This past Friday was Valentine’s Day and while thousands worldwide were spending quality time with their special someone, I was also spending quality time with mine. Except my special someone in this case happened to be my favorite pair of headphones. Some of the hottest artists on the charts right now decided to give the world a gift for Valentine’s Day— a new album! Tame Impala released The Slow Rush, Yung Gravy and bbno$ released Baby Gravy 2, Nathaniel Rateliff released a solo album called And It’s Still Alright, Justin Bieber released Changes, and EDEN released No Future.
The most notable of these releases is Tame Impala’s The Slow Rush. It has been a little over five years since Tame Impala has released an album, but the band’s front man (and only man), instrument wizard, and creative force is back “On Track.” This long-anticipated album has been in the works for what feels like forever—being stunted by endless tour dates and the devastating California fires in 2018 which destroyed Parker’s home along with all of his equipment. Perhaps Parker’s struggle with completing this album in a timely manner is the reason this album revolves around the theme of Time. This is why the album begins with the track “One More Year” and ends with “One More Hour.” Besides Time, Parker also reflects on his journey of trying to find himself while simultaneously rising into musical stardom through a more serious tone than he has used in his previous albums. It is also important to note that just as his tone has changed, so has the psych-rock sound we have all come to know and love. Although Parker’s signature psychedelia remains, his sound has evolved into a more refined pop-influenced reverberate. All adversities and alterations aside, this album may be one of his best yet.
Tame Impala isn’t the only artist that has released new music after a half-decade of silence. Justin Bieber’s new album, Changes, is also his first album since 2015 when he released Purpose. Bieber is not the only A-lister voice you will hear when listening to these tracks. He has features from Quavo, Post Malone, Lil Dicky, and Travis Scott on his album. On this album Bieber addresses his recent struggles with mental health, his marriage to model Hailey Baldwin, and his relationship with God. The album cycles between summertime anthems, to hip-hop bangers, to slow, bedroom-pop sensations. After years of being America and Canda’s “Baby,” it is refreshing to hear songs with lyrics so close to his heart and sounds filled with pure passion.
Valentine’s Day may be over, but these albums are here to stay. All of the albums listed above are available on all streaming platforms—go give them a listen!
Frisson Frets 