Surrender by Maggie Rogers

Maggie Rogers’s sophomore album Surrender dropped on July 29, 2022. Surrender, co-produced by Kid Harpoon, embodies the freedom that comes when you lean into all of your desires and let go of what no longer serves you. 

“This [album] is the story of what happened when I finally gave in,” Rogers shared in the album’s trailer released on March 30, 2022.  

“Want Want,” a personal favorite from the record, is an early 2000’s fever dream wrapped up in a poppy beat. A bold anthem that is bound to get you up on your feet.

I appreciated that Maggie included a ballad specifically about friendship, as songs about platonic love are often hard to come by. “I’ve Got a Friend” is a more stripped-down, country-pop-esque track with hints of bluegrass-jazz and lyrics that provide a more personal touch to the record. 

The closing track “Different Kind of World” is a vulnerable piece about finding serenity amidst the chaos of the world. Her La Blogothèque performance of the track perfectly captures the emotion in the song.  

Favorite Lyrics:

Can’t hide what you desire once you’re on it

Can’t fake what you can’t break up with 

– “Want Want”

You work all day to find religion

And end up standing in your kitchen

Wondering ’bout the way it’s always been

– “Begging for Rain”

Being Funny in a Foreign Language 

The British band’s fifth album is a transparent display of what it feels like to live “through the postmodern lens.” Released on Oct. 14, 2022, the record has a nostalgic tone with songs like “Looking For Somebody to Love” which is evocative of the eighties. Opening beats to “Oh Caroline” take the listener straight back to the nineties. 

The debut single “Part of the Band” was a newer sound for The 1975. The lush acoustics were paired with vulnerable and amusing lyrics. 

“I’m in Love with You” is a straightforward and poppy track perfect for the festival setting or an impulsive kitchen dance session. Matthew “Matt” Healy, the lead singer, stated that this was an attempt to “make it like a traditional 1975 song. I wanted to debase the sincerity.” It seems their attempt was indeed successful with the song charting over 56 million streams, making it the second most streamed song of the record just behind “About You.”

You may have heard the sped-up version of “About You” from TikTok. Many would deem this song the ‘true star’ of the album. With nostalgia finding its way into every crevice of the track. “About You” is a continuation of the band’s hit 2013 ballad “Robbers.” Carly Holt, the wife of the band’s guitarist, sings vocals on the bridge and repeats the lyrics “don’t let go,” it’s something out of this world. 

Favorite lyrics: 

I like my men like I like my coffee

Full of soy milk and so sweet it won’t offend anybody 

– “Part of the Band”

You’re makin’ an aesthetic out of not doing well

– “The 1975”

Rae

Ashlyn “Ashe” Willson, dropped her sophomore record Rae with tracks full of liberation and uncanny confidence. The aesthetic of the album is more cinematic and jazzy than we’ve seen before from Ashe. With the help of executive producer Leroy Clampitt, Rae was dropped on Oct. 14, 2022. 

“Shower with my Clothes On” is the perfect track for a drive down the Pacific Coast Highway with the windows down. The emotional lyrics unravel how it feels to be living in uncertainty after parting with a lover. 

Ashe claps back at people in the industry who have doubted her, with “Angry Woman.”

“You said my sound wasn’t pop enough… well I’m about to set your world on fire” she sings. 

Ashe’s idol, Diane Keaton, made her first-ever musical debut on “Love is Letting Go.” It’s undoubtedly a special, more acoustic track. 

Favorite Lyrics:

But sometimes love is letting go

The moon won’t ever tell the sun that it can’t rise

– “Love is Letting Go”

Uncanny Valley 

COIN’s fifth album debut Uncanny Valley released on March 25, 2022, less than a year after their previous record Rainbow Mixtape. In simple terms, Uncanny Valley is inspirational. COIN dipped their toes into autotune and other more electronic beats. Typically I’m not a fan of this style, but COIN’s approach was tasteful and added to the value of the record.

“The idea was to take the elements of classic rock—the organic instrumentation and energy of drums and guitar and bass—then put all that through a very hi-fi and modern filter. We wanted to make people feel like they’ve opened a door to the future, and heard a combination of sounds they weren’t supposed to hear yet” explains Chase Lawerence, lead vocalist of COIN.

The album is partially upbeat with songs like “Chapstick” and “It Works.” The rest is made up of thought-provoking ballads such as “Plug Me In” and “Learning.” 

Favorite Lyric:

Sometimes a little sunset can look like a sunrise

– “Learning”

Favorite Tracks:

• “Killing Me”

• “Loving”

• “Plug Me In” 

Hysteria 

Produced by the renowned Arron Dessner of the National, Hysteria was dropped on Oct. 7th, 2022. Indigo Sparke’s soft and euphonious voice carries each listener through her reflective record. The emotional distress and melancholiness of the album is likely tied to the fact that a majority of the album was written during the chaos of 2020.

The opening track “Blue” details traumatizing events in Indigo’s past with a paradox of familiarity and vagueness. “Burn” and “Pluto” channel the same energy as a Sarah McLachlan ballad with echoey vocals.

“Please don’t wake me up, just tell me it’s okay to dream,” sings Indigo. 

Favorite Tracks:

• “Pressure in my Chest”
• “God is a Woman’s Name”

I Can’t Let Go

Suki Waterhouse’s debut album “I Can’t Let Go” produced by Brad Cook didn’t disappoint. Suki has had a successful career as a model since age 16. Now she’s taking it from runways to stages. 

“There was a lot of worry about: Would it be accepted? Am I allowed to do this? Because I’ve had other things that I’ve been more known for,” Suki shares when asked about her transition to music. 

Suki’s style is more moody and melodramatic than most artists today. Perhaps she is the Lana Del Rey of the 2020s. 

Moves, Melrose Meltdown, and Devil I Know are some obvious highlights off the record. However, I would deem this a no-skip album. Each track feels purposeful and well-composed. 

I’m looking forward to hearing more from Suki in the future and seeing how her music continues to evolve. 

Favorite Tracks:

• “Moves”

• “Melrose Meltdown”

Honorable Mentions:

• Ivory by Omar Apollo

• Gemini Rights by Steve Lacy

• LP3 by Hippo Campus

• MUNA by Muna