Foster The People- In The Darkest Of Nights, Let The Birds Sing

     I've found myself rooting for Foster The People throughout the majority of their career, despite not really caring about their work a lot of the time. I enjoy Pumped Up Kicks but I can't say that Torches aged that well, listening to it now, it really embodies majority of the annoying trends of millennial pop, it's kind of a time capsule in that way, sadly not one I wish to open any time soon. Their second album flopped, they briefly managed to reach the Bilboard 100 again with Sit Next To Me but never came anywhere close to the success of their early work. With their  new EP  the group works towards reinventing their sound and test new waters instead of trying to score another hit, which, considering the results, is a very correct direction.

        Opening Walk With A Big Stick isn't the strongest moment on the EP, it really begs for a stickier melody but makes up for it with its funky instrumentation and detailed production. It only gets better from here though. Cadillac starts out with a groovy bass-line and claps but as the track progresses we get some strings and group vocals that give me some LCD Soundsystem vibes. Lamb's Wool is probably the strongest cut on the record, the refrain is quite beautiful, there's a lovely piano melody and synth passage during the bridge. Marks vocals have improved noticeably since Torches, which is especially clear on this song, they are still eccentric but never cross a line and become annoying which happens quite a bit on the debut. The Things We Do is hands down the strangest cut on the EP, verses and refrain seem to have nothing to do with each other compositionally and the  vocal is very autotune heavy, especially towards the end. It's weird, maybe it's not good necessarly but definitely entertaining. Final track on the record, Your Heart Is My Home manages to be a pretty impactful closer, despite how short the project is. With each minute the song gets more and more stunning, with its synth instrumentation and a lovely keyboard outro.

      This EP is clearly a transition moment for Foster The People and with the material they delivered here I am really curious when the group will progress. It isn’t perfect but definitely shows a lot of promise.

RATING: 7/10

LCD Soundsystem- Christmas Will Break Your Heart

           

I know I’ve been writing about nothing but Christmas songs lately but I promise it I’ll stop after this one (unless I change my mind at some point). Christmas Will Break Your Heart is one of my favorite tracks for this time of year, despite how mostly depressive it is. 

       I’m extremely thankful LCD Soundsystem had decided to reunite to record this little gem. I know a lot of people might not have been too happy with the group at the time and during following years. James Murphy decided to end the band in 2010 he made that whole process very grand and dramatic- there was a documentary made about the group and a 4-hour goodbye concert at Madison Square Garden that ends with sounds of people crying. So when he brought LCD back just few years later to release a Christmas song and an album shortly after that, people weren’t too thrilled. Nonetheless, the song in question is actually quite stunning. Occasionally Murphy would write those heartbreaking piano ballads that sticks out like a sore thumb among all the 8-minute dance-punk numbers but each time is a highlight. Christmas Will Break Your Heart is probably the most emotional and, well, heartbreaking track James has recorded since New York I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down. Murphy’s performance is immaculate, he perfectly sells the vulnerability during the first leg of the track as well as the grand, loud finish. It sounds almost like a musical number with how theatrical the vocals are. The instrumentation is perfectly assembled, I love how the instrumentation builds up as the song goes on and how satisfying the pay-off is. I also really vibe with this track lyrically, anyone who acknowledges how depressive this time of year can be gets points from me. We need more Christmas music full of feelings of anxiety and dread. It has a pretty hopeful ending though, I don’t want to oversell it simply as a gloomy listen.

      I know I’m probably biased when it comes to this song because of my love towards LCD Soundsystem but I found Christmas Will Break Your Heart absolutely irresistible. It’s a daily listen for me every December. 

Twenty one pilots- Christmas Saves The Year

   We have actually gotten quite a few great new christmas songs this season, so I guess we had to get at least a few duds as well. I wouldn't expect twenty one pilots to drop one of the them though, escpecially after how strong their recent material has been.

I don't think this track is terrible by any means but I was expecting a bit more from the duo, especially because this type of synthy sweet pop is right in their wheelhouse. The instrumental is fine, it's mixed soft and clean, fits in nicely with Tyler's vocals. Lyrics are serviceable, they fade into the background pretty quickly after you realize all they're saying is "everybody wants to go home for christmas". It's just not a very creative approach to the topic. The biggest issue with the song is that the refrain wasn't strong enough to be satysfying, I kept thinking that the track is just building up to something, we are going to get a grand outro full of loud synths, maybe more vocal layers but it just never ended up happening. There were few moments that seemed to be hinting at that but then it just returned to it's verse-refrain-verse structure. What was bothering me the entire time is that melody during the refrain, especially certain parts of it, is ripped of from somewhere else. After few more listens I got it- Foreign Girls by Bleachers. I wouldn't call it a rip-off but it's pretty similar and trying to remember where I have heard those notes was driving me mad.

Honestly the song is so uneventful I don't even know why I'm writing about this. It's not awful, just very standard by twenty one pilots standards. I'm sure their fans are loving it, I just don't think anyone else would want to return to it in the coming years.

RATING: 5.5/10

Coldplay- Christmas Lights

         I’ve covered a few new Christmas songs lately, so I might as well write about a few of mypersonal all-time favorite ones as well. One of them hands down has to be Coldplay’s Christmas Lights.

