Album Roundup: A Light Divided, Mallen, and The Struts

Sometimes there are records I don't get the time to talk about at length, and sometimes there are records that don't give me enough to say about for a full review. Then there are the times when two records come out in short order that are very similar, rendering much of my commentary repeated. In those cases, we can talk about them together, to save some time. Here are two female-fronted (I use the label not as a warning, but as a compliment. I am greatly fond of this sound.) modern rock records I've encountered recently:

A Light Divided - Choose Your Own Adventure

This record caught me a bit off-guard at first. Their sound is not far removed from the first (and better) Letters From The Fire album, but it's Jaycee Clark who steals the show, with a voice that belts the songs out with a hint of Lzzy Hale's screaming rasp in the undertones. Having that voice selling the catchy melodies is something that sounds novel at first, and ultimately fits perfectly. They are able to deliver music that is heavy, energetic, and melodically sticky all at the same time, which is not an easy feat to achieve. "Remedy", "Fear Of Heights" and "Counting To Sober" are all as good as the best the style has to offer. A Light Divided won't get the same attention Halestorm does, but their record isn't that far off the standard. Color me impressed.

Mallen - Polarity

Of the two bands, Mallen's sound is a bit more pop, but without sacrificing the heaviness and guitars to keep the music from becoming too soft or fluffy. You can hear in the songwriting that they are still finding their feet, but there is plenty to like about them. Songs like "My Blackened Heart" are a heavier take on when Paramore was still a rock band, while a song like "This Dream" is everything you could want from a mainstream rock track. For most of the record, Mallen shows themselves to be a promising group who already have some great material, and clearly have room to grow into an even more impressive band. If this record is the first step in a climb, they are going to be worth keeping an eye on. "Polarity" is a solid start to a career, and well worth the time you'll invest in it.

And just for the heck of it...

The Struts - Young & Dangerous

This goes into the category of disappointing, because of the shameless pandering included here. Half the record is the watered-down 'rock' music that is currently acceptable in the pop world, while the other half is blatant Queen copying. That could be fine, but the decisions are too calculated. They go so far as to include a second version of their big single that includes pop star Kesha, because they are trying desperately to get a hit. Their Queen worship makes no sense with the other half of the record, except for the fact that the Freddie Mercury biopic is just coming out. In that context, this record is not only disappointing to listen to, but disappointing for what it says about the band.