'Yelling in a Quiet Neighborhood' Review: Kulick's debut studio album displays why rock has been declared dead
Kulick, Pennsylvania based alternative rock singer and songwriter, has dropped his debut full-length album titled 'Yelling in a Quiet Neighborhood'. A record that deals with themes of uncertainty, guilt, sadness, shame, love, remorse and closure, 'Yelling in a Quiet Neighborhood' displays why rock music has, over the past decade, been declared dead. A bland album that seldom changes its tone, 'Yelling in a Quiet Neighborhood' is something that Breaking Benjamin or Seether would put out, but with worse songwriting.
On most songs, Kulick sings about going through a journey that has today left him a different person. But, unfortunately, almost every song on the record is highly forgettable with the exception of 'Rope'. The first single off the album, on 'Rope' Kulick sings about his tough personal life and trying to evade the responsibilities of facing problems head-on. Talking about the song, Kulick said, "This was written when I was feeling so unsure of what to do when I got home. It was such a rollercoaster of wanting life to be the way it was before I left for tour, and some days wanting to start over. I knew something was wrong, I didn't like who I was while I was gone, and I didn't recognize who I was before I left. It really took a toll on the people in my life that I really love and care about, especially those closest to me, and for the rest of my life I'll wish I handled it differently."
While 'Rope', much like his 2018 single 'Ghost', is ultra catchy, the remaining of the album is more of a miss than a hit. There's no experimentation, the instrumentals are bland, and the songwriting, though personal in nature, falls flat and has been done before countless times in the past. It really puts into perspective why rock music has fallen off in the past couple of years, it's because it has gotten repetetive and ran out of ideas. Hip-hop, the most dominant genre at this point, for instance, is continually experimenting with sound, even fusing with rock and heavy metal, and consistently evolving. One look at the top songs on any rock charts, and you'll find the same old artists, who have been huge for the last 25 years, dominating still with hardly any new artists in sight.
The 28-year-old singer/songwriter, who faced disassociation and bullying in his small town as a child, channels these emotions through his music, and it shows. But, sonically, the album does not impress. It's sounds similar to early 2000s post-grunge acts, and not in a good way. Though it must be mentioned that Kulick's journey to the world of music is in itself inspiring. Kulick, who studied audio engineering at the Art Institute of Philadelphia, signed a deal with RCA/Gold’n Retriever Records after immense hustling. He ultimately toured with acts like Sleeping with Sirens and The Rocket Summer before releasing his debut EP 'Hydroplane'.
While the themes explored on 'Yelling in a Quiet Neighborhood' are timely and relevant – like battling to stay true to who you are in today’s busy society – the execution is the same-old generic radio rock claptrap. There are nine songs on the record: 'Crawling', 'Rope', 'Just Be Friends', 'Waiting For You', 'Monster', 'FUN!', 'The Way I Am', 'Lonely', 'Talking To The Ceiling'. But, at the end of the day, it all seems like one song.
'Yelling in a Quiet Neighborhood' will relase worldwide on Friday, October 16, via ENCI Records.