After a slow start to the year, music releases in 2014 have been slowly picking up. Spring, and beyond, bring us the promise of some great acts, from old favorites and newcomers.
“Are We There?” – Sharon Van Etten (May 27, 2014)
“Are We There?,” Sharon Van Etten’s follow-up to 2012’s fantastic “Tramp” is my personal pick for “most-anticipated” album of 2014. Van Etten released a trailer for the album and first single “Taking Chances” and has been building up hype since. The electronic and instrumental influences are a departure from her earlier, acoustic work, but the signature lyrical honesty is still there. I can’t wait to listen to “Are We There?,” because there’s only so many times I can listen to “Tramp” on repeat.
Bleachers (Spring 2014)
Disclaimer: I hate fun. (The band, I like actual fun, I swear). There’s just something about them that irks me to no end. So imagine my surprise when I found out that “I Want To Get Better,” a song I’ve been playing on obsessive repeat since it was released, is Jack Antoff’s, who is a guitarist for fun., solo project. “I Want to Get Better” is loud, catchy and pure fun. (Pun not intended, I hate myself now). Bleachers don’t have a name or official release date for their album, but early blog buzz is already calling their debut “promising” and describing it as a nice mix of loud, sing-a-long jams with more slow and mellow songs.
“Ghost Stories” – Coldplay (May 16, 2014)
Coldplay is a polarizing band. They’ve sold millions of records worldwide yet they’re no longer a “cool band” and some have even relegated Coldplay to being “that band your parents like.” True, their latest release “Mylo Xyolto” was kind of a disappointment and didn’t fare too well with critics, they’re a band whose sound has evolved through the years, for better or for worse. “Midnight,” the first single off “Ghost Stories” drew mixed reactions and comparison’s to cheap copies of Bon Iver. “Magic” did a good job of blending the new synth influences with the catchiness of Coldplay’s older hits. “Ghost Stories” may be a “hit or miss” album for Coldplay, but music fans all over are eagerly anticipating to see which one it turns out to be.
