This week, Kailee Walsh and Brigid Barber, WTSR music staff members, highlight some of the best new albums that the College’s own radio station, 91.3 FM WTSR, puts into its weekly rotation.
Band: Coasts
Album: “Coasts”
Hailing From: Bristol, U.K.
Genre: Indie Electronic Pop
Label: Capitol Records
Coasts has created a strong debut album for itself with this self-titled release. The opening song, “Oceans,” is catchy and sweet. Upbeat synth sounds open most of the songs on this album and make it the fun indie record that it is. If you are a fan of grand sounding choruses, this is for you. They have a very similar sound to Imagine Dragons, especially on their song, “Wolves.” The album also has some slower, deeper songs like “As Long As I Need You” that gives the release some heart. Coasts’s debut encompasses what everyone wants and expects from indie pop and will definitely have listeners dancing along.
Must Hear: “Ocean,” “Modern Love,” “Rush of Blood” and “Let Go”
Band: Lily & Madeleine
Album: “Keep It Together”
Hailing From: Bloomington, Ind.
Genre: Dreamy Synth Folk
Label: New West Records
Subtle angst seeps through the velvety vocals and lyricism of Lily & Madeleine’s third album, “Keep It Together.” This folk duo has weaved together an arrangement of lovely harmonies accompanied by classic and melodic touches of cello, piano, sonic manipulation and even ambient sounds such as bird chirping. Through this album, they wish to express their feelings about being women in America and being young adults in the 21st century. With this goal in mind, Lily and Madeleine wrote many of the songs separately and came together to revise them. This causes their separate personalities to shine through in each song. This also explains why the moods waver throughout the album, but the tracks carry an overall tone of tranquility and social exhaustion. Switching from steady streams of thought to dramatized recollections, “Keep It Together” is unapologetically silky smooth. Check them out if you’re a fan of Wild Nothing, Tennis and Night Beds.
Must Hear: “For The Weak,” “Westfield,” “Hourglass,” “Hotel Pool,” “Small Talk” and “Nothing”
