By: Sarah Finley, Max James Hill, Courtney Miller, and Jessica Whitesel
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Bring My Baby Back (Dr. Dog)
Jessica Whitesel: It’s Dr. Dog so naturally it is an awesome song. But, to be fair, I love Dr. Dog so I might be a bit biased. Overall this song manages to be upbeat and chill at the same time which is perfect.
Sarah Finley: Very chill, relaxed. Honestly, it’s Dr. Dog. If you like them, you’ll like this song. Praise be Dr. Dog.
Max Hill: Opening kind of reminds me of “Dry the Rain” by The Beta Band, which is a much better song. This is okay, though. A grower, not a shower.
Courtney Miller: Though pleasantly surprised that this song wasn’t rap, the melody and backing track were rather unimaginative. Sadly, the vocalist couldn’t pull up the slack with his own unimpressively whiny voice.
Color Purple (Rich Homie Quan feat. Young Thug)
JW: We get it the colour is purple. You told us that like every other line. The beat is good, but also generic. All in all not a huge fan, and I do actually love the colour purple.
SF: Initially wasn’t a fan. The lyrics were super repetitive, and not in the catchy rap way I enjoy. It’s a fairly cookie-cutter recipe for a modern hip-hop-radio-hit-wannabe. That being said, there are a few exceptions: it has a nice souped up high hat that brings together the new hip hop sound that’s so popular on the radio lately. The flute playing over the chorus also gives it a rich and organic sound that nicely differentiates it from the typical synthesizer-and-chime-heavy tracks today.
MH: Oh man, Young Thug totally overshadows Rich Homie Quan on his own song. I guess the refrain is supposed to be a reference to the novel? Or the Steven Spielberg movie starring Oprah Winfrey? Not exactly a similar tone.
CM: No. I‘m not a fan of rap by any means, but this song just blurred into the idea of what a rap song is and had nothing unique to say about itself.
Lost Weekend (Pete Yorn)
JW: Gravelly vocals always will have a soft spot in my heart. You could be singing about cauliflower and I would still consider it a good song. Like in this song, when the lyrics are well written, even if slightly repetitive, I am sold on the song.
SF: I loved it! This is the perfect kind of song to listen to while pensively staring out a bus window as the sun either rises or sets. Very cool climbing guitar hook in the introduction. The lyrics are fairly cliché, but in the way that I love — basically along the lines of: “you and I are really cool, let’s get out of this town and be quirky together.”
MH: I’m gonna be the naysayer here — this song didn’t do it for me. It sounds like what you’d get if you put the keywords “indie rock” and “emotionally fragile hipster guy” into a computer and waited for the algorithm to plop this out. Pretty forgettable.
CM: The music and the guitar especially are really spot-on. Only critique is that the vocals could be less like sandpaper and more melodic.
The Sound (The 1975)
JW: This song is The 1975, as soon as you hear it you know it is their song. But, with that being said, it is still relatively okay. It’s not “Chocolate,” but it fills the void, although not really, since you can understand the words.
SF: This is the classic The 1975 sound, with the exception of a vocal break near the end of the song. Memories of ‘80s pop come to mind at the beginning of the song, and are reconfirmed with the chorus and backup vocals. The instrumentation gives off a hybrid retro sound, while simultaneously combining elements of modern production. The song’s light-hearted and fun-bouncy attitude make this song fun to dance to while you’re getting ready in the morning.
MH: Sounds kind of like One Direction? Not that that’s a bad thing. Reminds me of my high school prom. I got drunk and stepped on a girl’s toes. She ran out of the room crying. Anyway, the song is okay.
CM: Another catchy, fun to jam to song about sex with excellent lyrical choices. Show me one other song with “Epicurean philosophy” in it.
Dark Child (Marlon Williams)
JW: Good vocals and good lyrics. Everything about this song makes me want it to not end, but the fade at the end was the best way to do so.
SF: This gave me a very Western-y vibe. The sound of a snare and high hat accompanies soulful plucking and scratching guitar sounds (which eventually switch over to an electric guitar) and a deep voice. The song is very earthy and tragic-sounding.
MH: Very chill. Sort of like Sun Kil Moon with a singer who can actually — you know — sing. Not super memorable but definitely wouldn’t feel out of place at a Starbucks first date.
CM: At the beginning it sounds totally like throwback-country, a Johnny Cash wannabe trying to make his mark. But it does more, it builds into a lovely falsetto juxtaposition.
How (Daughter)
JW: It’s a good song but it is not memorable. While the vocals are spot-on, they get lost in the instrumentals as the song progresses. Normally I love Daughter, but “How” is a miss.
SF: My love for Daughter is endless. She’s one of the few artists who continued being on all my playlists after high school ended.
MH: Actually, I really dig this one. I’m a pretty big Daughter fan and this has plenty of their usual post-rock inspired charm and sugary sweet melodies. Goes down smooth.
CM: While the intro is dissonant, with cacophonous guitar, it becomes much more palatable once the lyrics hit. It’s nothing special, but would make good background noise.
