Day 8: Unwed (Hot Water Music) - Made Of & Molly & The Zombies (The Gaslight Anthem) - 2 tracks

Artist:  Unwed
Album:  Made Of
Source:  http://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/16489-made-of/ and http://www.altpress.com/features/entry/song_premiere_pope_by_hot_water_music_side_project_unwed?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=altpress

Pre-listening Notes:  This is a new band featuring Jason Black of Hot Water Music the drummer of Small Brown Bike, and a couple of others.  Hot Water Music has been one of my favorite bands for a long time, so I am pretty stoked to hear some stuff that isn't from the folk singer side of the solo/side projects.

Initial Reaction:  I'm going to skip the initial reaction, since it's only 2 songs long anyway and just move to Random Thoughts. 

Random Thoughts:  Okay, it's a girl singer.  The music is pretty cool, sort of post hardcore, but it borders on "modern rock" at points.  I'm not hating this, but I'm also not loving this.  Okay, song two is doing less to make me like this.  I just don't think I care for her voice.  Again, the music is decent, but just not the vocals.  Oh well, could have been worse, I suppose.

Final Reaction:  Not feeling it really, it's too bad too, because in theory I should have loved this.  But, in practice it just fell flat.

Final Grade:  5.0/10

and

Artist:  Molly & The Zombies
Album:  2 Tracks
Source:  http://www.cbs.com/shows/the_good_wife/springsteen

Pre-listening Notes:  This is a new Brian Fallon project.  I have no shame in saying I love everything The Gaslight Anthem has done.  Like there isn't a single song I don't enjoy and the time I saw them live I thought they were great.  I also thoroughly enjoyed the record he did with his guitar tech as The Horrible Crowes.  Brian Fallon loves his classic rock and New Jersey punk.  I'm not sure where this will fall, but he's never failed me before. 

Initial Reaction:  Again, I'm going to skip the initial reaction, since it's only 2 songs long anyway and just move to Random Thoughts.   

Random Thoughts:  Okay, super mellow.  The first song is called Sketchy and honestly he could have stuck this in on any of his other albums and it really wouldn't have surprised me.  The second song is called Red Lights and it's a little more upbeat and band sounding and again is absolutely could still pass for one of the songs he wrote for either TGA or THC.

Final Reaction:  I have no idea if these are for an official release, or not, but I would listen to this again.  I like both of the songs.  I wouldn't mind them to up the tempo a little.  But, I suppose that is what he has his other projects for and maybe this is to satisfy his love of slower, more ballad type songs.  Brian Fallon is a pretty great songwriter and I could listen to him all the time.

Final Grade:  8.0/10