Albums worth checking out this quarter:
DEBUTS:
Kodaline – In a Perfect World
After listening to Kodaline’s full album – it wouldn’t be so hard to fall in love. With pop rock written all over their sound with a stitch of emo remiscent of the 2006 slew of American punk-emo bands, Kodaline’s lyrics and frontman Stephen’s voice make In a Perfect World an enjoyable listen.
Key Tracks: Brand New Day, High Hopes, After All, All I Want, Love Like This
Swim Deep – Where the Heaven Are We
Swim Deep’s Where the Heaven Are We is the album you would want to play on a summer day, when you’re sitting by the pool and sipping a cool, refreshing drink. Sure, there could be a party in the pool too. Whatever. As long as you’re listening to it, you’re cool – cause that’s exactly how it feels for me: a cool, refreshing break from all the others I’ve been listening to.
Key Tracks: Francisco, King City, Honey, Make My Sun Shine
Little Green Cars – Absolute Zero
I’m always such a sucker for big folksy groups of boys with a girl as the centerpiece (The Head and the Heart, Milo Greene, Of Monsters and Men, The Paper Kites). Little Green Cars is the newest addition. While they do fit the category of folk groups who sing together in amazing harmonies, their attack is less softer – as a matter of fact braver, a bit more grittier, but glorious throughout.
Key Tracks: Harper Lee, The John Wayne, My Love Took Me Down the River to Silence Me, The Kitchen Floor
Volcano Choir – Repave
Bonny Bear (Bon Iver)’s newest project, Volcano Choir, is very much like Bon Iver, with less I-want-to-lie-down-and-experience-all-my-feelings-and-maybe-cry-until-4am feels and more of the Sigur Ros ambient atmosphere.
Key Tracks: Byegone (actually, it’s the kind of album that makes sense as a whole)
Phosphorescent – Muchacho
Fitting in to the Father John Misty types, Phosphorescent’s music takes me to a desert, with sand on my toes, wind in my hair, my eyes squinted while watching the sun rise or the sun set (either way, it has something to do with staring at the horizon haha). I haven’t done that yet, but Muchacho takes me there.
Key Tracks: Song for Zula, Ride On/ Right On
The 1975 – The 1975
Trust me, I tried not to talk about The 1975 anymore, due to my Q2 gushing, but what would a girl do when the four-piece just released their debut in September? And their Deluxe Edition includes all of their EPs? It’s like Christmas in September. It’s like the best deal in the world right now. I have to be honest though, on the first listen, I preferred the EPs (I still do) – there’s always something in studio versions that ruin the rawness of an EP’s version. But after listening to their album for a couple of times, some tracks won me over (hence my renewed The 1975 looping sessions).
Key Tracks: Chocolate (duh), The City, Sex, Girls, Talk!
COMEBACKS
Arctic Monkeys – AM
If you haven’t listened to this, GET. ON. IT. NOW. It screams Alex Turner sexyness.
Key Tracks: Do I Wanna Know, R U Mine, actually, everything
White Lies – Big TV
More synthy than rock basing from their To Lose My Life… album (which I loved), White Lies is on the 80s-music-comeback bandwagon. Despite me preferring their debut album sound, I am all for band growth, and Big TV did manage to shell out a couple of faves.
Key Tracks: First Time Caller, Change, Big TV, There Goes Our Love Again
SINGLES
Two Door Cinema Club – Changing of the Seasons
I am much more of a Tourist History fan than Beacon and I’m glad that “Changing of the Seasons” is more bent that way. First line of the song already hurts. Haha.
San Cisco – Metaphors
San Cisco is always fun. Remember “Awkward” and “Rocket Ship”? “Metaphors” is from their debut, San Cisco, which I don’t exactly love, but this track and “Wild Things” are some gems in that record. Also, I had an interview with San Cisco, which is pretty kewl.
Lorde – Ribs
If you miss Lana del Rey from her lack of releases since The Great Gatsby’s “Young and Beautiful”, Lorde can take over for a while. Despite me feeling that there’s something lacking in her debut Pure Heroine, this track stood out from the first listen.
Taylor Swift feat. Ed Sheeran – Everything Has Changed
I also had a renewed liking for Ed Sheeran – probably because everyone now likes Ed Sheeran. And he’s so likeable, don’t you think? I mean, how can you not like a guy who makes Taylor Swift bearable to watch again? Much more when he sang “No Diggity“, reminding the world how much fan it was?
Bastille – All of their covers!
I don’t know why but Bastille’s album doesn’t do it for me, but when they put a spin on their covers they’re like the most brilliant thing on the planet. They even make it ok to sing Miley’s “We Can’t Stop” cause Dan pronounces “can’t” with his accent. Go check out their cover for TLC’s “No Scrubs” too, it’s so good.
Dawn Lanuza 