End of September brings an odd collection of releases
As September comes to a close, so does the month of music that came with tons of new albums. This last week gave us quite an odd array of albums, including one of Jack White’s many projects, Drake and Future’s mixtape and a cover of Taylor Swifts entire “1989” album.
“Dodge and Burn” by The Dead Weather
Released: Sept. 25
Genre: Rock
From The White Stripes to going solo, to the Raconteurs, many features and The Dead Weather, Jack White is a busy man involved in many different bands and projects. You would probably think that White, being so busy, would make some of the albums and projects a bit lackluster, but that is not the case in The Dead Weather’s latest album. “I Feel Love (Every Million Miles)” starts the album with the raspy, rockabilly vocals of Alison Mosshart and features a heavy, drudging bass line. With a sound similar to Black Rebel Motorcycle Club in the song “Buzzkill(er),” edgy-alt fans will love this album. White and his super group — from a multitude of bands — have released a solid album full of edgy riffs (“Cop and Go”) and drudging cords.
Download: “I Feel Love (Every Million Miles)”
“What a Time to Be Alive” by Drake and Future
Released: Sept. 25
Genre: Rap
Rappers Drake and Future came together to create a duet album this month. Full of mumbling, listeners may have a tough time getting through this album with songs like “I’m the Plug,” which eventually features faster rapping that, surprisingly enough, has some understandable words. Sounding like literally every other rap album out there, this duo brings nothing new to the scene and continues to throw horrible songs full of slurs about race, money and women, which can be heard in “Digital Dash.” With better, understandable lyrics, that song has the potential to actually be interesting since it does have a unique electronic beat. Too bad they dropped the ball (“Scholarships”) and too bad people genuinely like music like this.
Download: “Digital Dash”
“1989” by Ryan Adams
Released: Sept. 25
Genre: Singer-songwriter
Cover songs occur so often it is hardly noticeable anymore. But it is not often that an artist covers an entire album. Ryan Adams has released a cover album of Taylor Swift’s “1989.” Although all the songs and words are the same, they sound completely different, which leads to different connotations of the songs (“Blank Space”). Adams puts his on flair on each song like “Welcome to New York,” which sounds like a fun ’80s pop song. Whether you like Taylor Swift or not, everyone should check out this album. The vibe is totally different than Swift’s. On “Shake it Off,” the song goes from being a high-energy dance anthem, to a slowed down ballad about being underappreciated. Adam’s makes many of the “1989” songs seem more meaningful, and for that, everyone should give it a listen.
Download: “Welcome to New York”
Marissa Campbell was the Culture Editor for The Sunflower. Campbell wrote music reviews as well as arts, culture and other entertainment stories. From...