I was recently comparing the
listening to music today to say ten years ago and it is glaring albums
literally sell a fraction of what they used to (except your Adele or Taylor
Swift) and the question is why? Because the vast innovation and evolution in
music today is unparalleled but then again it seems the more we evolve, the
less our attention span lasts and let’s not forget that every penny counts so
with all that in mind, these are some albums that are out now that deserve to
be on rotation.
Lily Allens’ “Sheezus”
Now when it comes to lily, I am
biased because I basically love everything she has released from “Alright,
Still” to her funny/Shady quotes on other artists and I have to admit I was one
of the millions of fans that prayed for Lily to come off her 5 year hiatus (She
got married and had kids) and eventually the prayers paid off cause not only
did she come back but she returned with a BANG!!! Led by the hit single “Hard
Out Here”, She reconnects with her frequent collaborator, Greg Kurstin (and a few others) to bring us “Sheezus”. “Its such a good album that even if you were not a fan
before it, you would definitely find something to like about it; from her
endorsing the privileged life in “Silver Spoon” to the trials of being a Wife
and Mother in “Life for Me”. She shows that even with marriage and kids, she
can still cleverly say whatever’s on her mind without an edit button. She takes
on the industry and its competitive side in “Sheezus” as well as how fake
celebrity life can be on “Insincerely Yours”. “URL Badman” has to be one of my
favorite songs off the album cause … well (coming from where I’m from) I can
kinda relate. All in all, “Sheezus” is definitely a classic easy listening and
completely #dope record.
Coldplay’s “Ghost Stories”
OK let me be candid! “Mylo Xyloto”,
the bands previous album, was this themed record that was a bit complicated and
I liked the record but I wasn’t in love with it like say “A Rush Of Blood To
The Head” or my favorite Coldplay record of all time, “Viva La Vida”, so when
“Magic” a single off “Ghost Stories” dropped, all I remember was how Minimal it
sounded as well as how addictive it got (I unintentionally listened to it
constantly for ages). To me, that set the tone for “Ghost Stories” cause I knew
they were thinking what the world was thinking “ok we’ve done complicated and
shown evolution, let’s go back to the basics” and that is exactly what this
whole record represents (they draw back and maintain a minimalist approach for
most of the record while spreading their wings over to EDM territories which represents
today). This record also was a bit more personal because it was based on Chris
and Gwyneth Paltrow’s “Conscious Uncoupling”. There’s a line in “True Love”
that kills me, he tells her “Tell Me you Love Me, If You Don’t then lie to me”.
Other high points include the riveting “Ink”, my favorite track, “Another’s
Arms” and the reassuring “O”. (“A Sky Full of Stars” also makes for a surprising
high). “Ghost Stories” makes for a remarkable listen.
Haim’s “Days Are Gone”
The Debut album from this trio of
sisters caught me off guard! I mean I had heard of them blowing up in some
circles and I remember always going back to “Red Eye”, their collaborative
effort with KiD CuDi off his album “Indicud”. I never heard a single or anything
but I took a chance and boy did I get my money’s worth. Where do I begin, is it
from the Michael Jackson baseline laced “Forever” of the unforgettable “If I Could
Change Your Mind” of how these girls artistically blend 90’s R&B group sounds
with indi-pop-rock-soul reminiscent of Stevie Nicks. Even the cohesiveness of
the entire record in terms of signature melodies and catchy hooks as well as distinctive
sound really stand out. The “Live” element also increases the addictive nature
of the entire record. “Days Are Gone” in all will keep you hooked on the
rollercoaster ride that is Haim.
TO BE CONTINUED
No comments:
Post a Comment