There has been a lot new music over the course of the past couple of weeks, so I’m trying to listen to it all! Here’s a taste of what’s out there, but be on the lookout for part two soon!
Djo
“Keep Your Head Up” – Technically, this is not new. This really groovy, 80s-esque track actually came out around the same time as his full-length debut. Similar to some of his other songs, there is a lot of falsetto here, but it compliments the beat well. I found myself shrugging my shoulders to the groove (I think everyone’s done some “shoulder dancing” in their lives), and it would come as no surprise if this gets added to my Djo playlist.
The 1975
“Part of the Band” – This song is also not all that new, but I just never heard anything about this. I found that really strange given how huge these guys have become over the past several years. In all honesty, I was rather disappointed with their last two albums, so I was nervous for this new song. I can say straight away that this is totally unlike anything I’ve ever heard from them. It came across in a really narrative fashion but with brutal honesty about love, life, drugs, successes and failures. The sounds here are more of an acoustic guitar and also heavily produced strings. This is also the most I’ve ever been able to understand Matt Healy. Overall though, I don’t really care for it, but I appreciate them trying something totally new.
Panic! at the Disco
“Viva Las Vengeance” – Not all that long ago I was thinking of Panic! at the Disco and how long it seems to have been since they’ve put new music out. It seems like the world was saturated in Brendon Urie, so the extended quiet felt odd. Turns out it was just my Spidey senses tingling, because not only did we get two new songs in a very short amount of time, but there will also be a brand new album and an accompanying tour! This song is the title track on the upcoming album of the same name, out August 19th. It really grabbed me with a catchy start and the back-up vocals were giving off strong Queen vibes. I appreciate that this is a little nod to the bands origins, but it’s going to take me several plays for the song to really land.
“Middle of a Breakup” – This second single also came with a music video, and I have to applaud the director for really getting the feel of the song to match visually. The song plays like something out of a musical and wouldn’t you know they’re sort of spoofing Grease in the video. With that being said, I liked some of the guitars, but overall not all too impressed with this.