Sounds Like: An amazing set off anthemic hooks waiting to be discovered.

My Summer album that’s still spinning. “Bigger Than Before” os  album I wanted to play tour while running errands. - loud with the windows down.  Born out of the ashes of Joanna Gruesome, Ex-Vöid make songs with massive hooks and choruses that have an undeniable urgency.

This was the write-up I’ve been most anxious about, as I haven’t quite landed on how to describe Ex-Vöid ’s sound.  It’s certainly power pop, but there so much else happening. There are pure punk and noise moments, like the opening of “Chemical Reaction,” with a thirty second blitzkrieg before pulling a bait-and-switch.  These songs jangle like power pop, but there is a breakneck pace to these songs that elevate everything. A lot of credit needs to go the rhythm section - Jonny Coddington is a beast on drums and Laurie Foster locks right in on bass to give this album an unbreakable percussive backbone. The guitar work falls right in line to hammer these songs to the stratosphere.

Many of the tracks on “Bigger Than Before”  start with a wall of sound, but the vocals are never lost. In fact, the vocals, layered between the groups founders Alanna McArdle and Owen Willams, take on something almost other worldly. The vocals are both clear and bright, while also being deep and pensive.

“Bigger Than Before” is album of singles; any of these songs would be the standout on another bands album. From the opening seconds of “Churchyard” to the fierce strum of “Boyfriend,” there is not a down moment, it’s one hit after another.  The album concludes with the soft acoustic duet of “My Only One,” and it’s a beautiful encore from the blistering nine tracks that proceeded it.  “Bigger Than Before” tells you exactly what you’re in for: an emotional wallop from the power pop hooks bigger than you’ve ever felt before.

Favorite Track:  I love the opener “Churchyard,” But the buzzsaw guitars and chug of “(Angry at You) Baby” is my current standout.