Music in May... Let's Talk About It! (Part 2)
A (Long Overdue) Overview of Albums and Concerts I Enjoyed in May
OMG! hi! Good to see you guys it’s been sooooo long. I know you’ve all been rereading my last post about Radical Optimism, empathogen, It Was A Devastating Turn of Events, and Me Again nonstop since Friday, but fear not! I am back to let you know about the four remaining albums that stuck out to me in May as well as a concert I attended in the back half of the month.
As May progressed I found myself listening to more new sounds and new artists I hadn’t listened to prior, and it’s been quite a joy! I can safely say my first listen to each of these albums blew me away. Let’s talk about them!!!! Can’t wait for you to hear about them!!! AAAAA!!!! :)
Thoughts on (other) May Albums
Billie Eilish: HIT ME HARD AND SOFT
This album guys… I’m sure many of you have already tuned in but wow. Sometimes I may forget about Billie due to all the music I listen to, but when she comes back… everything stops.
Like most people, I’m a Billie fan. I’ve been following her since her 2017 EP don’t smile at me, enjoyed her debut WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?, and was a Happier Than Ever truther when everyone thought it was just fine. I was very intrigued by this album because of its lack of pre-release singles.
When this bad boy dropped at 11 pm CST on May 16th I had a furrowed brow, a slight smile, and occasional tears that waved in and out across the album’s 44-minute runtime.
You know, it’s probably best to go over the first official single of this album, “LUNCH”. This song is soooooo good and fun and a sound I’ve wanted Billie to try for a minute. Its slight rock sound and bass-driven instrumental are sick as hell. Its strummed guitar gives a beautiful sonic wall as Billie sings about, well, eating a girl for lunch ;). There’s a cheekiness to it that feels like a sly smirk and a quick wink in mp3 form. It never fails to make me bob my head and hum along. A true hit!
Speaking of true hits… we gotta talk about “BIRDS OF A FEATHER”. This, if everything goes to my plan, will play on adult contemporary radio until the day that I die (get it?? haha). I don’t know anyone that doesn’t like this song like… it’s kinda perfect. Billie’s soft delivery is so intimate and heartfelt as she sings of her lover that is the best thing in her life. The best thing to happen to her. The drums give it this steady momentum as the piano plays its little riff over and over. The chords are slightly nudged into the mix as the instrumental slowly builds with a pulsating low synth, exploding (softly at that) into an open, expansive chorus. The layering of Billie’s vocals on this is sooooo beautiful. Amazing vocal production. And speaking of that, the high note at the end is something Billie hasn’t done before and it’s such a splendid climax to the song. Amazing!
One song that slowly crept up on me was “WILDFLOWER”. Wow… now that’s a song. It’s a guitar ballad, slowly building as the tension rises as Billie’s anxiety over breaking girl code starts to drive her mad. The vocals are supported by haunting harmonies as Billie’s inflection and tone present so much regret. By the second chorus, the instrumental has blossomed into a full sound as the electric guitar sings out and bells ring. Billie always sees the girl she did wrong in the back of her mind, unable to evade guilt. The outro is slightly detached and rigid, with the honesty of her thinking feeling distant. It gets better with every listen.
A final song I’ll go over here is “L’AMOUR DE MA VIE”. WOWWWWEEEE! It starts with Billie getting into her “The Trolley Song” bag as she has a jazzier vocal tone which is reminiscent of vocalists of the 50s and 60s. It’s honestly so fun to sing along to match the tone. A smooth guitar line plays beneath her rounded vocal, and the rise in instrumentation as piano, drums, and bass enter the chat is masterful. Little vocal adlibs are hidden in the back of the mix and give greater sonic bliss. The lyrics about looking back and realizing that someone wasn’t the love of your life while you were definitely theirs is such a fun concept. Amazing stuff guys. BUT WAIT!!!!! The second half is amazing as well. A complete foil of the first half, the second is a high-energy synth-based track with Billie’s vocals lathered up in autotune. Her straight-tuned vocals are piercing and match the timbre of the synth perfectly. While this portion of the song is pretty short, she released an extended version of it (thank god). It’s a fun f**k you song for an ex that suckeddddd. Amazing!!!
I enjoy the whole album and think it’s a sonically interesting record that constantly keeps the listener guessing. It covers a variety of sounds but still feels very cohesive and very Billie.
FAVORITE TRACKS: BIRDS OF A FEATHER, WILDFLOWER, L’AMOUR DE MA VIE
Tiny Habits: All For Something
Oh wow… Oh WOW… OH WOW!!!!!!!!
These three ate… I had not known Tiny Habits’ game before tuning into this album but guys… I’m glad I have finally tuned in.
I was introduced to Tiny Habits through word of mouth by my roommate and my brother. What I learned was they’re a trio of talented singers with voices that blend so beautifully and that their harmonies were sick as hell. I can safely say that those claims are true!
I listened to this album a bit late because it came out the same day as Billie’s and Sasha Sloan’s, but my late first listen was truly life-changing. It’s a very solid debut, and especially pleasing to put on for a peaceful time! It’s perfect for the grocery store, cleaning, or looking at the ceiling while spiraling!!!