Moth to the Flame (Chairlift)
JW: I found myself dancing along to this song. It manages to make the synth heavy sound work, and the repetitive lyrics work. The decision to use actual talking in the song to break up the repetition was fresh. I will probably dance along to this song all week. No shame.
SF: Beautiful vocal fluctuations from the lead singer transforms the chorus from repetitive and dance-y to more soulful. The ending with the discordant “plink” sounds provide the closing of the song with its atmosphere.
MH: Fuck yeah, Chairlift. I loved their first album, as well as their recent hit “Cha-Ching.” This is more of the same good stuff, and makes me insanely pumped for their new album. Best of the bunch so far for sure.
CM: I’m not a huge fan of the vocalist, but the chorus is super catchy. For me, the really interesting percussion coupled with the poignant piano notes are the aspects that really carry the song.
Little Lies (Hilary Duff)
JW: WHY!? There was nothing wrong with the Fleetwood Mac version — in fact it is one of my favourite songs to sing along to. Hilary Duff broke it with her bass- and synth-heavy cover. That is all, this song is a mess and needs to not be listened to ever again. Period.
SF: Not really a fan. Admittedly, I was probably biased when I initially saw that Hilary Duff was the artist, but it lowkey reminded me of a song that would’ve played at one of my middle school dances. There’s a mild ‘bass drop’ and added synthesizers, and just. . . nah.
MH: Cards on the table: I’ve never been a fan of the original song, so naturally this didn’t do much for me. I miss Lizzie McGuire era Hilary, and the dubstep-inspired background is really not a good look for her.
CM: What I can hear of the lyrics are great and Duff’s voice is better than I expected, but despite the stellar beat it comes across as just another dance pop song.
Virtue (Bloc Party)
JW: I can get behind this song. It feels ‘80s inspired, but fresh at the same time. The mix of solid vocals with a relatively simple electronic beat makes it pretty catchy.
SF: This song has a simple 4/4 time kept by the drum, which keeps the song moving and upbeat. This is highly contrasted by the melancholic lyrics that are paired with almost Gorillaz-esque vocals. Beach rock guitar provides a haunting backing to the vocals and staccato organ sounds. This new age indie rock song is fun to listen to if you’re in the right mood, but could easily be critiqued for its simplicity.
MH: Man, what happened to you, Bloc Party? You used to be cool. This song is okay but it feels so anonymous compared to their early work, which was so unique and singular. Sounds like a washed out TV on the Radio cover band.
CM: The too-wavery vocalist is redeemed by the excellent beat, but they missed a prime lyrical opportunity: “Temptation hides in the space between [your thighs].”
King City (Majid Jordan)
JW: It’s a Majid Jordan song, so solid vocals with a super bass heavy backing track. Although he is singing, “You’re so damn special,” this song is not. It is pretty damn average.
SF: This song was pretty “meh” for me. The electric keyboard provides its motion, while the clapping/snapping rhythm contrasts and creates almost a visual stillness and tranquility. While the main vocals appeal to me, the back up vocals are too try-hard-y for me, and it’s entirely repetitive.
MH: Majid Jordan will probably go down in history as that dude who sang backup on “Hold On, We’re Going Home.” I’m with Jess — this song is supes average.
CM: The music sounds like it was pulled straight from the ‘80s to pair with the great range of a Sam Smith-esque voice. I couldn’t make much out of the vocals though, so I’d delegate it to background noise.
Conqueror (AURORA)
JW: Easy to dance to and sing along with, this is the perfect song for getting ready. It could work both for getting ready in the morning singing into a hairbrush, or for a night out dancing around your house with a drink you may or may not have poured too much booze into.
SF: This song reminds me of the song “Little Numbers” by BOY. The vocal sounds are similar enough to where initially, I thought it was BOY (side note: this is a good thing.) That being said, I loved it.
MH: What is up with Scandinavia and catchy pop? Robyn, Icona Pop, Lykke Li, The Knife, and now AURORA. It’s definitely not perfect, but for three minutes it’s a slice of unadulterated pop heaven and I’m 100 per cent along for the ride.
CM: This was my favourite out of this week’s choices. She’s got an awesome voice with just a touch of vibrato, and the melody is super fun pop with a touch of alt folk.
Home Sweet Home (The Lovelocks)
JW: The lyrics are cheesy as hell. But they are catchy and well written. They also remind me of my best friend which is weird considering it is a love song, but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ . I like it and will listen to it probably more than once.
SF: These artists reminds me of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, and not just because of the song title. Adorable sound accompanied by string instruments (which hold a soft spot in my heart 5ever), the cutest lyrics ever, and an upbeat pace. This is the kind of song whose lyrics you would choose to get tattooed with your best friend since elementary school — if you were the type to get matching tattoos with someone.
MH: Yeah, not for me. I’m not against pop country as a rule, but this feels like a song I’ve heard 100 times too many. I feel like the fun police for saying so, but it’s just a bit too sparkly for my liking.
CM: First things first: harmony = A+. Other than that, it’s an easy-listening, sweet-as-pie country tune with solid vocals.
