BY EMILIE WEINER, ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR ’17
The arrival of fall doesn’t just mean the changing of the leaves and the return of pumpkin spice lattes. The new season means a new season of music, and The Buccaneer’s Arts & Entertainment editor Emilie Weiner has your go-to guide to what tracks should be on your playlist this month.
1. “Disappear Here” – Bad Suns
This poppy alternative band is back with its sophomore album, which frontman Christo Bowman called “much better than the first one.” “Disappear Here” is full of upbeat and beachy tunes, reeling back in the fans, and it’s perfect for driving around or singing along with friends.
Highlight Track: “Violet” (10/13)
2. “The Divine Feminine” – Mac Miller
Mac Miller claims his newest album is about learning from women. As an artist, his style has truly developed, and “The Divine Feminine” certainly emphasizes that, incorporating elements of jazz and a true sense of maturity compared to his earlier works.
Highlight Track: “My Favorite Part ft. Ariana Grande” (09/10)
3. “Big Mess” – Grouplove
The band’s third album follows the birth of the two lead singers’ first child, a baby girl. The tracks explore a similar style to their previous albums, a high-energy and fast-paced combination of voices and guitars. Lyrically, themes of new beginnings and new life arise appropriately.
Highlight Track: “Good Morning” (05/11)
4. “Wild World” – Bastille
After the unprecedented success of Bastille’s first album, “Bad Blood”, the British band is finally back with the epic 19-track follow up. The first single, “Good Grief” sets the anticipation for the band’s return, and “Wild World” meets the expectation full of catchy hits and clever lyricism.
Highlight Track: “Power” (06/19)
5. “Blond” – Frank Ocean
The countdown to legendary Frank Ocean’s second album was as serious as they come –people truly could not wait for music from him after the enormous success of “Channel Orange”. Ocean exceeds expectations on “Blond” with ambient vibes, sick beats, incredible features, and the deep lyric writing that he is renowned for.
Highlight Track: “Nights” (09/17) [Album Only]
6. “How to be a Human Being” – Glass Animals
Glass Animals has done it again, bringing to life again it’s completely unique style of synthesized woodwinds and seemingly senseless lyrics. The music grasps onto the listener and reels him in; “How to be a Human Being” is an utter success in the alternative world and continues to integrate much of the live vibes they learned from the ZABA tour.
Highlight Track: “Pork Soda” (04/11)
7. “We Move” – James Vincent McMorrow
James Vincent McMorrow’s high-reaching falsetto is back, but in a completely new style. Straying from his former folk and singer/songwriter genres, he has incorporated new elements of jazz and a bit of soul. The new tracks highlight his arc and development as an artist and his roots in the acoustic world.
Highlight Track: “Seek Another” (08/10)
8. “Home of the Strange” – Young the Giant
Young the Giant has executed mastery of the perfect album, as “Home of the Strange” covers the whole range of its sound, from hard rock jams and alternative bops to acoustic ballads. With a perfect balance of lyrical political statements and questions of love, both the sounds and the messages of Young the Giant’s latest LP are great for fall jams.
Highlight Track: “Silvertongue” (08/11)
9. “GENERATIONWHY”– ZHU
The long-awaited full length from ZHU finally arrived in early August, and it met the expectations with a flare resoundingly “ZHU”. His signature beats and synth sounds make the album expertly cohesive, with a distinct track-to-track flow. A full length album finally gave ZHU an opportunity to truly tell a story, an element to music which he does quite nicely with tracks like “Hometown Girl” and the title track “Generationwhy.”
Highlight Track: “Cold Blooded” (02/14)
10. “Days Gone By” – Bob Moses
Although this album was originally released in 2015, the band just recently put out a Special Edition, featuring remixes and bonus tracks. Their electronic slow beats put them on the rise in the alternative rise, and they continue to meet success with the new version of their first LP.
Highlight Track: “Tearing Me Up” (5/12)
With autumn comes more good music, so make sure you keep an eye on the billboards. More albums are coming out in September and October! Big names making big releases…
The Buccaneer 