By Greg Maki
At this point in her recording career—which has seen six full-lengths and another half dozen EPs since 2016—the only thing we can expect from Poppy is the unexpected. Having dipped her toes in dance pop, industrial, nu metal, metalcore and other diverse genres in the past, she throws a bit of everything—and more—into the mix on album number 6, “Negative Spaces.”
Through collaborations with Bad Omens (“V.A.N.”) and Knocked Loose (“Suffocate,” nominated for a Grammy), 2024 appears to be the year of Poppy firmly staking her claim to a spot in the current hard rock/metal landscape. But while much of the new record falls in line with that, it’s full of side quests into other areas that pique her interest. That’s how we get the synth-driven, dancefloor-ready “crystallized” following “they’re all around us,” fueled by aggressive, double-bass drumming and Poppy’s harrowing screams, and then leading into the ‘90s alt-rock-leaning duo of “vital” and “push go.” Later, she unleashes full-on Knocked Loose fury on the incendiary “the center’s falling out,” delivers one of the best Octane-style hard rockers I’ve heard in years on the industrialized “new way out” and even dabbles in arena rock—complete with “whoa-ohs”—on the title track. Other highlights include the opener, “have you had enough?,” channeling the more accessible “With Teeth”-era Nine Inch Nails before throwing in a pulverizing breakdown to pull it into more of the current age, and the dreamy, closing, pseudo-ballad “halo.”
All these disparate styles and influences shouldn’t work as one piece, yet Poppy brings them all together in thrilling fashion. Produced by former Bring Me the Horizon keyboardist Jordan Fish and largely co-written by Stephen Harrison (House of Protection, formerly of Fever 333 and The Chariot), the record somehow has a consistent, forward-thinking sound throughout even while strongly pulling influences from decades in the past. Many rock and metal purists probably won’t want anything to do with this due to its more eclectic moments and influences, yet it’s full of some of the most creative and effective songcraft in heavy music today.
Rating: 9.5/10
Sumerian Records – November 15, 2024
LINKS:
Buy/save/stream “Negative Spaces.”
www.impoppy.com
www.facebook.com/poppy
www.instagram.com/impoppy
www.youtube.com/poppy