First Listen no. 8

ISSUE 08

FIRST LISTEN yearbook

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Hello 2023,

Can you believe 2022 is over? I can't.

As cheesy as this is going to sound... 2022 was the year I found my people, made unforgettable memories and discovered so much new music. I want to start the year off by expressing my gratitude to every who has and continues to support First Listen. I seriously couldn't do it without you. e to remember.

Contents

First Listen Best Before by alex munroe 2022 Yearbook 01 02 04

Table of

Album Covers via Bandcamp, Spotify and Apple Music Photography by

Amelia Bailey

Dethmask, Pt. 2 Darko US All My Homies Hate Ticketmaster Zach Bryan HONEY POISON PALESKIN Show Me Your God The Amity Affliction Immortalize Crown The Empire Alive Chris Yonge Happiness Doctor Mother Father the way that we started (taylor) Elijah Woods Too Much Is Never Enough Gideon Manipulation Graysea Keaton's Party Playlist Keaton Henson World Unknown PhaseOne ft ERRA Libertad Shrezzers WISH ME LUCK Wallows The Devil You Know Waxforest Dichotomy Weighbridge FIRST LISTEN WITH AMELIA D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 2 1

Best Before

by Alex Munroe

It’s not easy moving from the carefree days of your teens into the stressful, sometimes disappointing reality of adulthood. In their highly anticipated debut album “Best Before,” Dartmouth’s Book Buddies capture the raw and awkward emotions of watching friends move on, adulthood drama and having a hard time figuring life out.

This album is a compilation of songs Becca Dalley wrote in their bedroom in the hopes they’ll connect with someone out there and make them feel less alone From the first song, “Neon,” it’s clear that this album will be something special. It sets an immediate tone of fun and playfulness as if you ’ ve walked into a party already in progress.

It’s an encouraging start to the album, which continues through with songs like “Dream Girl” and “Headspace.” Throughout the record, the drums hit hard and don’t stop – they’re so punchy and powerful that they could easily carry entire songs on their own. On top of that, Becca’s voice is strong and assertive, bringing back memories of my favourite singers from old alternative bands. They don’t need to hide behind effects or editing; they just let their natural sound shine.

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My favourite on the album is the closing track, "Manic. "If you're a fan of Cluttered, you may recognize vocalist Matty Grace, who adds even more depth to an already moving and relatable song. While it's the slowest on the album, it's the most emotional, and I relate to it a lot. I'm sure everyone has had moments where they're stuck in their head and feel like they're going crazy; this song speaks to that feeling so well and allows listeners to know that they aren't alone in their thoughts.

Having a diverse range of musical influences, Book Buddies' sound is frequently described as "genre-mashing.” The group hasn't pinned down exactly what kind of music they'd call themselves, and they're okay with that. With a desire to bring some heaviness to their sound, their music has the potential to veer in any direction and encompass whatever genres they feel like playing with at the moment. Although Book Buddies has only been together for a couple of years, the unit has already become one of the most exciting new acts in the Maritime music scene, gaining a dedicated following among some of the other big local bands.

Riding the high of their successful album release, Book Buddies have already started working on an EP that will be out at the end of March 2023.

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On the following pages, you'll find my favourite releases, photos, and memories from 2022.

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2022 yearbook

photo of the year

Class of 2022

Close Your Eyes; Let Time Go By Actual Vivid The Classic Symptoms of a Broken Spirit Architects Never Before Seen, Never Again Found Arm’s Length Glitter Folk Ava Strange Pictured 25 Avi Turner THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND Bad Omens Emotional Creature Beach Bunny Swerve Blight Town Suffer Summer Chastity

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Steezy Chris Turner Bash Out Citizen Semaphore Colourblind

FSU FIDLAR Oh What the Future Holds Fit For An Autopsy Here At All Gleemer 7

Páthos Conjurer The King of Okay Dad Patrol

Pull From The Ghost ERRA

Flourish Festival

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photo of the year

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Under The Surface Graysea

Drink Milk and Run Hot Mulligan They Fear Us Ithaca Lemon Haze Jetski five seconds flat Lizzie McAlpine Worse Than Before LOVEOVER Hit Record Marian 10

Harry’s House Harry Styles S/T Helsreach

Winded Release Show at Sweltering Songs

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photo of the year

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Never Had To Leave Matt Maeson Alone In My Car Medium Build NO CAP The Merci Buckets In Stasis Monuments Winded Motherhood Stick Season Noah Kahan Black Holes & Rituals Not Now Mourning As A Metaphor Pale Ache Captain Are We Thinking? Quitters 13

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In My Car rat tally Psycho Bitch sadie End of Days Single Wound Euthanasia Stray From The Path The Water Runs Backwards Here Surface Wounds Midnights Taylor Swift Heroine Thornhill This World is Going to Ruin You vein fm

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American Heartbreak Zach Bryan