Albums of the Month: February
January was a good month for music, but February has brought even more talent to the table. Take a look at new releases from this month.
Starting off strong, Paramore released their sixth studio album after a five-year hiatus. “This Is Why” came out February 10th and consists of ten songs with sounds of alternative rock and pop punk. Lead vocalist Hayley Williams says this project is more guitar driven. “We’ve found ourselves listening to a lot of older music that we grew up being inspired by.” The band says they have taken influences from other previous bands like Bloc Party, Foals, and Talking Heads. Logan Gourlay of Rock Sound called the album a ”jittery post-punk record” and liked the influence from these bands. The most popular song is the self-titled track and has a little over 42 million streams. The song is about how the world has only grown crueler and more selfish. It has snarky, nihilistic undertones and sets the mood for the album.
Gorillaz dropped their new album called “Cracker Island” yesterday and it is receiving mixed reviews. This is the band’s eighth studio album and has themes of loneliness and dives into the idea of the isolation and commodification of our virtual age. Pitchfork gave the project 6.5 stars out of 10. They said the production and songwriting are “more solid than exhilarating,” and “Cracker Island’s slightly lackluster impact feels like a sign of diminishing returns.” On the other hand, Rolling Stone states that it is “the easiest-going and most pleasurable Gorillaz album” since their opening 20 some years ago. The most popular song so far is New Gold, which features Tame Impala and Bootie Brown. Kevin Parker brings a snazzy charm to his verse, and when paired with the synth-pop melody, creates a beautiful work of art.
Finally, there is 23-year-old singer and songwriter Gracie Abrams, who has just released her debut album named “Good Riddance” with 12 tracks. This record brings sounds of melancholy to her classic genre of hazy bedroom pop. CLASH Music says it is “a deeply confessional offering, with decadent melodies and production that platform her distinctive vocal.” Abrams talks about the complexities of relationships and displays the theme of guilt in an innovative way. The most popular song on the album is “Amelie” and is about the lingering but lustful relationships of important people in our lives. “Good Riddance” may be viewed as a classic heartbreak album, but many of her lyrics make you turn inward and look at yourself in a different light.
Many new albums for the month of February! Feel free to check out any of these artists on Spotify or Apple Music. We will have to see what else is in store for the month of March.
