I Like It When You Sleep, For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware Of It

The 1975

The 1975’s new album emphasizes exciting ‘80s style grooves, electro sounds and a touch of gospel. In the album, lead singer Matt Healy reflects on our society by adding references to social media and fame. Their first release “Love Me” shows the band’s funky personality with quirky guitar licks similar to David Bowie’s song “Fame.” In the last song, “She Lays Down,” Healy reveals a personal story by using sincere lyrics, combined with an acoustic background.  The unique album name foreshadows the unpredicted twists taken to guarantee an amazing album.

Recommended: “A Change of Heart”

“A Change of Heart” is a slow-tempo, electro pop ballad which reminds fans why they fell in love with The 1975. The song captures the essence of the band by using a simplistic synth line and a bouncy guitar groove. Healy’s lyrics reveal a melancholy love story. The song contrasts ‘80s and current musical techniques and references the previous album’s songs.

This Unruly Mess I’ve Made

Macklemore and Ryan Lewis

Macklemore and Ryan Lewis attempt to create another notable mixtape, but topping their first Grammy award winning album, “The Heist”, proves to be a daunting task.  Although filled with big name feature artists and catchy beats, this album doesn’t compare to the previous one. A few songs such as, “Need to Know” (feat. Chance the Rapper) and “Growing Up” (feat. Ed Sheeran), exemplify the rapper’s talent, while others fall short and lack substance. Each song has flowing rhythms and melodies that highlight Macklemore’s deep voice.

Recommended: “Need to Know (feat. Chance the Rapper)”

Mixing Macklemore’s honest lyrics with Chance the Rapper’s strong melodies makes for a unique song that fans of both artists will enjoy. The song uses relaxed piano melodies with occasional gospel trumpets and the claps commonly found in Chance’s music. The simple repetition of beats complement Chance’s spectacular lyricism used in the song.

Painting With

Animal Collective

Looking for music outside of the generic pop and rap heard on the radio 24/7? Animal Collective’s new album “Painting With” perfectly represents a diverse type of music. Similar to Vampire Weekend, the band’s unique echoing sounds fall into the experimental-pop or psychedelic genre. The band plays a wide variety of instruments that mix effectively to create exotic tracks, while capturing the essence of indie music. At times the music can be annoying because of its electronic and repetitive patterns, such as in “Natural Selection.”

Recommended: “FloriDada”

“FloriDada” is a perfect example of the the album’s aspiration to be weird. The song instantly takes you to a surreal jungle scene. It layers many different textures to sound fun and reckless. Quirky instruments added randomly into the song sound organic and fun, and add to the silliness. The lyrics paint a quintessential summer day in your mind and leave you feeling upbeat.  

Vroom Vroom EP

Charli XCX

Famous for her hit single “Boom Clap,” Charli XCX now shifts to a darker, EMB-tailored theme. The songs are all fast-paced, but she includes high pitched melodies and random street noises like ‘vrooms’ to give her music a unique flavor. In the song “Secret (Shh),” Charli XCX’s voice and the instrumental track by electro music producer Sophie don’t quite coincide. The musical risks taken in this album are noteworthy, but they aren’t always successful. Electric sounds like beeps and boops highlight Charli XCX’s electric style.

Recommended: “Vroom Vroom”

The song “Vroom Vroom” captures everything you want in Euro-style dance music. In the verses, Charli XCX experiments with her rapping by using playful, rhythmic lyrics. The pre-chorus, the most catchy part of the song, uses a backtrack of bass beats sounding suspiciously similar to Iggy Azalea’s “Fancy (feat. Charli XCX).”