Review
If you’ve been following Poppy throughout her career, you’ll know that she’s not afraid of experimenting with her music, so long-time fans might have been a little surprised to find out that her newest album, Empty Hands, doesn’t deviate much from her previous album, Negative Spaces. That’s not to say that Empty Hands isn’t a great album! On the contrary, Poppy continues doing what she does best, and what she does best is whatever she wants.
Empty Hands, Poppy‘s seventh studio album, and released through Sumerian Records, doesn’t confine itself to a singular genre, just like Poppy doesn’t confine herself in anything she does. Her second collaboration with producer Jordan Fish, who you might also know from his work with Bring Me The Horizon, dishes up thirteen tracks that go from industrial to symphonic rock, from alt metal to hardcore punk, and from deathcore to djent, while still sounding like a complete whole throughout the 38 minutes of playtime.
The album’s lead single, ‘Unravel‘, starts out as a soft, melodic pop song, only to surprise you with a breakdown most metalcore bands would be jealous of. Tracks like ‘Bruised Sky‘ and ‘If We’re Following The Light‘ continue this theme, switching effortlessly between slow, melodic verses and fast-paced heavy choruses, but for me the best tracks on the album are the ones that set themselves apart from this formula.
Take for instance the album’s opening track, ‘Public Domain‘. It’s exactly what you’d expect to hear from Poppy; cynical lyrics set to a mix of (if you’ll excuse me) poppy beats and straight forward metal with some electronic influences, and it showcases exactly what makes Poppy such a force to be reckoned with. Another noteworthy track is ‘Dying To Forget‘, which could be considered the singer’s take on death metal, complete with chugging guitars, a solid breakdown, and even a blegh thrown in for good measure. My personal favorite though, is the album’s final and title track, ‘Empty Hands‘. It’s an uncompromising speed/thrash metal track that wakes you up and kicks you in the face, and a perfect end to the album, effortlessly bookending the album with the opening track.
While you will hear Fish‘s influences throughout the album, it’s still Poppy being her ruthlessly unapologetic self, and Empty Hands is a worthy new chapter in the discography of an artist who remains as diverse as ever.