I know there are countless minions out there that stayed up late last night so they could hear Taylor Swift’s surprise album at the stroke of midnight. For those of you who refrained or just don’t care, I applaud you. What is important today in new music is the amount of excellent releases from female vocalists. Today’s New Music Friday focuses on the ladies of indie music, so are you….Ready for It? Then Shake It Off, listen to some great new music, and we’ll have no Bad Blood.
The Naked and Famous Recover
Getting over a breakup is one of the hardest, most emotional, things a person goes through in their life. Now, imagine how hard it must be if the two going through the breakup are part of a popular music duo. The Naked and Famous’ 2016 album Simple Forms followed the dissolution of the duo’s romantic relationship. The pain and passion Alisa Xayalith and Thom Powers were feeling was very evident throughout the album. Fast forward to 2020, and their new release Recover is all about life after the dust of the breakup has settled.
The road to recovery looks very optimistic after listening to the new album. The duo from New Zealand start out very upbeat on Recover, unlike previous outings. The material is lyrically deeper than other albums and the chemistry between the two sounds tighter than one might expect after the turmoil they experienced.
The darker moods and heavy guitar riffs aren’t as prevalent as they were on the band’s debut, Passive Me, Aggressive You. Xayalith and Powers have found themselves blending their electronic Indie pop sound with a chilled out vibe perfect for a sunny day at the beach. @TNAF
Jessy Lanza All The Time
Canadian singer-songwriter Jessy Lanza delivers one of the most intoxicating albums of 2020 with her new album All The Time. Lanza possesses the combined sound of Aaliyah and 1980’s Janet Jackson, and the pop-heavy album will have you combing through every Goodwill and thrift store for a pair of roller skates.
The new album features her strongest songwriting to date and will have your head bobbing while listening. The album takes a turn toward the end as it transitions to a slower, smoother vibe. “Ice Creamy” and “Like Fire” help set the listener up for songs that sound like they’re right out of the catalogs of 1980’s bubblegum divas and 1990’s R&B stars. Singers like Debbie Gibson and Monica would sound amazing tackling “Over and Over” and “Baby Love’ respectively.
“Face” is the one that would definitely be heard blaring in clubs across the world if clubs were still a thing in 2020. It’s full of chaos, choppy beats, and pounding bass and is the perfect song for any quarantine party. @jessy_lanza
Liza Anne Bad Vacation
The title to Liza Anne’s fourth album is the perfect name for 2020. The bizarreness of the year is all over the place and Bad Vacation is its soundtrack. The former Belmont University student perfectly juggles so many genres on the album from new wave to grunge to powerful girl group. Sometimes, those genres and more find themselves on the same song.
There’s a lot of self-deprecating on the first half of the album. On “Bummer Days,” she sings about the odd joy she gets out of self-sabotaging, “I’ve had about fifty last cigarettes. Before they’re out, I have the next one lit, I spent the last two years in shoes that were too big, And if it’s not my lungs, I’m gonna die because I trip.”
Anne welcomes the listener in as she shows how she uses her pain and misery as a way to overcome her issues. The singer uses her strong songwriting skills and equally impressive vocal range as a way of displaying her mental health. We all feel pain and we all feel it differently. The key is to not let that pain define who you are and take over your life. Each day you are guaranteed to wake up with yourself and it’s up to you if your day is going to be better than the last. Liza’s new album is the piece of music therapy so many of us need at this time. Sometimes, you need to go on a Bad Vacation. @lizaannemusic
Steven McCash is the Music Columnist for SoBros Network. He is the pioneer of New Music Friday, highlighting each week’s new releases in the world of music, in addition to the occasional live show review. Follow on Twitter: @MC_Cash75
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