Monday, December 2, 2013

November 26 Releases, 2013

By: Megan Fair, Copy Editor

The dreary drudge of sludge and sleet has thrust itself upon us, leaving a desire for homemade food and endless naps. Likewise, this week did not offer many big releases in the industry, so bear with me as I scrounge up my very scattered thoughts about this week’s big releases. What can I say? My brain is craving tryptophan, so if it’s not turkey, my brain doesn’t care.

First up to bat is the The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Soundtrack. The last Hunger Games Soundtrack featured artists such as Arcade FireTaylor Swift and the Civil Wars. This soundtrack is stacked with even more big name, exciting artists expressing their take on feelings and scenes from the blockbuster. This team has heavy hitters all around ranging from Ellie Goulding to Coldplay to the Lumineers.

Patti Smith’s soulful “Capitol Letter” has a Johnny Cash-does-“Hurt” vibe, which is pretty cool. “Devil May Cry” is The Weeknd’s smooth track. The floating falsetto vocals are pretty rad, and The Weeknd’s signature sound is ever present. Santigold’s contribution, “Shooting Arrows at the Sky,” is spunky and cool, and “Atlas” is a Coldplay track that doesn’t do anything crazy, but it is Coldplay, so... 

Possibly the coolest track on this soundtrack is Lorde’s eerie cover of Tears for Fears’ “Everybody Wants to Rule the World.” The youngster’s caramelized voice drips over martial pounding and ambient background music until a blasting build at the end. 

Closing out this week’s Drop It Like It’s Hot is One Direction. Oh, those cheeky boys with such charming accents. From what I hear, everyone’s still creamin’, especially with the tracks on Midnight Memories. As much as one may be inclined to hate, the boys do have great pipes, and their music is intended to be very fun. This album is definitely edgier, but it continually expresses their fun side while emphasizing the fact that they don’t take themselves too seriously. Also, you can’t deny that you definitely sing “Best Song Ever” when you’re alone in your car. 

In a slow sea of mostly nobodies, these are the albums that stuck out this week. I couldn’t even tell you one artist who dropped an album today that more than 50 people care about. At least you can rest easy knowing that those food comas aren’t keeping you from missing any important album releases.