“Wishes” is a devastating listen. It has each of the three sing about their own, personal wishes: What they wish they could be, what they could do, what they could achieve. The chorus begins with the three of them singing “I wish I didn’t feel like a burden all of the time”. It’s a touching follow-up to the verses that list aspects of themselves they wish they could change. It’s led by a simple guitar line with each voice taking center stage. Harmonies on the chorus are delicately layered and emotionally evoking. The emotion in their vocal performances sells the song so well. It wouldn’t work if they weren’t singing it.
For a bit of a sonic switch, “People Never Change” is an uptempo tune with acoustic and electric guitar leading the track along. The three sing about a lover who walked away, and how that loss of love has led to a negative turn towards self-image. They state that people always change and that experiences with others change a person slightly as they leave them. It’s a fairly pessimistic song, and its higher tempo and instrumentation mask the darkness of the lyrics. The harmonies in the chorus create a warm feeling that differs from the cold heart of the song.
“Malleable” grows on me with each listen. It’s an intimate, slow song that breathes as each line lingers. The melody stays within a fairly small range, and its limited soundscape exhibits the content of the lyrics as they sing of a relationship that has led them to constantly adjust themself for their lover. They did everything that their lover wanted, an impractical existence; Forever a fraction of themself to maintain a relationship that doesn’t work. The bridge brings variance in chords and harmonies before they sing of realizing the relationship is hindering their self-worth. It’s a disheartening listen. :(
I think “Planting Flowers” is one of my favorite songs of the year. For real. They ate this. It’s a, dare I say, happy song???? Well, maybe more hopeful rather than happy. The guitar’s ascending lines bring the mood up immediately, and it begins with a verse on the reality of life’s disappointments, but the chorus changes EVERYTHING. While mourning the loss of a past lover, they sing of planting flowers and finding things in their life to love down the line. Really sweet! The song slowly builds with added harmonies and intricacies in the instrumental to add to the personal growth that comes with time. Despite the bitterness of reality, the beauty of the future still resides in the seeds of what’s to come. I love it!
FAVORITE TRACKS: People Never Change, Planting Flowers, Wishes
Ayra Starr: The Year I Turned 21
Ayra Starr is a star so the name is super fitting.
Ayra is from Nigeria, and her vocal tone is incredibly unique. It has this warm tone but has this abrasive side to it that reminds me of Rihanna with a lower resonance.
This album is one of my favorite first-listen experiences of the year so far. It’s full of afro-beat euphoria as each track passes to the next like the most effective relay race ever. Every song had my head bobbing, and Ayra’s vocals dance along each track as the groovy drums and playful bass tie every track with a bow.
My biggest gripe with the album is some songs are too dang short!!!! As I said with Willow’s album, empathogen, songs on here finally reach what they’re building towards and end way too soon. They end as soon as the song is fully realized!!!
If anyone needs a good pump-up song for the summertime “Woman Commando” is for you! It’s got Ayra singing alongside Anitta and Coco Jones, and it’s a super fun girl-power banger. It’s extremely danceable and has strings singing on top of a driving drum groove before it expands on the chorus with a percussive bass line bouncing along the track. All three women on the track are irresistibly confident. Ayra sings of partying alongside her friends late into the night, Anitta sings of letting go and giving into the night’s chaos, and Coco sings of the beautiful girls alongside her as she tempts the men around her with her beauty. The song breezes by and begs you to listen on repeat.
A mid-tempo gem from the album is “Rhythm & Blues”. Ayra’s vocals are utilized in this one as her warm, distinct tone lays above the heartbeat of synths and afrobeat. She sings of growing feelings toward a potential lover. This muse brings a greater sense of rhythm and blues to her life. The bridge has a beautiful vocal arrangement as stacks of Ayra’s vocals are placed together before the song climaxes with her singing out at its end.
“Jazzy’s Song” is a fun time! Starting with just Ayra and a guitar, it’s soon spiced up with an infectious drum pattern. There is an undeniable joy in the sound of it as Ayra sings of letting go and dancing the night away, soon singing along to “Jazzy’s Song”. The chorus has Ayra singing this song, its lyrics translate to letting go of bitterness and letting it all go through dance. It’s a euphoric listen and I smile every time it plays.
One of the few slowed-down moments on the album, “1942” stands out as a display of Ayra’s vocal prowess in a ballad. She sings of the rapid rise in attention, wealth, and power she has seen in the early years of her career. She’s scared of losing support as well as herself. Despite the negativity and doubts, she knows it’s best to continue. The production is expansive with low elongated bass notes with more minimal percussion. The chorus has Ayra singing “I don’t want to lose”, a beautiful lullaby repeating over and over. It is one of the album’s most striking moments, and I wish it was longer!!! Maybe twice as long!!!! It’s a clear sign that Ayra is capabile of creating songs of rich emotion in the future.
FAVORITE TRACKS: Woman Commando, Rhythm & Blues, 1942
The Marías: Submarine
The María’s are one of my favorite discoveries through my twitter timeline. True story!
