What I’m Listening To #2

What I’m Listening To, the blog series in which I reflect on the musical territories I’ve been exploring during the last few months. Join me on this inspirational journey and listen along with the Spotify playlist below!

Stereo Honey – Ladders to the Sun
Immediately after discovering the band on SoundCloud, I fell in love with Stereo Honey’s indie style and singer Pete Restrick’s falsetto vocals. I couldn’t be more disappointed to learn that this EP was already going to be their last. Luckily, they’ve managed to make some fantastic final songs, such as the danceable title track and the hauntingly beautiful “Second Chance”. Appropriately, the latter includes a lyric I’d love to propose to the band: “what d’you know about giving it a second chance?”.

Linkin Park – Meteora
I remember being a teenager and discovering “Meteora”. Despite Linkin Park being one of my favorite bands, I’d never cared much about this album. What a shame. Upon relistening I suddenly recognised so many strong elements: the aggressiveness, the perfect interplay between Chester and Mike, the smooth transitions between songs, the creative sound design. The band just nails it from beginning to end and I’m surprised to say “Meteora” is miles better than I remember it to be.

Adele – 21
To shake things up, I sometimes explore a style or genre that’s totally different from what I’m normally used to. That’s how I ended up listening to ”21” by Adele. Highlights for me are the soulful instrumentation, great songwriting and stunning vocal performances. A friend of mine used to recommend Adele, only for me to disregard her for being a generic pop singer with an overpowered voice. Again, what a shame!

Life on Planet 9 – Steady
“How did this happen? It’s hard to imagine”, sings Pete Murray on the opening track. “Steady” seems to have been inspired by current world events. Thankfully that doesn’t take away from the well-crafted and hypnotic post-rock soundscapes. Throughout this EP, Life on Planet 9 takes you on a short yet epic journey, concluding with a soulful guitar solo. Goosebumps guaranteed! Thanks to fellow LPU member the_termin8r for the recommendation 😉

Run the Jewels – RTJ4
“RTJ4” is like getting punched in the face for 38 minutes straight. There’s no time to catch a breath, every track hits hard with intense beats and unapologetic rhymes. Extra props to Run the Jewels for incorporating some rock and jazz influences that make this album more than just a standard hip hop production.