What I’m Listening To #12

What I’m Listening To, the blog series in which I reflect on all the music I’ve been exploring during the last few months. Press play on the playlist below, listen along and join me on this inspirational journey. Post your recommendations in the comments!

Duncan Laurence – Skyboy
Even though Duncan Laurence became well-known after winning Eurovision 2019, I never particularly cared to explore his music before. But man, this guy can sing! On every song, he delivers powerful vocal performances and there’s a clear intention behind every word. These compositions, often produced in a soulful or gospel style, carry lots of emotion and it’s evident that they stem from an authentic place. Through the lyrics, Duncan is not afraid to open up and share his vulnerable side. The delicately performed instruments add much color too. Whether it’s piano, drums or a synth, you can tell there’s attention to detail with every note being played at just the right moment. Together, all these elements coverge neatly, resulting in a beautiful and personal work of art.

Brothers Osborne – Brothers Osborne
With its polished and crystal clear sounding production, Brothers Osborne’s fourth and self-titled album is probably their most pop inspired effort yet. Four-on-the-floor drum parts, big bass sounds and subtle synths decorate the more traditional country instruments, which luckily still form the strong foundation. You could almost call it… disco country, I guess. It’s a rather surprising creative decision, as is the choice to have guitarist and brother John’s backing vocals be quite loud in the mix. As is the closing acoustic ballad “Rollercoaster (Forever and a Day)” in and of itself. It kind of comes out of nowhere, but of all the songs, it probably hit me the most with its bittersweet yet uplifting message.

Simple Plan – No Pads, No Helmets… Just Balls
While the title and cover art may indicate this band is all about having a good time, the songs actually tell a different story. Simple Plan’s breakthrough debut, containing big singles “I’m Just a Kid”, “Addicted” and “Perfect”, is filled with dark feelings of angst, anxiety and rejection. However, instead of having the sound literally reflect these topics, the band brilliantly decided to translate them into high energy pop punk music. The lyrics and melodies aren’t too complicated and thus, you get the perfect recipe for an album you can’t help but want to yel along to! A small complaint of mine is that the mixing sounds a bit unbalanced and there’s too much compression (on the drums). Otherwise a nice album that makes me want to see them live again.

Dropkick Murphys – Going Out In Style
If you’re up for some loud and in-your-face “no mercy, no quarter” punk rock with a twist of Irish folk music, look no further. Dropkick Murphys’ highest charting album is a blast to experience and shows the success of this unlikely stylistic fusion. The energy here is unbelievably high, partially thanks to the shouty gang vocals that make it sound as if hundreds of people are constantly singing along. And what a bunch of talented musicians! The raw production provides room for the band to showcase their playing skills: from accordion, flute, banjo to bagpipes, they can play it all (at insane speed). While “Going Out In Style” tells a lot of stories about the tragedies of life, there’s always an undertone of hope and strength, proven by the seemingly inexhaustable energy that these awesome lunatics from Massachusetts put on display.

LPLive – Refraction
This is the remix album that Linkin Park’s “Meteora” never officially received, but as the fan community has proven now, definitely deserved. Created in a collaborative effort by assembling a variety of music producers from the community, LPLive has delivered an ambitious project that has exceeded my expectations. The new interpretations often transport the songs into a modern electronic soundscape, with little detours to epic rock or even ambient styles, turning down the original intensity. With all the above in mind, it’s amazing how “Refraction” has become such a consistent sounding remix album. It’s only available on YouTube due to legal reasons, but I highly recommend giving it a listen!

S P E C I A L
S I N G L E S
Songs that have caught my attention.

Mike Shinoda – “Already Over”
Unexpectedly raw and aggressive.

Taylor Swift – “Anti-Hero”
A well-crafted indie pop song I couldn’t ignore.

Busted – “Year 3000”
Fun, exciting and a typical 00’s pop punk sound.

U2 & B.B. King – “When Love Comes to Town”
I love me some blues from time to time.

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