The María’s are an American band that creates music that feels very airy, jazzy, and intimate. My first listen to this album felt like they took my brain out of my head, put it in a pool, and then wiped it off with a sponge before putting it back in my head.
The lead singer, Maria, has this soft, breathy voice that reminds me a bit of beabadoobee. It’s pressed right against the microphone and tickles your ear with the nicest soundwaves ever put on Spotify. The underwater aesthetic for the album matches the sonics perfectly… they knew EXACTLY what they were doing with the visuals.
Submarine is paced nicely. It could play on repeat forever and I would never get bored.
“Love You Anyway” is a personal favorite of mine. I love the opening instrumental. It’s expansive and gives me the feeling of floating in a pool as the sun beams down onto you with your eyes closed. As the vocals come in, the instrumental strips down to a more minimal guitar alongside the drums and a groovy bassline. Maria’s are up close and tightly layered. The chorus is expansive and brief before falling back into the subdued style of the previous verse. The song is about not being able to fully give yourself to someone who deeply loves you, and rather than end things, you try to love them anyway. It’s a realllllly groovy song despite the somber subject matter.
“Echo” is a slow, groovy tune. Maria’s staccato vocals pair nicely with the elongated chords from the synths until expanding into a spacious chorus. The syncopated synths and bass give the song a nice momentum; A sonic pairing to waves moving across the ocean. The melody of the chorus is infectious and has nestled deep into my head. The song does a great job of creating and utilizing space with silence. It allows moments of drama to arise while maintaining the song’s lowkey feeling.
Ohhhhhh don’t get me started on “Real Life”. This one is sick as hell. It has a bassline with a strong level of swagger as jazzy chords from the synths are overlaid. Maria sings held-out notes as she lingers over a love that’s not working. While she wants to stay with this person, she knows in real life they need to part. The held-out notes emulate her hesitance to end the relationship; wanting to let it linger just a few moments longer. It doesn’t grow into grand peaks or low valleys sonically, but by doing so it nails this purgatory-like state she’s in due to the relationship.
“Paranoia” starts quietly before slowly growing into a nice drum groove as the strums of the guitar tickle the intro of the track. It’s a smooth listen with Maria’s vocals close up while the instrumental has a bit more meat to it than other tracks on the album. It has more texture but still maintains that smooth ocean-like sound they’ve nailed. The sound contrasts the lyrics as she sings of a fatiguing relationship. Her partner is paranoid about her dedication (or lack thereof) to their relationship which creates a greater distance between them. False joy is emulated sonically while the truth resides in Maria’s quiet lyrics, just beneath the surface.
FAVORITE TRACKS: Love You Anyway, Real Life, Paranoia
May Concerts
Holly Humberstone & Carol Ades: Paint My Bedroom Black Tour
Holly Humberstone queen… and I mean that.
I saw good ol’ Holly Humberstone in a small theater back in May and the concert was super cute. The crowd was filled with so many sweet baby introverts so nobody was acting crazy, and the smaller space made the whole night feel so cozy.
Holly’s opener was a girl named Carol Ades, and she was really good! She had a really nice voice. A very bright, well-supported voice with a cool tone. She was super gay and made it clear to the whole crowd. Waving a pride flag, singing about liking girls, talking about being gay between songs. I was a fan. Like yesssssss girl let’s spread the word! She was really engaging and working well with the crowd, and I’ll def keep tabs on her down the road. Her music was fun and I’m glad I was exposed to her music at the show.
When Holly got on I felt like I was seeing God for the first time. She’s a British singer-songwriter and she brought it. Every song she has is just toooooooo good. She has a breathy voice but has a pretty sizeable range. Def larger than you would expect. The setlist was hit after hit and it was cool seeing that the crowd knew every song too. It was a room full of fans.
Her debut album came out last fall, and it came when I was going through it, so it was super cathartic and beautiful to hear those songs live. Not only that, but she was so beautiful too??? She had this cool black shirt and skirt situation going on, and her dark brown curls laid against her shoulders and chest. She was gorg.
Her band was playing like no one’s business, and the live instrumentation of all of her songs was beautiful. I’m glad I got to hear “Flatlining”, “Lauren”, and “Kissing in Swimming Pools”. I was moved across the board, but those three are some of my favs, so it was especially moving to hear those particular ones through the sound system.
Not only was she singing beautifully, but she had some nice moments of chatter with the crowd. Like every other artist ever performing in Chicago, she did mention deep-dish pizza, but she’s British so I let it slide. She was super earnest and kind to the crowd. So appreciative! It was so fun. Check her out honestly… she’s cool.
Well…
Soooo thanks for reading about my (very late) thoughts once again. Happy last day of June! Hope you enjoyed reading about music that came out last month right before this month ends. Sending love <3
Below is my new songs playlist once again. It’s gonna be filled with songs that I’ll talk about in my June posts, so check it out for a sneak peek!! LOL!!
I’m gonna get back to listening to all the new music that dropped as of late so I gotta go… ok byeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!