The New York-based Neckscars have released their newest album, Unhinged on Sell the Heart Records. Clocking in at about thirty minutes, this album takes you on a journey through genres that holds on but doesn’t pull you down. With a seemingly wide range of influences from bands like Gaslight Anthem and The Foo Fighters to genres like Alt Country, there is something for everyone on this album.
Unhinged opens with a trio of songs, “Tiers,” “Manor Mooch,” and “Passive Aggressive Pickups,” that definitely have a Rise Against feel. They are aggressive and poignant, especially the chorus of Passive Aggressive Pick-up Truck, “I insist, you’re not doing us any favors. I resist, what are we even living for?” Some songs even feel like they get in to Fat Wreck Chords territory with some fast double bass pedal punk rock.
Yet there is another side to this album that ventures into more 1990s rock with, “Dancing In The Stars,” “Burn Me into Nothing,” and “Dual Roads.” These songs pivot Unhinged into familiar territories that work alongside the harder tracks on the album. The big surprise on the album was “Song You Used to Know.” It’s definitely the outlier on the album, and I mean that in a good way. It gives the album a nice little break from the harder and more aggressive songs Unhinged brings.
I wasn’t expecting to like Unhinged as much as I did, but I’m happy to be proven wrong. That’s because of the risks it takes. You can’t put a finger on one genre, and that’s a good thing. Songs with punny titles that are reminiscent of emo and pop punk. I enjoyed the journey Neckscars took me on, albeit a short one. The album’s lean run time still hits hard. If your taste in music runs a gauntlet of genres, Unhinged is for you and may become your new obsession. Check out Neckscars’ Unhinged on Sell the Heart Records, here.
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