Been wondering what's new? Us too.
LOCAL
Bombshell Nightlight, New Sheets
In his new singles, New Sheets and A Fall Again, Bombshell Nightlight uses simile and metaphor to convey his love and fear of change. New Sheets talks about the beginning of a relationship and the fresh feeling of new love. A Fall Again talks about his fear of change, using the change from summer to fall to represent his emotions. Strong electric guitar carries the tracks with techno harmonies interspersed throughout to counterbalance his vocals.
EP
SEVENTEEN, ; [Semicolon]
In their latest EP [semicolon], SEVENTEEN revolutionizes the western K-Pop wave. From jazz to hip hop, SEVENTEEN draws inspiration from traditional American influences. Each song feels like it came from a different dimension, and [semicolon]’s variation is refreshing. The percussion highlights the rap and English verses perfectly: and when I say this EP goes, I mean it goes hard.
ALBUMS
Helena Deland, Someone New
In her most recent Album, Someone New, Deland sings about living in an unhappy relationship and its subsequent end. The album is layered with thin sounding guitar, heavy bass and wispy vocals. She highlights her frustration and sadness in a way that perfectly describes the feeling of objectification and unwanted possession in a relationship.
Baird, BIRDSONGS, Vol. 2
Baird strikes again! But this time in a refreshing take on indie techno-pop. Acoustic instruments and simple harmonies are mixed together with techno bass to make a great mix of classical music and hip hop. The lyrics and harmonies are beautiful and the influences of Spanish and jazz chord progressions really put the album over the top.
Caleb Giles, Meditations
Giles is poetic. His lyrics are impactful and relevant, talking about Black Lives Matter and scrabbling to establish oneself in the midst of a vicious system. His new album, Meditations, takes clips of soul music and layers them with a strong beat and varied instrumentals. Harmonies strike the ear in perfect beat with syncopated tracks: one of the best hip hop albums since Tyler the Creator's Flower Boy.
Boy Pablo, Wachito Rico
Someone’s crushing…
Wachito Rico captures the devotion of slipping into a relationship: quickly enamored. Warm bass lines and beach rock-esque guitars with long held synthesizer shine. The music mixes influences from Boy Pablo’s Chilean heritage with Rex Orange County-esque ballads, and I’m head over heels. Ethereally composed, Boy Pablo’s muse should be flattered.
Adrianne Lenker, Songs and Instrumentals
Lenker blurs the lines between abstract and tangible, in her new album, songs. Through the strong personification of nature, Lenker portrays her feelings in tune with her surroundings: both physical and emotional. Mixing soft and smooth vocals with thin acoustic guitar and percussion that mirrors the world outside her, Lenker’s love and loss dance in circles around each other. Instrumentals, the sister album to songs, accents the emotions conveyed through songs in a way that can only be described as magnetic.
The Mountain Goats, Getting into Knives
Through a series of vignettes, Getting into Knives tells a story of negative space. The Mountain Goats directly address the audience throughout the album, sucking the listener into the middle of a story with no beginning or end. Each song creates a bubble of complex life that happens to the listener but also exists outside of them. Classic folk punk influences are mixed throughout the album. Acoustic and electric guitars highlight the lyrics with varied percussion and piano harmonies in the background.
Assembled by music director, Elinor Smith.