John Galm - River of Blood (Red Vinyl)

It's harder to begin again when everyone already knows who you were. John Galm is best known for fronting one of the most popular emo-revival bands Snowing in the early 2010's, whose punk-rock ethos and chaotic melodies had kids crammed into DIY venues and basements all across the country. Since then, he has tried his hand in several bands, ranging in genres from stripped down acoustic to psychedelic and shoegaze. The latter band, Mt. Worry stalled as they were just getting started when other members moved out of state.Finding himself having to start again amid a sudden surplus of time, Galm holed up in his mother's Lehigh Valley home and began working on what would become ""River of Blood""- his first solo LP since 2014.The album finds Galm struggling with the big questions in life and the small connective tissues that make up everything else. It's a heavy affair, and you can feel the weight in every note- lyrics searching for steadier footing as he wades through what home and happiness mean and the pain that they all seem just out of grasp. Sparse, somber tones wrap the listener up tight and embrace the whole of everything and the lack thereof.It's not all bleak- ""River of Blood"" celebrates the small victories too. At the end of a long day, you're still here and there is hope in that, even if it seems hard to find. The search continues.