Ellie’s Hang out

With lots of albums being released in 2023, I wanted to write about my narrowed down list of my favourite albums from last year. I managed to get it down to 5 at last. Lets begin…

1. Album Review: “Snow Angel” – Reneé Rapp

The 12-track album takes listeners on a trip through grief, heartbreak, and a young woman’s life in her 20s. With her upbeat choruses and sad ballads, Snow Angel surpasses all expectations as the pinnacle of pop perfection. 

Track-list 

1. Tall Too Much 
2. I Hate Boston 
3. Poison Poison 
4. Gemini Moon 
5. Snow Angel 
6. So What Now
7. The Wedding Song 
8. Pretty Girls
9. Tummy Hurts
10. Wish
11. Willow 
12. 23 

The 23-year-old is clearly gifted, as seen by her starring roles in the Broadway version of Mean Girls, her large fan base from HBO’s Sex Lives of College Girls, and her amazing voice. Talk Too Much is riddled with humor, “Pretty Girls” is overly confident, and in other places the star’s magnetism and sharp lyrics attempt to surpass her prior musical achievements. Themes of intimacy and desire are subtly highlighted. A somewhat irritated Rapp describes on “Pretty Girls” a typical meeting with heterosexual girls who “have a couple drinks” and “wanna kiss all the pretty girls.” A more powerful note on Snow Angel, the song acts as the album’s pop cornerstone. Even with Rapp’s 3 million listeners, it’s difficult to replicate the Olivia Rodrigo ballad launch that the project’s initial track, which goes by the same name, imitates. Snow Angel provides a comforting ear. There are unmistakable moments on this record that feel exactly like an album by Reneé Rapp, and not even back-beats and twanging strings can make it seem otherwise. It’s only at that point, when Rapp appears to be in complete charge, that Snow Angel turns into the scene-stealer it always was.

Favorite tracks from “Snow Angel” – Pretty Girls, Poison Poison & Talk Too Much

Album rating – ★★★★★

2. This Is Why by Paramore 

Paramore has always known that the worst emotions cannot be improved, not even by a fantastic pop song. With its primary color-hued, Talking Heads-influenced melodies, 2017’s “After Laughter” conveyed opposing pictures of bug-eyed dread and healing; in contrast, “This Is Why” zooms in on a record-scratch/freeze frame moment: the uncertain world of post-quarantine living.

Track-list 

1. This Is Why 
2. The News
3. Running Out Of Time 
4. C’est Comme Ca
5. Big Man, Little Dignity 
6. You First 
7. Figure 8 
8. Liar 
9. Crave 
10. Thick Skull 

The song “This Is Why” is a love letter to the delightfully caustic early days of Paramore, and it is also in tune with the textures of today’s forward-thinking rock music. The band’s evolution leading up to “This Is Why” and the album’s sound both exhibit a significant deal of instability in their artistic development. Hits like “Big Man Little Dignity” and “Figure 8” expand the range of feeling beyond the pent-up tensions and bright, booming sound of their early work. “This Is Why,” which features some of Paramore’s most daring material to date, serves as a forceful reminder of the band’s potential. Every hard rock song that leaps to an explosive finish also has a slightly trippy or daring vocal detour. It’s amazing they’ve made it this far at all: this is a band that has endured a great deal, rising above internal strife and numerous lineup changes to become one of the most well-liked groups of their generation.

Favorite tracks from “This Is Why” – Big Man, Little Dignity , You first & Crave

Album rating – ★★★★☆

3. Album Review: “Cuts & Bruises” – Inhaler

As if things couldn’t get much better, in June they will be the opening act for Harry Styles at the renowned Slane Castle in Ireland. About my own experience with Inhaler, I’ve gone from being a “super fan” to an even more “super fan” after hearing Cuts & Bruises.

Track-list 

1. Just To Keep You Satisfied 
2. Love Will Get You There
3. So Far So Good 
4. These Are The Days 
5. If You’re Gonna Break My Heart
6. Perfect Storm
7. Dublin In Ecstasy 
8. When I Have Her On My Mind 
9. Valentine 
10. The Things I Do
11. Now You Got Me

 A complex blend is created: “Just To Keep You Satisfied” portrays a band that is less eager to please, preferring to prioritize sound aspiration over immediate gratification; Hewson’s voice on “If You’re Gonna Break My Heart” resonates with his father’s, but the conviction and soul are entirely his own. The band does a great job paying homage to “Dublin In Ecstasy,” a beloved song that was finally recorded in a studio; the fans were right to demand it (including myself). The mid tempo tracks “Now You Got Me” and “Valentine,” which both lack the record’s initial spark but fit perfectly into the album. However, “Cuts & Bruises” gives Inhaler room to expand and keep creating a sound that is more uniquely their own. They may not have the same Fender-like hardness in their narrative, but they are just as passionate and endearing, quickly securing a respectable position for themselves. The person Hewson has been singing about all along is the one he is giving himself over to. He essentially wrestled with his views regarding this subject throughout this album, and now they have him exactly where they wanted him.

