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Arcade Fire has delivered a mixed bag with Everything Now. There are some really great moments of synth heavy pop-rock here that get undercut by poor songwriting and flat messaging, despite their noble intents.
Synthesizers took the '80s by storm - changing the landscape of popular music and pop culture at large in the process. As musicians embraced the emerging technology, their own sound and style transformed into everything we remember the era for.
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Offering doesn't quite reach the heights of their debut and the music is noticeably brighter, shedding some of their darker undertones for a more generic pop album, but I'll be damned if it isn't catchy music all the same.
If the Beatles were the spokesmen of their generation, then Imagine Dragons are fast becoming the voice of a new one. They are the front men to a new sound and style that hits you with its rhythm-driven edge, but their appeal and message goes deeper than that.
Our collection of photos from a fantastic show at the Rock & Roll Hotel in Washington D.C., headlined by Hideout, Cullen Omori, and Cults.
Jenna Lotti's ambitious new track signals the debut of her eponymous EP. I let you in on my thoughts regarding her sound and what it could use to transcend the current pop scene.
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Sam Smith returned with a great follow up that's incredibly pleasing to listen to and radiant, putting his incredible voice front and center. However, I couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed that it didn't deviate much from his debut. More of a continuation than something wholly new and original.
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Whatever your opinion about Chris Brown and his music won't be swayed in either direction by Heartbreak on a Full Moon; at this point in his career he's a master at his craft and rarely makes a musical (keyword 'musical') misstep. This however, would have definitely been a case where less is more. I only made it about a quarter of the way through this monstrosity before my interest and attention began to wane.
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Tove Lo creates an interesting dichotomy on her latest album with it's glossy, pristine production and her unabashedly sexually depraved and devious lyrics. It's a softcore raunchiness with incredible grooves that I can't help but continue to revisit.
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Hurts' latest is full of formulaic festival anthem music that at times can feel aggressively generic but thanks to his great voice and touches of soul I couldn't help but nod right along with the melodies. There's some signs of true musicianship here but for the most part it's a clear ploy for chart-topping success, and whether they'll really find that success and acclaim is yet to be seen but it's a very crowded field they're playing in.
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Fever Ray's sound is not easily quantifiable nor is it's intent, it's quintessential mood music and just one of those things where you just know it when you hear it. I'm not sure that I enjoyed Plunge as much as her first album, at least not immediately, but there's no denying the sheer creativity and boundary pushing present that succeeds at evoking emotional response better than almost anything else that comes to mind.
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I'm not sure if WhoMadeWho was aided by any psychedelics in the creation of Through The Walls but he managed to craft one atmospheric, contemplative, trippy musical journey, and I can dig it.
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Trip felt like Jhené Aiko's most fully realized project yet and a major improvement over her major debut. It was just nowhere near as psychedelic as it was implied or as I hoped for, and ended up being a pretty straightforward ride.
Historically speaking, music has had a tendency to follow the binary model of low art/high art. However, more and more artists are moving between these two realms, and sometimes fusing them both within a single work. Take, for example, Adia Victoria. She makes intelligent music that still exists within a structure that will play to the footstompers. It has the danceability of a surf-rock release, but it also has the brains of a Jeunet. She makes smart work for smart people that can be listened to and enjoyed by everyone.
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Colors is about as frankly pop an album as I've ever heard from Beck. Albeit pop to an extremely high degree, because he is after all, still a master musician. And it shows throughout the album as each sound seems meticulously placed and the whole thing's polished to the highest degree. Colors is about as sonically perfect as you'll ever hear, but I couldn't help but feel like it lost some of it's soul in the process.
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Ty Dolla $ign's latest is a project made up entirely of bangers - no real subtlety, no high art, just bangers. It's top notch production coupled with his fantastic songwriting ability kept early fatigue from setting on. Expect a catchy, fun affair but don't expect much substance to go along with it.
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On it's surface, MASSEDUCTION sounds like a straight up pop album but once you dig a little deeper you'll find something much more delightfully deep and subversive. Everything about MASSEDUCTION feels effortless and I couldn't help but get strong Bowie vibes from her, from everything from the music to the project's aesthetics, and I can't think of any higher praise to give someone who's so clearly all about the true 'art' of music.
Taylor Swift certainly has a reputation...but do we care about her newest one?
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Maroon 5's latest is an extremely smooth, well polished, and professional sounding album that combined with Levine's now universal pop voice makes for a largely enjoyable listen. But it doesn't leave much of a mark either, incapable of evoking any genuine emotion.
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N.E.R.D's long awaited return isn't nearly as impactful protest music as they'd like you to believe but it is a wild ride nonetheless. On another note, it's taken nearly a decade for the rest of music to have even remotely caught up with their experimental sounds, so that's a testament to their vision in itself.
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Majid Jordan's latest is accentuated by some incredible synth work and a retro futuristic feel that does enough to create an infectious, almost dream like project with some serious grooves. It's good, clean, feel good music.
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Torii Wolf's haunting vocals and unbridled creativity paired with Premier's masterful production, create one of the most unique listening experiences I've had in quite some time and I hope they have even more in the works.
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While Django Django's previous efforts felt a bit more artsy in intention, the experimentation on Marble Skies feels done with the sole purpose of creating something fun. And it is fun, it's a lighthearted, head nodding romp full of brilliant melodies and earworm hooks. It's almost impossible not to be pulled into their joyous orbit.
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Yeah Yeah Yeah's refresh their style with this recording - lending new life to a classic track. I love it.
