This week, Arts & Entertainment Editor Heidi Cho highlights some of the best new albums that the College’s radio station, 91.3 FM WTSR, puts into its rotation.
Band: Good Field
Album: “Surface Tension”
Release Number: 3rd
Hailing From: Nashville, Tennessee
Genre: Warm Melodic Guitar Pop
Label: Self-released
The shoe gum pop band takes their sound to another level on their third full-length release. All the acoustic elements retain their integrity and get their own time in the spotlight. The album has a sound that is distinguishably more melodic than others in the band’s genre. The bassline while repetitive and grounding never brings down the upbeat piano and guitar riffs in “Endless Nights” and “Necessary Feeling.” The album was written when the band stayed in Texas. Inspired by the heat of the desert, this album can keep listeners warm and please a crowd.
Must Hear: “Endless Nights,” “Necessary Feeling” and “Surface Tension”
Band Name: Sufis
Album Name: “After Hours”
Release Number: 3rd
Hailing From: Australia, Globally
Genre: Laid Back Psychedelic Pop
Label: Burger Records
The writing duo Calvin Laporte and Even Smith makes the band’s third release, “After Hours,” a wonderfully psychedelic experience. An almost Jamaican and ska-like bounce replicated with synthetic-sounding instruments gives songs like “Till I Get Home” and “Mercy” an up tempo and sparkly sound. The repeated and simplistic lyrics sung in a breathy deep voice can lull listeners into the same lackadaisical mood as the singer. It reflects the same dreamy quality of music from the ’60s with 11 songs that manage to stay upbeat despite the lyrical content. This band brings the psych scene to the listener with the catchy album.
Must Hear: “Till I Get Home”