Considering this is only their second album I believe they have a great chance of becoming an extremely well-known band. For them, this is just the beginning; with the release of Cuts and Bruises, the possibilities are endless.

Favorite tracks from “Cuts & Bruises” – Valentine, Dublin In Ecstasy & The Things I Do

Album rating – ★★★★★

4. Jaws Of Life by Pierce The Veil 

Album Review: “Jaws Of Life” – Pierce The Veil 

After being rebuilt, they have already achieved success. Their 2012 song “King for a Day” (which made me get into them) went viral on TikTok last year, and everyone from Lizzo to Travis Barker’s son mouthing along to lines like “I’m tired of begging for the things that I want/I’m oversleeping like a dog on the floor” joined the trend.

Track-list 

1. Death of an Executioner
2. Pass the Nirvana
3. Even When I’m Not with You
4. Emergency Contact
5. Flawless Execution
6. The Jaws of Life
7. Damn the Man, Save the Empire
8. Resilience
9. Irrational Fears (Interlude)
10. Shared Trauma
11. So Far So Fake
12. 12 Fractures” (featuring Chloe Moriondo)

The Jaws of Life explores the area between adolescent emotion and music, typically with obvious outcomes but occasionally in quite unexpected ways. Synths are added to the sound of

“Death of an Executioner,” “12 Fractures” exhibits a Nineties grunge influence not heard in their earlier work, and the standout track, “Flawless Execution,” is a mid-tempo ballad with contemporary production elements. These diversions all fit in nicely with the band’s post-hardcore, go-go vibe. While it doesn’t quite reach the same level of ear-worm immediacy, the fast-paced “Death of an Executioner” is a good alternative for fans searching for an alternative to the chaotic energy of “King for a Day.” A Flair for the Dramatic, their 2006 debut, is referenced in “Damn the Man, Save the Empire,” while “Death of an Executioner” may have appeared on 2010’s Selfish Machines. The music that was written for this album is standard fare from a band whose lyrics are frequently scribbled on Converse tennis shoes or edited for Tumblr.

Favorite tracks from “Jaws Of Life” – The Jaws of Life, Death of an Executioner & Pass the Nirvana

Album rating – ★★★☆☆

5. Honey Now by Neon Waltz 

Album Review: “Honey Now” – Neon Waltz 

The band is from Caithness, the most northerly county on the mainland. ‘Strange Hymns’, their 2017 album, was inspired by the vast spaces that open up in between gigs and the long hours spent in the tour van. On the other hand, “Honey Now” is a more sombre and introspective song. Written during and shortly after the pandemic, it captures the essence of young men reflecting on their inner journeys and gazing within.  The tone of “Honey Now” becomes wider and more expansive. Consider ‘The Stranger Things’ energetic title tune or its catchy chorus, which evokes the feeling of crowded festival tents. 

Track-list 

1. Honey Now 
2. As Good As Gone 
3. The Stranger Things 
4. A Million People 
5. Birthday
6. Thoughts/Dreams/Regrets
7. All I Need
8. All In Good Time 
9. When All Is Said and Done 
10. This Time Next Year 

“Honey Now,” an album that doesn’t hesitate to tackle tough feelings, forces Neon Waltz to go in some awkward directions. On the musical front, though, it’s ultimately comforting; “A Million People” has a great sing-along quality, while “All In Good Time” flows back and forth. ‘Honey Now’ is a step up from their debut, with two songs at the conclusion that emphasize their contradictory style. The melancholic and austere “When All Is Said And Done” is replaced with the explosive “This Time Next Year,” which is an epilogue about maturing as a person and embracing change. A band that has always been song-focused, ‘Honey Now’ features Neon Waltz at their most cohesive; without the drum fill, a keyboard line would be meaningless, and without the shimmering guitar notes, Jordan Shearer’s vocal yearning would be unimaginable. Honey Now has some fairly unique pop rock and synth parts that are expertly put together with just the right amount of rough edge to keep it “indie.” The album touches on a number of topics with a little more grit and, dare I say, significance than some of the group’s more well-known peers. It’s as catchy and suitable for a night out as it is open and dreamy.

Favorite tracks from “Honey Now” – Birthday, All I Need & When All Is Said and Done 

Album rating – ★★★★☆

SO…this is where we part ways. I hope you enjoyed this piece, my first time writing about music and i will hopefully have many more to come. With 2023 being done i am excited and curious to see what music comes out next!

What did you think about this?, do you like any of these albums and if not will you go listen to them? Let me know in the comments.

-Ellie ❤