New Music Monday — 5/9/16

Using the weekend as our recovery period from the sheer volume of new music, here are our 5 favorite releases of the week.

 

1. The Colour in Anything — James Blake

James Blake has come a long way since releasing his debut, self-titled album in 2011. He has scored a Mercury Prize nomination, one of the highest achievements in music, and rightfully so. He proved to us on this album that his music transcends any overrated hype, announcing the album’s release just a few hours before it happened. With collaborations including Frank Ocean and Bon Iver, The Colour in Anything is James Blake’s most professional and interesting work yet.

 

2. “In Common” — Alicia Keys

This song completely changes what type of sound you associate with Alicia Keys. It’s amazingly unique and different from what she’s done before, channeling sounds of electronic music and latin pop with its quick melody which sounds like it’s made for a club setting. If this is any indication for what Keys’ next album sounds like, I’m personally very excited to hear it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YwHRTCyrEo

 

3. The Loudspeaker EP — MUNA

MUNA is exactly what we’ve been needing in the music scene. It clearly has pop elements that make it energetic and fun to listen to, but with shimmery 80’s elements that make you appreciate its roots. It sounds straight off the soundtrack of a classic cult movie, especially the title track in all its anthemic glory.

 

4. “Hotter than Hell” — Dua Lipa

Dua Lipa is a great addition to the lineup of famous indie-pop women of this generation.       Her music is reminiscent of the women that inspire her, such as Lana Del Rey or Marina and the Diamonds, but with added component that highlights her strong voice; “Hotter than Hell” is a powerful blend of all of these things.

 

5. Libelle — Annabel Jones

Right on the first listen, this album sounds like if Lily Allen experimented with synths on her first album. Everything from the voice & accent to the lyrics sounds like her; but even though there are similarities, the differences are much stronger and identify Annabel Jones as an artist. Her short and punchy synths on “IOU” are pretty funky, but her crooning voice on “Happy” shows a much different side of her. Annabel Jones has shown her colors on this first release, and hopefully a hint of what’s to come in the future.