Music’s New Voices: a monthly music column of new releases + playlists

presents

NEW OCTOBER TUNES

TRACK ONE: “NO FUN” by Joji, released 26 October 2018 [EXPLICIT]

→ Genre: Pop/Hip-hop

→ Hailing from Joji’s sophomore album, BALLADS 1, “NO FUN” examines the singer’s unstable friendships and self-induced isolation over keyboard chords, snaps, and a light drum kit. The first verse opens with, “[redacted] my friends, they’re gone / They all left one by one,” but Joji isn’t. He doesn’t bother to check his phone and goes out driving by himself, running away from his “broke[n] AC.” Although Joji’s vocals are breezy and carefree, boasting a simple, catchy melody with only slight Autotune (some of the other songs on the album have much heavier production), his lone-wolf mentality seems to come undone by the second verse. “Feel dead, but I feel my bones (My bones) / I hide out on my throne (My throne),” he sings on the second verse, still upbeat, but the lyrics make it seem darker as his act unravels. Joji uses his fame to hide from forming meaningful relationships, even though he is hurting inside. All in all, “NO FUN” is a great song and an ode to loneliness, one where you can scream the chorus — “Yeah all my friends no fun / Yeah all my friends no fun,” — or cry to — “I run, I run, I run (I run, I run) / And I don’t have no more dreams.”

TRACK TWO: “Let Me Know” by LANY, released 5 October 2018 [CLEAN]

→ Genre: Alternative/Pop

→ “Let Me Know” is the fifth song on LANY’s second album, Malibu Nights. Paul Klein’s even, sweet vocals layer over top of atmospheric guitars and keyboards about a breakup with a past lover. Simple but poignant imagery opens the song: “Blue sky lights up the night, it’s the morning / I can’t get through to you.” Klein is confused about the breakup, not sure how to “move on if you don’t even know what’s really wrong.” “You” refers to his ex; she hasn’t explained what made her feelings change in the relationship, and Klein is left grasping at thin air when they part ways. However, the song doesn’t sound sad — it’s an outreach to this lover, not an outcry. Klein just wants to make sure she knows that he still has feelings for her. “Let me know if you ever change, if you ever change your mind / I can’t promise you that I’ll be waiting / But for you, I’ll leave anything behind,” he sings gently on the chorus. “Let Me Know” a refreshing, groovy departure from the traditional breakup song, and LANY pull it off effortlessly.

TRACK THREE: “Loading Zones” by Kurt Vile, album version released 12 October 2018 [CLEAN]

→ Genre: Rock

→ “Loading Zones” opens Kurt Vile’s eighth – yes, eighth – studio album, Bottle It In. Inspired by his hometown of Philadelphia, this song is full of blunt, grimy poetry, and barely contains any rhymes. “Sure, they knighted me yesterday / But who needs armor when I’ve an exoskeleton?” Vile questions in the first verse, feeling as if he rules the city, as he says on the song’s Genius page. He is hardened to the outside world, owning this town, and disregarding the ‘no parking’ loading zone signs. Vile wanders around the city “All from zone to loading zone of my town,” observing the people around him on the outskirts. Lacking typical song structure, the song progresses from verses one and two to the singular chorus and the outro over prominent guitar chords and riffs in between the sections, drums beating in the background. Vile’s voice has the quality of a southern drawl at some points. This, and the instrumental components, makes the song almost reminiscent of a Western movie, where Vile is an outlaw in his own city, but he doesn’t mind.  “That’s the way I live my life / I park for free,” is how he finishes off the chorus, the outro echoing “I park for free,” reminding the listener that Vile lives on his own terms.

TRACK FOUR: “Chip On My Shoulder” by RAT BOY, released 10 October 2018 [CLEAN]

→ Genre: Punk

→ RAT BOY’s brash style on “Chip On My Shoulder,” off of his upcoming album INTERNATIONALLY UNKNOWN, blends the raging vocals and power chords of melodic punk with spunkily rapped verses and drum machine beats. Finishing at only two minutes and one second, RAT BOY is confident and cocky on this track, warning not to mess with him, “For it’s the last time that you ever get what’s mine,” he boasts in the first verse. RAT BOY’s voice is layered on the loud chorus, singing, “Chip on my shoulder / I’ve got a chip on my shoulder / And everybody knows it.” After listening to this song on full volume, there’s no way someone within a mile radius could not know that he has a chip on his shoulder, but in the best way possible.

TRACK FIVE: “Fingers” by ZAYN, released 18 October 2018 [EXPLICIT]

→ Genre: Alternative R&B

→ Over 3 years after Zayn Malik left One Direction, he shows that he has completely evolved past poppy boyband antics and into creating liquid smooth R&B melodies on his single, “Fingers.” The song is about his passion for an ex-lover he misses. “[redacted] and I want ya / Looked and I loved ya / Stuck, now I need ya / Hopin’ I’d see ya,” he lilts at the start of the first verse. Zayn’s feelings are overpowering his thinking — he can’t think straight because of his love for this girl. He knew his feelings since he saw her for the first time, and is stuck lusting after her, hoping he will eventually get to rekindle this flame. Zayn can’t contact this girl because he’s afraid of saying something wrong and ruining his chance with her when he sings: “I can’t even text ya / ‘Cause my fingers ain’t working, but my heart is,” during the chorus. On the bridge, Zayn knows the girl is denying her attraction towards him and “it’s taking all [her] strength to keep restrained” from coming back. Zayn’s skillful vocals and modern, barebones yet effective lyrics are sure to keep him a household name long after the popularity of One Direction fades away.

PLAYLIST: I made the playlist “New October Tunes // Voices” on Spotify and Youtube, which includes these tracks, plus 27 more, all released this past month! The links are below.

→ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/mcbalich/playlist/3JLSmefkybw8TabkcZ1S8w?si=Nux7boeOSsebcM78OBgHkQ

→ Youtube: [includes all tracks except “Dream” by birthday]

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIehpsSViHnPB2ASsWDgpVZq-nq52_W17

MY OCTOBER FAVORITES: “NO FUN” by Joji; “It’s Not Living (If It’s Not With You)” by The 1975; “Feeling Lonely” by boy pablo; “I’m On Fire” by Soccer Mommy (Bruce Springsteen Cover); “Saturday Nights” by Khalid; “Tints” by Anderson .Paak ft. Kendrick Lamar