We bring you… the hottest takes on last week’s Release Friday singles and albums. Fom the good, the mid, to the bad, we rank and review top tracks, giving trophies to the best of the best and tossing the worst of the worst into the bin.
Singles
Good
🏆 5 SoS – “Telephone Busy” is a promising addition to 5 SoS’s upcoming album, Everyone’s a Star. Opening with energetic synthesizers, the following rapped vocals build to a satisfying beat drop that you just can’t help but move your body to.
Moneybagg Yo, G Herbo – “Feet On Land” produces a simple yet catchy rhythm with 808s sure to become engrained in the listener’s brain. The smooth lyrical delivery is a cherry on top of the memorable rhythm. The result? An easily loopable song both on aux and in the mind.
Sampha – “Cumulus / Memory” … “Cumulus” starts the track with a dreamy and ethereal backing, while “Memory” serves as a transition to a simpler, chill beat halfway through. No matter what beat accompanies him, Sampha’s metaphorical lyricism, loaded with imagery, shines throughout the track.
Mumford & Sons, Hozier – “Rubber Band Man” is a beautifully written and produced song only possible due to the collaboration of the indie-rock scene’s biggest stars. The clear acoustic guitar in the forefront of the instrumental section merges both artists’ distinctive folk styles, and the fast-paced, upbeat tempo throughout the song pulls in bluegrass elements. The best part of the song is when a once gentle guitar strum eventually builds to an emotional crescendo, Marcus and Hozier both singing the chorus that ends with a hopeful “If nothing lasts forever, babe, then can we make a start?”
Foo Fighters – “Asking For A Friend” is an emotionally provoking call to stay strong, especially in disillusioning times. It features epic and powerful electrical guitar shreds that culminate in a passionately aggressive riff and conclude with a satisfyingly guttural scream. Intense and energetically charged, “Asking For A Friend” serves as evidence for Foo Fighters’ throne as one of the most influential modern rock bands.
Mid
Cigarettes After Sex – “Anna Karenina” is yet another 5 minutes of CAS’s signature sound: dreamy, breathy guitar, slow drums, and atmopsheric vocals. The song opens with a monologue from Gonzales describing a toxic relationship, and the entirety of the repetitive, ambiguous lyrics leave listeners in quiet, confused contemplation of what the hell he was trying to say.
Lewis Capaldi – “Almost” was almost good! The vocals of this heartbroken pop ballad, while beautifully done, did not capture emotion with enough allure to draw listeners into Capaldi’s life. The track is worth the listen on its own, but I’ll definitely add it to the heartbreak playlist.
LE SSERAFIM & j-hope – “Spaghetti” belongs in a Target ad with its bubblegum beats and cheap double entendres. While the vocals are beautiful, they lack substance. I’d say it’s not quite spaghetti… more a bowl of buttered noodles.
Tyla – “CHANEL” is repetitive and boring, though sonically pleasant. The three-minute song feels a lot longer due to little-to-no change throughout its length: the same chorus and pre-chorus echo back and forth for most of the run time.
Tee Grizzley, Rod Wave – “Voicemail” lyrically reflects upon persevering through hardship, evoking an overall heartfelt tone. However, the basic, bare-bone beat that accompanies the song dulls the passion of the lyrics, leaving the overall song lackluster.
The Neighbourhood – “Private” hooks listeners with the starting riff but lets them go almost immediately. From the monotonous beat and melody to the random mention of the band’s name at the end, this track falls short in comparison to other songs by The Neighbourhood.
Polo G – “Quality Over Quantity” offers Polo G’s signature sing-rap sound over a newly subdued, melodic trap beat. While the song is an easy listen with great lyricism exploring survival of insincere relationships and construction of community, the overall production is formulaic and repetitious.
Bad
🚮 Jessie Murph – “I’m Not There For You” doesn’t show out for listeners, somehow coming across as the stereotypically boring country-pop venture. A slower song that focuses on Murph’s raspier vocals, the tune feels stuck in place.
Megan Thee Stallion – “LOVER GIRL” is backed by the very romantic sounds of a squeaking bed, a “subtle” hint towards the overall message of the song.
Albums
Good
🏆 Leon Thomas – PHOLKS, we might have a hit on our hands. Seeing another album from Thomas right on the heels of the deluxe for his last album that was released just this Summer, I expected little out of this album. But Thomas had me in for a pleasant surprise, with an album that maintains his style of vocally emphasized pop while exploring new backing music that highlights strong instrumentation and a more swing style.
Daniel Caesar – Son of Spergy draws inspiration from Caesar’s relationship with his father Norwill Simmonds, a Gospel singer, and explores the struggle of faith and what it means to believe. Sonically, this album is soul-reaching. Aside from his classic R&B sound, Caesar also taps into Gospel music, Blues, and Baroque, creating intricate layers of acoustic and electrical guitars, piano, and other instrumentals more often seen in jazz, such as hi-hat and woodblocks. This thoughtful orchestration makes vulnerable lyrics like “I know there’s a God that’s withholding His help” and “I can’t be at home where my father lays” all the more emotional and powerful.
Mid
Mac Miller – GO:OD AM (10th Anniversary Edition) is a posthumous release and testimony to Miller’s prolific legacy. While the majority of the album remains the same, the Estate graciously includes three unreleased tracks from the previous project as nostalgic additions and a throwback to what most fans consider as one of the best periods in Miller’s music career. Sonically though, these new songs don’t hit as well as the originals, and Miller’s usual witty, off-beat delivery feels a bit awkward.
Demi Lovato – It’s not that deep … was just not that deep. While it’s an energetic, engaging listen, it lacks the variety and dimension that makes other albums in this genre more successful. The album deviates from Lovato’s more recent punk-influenced era, and though I appreciate these new songs with cool synths and techno-pop beats, the lyrics and themes are painfully generic.
The Chainsmokers – Breathe in and feel the festival air the Chainsmokers were clearly breathing in creating this album. Though carried by its lead singles, the album is an enjoyable listen throughout. It caters to an EDM/raver audience rather than the fanbase cultivated around their older, safer radio hits.
Dave –The Boy Who Played the Harp employs a dull, basic music production style, mainly focusing instead on lyrics filled with imagery and metaphors. The lyrical content is heavily Christian, though, which may ring as uninviting to diverse audiences.