         I’m glad Coldplay decided to release their holiday cut at the time when their music was still good. All their material this decade has been pretty mediocre, Everyday Life being the only exception. Christmas Lights feels more like an extinction of their Viva La Vida era, both in style and the esthetic of the music video, which by the way is nearly as atmospheric and impressive as the song itself. The band isn’t really  breaking any new grounds here- it’s lead by a beautiful piano melody, the verses are a little understated in order to make room for a catchy, grand refrain you just want to sing along to. Chris Martin delivers a very emotional performance, his vocal are on point as usual. The track follows a typical formula for Coldplay, only this time it’s in a Christmas setting and every element works perfectly, like it did on best moments from Viva La Vida. Despite all the criticism Coldplay usually receives you can’t argue that even if the song is bad, they know how to create a vibe (Ghost Stories being a perfect example of that). So it’s no surprise that they Christmas song is overflowing with holiday spirit without even having to rely too rely that much on instrumentation usually associated with that kind of music.

       I’m very thankful for that track and for the fact that it was released during Coldplay’s creative peak. Despite their latest record being a slight improvement from their previous projects I don’t think the band would be able to create a track like this at this point.  It’s a perfect listen for a cold, winter evening and I find myself going back to it every December.

100 gecs- sympathy 4 the grinch

   

     I know I was praising that new FINNEAS track as the best Christmas song this season but how could I have predicted 100 gecs dropping a banger like that.

     From the first notes I was hooked, it felt reminiscent of Stupid Horse, one of my favorite moments on their last record. I’m glad they brought back the ska influence once again. It doesn’t feel like they’re retracing their steps though, sympathy 4 the grinch takes a much more punky approach, I especially love that thick bass line. Despite the track not sounding like a typical Christmas tune at the first glance, gecs managed to bring some holiday spirit by adding bells to the mix. The lyrics are funny as usual, I’m glad the duo managed to find their own way to twist the typical narrative of a Christmas song to fit with their style. The tune as a whole reminds me a lot of (and I mean this in the nicest way possible) the first Smash Mouth album. It’s not nearly as eccentric as anything gecs produces and I know the similarities might be slight but the instrumentation has a similar energy to it.

     We haven’t gotten too much original material from Laura and Dylan since their debut so I wasn’t sure if they will manage to live up to the status 1000 gecs has gained by this point. The two original songs released as a part of their latest remix album were entertaining but not as impressive as their previous work. Luckily Sympathy 4 the grinch can go hand in hand with their strongest cuts, showing that the gecs have still plenty ideas to evolve and grow on future projects.

RATING: 9/10

FINNEAS- Another Year

      It's still early december and there is probably plenty of christmas songs yet to drop. Out of the releases we have gotten so far the new FINNEAS track is hands down the best and I doubt that it's going to change in the coming weeks.

     At the core of it it's just a slow-paced piano ballad. It's a pretty overplayed formula when it comes to christmas songs but if anyone would be able to make it entertaining it's FINNEAS. With his work with Billie Eillish, as well as on his on material, he has proven that if anyone is able to pull off a stripped-back cut like Another Year it's him. Despite its simplicity, a lot of pieces must have fallen into place in order to make the track entertaining- it's catchy, piano melody is really sticky, production is detailed and most importantly, the lyrics are filled with memorable lines. Lyrically the idea isn't the most original, it's a christmas-themed love tune but FINNEAS brings a lot of emotion to the vocals, especially on the second verse where he wonders wheter there's a way for the relationship to last. My favorite moments though are all the cute and funny lines, especially "I don't believe that Jesus Christ was born to save me that's an awful lot of pressure for a baby".

     Another Year is a sweet, melancholic little song with plenty memorable lines and a solid vocal performance. I wish more people will get to hear it this december, sadly FINNEAS material doesn't get nearly as much recognision as his sister's. With each year it's harder and harder to make a christmas song without retracing all the other ones out there. Another Year was a nice suprise.

RATING: 8/10

Miley Cyrus- Plastic Hearts

    Most Miley Cyrus albums can be described simply as "bad", in best cases "interestingly bad". A lot of her material has been purposefully trashy but it doesn't make it any more listenable. This whole new wave of 80s nostalgia has been doing wonders for the mainstream pop scene. For every artist that decided to jump on that trend it resultet in a major quality improvement, it's also the case when it comes to Miley.

     The stunning Midnight Sky is one of the most memorable hits of the years. I was a little worried Plastic Hearts would be one of those records with a great lead single and a bunch of songs that can't live up to it's hype. Luckily the album proves me wrong right of the bat. Despite the melody sounding a bit redundant, WTF Do I Know is a great opener, displaying how well Miley's voice works on a hard-hitting rock cut. She proves that point again on the title track. It's one of the catchiest songs on the record, I love its driving drum beat and that little guitar solo towards the end. Gimme What I Want is even more forgettable. Quality picks up after that point noticeably, Night Crawling might be one of the best songs I have heard this year. That hard hitting synth melody and works perfectly with Miley's and Billy Idol's raspy vocals. There are a bunch of stinkers on the album though. Dua Lipa isn't utilised too well on Prisoner, the tune isn't that solid and there's not enough of a contrast between their voices to make her stand out.I don't care much for the country cuts that she sprinkles in, especially Angels Like You, cause of how overproduced it is. Bad Karma borders on unlisteneable, anybody who has heard a minute of that weird "ah a a a" would agree. I guess Miley just can't have a record without at least one stupid idea.

       It's by no means perfect but judging it by Miley Cyrus standards Plastic Hearts is very impressive. Despite playing with similar ideas as many other artists in todays mainstream is still manages to stand out. Hopefully it's a new standard for Miley and she will only improve from here.

RATING: 6/10