On Repeat

Recently, I have had the same handful of albums on repeat and I have been talking and tweeting about them nonstop. All of these albums are new(ish) releases that I highly recommend and that might be on my Albums of the Year list. All of the albums are available on Spotify and Apple Music.

Science Fiction by Brand New
This one is a no-brainer. If you’ve read my other posts on this blog, follow me on any social media or know me in person, then you know how much I love Brand New. Science Fiction was a surprise release for every Brand New fan out there and it was absolutely worth the wait (it’s been 8 years since Brand New released a full-length album). It’s nothing like “I Am A Nightmare” or Mene that were released in-between Daisy and Science Fiction. To me, this album is Deja Entendu, The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me, and Daisy all mashed together and I absolutely love it.

Good Nature by Turnover
Full disclosure, I’ve had a copy of this album since early/mid-August because I attended Turnover’s album listening party in Boston and acquired a copy on CD and it hasn’t left my car’s CD player since. To me, the album sounds just like summer. It’s like Peripheral Vision because it is smooth and melodic, but at the same time they’re polar opposites. Good Nature is dreamy, shoegaze-y, and smooth. The album really puts you into a trance as you listen and the entire album really sounds like one continuous song. It's much brighter and lighter sounding than Peripheral Vision.

Harry Styles by Harry Styles
This might come as a surprise but I have to admit that Harry Styles is insanely talented and deserves all the publicity and hype this album is getting. I am not a fan of One Direction at all but damn I love Harry Styles’ voice. The first single off the album, “Sign of the Times,” is reminiscent of “Heroes” by David Bowie. I rarely ever compare other artists to Bowie but Styles channels Bowie in a way that is unique. Harry Styles has a lot of throwback and retro influences but it is still a modern-sounding album in the way that nothing sounds dated or too cliché. There are definite ‘70’s rock influences and no two songs sound the same, yet each song highlights Styles’ impressive vocal range and creativity.

A Black Mile to the Surface by Manchester Orchestra
I saw how much hype this album was getting on Twitter and Instagram and I felt compelled to check it out. I was never a massive fan of Manchester Orchestra but this album definitely changed that for me. This album is incredibly haunting and beautiful and it will stick with you after just one listen. It’s not as brash-sounding as some of Manchester Orchestra’s previously releases but it is still lyrically honest like their previous releases.