Singles Roundup: Magnus Karlsson, Yours Truly, Thundermother, & Evanescence

We're in a weird time where a lot of records are getting delayed (for obvious reasons), but new music might be more needed than ever. I won't get into my feelings on those decisions right now, but there has continued to be some new music still coming out way. Let's take a look at some of the single doses we've been gifted in recent times.

Magnus Karlsson - Queen Of Fire

This song from his upcoming solo(?) effort features Noora Louhimo from Battle Beast on vocals, and it is glorious. I've come to the realization that Magnus' music is dependent on the singer. When he has someone I love, his songs and records are melodic bliss. When he doesn't, they sound tired. This is the former, with Noora's voice wringing everything she can out of this song. It's dramatic, melodic, and a great addition to the Allen/Olzon album we already got from Magnus this year. The rest of his solo album.... we'll get to that eventually.

Yours Truly - Composure

I loved Yours Truly's "Afterglow" EP, and said the only thing wrong with it was that we didn't get a full-length album. That appears to be what we're going to get sometime this year, and this new song makes that something to look forward to. Among the bands playing ultra-catchy pop/rock, Yours Truly is right at the top of the mountain right now. Mikaila's voice pierces through the crunchy guitars, and by the end of the song the upbeat energy starts to wash over you. It's nothing fancy, but it's done so well I absolutely love it.

Thundermother - Driving In Style

When their last album came out, I thought Thundermother had the pieces needed to do something really good. They were solid players, and had a really good new singer, they just needed a bit more in the songwriting department. With this new song, they've got that. They are still playing classic rock with an AC/DC sound, they've expanded in more melodic territory, with this being the catchiest song they've done. It's a great tease for the album, because it shows them stepping up their game, and makes me wonder if it's a one-off, or if they are now that good of a band.

Evanescence - Wasted On You

I'm amazed how much attention this band still gets, since they had one album and one single more than fifteen years ago, and have given us nothing to care about since. For some reason, though, people still care. I don't know why, and this song makes that question echo louder. This track doesn't really rock, it isn't really beautiful, and it isn't all that good. It's bland, forgettable, and not at all worthy of the hype Evanescence is going to receive. This is a band still riding on past success, and if this song is an indication, there won't be any in the future.