Afternoon everyone! Back again with another roundup of this weeks top records, as chosen by yours truly.
TUNE OF THE WEEK: Foo Fighters – ‘Shame Shame’
‘Shame Shame’ feels almost like an abstract rock song in it’s opening. The instruments overwhelm the vocals, with lead singer Dave Grohl‘s softened voice merely an echo in the background. The drums kick in, and Grohl’s voice takes over for a single moment, before being dominated by the instruments yet again.
I’m kind of a little bit in love with it.
‘Shame Shame’ feels like a journey, transporting you elsewhere as soon as you press play. Foo Fighters are no strangers to this kind of building song, with previous hits like ‘Run’ and ‘Sunday Rain’, and this is just another step in their proving they’re the best at this niche genre. ‘Shame Shame’ feels very organic as if it were merely the result of a jam session that the band just decided to hit record on. The guitars and drums move around each other, with the occasional orchestral element swooping in to catch you off guard, shaping and ebbing their way into creating a stunning song. The song is 4 minutes long, but feels limitless, looping around near perfectly to play again and again in all its glory.
‘Shame Shame’ is available to listen to now via RCA Records.
AC/DC – Power Up
After falling in love with ‘Shot in the Dark’ when it was released a few weeks back, let’s just say I was more than a little bit excited for the release of AC/DC‘s 13th studio album, Power Up. And God, did it not disappoint.
AC/DC are a band that do not need an introduction. Rock legends, and one of the best selling bands of all time, they helped define the classic 70s and 80s rock sound with their numerous best selling albums, from Highway to Hell (1979) to Dirty Deeds Done Cheap (1976) to Razor’s Edge (1990), to, of course, Back in Black, the second best selling album of all time, behind only Michael Jackson. Now, back under the lead of icon Brian Johnson after a 4-year hiatus due to health issues, AC/DC are back and better than ever.
Power Up is a great album, giving those of us who are maybe still a bit too obsessed with music that came out 50 years ago some sweet, sweet hard rock. It feels electric, completely high energy and Johnson’s classic vocals screaming through with some great headbangin’ tunes. This album could have easily been recorded in the late 70s, it feels straight out of the golden era of dirty, intense rock. It’s unapologetically AC/DC, and frankly just a cracking album.
Power Up is available to listen to now via Leidseplein Presse. Check out ‘Code Red’ down below.
Billie Eilish – ‘Therefore I Am’
Billie Eilish, global superstar that she is, doesn’t need much of a bio for one to know who you’re on about. The first woman to win a Grammy in all four major categories in the same year, and at just 18 years old, she’s maybe one of the most famous musicians on the planet right now. She’s returned to the charts with her latest dark-pop tune, ‘Therefore I Am’, referencing of course, that sweet ol’ Descartes quote for all my A-Level philosophy students out there.
‘Therefore I Am’ is another very ‘Eilish’ tune; it fits neatly into her discography, giving off that bad-bitch, dark, basey vibe, with Eilish’s signature spoken word singing style. My main qualm with it, as is my main qualm with seemingly every new single Eilish releases, is that it sounds so similar to all her other work. Eilish has found a niche of the industry that works for her, and is sticking to it, and mad props because it clearly brings her success, and numerous fans worldwide. But I can’t help but feel a little… bored, if I’m honest.
‘Therefore I Am’ is another cracking tune from the edgy teen queen herself, that left me yearning for a little change of tone in Eilish’s otherwise one-note discography.
‘Therefore I Am’ is available to listen to now via Interscope Records.
Louis Dunford – ‘London’s Requiem’
Louis Dunford’s ‘London’s Requiem’ is a beautiful ballad, an ode to London, with all its chaos, noises, lights and life.
The song is frankly breathtaking. A ballad of near ‘Hometown Glory’ magnitudes, ‘London Requiem’ is a stunning, sorrowful tale of the workings of London city from what I assume to be a Londoner’s perspective; all its highs, lows, happiness and sadness. Dunford’s vocals are striking, set against some simplistic piano and moving strings, allowing his moving voice to truly shine. The music video also feels deeply nostalgic; showing young people hanging out, messing around, the same ways that we all do. Despite I myself not hailing from the city, it almost feels like a personal song, rife with themes that all of us can relate to. Discussing the frailties of youth, gang culture, poverty, and early death, it’s harrowing but delivered in such a riveting way you can’t help but listen to the song over and over again.
‘London Requiem’ is available to listen to now via Sony Music.
Other Selected Releases
SINGLES
Anne-Marie – ‘Problems’
Alfie Templeman – ‘Shady’
Foster the People – ‘In the Darkest of Nights, Let the Birds Sing’
Haim – ‘Feel the Thunder’
Lil Nas X – ‘Holiday’
Pale Waves – ‘Change’
Sleeping at Last – ‘Breathe Deep’
Fleece – ‘Upside Down’
Kanye West – ‘Nah Nah Nah’
Rico Nasty – ‘OHFR?’
ALBUMS
McFly – Young Dumb Thrills
Passenger – Suzanne (EP)
Benee – Hey X U
Paloma Faith – Infinite Thrills
Elton John – Jewel Box
Pentatonix – We Need a Little Christmas
This Week in Records: Playlist Edition
Need a weekly music fix of all the songs you should care about? We’ve made a super handy playlist of all this week’s biggest releases, so just sit back and listen to the good stuff. Updated every Friday.
