This week I have new releases from Helloween, Danny Elfman, and LoneLady! Hey, just like the title!

Now that a lot of publications have put out their favorite albums of the year so far and I’ve been able to peruse the snapshot of 2021 Part 1, I’m amazed at how much really good stuff has come out. This is an incredible year for music already, and we still have six months to go! The pandemic has really jump-started everyone’s muse. With that being said, this week I have a couple of stinkers and one really good one! Enjoy.

Helloween – Helloween
(June 18, 2021)

Jesus Christ, Helloween, give it a rest already. Sixteen studio albums. Sixteen studio albums and they all sound exactly the same.

This one is supposed to be every Helloween fan’s wet dream, because not only is Andi Deris singing lead vocals, so is Michael Kiske! AND Kai Hansen?! Oh boy! While Deris has had the longest run as the lead vocalist, Kai Hansen appeared as lead only on the debut, and Kiske was lead for the two most popular Helloween albums and the two flagship albums of the power metal genre as a whole: Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part I and Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part II. Needless to say, this is a big deal.

I, however, am immune to the charms of this tender reunion. All three vocalists sound the same, and this self-titled sixteenth album sounds just like every single other mega-bloated self-indulgent post-Seven Keys Helloween studio album in the last 30 years. Needless to say, my admittedly short-sighted bias against power metal is showing. My blog, my rules.

Even though it’s not worth it to me to go over any individual song in greater detail, I’ll end this mini-review on a positive note: this album does sound very much like authentic ’80s Helloween with nods to the more exciting early years of power metal. It’s almost like the band was stuck in time. With that in mind, if this is your thing, then you’re going to love this album. It’s not for me, though. At least not right now.

Early Verdict:

Danny Elfman – Big Mess
(June 11, 2021)

Danny Elfman returns with his first rock album since the disbandment of Oingo Boingo in 1995. Largely an unplanned record, Elfman started putting together songs during the pandemic last year and “just couldn’t stop”. Big Mess is 18 tracks and 72 minutes of pure Elfman, that’s for sure. It’s like he hasn’t missed a beat at all in the last 25 years.

I’m pretty conflicted, though, for many reasons. First, this album is bloated to the nines. He could’ve made this into two great 36-minute albums with some editing and stronger focus. Second, a lot of his lyrics are heavy-handed and a little late to the party on the political commentary. He even has a sample from a Trump speech on “Choose Your Side”. Who fucking cares about THAT guy anymore? The last track is a rewrite/re-recording of Oingo Boingo’s “Insects” and he suckified it a little bit, taking away everything that was fun about the original and adding more college student political commentary. Third, the production is atrocious. Everything is extremely forward in the mix, including Elfman’s voice, and everything sounds like mud. It’s not very easy on the ears at all, and it’s frustrating.

It’s very frustrating, actually. The plusses hold equal weight to the minuses. These arrangements are stunning, with intense bangers like the opener “Sorry” rivaling most of anything Elfman has ever released. The instrumentation and moods are beyond gorgeous for much of the record. I mean, come on, the guy is one of the most renowned film scorers in the business, I really have to set the bar high. The biggest surprise to me is that he can still sing! I thought he had lost it, but even pushing 70 he still sounds as good as ever for someone who doesn’t make a habit of singing professionally anymore.

So, yeah, this could’ve really been something. It’s a shame.

Early Verdict:

LoneLady – Former Things
(June 25, 2021)

Ending this week’s selection of albums on a high note, LoneLady’s third studio album continues Julie Campbell’s streak of excellent throwback post-punk goodness.

I can’t find much definitive information about this, but I’m fairly sure Campbell does absolutely everything by herself in the making of her records. Hence the “LoneLady” moniker, and it also explains the half-decade gap between albums. Quality over quantity! I’ve been a fan of LoneLady for a while, from her tense, yet sparse and lightweight, new wave jangle-punk debut Nerve Up to her diverse, moody, goth-tinged sophomore album Hinterland. Now here’s Former Things, which leans into and embraces the type of pop-happy mid-to-late ’80s synthwave that artists like Gary Numan or Duran Duran succeeded with, and the edgy post-punk bands of the earlier era started drifting toward to little critical acclaim across the board. In the year 2021, however, there’s definitely a certain charm to it now. We yearn for the ’80s aesthetic. Hell, there’s 100 new schmaltzy retro synthwave bands popping up every day.

Given enough time, these tracks become addictive. Campbell piles layers upon layers of rhythms in her subdued dance-punk while keeping everything tight and not distractingly busy. Admittedly, I haven’t paid too much attention to the lyrics yet because I’m too swept up by her voice and the dance beats! This one’s been on repeat since I first heard it. I love how each one of Campbell’s albums has its own identity, but all very much LoneLady. Check this one out and her other two. Tom approves!

Early Verdict: