This May we have been blessed with some of the best performances and industry highlights of the year from it being Coachella, most notably Charli XCX paving the way for other artists to have their ‘summer’ as she credits anticipated album releases. However, besides from the great live music we have seen, April has called for great album releases also.
Now that we have come to the start of May and the time has now come to review what music goodies this previous month has treated us with. From Viagra Boys’ punchy hits to the melodically intricacies of Bon Iver, April has certainly been a month filled with some personal favourites.
The following 5 albums range in great emotion and meaning, allowing for at least one (hopefully) enjoyable track for all.
viagr aboys | Viagra Boys
Viagra Boys have released an album that is turning away from their usual discourse and changing their sound to being a new “simple and stupid” breakdown, a drastic turnaround from their typical political angst and commentary. Their album viagr aboys is a fun, bounce-infused madness, perhaps hinted through the title’s mish-mash of letters that makes the listener sweat a little trying to pronounce.
The 11-track album blesses the listener with lyrically entrancing melodies, enticing us with hilarious punchlines such as “I’m subscribed to your mom’s OnlyFans” and “I spent five bucks a month to get pictures of her flabby giblets” from their opening song ‘Man Made of Meat’. Although these lyrics are difficult to argue as profound, their mix of funk with punk-like bass lines add elements of sheer joy to the track. An overall conflict is ultimately created through the funny yet serious declarations from the lead man Sebastian Murphy, as he announces “If it was 1970 I’d have a job at a factory”. This switch in attitudes acts as a strong starter to the album, serving a reminder that this release can be laugh out loud funny as well political.
The Stockholm band continue this descent in eclectic sounds throughout the entirety of the album, exploring a range in tempos and emotion. Their tracks ‘You N33d Me’ and ‘The Bog Body’ utilise the loud, post-punk soundscape that the band are known for, however, with they do sway into softer, jazz-esque and electro-powered hits in ‘Best In Show pt.IV’ and among others.
Natural Pleasure | BRONCHO
Next up we have have Oklahoma band, BRONCHO, with their latest release Natural Pleasure; a chill sounding introspective haze of an album that still somehow encapsulates their creative flare.
The quartet have certainly stripped back to a level of self-assured melodic vocals and intrinsic guitars as the opening track ‘Imagination’ echoes ever-enchanting lyrics. The track offers listeners a reminder of the sheer range in sounds that the band are able to produce, where the album then progresses to the next song ‘Funny’ with blissful chants from singer Ryan Lindsey.
Natural Pleasure is flourished with interesting trills and riffs of the guitar and does tap into faster paced tracks such as ‘Get Gone’ with it’s repetitive drumbeat and synth. Overall, the album showcases BRONCHO’s new found haze and chilled vocals, a tonal shift from their previous releases yet maintains their playfulness that is deep in their core.
SABLE, fABLE | Bon Iver
SABLE, fABLE is Bon Iver’s – or Justin Vernon’s – fifth studio album, and continues to offer the listener a deeply cathartic and powerfully moving listening experiencing each time. His most popular tracks ‘For Emma’, ‘Rosyln’, and ‘Skinny Love’ all showcase his pure raw vocals and profound lyricism, creating an incredibly vulnerable yet intimate space for each of Bon Iver’s listeners.
These past couple months have offered Bon Iver a slight change in not only sound, but in audience as well as he features on Taylor Swift’s Folklore album and collaborates with Charli XCX. It is clear to say that he most definitely has the range in sound, yet he returns to his soul-nourishing indie folk that is so deeply loved by fans.
The album’s lead single ‘S P E Y S I D E’ showcases Vernon’s falsetto vocals that are so distinct and his intricate guitar picking for the entirety of the track. The song’s push and pull in tempos offers pockets of momentary quietness, allowing for the listener to truly sit with the track’s lyrics. Overall, the single highlights the album’s emotional weight and carries that throughout.
Forever, Howlong | Black Country, New Road
Forever, Howlong marks as the first release since front man Isaac Wood departed from the group, causing fans disappointment and confusion – paricularly after his vulnerable shift from muttering his lyrics to actually singing them which brought great success to the band.
This release from BCNR truly radiates deep warmth and character with its many stylistic changes and interesting experimental elements. From recorder and mandolin solos to choir-esque chants, the sextet offer a truly exciting addition to the UK rock scene and are certainly the ones to gain inspiration from.
The album kicks off with the track ‘Besties’. With vocals from violinist Georgia Ellery, the song starts with what sounds like a harpsichord descending into pure madness, to then bursting into the singing choir and twangs of the electric guitar. The track serves as an ode to female friendships with a deeper layer of queerness as Ellery reveals “I know I want something more”.
Each track truly depicts the harmony and bond of each band member, creating a sheer beast of an album that I find difficult to fault. BCNR not only has one, but three female vocalist, allowing for each song to have it’s own unique touch, yet they use each other for wonderful harmonic blends that entrance the listener.
The Crux | Djo
Joe Keery is slowly but surely pulling away from his public known title as the ‘Stranger Things star’ and moving towards being known as ‘that guy from Djo’. After his hit track ‘End of Beginning’ blowing up on TikTok with the line “and when I’m in Chicago, I feel it” repeating in nearly every scroll, this album The Crux only defines Keery’s sheer talent and proves that he certainly isn’t a one hit wonder.
This pop-powered album is filled with catchy choruses that will simply be stuck in your head with only one listen. For the track ‘Potion’, we are blessed with heartfelt lyrics and steady soft-rock sounds that offers itself as an easy listen. We then swiftly move onto the next track ‘Delete Ya’ , that engorges itself with the intrinsic pop-like chorus that declares “oh, I wish I could delete ya” with a true groove. The track incorporates plenty sweet riffs and enchanting harmonies that is truly addictive upon first listen.
The Crux is a true joy to listen to in full, conjuring images of blue skies and sun on skin with each tracks hearty guitars and upbeat vocals. The album being Keery’s third studio album, it marks as a playful arrival of a fully formed artist – that being one that you should most definitely be listening to.
