day coming up tomorrow, who could resist recommending the record with Fourth of July on it? If you’re a fan of Fall Out Boy’s period of powerful stadium rock, this is the record for you. But if you’re one of that era’s critics, don’t be too quick to judge AB/AP. Despite the epic energy and strong hooks of this album’s noted singles, for me it’s the album tracks that really make this worth recommending. If Save Rock and Roll was a bold leap into a new sound, AB/AP is the mastery of that sound (before the necessary shakeup on MANIA). If there is one thing Fall Out Boy fans new and old can continue to enjoy on this album, it’s Pete’s signature weird, witty lyrics, in particular imbued with the emotional vitriol that precedes regret. And no one but Patrick can sell this vitriol by committing to a high-distortion, exciting rock tone that perfectly suits the hypier tracks, while moodier tracks balance out with his signature soul style. I also have to mention Andy’s drums, which are as electric as ever on this record. I was listening to the energy on Twin Skeleton’s, and wow! What a way to end the album. Speaking of, the album begins with Irresistible (as cool as the Demi Lovato collaboration is, I’m rather partial to the definitive version in which Patrick does a phenomenal job on her verse as well). However, The Kids Aren’t Alright really kicks off the record for me with a ton of poignance and resolve. The Munsters Theme (of all things) breathes life into the energetic, surfy track Uma Thurman. Novocaine is a manic worthy sequel-at-heart to The Phoenix, while Fourth of July bears the crushing, mournful weight of disappointment. Favorite Record is fun and adorable, a song that manages to be undeniably happy without feeling shallow or directionless. Immortals was actually the very first Fall Out Boy song I was interested by, particularly in the adventurous melodies and awesome flute riff. My very favorite track is an odd one, yet a remarkable one: it’s Jet Pack Blues. The songwriting feels so sharp, anger drifting into sadness while pleading when there is hope in only your mind. Where The Kids Aren’t Alright and Fourth of July succeed, Jet Pack Blues masters. The album feels like the shake of a strong grip, of a fading summer not quite regretful, but reflective. Go give American Beauty/American Psycho a listen!
Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who’s been with me for some or all of these album recommendations. You made it worth it to keep going when I was doubtful. And I’d like to reiterate: I’m not quitting. I’m just dissolving the schedule. Am I doing another recommendation? Yes.
If you want to revisit any previous recommendations, I have a complete archive on my website.
alexkunce.com/album-recommendations
Until next time: may the bridges you have burned like your way back home.