New music for May

by Maddie Levans

At the end of last month, alt rock group Gorillaz put out their long awaited second studio album, Humanz, to the delight of eager fans. Throughout April, the band released a whopping seven singles off of their 26-track long album. The album is filled with collaborative tracks, which make up 18 out of the 26 tracks. Artists featured throughout the album include legends like Grace Jones, Carly Simon, and De La Soul, along with prominent newer artists like Rag’n’Bone Man and Kali Uchis. The diversity and complexity throughout each track caters to all music tastes, making the album a hit for any listener.

This Old Dog, the fifth full-length studio album by Mac Demarco, was released on May 5, just as he kicked off a nationwide tour. The album expertly showcases his carefree, lighthearted attitude towards his work and his life. In an interview with Pitchfork, DeMarco said that his album is, “definitely one of those things where the album makes more sense as a whole, a full thing rather than single, single, single.“ The cheery, upbeat sounds of the album makes it the perfect soundtrack for summer.

Harry Styles has finally released his first solo album, Harry Styles, thus establishing himself as separate from his previous group, One Direction. The album is a very cool, almost bluesy alternative album, drastically different from the pop ballads of One Direction’s past five albums. The difference in style between songs like “Woman” and “Kiwi” help to define his new image and attitude towards his music. During an interview with USA Today, he described the process of writing the album as, “like therapy,” going on to say that “It’s so much easier saying something to an instrument than it is to a person.” His album is quickly on its way to no. 1 on the Billboard charts, signalling the beginning of his path to solo stardom.

Since the beginning of May, artists across all genres have been putting out new singles, starting with indie synth rock trio alt-J. This is the second single from the group over the past few months, which could mean the group is planning to drop a follow-up to their 2014 hit, This Is All Yours.

Iconic indie rock group LCD Soundsystem has put out two new singles, “call the police” and “american dream,” both exemplifying their dance-punk style. In 2014, the band did a “farewell” show at Madison Square Garden; however, these new singles are part of an upcoming album.  

Miley Cyrus has released a new single, “Malibu,” shedding the raunchy, rebellious attitude of her previous album, Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz, for a style more reminiscent of her pre-2014 career. On the other hand, Niall Horan’s new single, “Slow Hands,” is a funky, mellow track on his upcoming album, which he announced last October.

 

Artists to watch: Niall Horan, Miley Cyrus, Wavves