It seems as though artists have been slowly coming to the realization that everyone is stuck in the house bored right now and turning to music for relief. This past week, numerous artists have released singles, from covers to stripped songs, or even entirely new tracks. It truly was a magical week for many music lovers upon checking their release radars this week.
After a YouTube session performing covers of “Young and Beautiful” by Lana Del Rey and “Heart-Shaped Box” by Nirvana, Glass Animals decided to release these tracks for everyone to place on their playlists. The Lana Del Rey cover was not their best work, as it was so far out of the band’s usual style it just made the song feel uncomfortable for anyone listening. However, the Nirvana cover was impeccable. Covers are not typically better than the original, but Dave Bayley’s alluring voice added a whole new dimension to the alternative classic.
We were also blessed this past week with two new KALEO singles. The track “Backbone” touches on KALEO’s softer side. While the beginning is rather slow, the melody and intensity picks up as the song continues, leading to a build up and drop off that leaves the listener with chills. The track “Alter Ego” is more traditional for the band and is nothing short of an absolute banger. This Icelandic rock band has so much raw talent, they have yet to create a disappointing song.
Another band who released multiple tracks this week is Milky Chance. They chose four songs from their latest album and stripped them, with each band member collaborating from home. “Scarlet Paintings” transports the listener to the streets of Europe at a time when it was okay to wander the streets with friends. Upon listening to “We Didn’t Make It To The Moon” on the main album, it was difficult to see how the song could be any more feel good. However, in the “Stay Home Session Version,” the song has an element of funk it did not have before. The small change in tempo and style really elevated the track to new heights.
Some bands released just one single this week. Stop Light Observations released “13bullets (pt.1).” This indie rock band really does not get the recognition it deserves. The way this band is able to build up and take it all the way back down in just a few measures will leave the listener wanting more every single time. Hopefully the style of this song continues into their next album.
Another underrecognized band who released a single this week is Still Woozy, who released the single “Window.” The band didn’t change it up a great deal in this track, but they really didn’t need to. The track is the perfect relationship of funk and psychedelic style.
A more well known artist who released a single this week was Joji with the track “Gimme Love.” The beginning has a great beat and gave a hopeful feel, only to lead into a melodically weak second half. The Streets collaborated with Tame Impala on a new single “Call My Phone Thinking I’m Doing Nothing Better.” The title is anything but original, but the harsh sound of The Streets along with the Soft melodies of Tame Impala actually compliment each other really well, making for a nice change of pace.
The sheer quantity of tracks that have been released recently makes it tough to touch on all of them, but it is definitely nice to not have to put in much effort to find some new music from your favorite artists. These few weeks of music have been a real plus side to being stuck at home, and hopefully some of these new releases can trigger some serotonin release because we all know we need it right now.