Hello readers and fans, Today I am here to review Xdinary Heroes “Deadlock” album which was released on April 26th, 2023. I am really interested to see how this album sounds from their previous releases, so let’s get started.
Tracks
Track #1 “Come into my head”- This track reminded me a lot of early 90s rock with some hip-hop elements. There was a lot of bubble noises, smooth guitar transitions, nice bass editions, with some really garage-band style drums that play through the song. The vocals have this very smooth and sultry vibe to them with the additions of the raps, I think this track becomes a very unique one that really showcases the group’s personality well. It’s definitely a track I would recommend for a newer fan of theirs.
Track #2 “Freakin’ Bad” (Title)- This track is a very action movie OST kind of vibe with how the track introduces itself on the album. The very subtle drums and guitars in the beginning with the keyboards really get you hyped up about the track, the rap in the track creates a whole different side to this track with the addition of the police siren noises that are added in the background, the vocals on this track remind me of a lot of 80s rock singers with that very husky tone that builds as the instrumentation grows which is really nice to hear. The hook will definitely get stuck in your head. The bridge section of this song was honestly my favorite part of the song, I would definitely add this to a K-Rock playlist for sure.
Track #3 “Bicycle”- This track has a very mysterious almost punk rock sound to it when you first listen to it. For me at least, it reminded me a lot of instrumentation from American Punk rock groups that have that cut-throat edge about them. The introduction to the zooms and heavy guitars and hard-hitting drum sounds really make this track a lot different from the previous tracks on the album. The keyboard entry on the pre-chorus section was definitely a surprise for me in terms of how it’s put into the song. The vocals reminded me a lot of ones I heard a lot through the middle and high school emo times of my life which brought back so many good memories. Definitely another favorite song of mine from this album.
Track #4 “checkmate”- This track compared to the past tracks on the album is a lot more light-hearted and sweet sounding with the whistles and soft instrumentation in the beginning. The vocals that come in the beginning almost gave me a very R&B vibe on the track which is a lot different from the vocals I heard on the other tracks, they also have this story-telling essence about them that I feel really carries the message well for the listener. The organ style of keyboard sounds with the guitar and basses, make this track remind me a lot of tracks from Panic! at the Disco. It’s definitely a track that is more relaxed that I would recommend for people that love that laid back but still fun-sounding type of rock song.
Track #5 “Good enough”- This track has a very sentimental vibe compared to the previous track. The track’s production reminded me a lot of indie-rock groups that I have heard in the past like Rainbow Kitten Surprise, The Neighborhood, etc. The vocals have this vulnerable and emotional side to them, it was such a beautiful thing to hear on this album. The very soft piano and drums, with the very subtle strings in the track, really make this track so powerful and also very empowering with the lyrics, which I feel gives you that very warm-hearted feeling and a lot of encouragement. Definitely one of my favorite tracks on the album.
Track #6 “Man in The Box”- This track had a very interesting production in the beginning with the various zoo animal noises, the acapella “boms” at the start and the glass breaks. It made me honestly super curious about the overall vibe that the track was going to bring to the listener. The playful keyboard notes and funky bass with the addition of the guitars and vocals really made this track very unique. The raps that are added towards the pre-chorus made the track have a very cool character about it as well that made it almost like a hero and villain sort of storyline that I felt really carried through the lyrics in a way. Definitely a track I would recommend for someone who is really into storyline types of tracks.
Track #7 “Dear H.”- This track is a great way to close out the album with a very soft, mellow, and comforting-sounding production with very beautiful keyboard notes, a very subtle guitar. It shocked me once you got to the chorus with the very strong drums that come in as soon as the vocals change to a very victorious and commanding kind of sound. The track seems to me like a thank you note to their fans because I could feel this sort of gratitude feeling with how the lyrics were performed in the song. I feel like this would be a great song for the group to perform live in concert.
Overall, I think this album is definitely one for people that really love to see a band experiment with different subgenres within rock music. I feel like this album showed a new side of the group that was very surprising and definitely kept me on my toes. I feel like if you are a HUGE K-Rock fan, I think you will definitely enjoy what this album has to offer in terms of all the different kinds of stories, instrumentation, and showing a new side of the band’s color.
There are definitely some songs on this album that I would listen to again and send to some people. But I would like to know from you, my readers, What song from this album was your favorite? Or do you have multiple favorites? Let me know in the comments below. I’ll see you in the next post!
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