Here are some of the albums we can’t get enough of right now!
Miguel: Wildheart
Miguel has always been a bit of a rare breed among R&B artists, pushing his music into riskier territory while still maintaining the necessary sex appeal. That’s especially true with his latest album, Wildheart, the long-awaited follow-up to 2012’s Kaleidoscope Dreams.
The clashing of electric guitar and falsetto on Wildheart is sure to garner comparisons to Prince, but the simarilities run a lot deeper. Like Prince, Miguel’s latest effort focuses a lot on duality. There’s no mistaking the subject matter, though, especially with lines like “I wanna fuck like we’re filming in the Valley.” Topics like mixed race (“What’s Normal Anyway?”) and the delusion of Hollywood (“Hollywood Dreams”) are also explored and speak to a larger theme of being able to overcome adversity. It’s an album you could get hot and heavy to, but also throw on to help you throw your existential life crisis.
Must-hear track: “Coffee”
Yukon Blonde: On Blonde
On Blonde, the third full-length album from Yukon Blonde, finds the Vancouver quartet edging away from its signature thumping beats and fuzzy guitar riffs in favor of a more synth-heavy, poppier sound.
There’s an obvious ’80s influence here, particularly on “Saturday Night” and “Como,” which sounds like it was ripped straight from a John Hughes soundtrack. Other standout tracks include “I Wanna Be Your Man” and “Hannah,” that latter of which was written by frontman Jeffrey Innes as a tribute to his friend and labelmate Hannah Georgas. Change isn’t always a good thing where bands are concerned, but in the case of On Blonde, it definitely is.
Must-hear track: “Saturday Night”
Jamie xx: In Colour
It’s rare to find an album that is both accessible and undeniably unique. Jamie xx has achieved that on In Colour, the solo debut from the British producer and The xx member that was seven years in the making.
In Colour is largely instrumental and takes a lot of inspiration from the UK rave scene of the 1990s, but it doesn’t feel like an album built solely for the dance floor. Jamie’s xx bandmates, Romy Madley Croft and Oliver Sim, both make appearances; Croft on “SeeSaw” and standout track “Loud Places,” and Sim on “Stranger in a Room.” There’s a haunting feel to most of the songs (save for the summer jam “I Know There’s Gonna Be (Good Times)”) and they flow together extremely well, a testament to Jamie’s production abilities. Here’s hoping we won’t have to wait another seven years for his follow-up.
Must-hear track: “I Know There’s Gonna Be (Good Times)” Feat. Young Thug & Popcaan
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