It finally got me. The big C-19. A quick boom-bap, and I was down with both Covid and the flu at the same time. I’m currently on day 3 of my quarantine, and while I wish I could talk about how bored I am, I am mostly just miserably ill. I thought I’d be doing toe-touches and getting ripped, but I’ve mostly been having repeating bouts of fever, vomiting, and coughing like a fern ready to spew its spores. The only thing that I can do is listen to music and lay down with my eyes closed. Boy, was this the perfect time for that! I caught up on some of the past few months’ most impactful albums, or as I call them in my head, tornado albums. Know that if an album is on this list, it’s because it fits this criteria:
- Exciting
- Unexpected
- Interesting
So perhaps an album might be exciting and interesting, but not very unexpected. I mean that if an album you love doesn’t end up here, it wasn’t one of these things for me personally.
- 5SOS5 – 5SOS
I was more of a One Direction girl growing up, but I was always tempted by the allure of 5SOS’s bad boy aura. They were the less regulated One Direction, the band that parents hated, the guys that teenaged fans actually had a chance with. Now that we’re both older, I’ve become a 5SOS girl, and the catalyst I needed to start this transformation was the release of 5SOS5.
Some of their older songs were on my playlists, but I didn’t know much of their discography off the top of my head. And one day, tired of my music, I wandered over to the New Release section of Spotify and thought I’d give 5SOS5 a listen. Boy, am I glad that I did.
On the first listen, I felt pretty positive toward what I heard despite the fact that it took me over an hour to listen to. But then I listened again. And again. And again. It became my instant choice for a sound filler: washing the dishes, doing homework, driving to school, studying for a test… All scenarios allowed for the presence of 5SOS5.
This might be my favorite album yet, with my favorites being all of them but especially “HAZE,” “Bloodhound,” “TEARS!,” “Older,” “Easy for You to Say,” and “Caramel.” The album is incredibly cohesive and the perfect example of 5SOS’s style as artists, especially with its range of intonation and tempos. In general, 5SOS has always had a distinct control over chord progression and memorable melodies, and with a masterful and consistent inclusion of all four members’ voices, it felt like the fresh product of several talented people with different approaches to how a story should be told. All other positive comments aside, Luke Hemmings has to be one of the best vocalists that has ever graced this earth.
Though it can be a little repetitive, 5SOS5 is a pop Lord of the Rings trilogy of an album that I recommend to anyone that needs an album to help them through their day. Also, if you’re curious about 5SOS, I recommend a deep dive. You’ll enjoy what you find.
- The Car – Arctic Monkeys
I have literally never listened to an Arctic Monkeys album before I listened to The Car, so I’m not exactly an expert on what the context behind it is, but I know that I liked it! I love the way that this album moves like a candle flame, I love its jazz influence and the presence of classical instrumentation that makes it feel nostalgic and otherworldly. Though it was a little monotonous at times and I hoped for more expressive lyricism to match the backing track, I was pleasantly surprised by this album and its extremely stylized production.
- Midnights – Taylor Swift
Midnights is Prozac-requiring Lover, so it’s safe to say I enjoyed it. Though it’s not in my top 3, I have always loved when Taylor goes pop and with 1989 remnants like “Midnight Rain” and “Paris” mixed with Lover and reputation illegitimate children like “Lavender Haze,” “Maroon,” and “Karma,” it’s hard not to enjoy this album even just a little bit. It wasn’t life-changing for me, but it was the right album to drop at this moment in time considering alt-pop is in the gutter. Plus, the 3 a.m. songs were a tribute to folklore and evermore fans like me, so I’ve been pacified. I’m just glad she’s still releasing so much music!
- Human Overboard – James and the Shame
This might be the most tornado-like album on this list. As James and the Shame’s (or Good Mythical Morning’s Rhett McLaughlin’s) debut album, this is a torrential twister of heartfelt lyricism and old country influences– I swear, Keith Whitley is a backing vocalist on this album. I was completely blown away by McLaughlin’s range of vocals, especially since he doesn’t restrict himself to a singular threshold that leaves listeners wanting more.
The album centers around a crisis of faith that evolves into a celebration of life with vulnerability that covers how faith can touch every part of a person’s life, whether it be love, family, or self-image. I’m a firm believer that there’s something for everyone in this album even if they’re one of those people that “listens to everything but country.” The way faith is discussed in this album makes country the perfect vehicle to convey the delicately emotional nature of the topic and how genuinely earth-shattering it can be. Trust me, when you hear the earnest instrumentation and warm vocals, you’ll let this album be an exception to the “no country” rule.
Considering this is his first album, I am wildly hopeful for the future of James and the Shame and I truly think that his potential after this first release is astronomical. My favorite songs are “Believe Me” (which might be my favorite song on the album), “Give A Damn,” “Where We’re Going,” and “Kill a Man.” It’s interesting, unexpected, and exciting, so give it a listen!
- Rae – Ashe
I’ve been a big Ashe fan since I was 14 and I’ve loved watching her music evolve alongside her growth into becoming a well-established artist. Rae is the pinnacle of everything I love about Ashe’s music with top notch production, relatable lyrics, and endlessly unique melodies. It’s sultry, filled with every kind of genre imaginable, and brimming with drama: it’s the perfect album!
Ashe has a knack for creating showstoppers that never leave your mind until you listen to them again and the cycle repeats. She’s blues, she’s jazz, she’s musical theater, she’s rock, she’s pop– Ashe is someone you have to listen to, and I recommend starting with the absolute extravaganza that is Rae.
My favorite songs are “Another Man’s Jeans,” “Angry Woman,” “San Jose,” and “Fun While It Lasted.”
- Smithereens – Joji
Joji knows that he makes good sad music and he capitalized on that for Smithereens; however, I love good sad music, so it’s perfect for me! He is such a one in a million producer and I’ll probably like anything he makes, but his ability to convey his emotions within different factors of his music is addictive, whether it’s through his weeping vocalization or his masterful puppeteering of piano keys.
This album is another powerful installment of Joji’s discography and one of my favorite albums of the year so far. It’s a short, lulling ballad dedicated to those mornings when you can’t speak, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for something to listen to when mist lingers on autumn mornings.
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There are more albums that have shaken up the world recently that I’ll be sure to cover in the next few weeks, though school is kicking my butt. If you have a problem with it, address a respectful email to all of my teachers. Don’t do that, but also do that. But don’t… Wink…