Top Favorite Albums of 2014 - Issues by Issues

Favorite Tracks
“Mad At Myself”
“Stingray Affliction”
“Late”

Let’s go back to the beginning of March to kick off my list with the self-titled album from Issues – a band that proves just how important it is to pay attention to those opening acts. I made my way to the Electric Factory in Philadelphia on a chilly spring evening and caught Of Mice and Men and Bring Me the Horizon’s co-headlining tour. Now, this show was incredible from start to finish. Each band slayed their set without a doubt, but the one thing on my mind as I walked out into cold that night was “how in the world did an opening act make me want to dance THAT much?” I came to the show for Of Mice and Men and left all about Issues. The next morning, I was all up in Issues newly released debut album and have been ever since.

Harmony can be an underrated concept in hardcore music with respect to the clean vocalist and screamer, but it is really important that the two blend and play off each other well. Issues’ first record proved that they have this down to tee early in their career. Clean vocalist, Tyler Carter, has one of those really smooth voices in hardcore that I completely flip for and screamer Michael Bohn’s brash and raspy sound pairs perfectly. Their freshman effort is impressive because in addition to that solid pairing, the record displays a balance between so many seemingly opposing influences, incorporating their hardcore music with more soulful elements. Hailing from Atlanta, Issues brings in much of the Atlanta musical culture into this record. Songs like “The Langdon House“ and “Stingray Affliction” incorporate old school style hip hop into their instrumentation with melodic vocals and record scratches. “Never Loses Your Flames” and “Mad At Myself” show off Carter’s vocal range and delivery that could put many a R&B artists to shame. Then, there is “Life of a Nine” which could very easily be turned into a rap joint from the way both Carter and Bohn approach the lyrics in this song. There is a lot to be impressed with on this record and I didn’t even mention the gospel choir rounding out the last track, “Disappear (Remember When),” which back up Carter’s final notes of the album perfectly and is just all around flawless.

I spent so many days in the gym with Issues at the top of my workout playlist that it’d be a crime to not include their record as one of my absolute favorites of the year. If you weren’t fortunate enough to check out this record when it first dropped in mid February, you need to make up for lost time now and let it pump you up now. I guarantee you that when you inevitably add exercise to your list of New Year’s resolutions, Issues will be the perfect motivator.