Avril Lavigne’s self-titled album, Avril Lavigne, has a release date of November 5, but she allowed her fans to stream the entire album a week in advance. While the new venture is named after herself, it doesn’t quite mean it’s her most personal album yet.
She’s taken aspects from her first four albums and incorporated them into this new one. She brought back some of the angst from her first two CDs, added some pop from her third and some of the calmness from the her fourth. Together these characteristics created an album full of pleasantly different songs, some standing out more than others.
For fans of Avril Lavigne’s older works, this one definitely rewards those that have stuck with her since the beginning. Her first single, “Here’s To Never Growing Up,” is clear evidence of that. She sings about still staying true to herself and her teenage-angst. While this song is a total pop-rock hit, there are a few more where that came from. As well as some slower tunes, like “Falling Fast,” which is a beautiful, simple track about falling in love with someone and taking a chance in the relationship.
Apparently, Avril took her own advice because she is now married to Nickelback crooner, Chad Kroeger, and even has a duet with him on Avril Lavigne. “Let Me Go,” is the title of the duet and is a haunting song about finally letting go of all the bad in life and trying to move on. The two voices fit perfectly on the track and make sweet, sweet music.
Clearly there is a reason Avril decided to make her fifth album a self-titled on. She called upon all parts of her life to create it and she did it well. Some songs take a couple listens in order to really appreciate them, but they all have that strong Avril-unique quality.
Songs You Must Check Out: “17,” “Let Me Go,” “Give You What You Like,” “Bad Girl,” “Falling Fast”
[/tab] [tab title=”Melophobia by Cage the Elephant”]This is not a Cage the Elephant album; this is an album made by Cage the Elephant. After five years of non-stop touring, the band finds out what it’s like living a normal life. They found out it sucks, and that is the pretty much the gist of the album. That is not to say the album is bad; in fact, the album is amazing. From the wild sounds of their debut album, to their even wilder and untamed Thank You Happy Birthday, Schultz has moved the band in a new artistic direction while still maintaining some of Cage the Elephant’s trademarks. There ain’t no rest for the wicked, but when there is, you get Melophobia. You won’t find much of the old Cage the Elephant here, but you will find an eccentric variety of sounds, so even if you aren’t a fan yet, you should give this album a shot.
[/tab] [tab title=”Night Time, My Time by Sky Ferreira”]Sky Ferreira made her way to the music scene back in 2010 with her single, “One.” An electro-pop sound made the fresh-faced beauty a hit in the indie music scene. Since then, the singer with long brown hair has changed her look and her sound for her first debut album, Night Time, My Time.
Currently shorthaired and bleach-blonde, Ferreira’s new album has more of a rocker edge rather than her formerly dance based tunes. Her diverse vocals shine in “24 Hours” and “I Blame Myself” starting with slow, monotone singing and eventually hitting those high notes you wouldn’t initially suspect.
Her first single off the album, “You’re Not The One” is a catchy pop song, more similar to her past songs with sing-along choruses like in “Obsession” from her earlier years.
Overall it’s a good album, but a few of the songs sound the same. Pick and choose what you like but definitely give it a listen.
[/tab] [tab title=”The Blue Record by Unknown Mortal Orchestra”]Unknown Mortal Orchestra continues its journey towards popularity in North America with the release of its latest EP: The Blue Record. Combining new material and acoustic versions of songs from the band’s previous two albums (Unknown Mortal Orchestra and II), The Blue Record is a refreshing break from the music that currently dominates the industry. The simplicity of “Swim and Sleep (Like a Shark)” and “Swing Low Magellan” takes music back to what it was in the time of Bob Dylan and Neil Young; a time when music was just a man, his voice and his instruments. Now don’t get me wrong, this band will never compare to the afore mentioned musical pioneers, but it can enrich the field of music for the poor youngsters that will grow up thinking Miley Cyrus and One Direction are sensational musicians. The daringness of Unknown Mortal Orchestra to be, quite frankly, not daring at all is the most admirable aspect of The Blue Record. The candor of the psychedelic tune, instead of the hyped up electronic beat kids blast from the high bass speakers of their cars, is worthy of your ears. So before you illegally download more Bangerz and Yeezus (now what kind of names are those anyway…) consider listening to The Blue Record: music that is real, unembellished and waiting to be heard.
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