Artist: Ellie Goulding
Album: Halcyon
Release Date: October 9, 2012
Best: “Hanging On”;“Joy”; “Only You”; “I Need Your Love”
Ellie Goulding emerged in 2010 with her first album Lights. She captivated the music scene with her high as helium voice. Goulding has just released her second LP, Halcyon, which is filled with staccato piano and club beats, hooks upon hooks, and incredible songwriting. This year, Goulding has become a global icon: performing at Prince William’s wedding reception, dating Skrillex, and playing shows at major festivals worldwide. Her latest album reflects her joy about these recent events. She has carved out an album that is complete with human weaknesses, heartfelt emotions, and synthetic production-combined to sound exactly how a modern pop record should.
Artist: Mumford & Sons
Album: Babel
Release Date: September 20, 2012
Best: “I Will Wait”;“The Boxer”;”Hopeless Wanderer”
After Mumford & Sons released their multi-platinum debut album, Sigh No More, listeners were expecting their sophomore album Babel to deliver the same unique folk, acoustic sound captured in Sigh No More. Fans aren’t disappointed. Babel contains the same intense, acoustic sounds that this band is known for.
Babel steps up Mumford & Sons’ game without changing it too much. It feels more arena-scale than the debut. When listening, expect to hear hollering, dramatic builds, soft-loud shifts, and extremely fast strumming. The lyrics also define Babel’s sound. Babel is full of religious “babble,” heartfelt lyrics and is filled with themes of longing and loss. The way lead singer Marcus Mumford’s tortured vocals are delivered is undeniably amazing. This album leans toward the folk stomps and hand clapping of tunes, which features “Little Lion Man,” whose melody and pumped up dynamics characterized their debut. If you were a fan of Mumford & Sons’ debut, you’ll fall in love with Babel.
Artist: Jason Aldean
Album: Night Train
Release Date: October 15, 2012
Best: “When She Says Baby”;“1994”; “Take A Little Ride”; “Walking Away”
Jason Aldean’s fifth album, Night Train, is a selection of well-chosen songs (Aldean doesn’t write his own material.) done extravagantly well. They combine country, hip-hop, rock, and pop. The mix of genres creates something entirely better. The songs here are uniformly catchy, well-played, and well-sung. Jason Aldean already has had one song to top Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart: the breezy “Take A Little Ride.” The album may not be adventurous, but it’s more than enough to keep his millions of fans eager to keep listening.
Written by Ciara Fekete’14
