(AUGUST)New Music Rankings
As someone who likes to explore new music, I thought it would be fun to write about the top 5 new albums and random songs (not from the albums) that I discovered in the past month. The albums don’t have to be new official releases, but just new to me as a listener (this includes any “classics” I may have overlooked). It will challenge me to continue to expand my love for music, perhaps introduce people to new artists, and give me a reoccurring topic to write about month to month.
I will give each album a rating, mood (when I would say is the best time to listen to the album), and one song recommendation (if you just want to hear the best/my favorite song on it to hear if it’s worth exploring more). Some of the music that I get is based off of recommendations so if there’s something you’re really vibing with that you might think I will like, send it my way!
ALBUMS:
5. Disclosure — ENERGY: [ELECTRONIC] It’s been 5 year since Disclosure released Caracal, which didn’t quite hit the mark when comparing it to their debut album. Not much to say other than Disclosure returned to form for me. I enjoyed listening to a fair majority of the songs on this album and it just really made me sad that I couldn’t couldn’t experience this one live.
Rating: 6.8/10
Mood: Gym/Carido
One Song Recommendation:
4. Golden Features — Sect: [ELECTRONIC] Leading up to this month, I was anticipating the full release of the BRONSON album as some of their early releases were really good. BRONSON is made up of electronic duo Odesza and Golden Features. As a fan of the former, I went to check on some of Golden Features’ music and was not disappointed by this 2018 album. The BRONSON album was a tad lackluster for me, but Sect was a fine replacement for what I expected that album to be.
Rating: 7.1/10
Mood: Gym/Cardio
One Song Recommendation:
3. Sturgill Simpson — Metamodern Sounds in Country Music: [COUNTRY] It’d been a good while since I had dipped my toe back into country music. I used to listen to a fair amount of it back in 2017, but quickly got over the repetitive poppy nature of it. It just seemed to be watered down pop music, with a bit of twang which lead to a very ‘meh’ genre of music for me over time. If I would’ve found Sturgill then, I may have held onto the genre a bit longer as he carries a truer country sound that I find enjoyment in.
Rating: 7.2/10
Mood: Driving trucks
One Song Recommendation:
2. Taylor Swift — Folklore: [Alternative/Indie/Breakup] I was skeptical about T-Swift after her last album was just an outright flop. This album is a great bounce-back to vintage Taylor. She dropped the pop music (which I can be a fan of with Taylor) and picked up some ‘Lana Del Rey’ inspiration for this more somber, slow, melodic album. It’s a really good album with some amazing production and great lyrics.
Rating: 7.7/10
Mood: Mellow, Breakup
One Song Recommendation:
1. Tom Misch & Yussef Dayes — What Kinda Music: [Alternative/Jazz/R&B/Indie/Soul] What Kinda Music indeed. The album’s title is an obvious tip of the cap to the very nature of this album that can’t seem to be specified under one genre. It’s an absolute gem of smooth, cool beats delivered from Jazz musician, Yussef Dayes, who seems to be blowing up in 2020. Misch delivers a lot of beautiful vocal melodies up and down most of the album (and I’m sure had his hand in the production of the album). Front to back, I love the vibe of this entire album.
Rating: 8.1/10
Mood: Mellow, Studying
One Song Recommendation:
Honorable Mention(s): Glass Animals — Dreamland, BRONSON — BRONSON
RANDOM SONGS/SINGLES:
Drake — Laugh Now Cry Later [Hip-Hop]
Jack Harlow — Automatic [Hip-Hop]
Elijah Boothe — Simple [R&B/Soul]
The Shapeshifters — Finally Ready [Disco/Electronic]
Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande, & Purple Disco Machine — Rain On Me [Pop/Electronic]
Bon Iver — AUATC [Indie/Alternative]
Tom Morello — Stand Up [Rock]
Songs played while writing:
*Everything listed above
