‘Tis the season for new music drops. In the past month artists have been dropping singles teasing new albums left and right; I’ve picked some of my favorites that will last long past your 2019 Halloween playlist and into the new decade.
- DHL, Frank Ocean
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DHL is Frank Ocean’s first original track following a string of singles dropped in 2017. The song takes Ocean back to the flex-rapping of his Odd Future days with lyrics that are less cryptic than what his fans have come accustomed to, but with quirky slant rhymes and a dark synth beat Ocean still satisfies the expectation of something new. Now we wait to see if there’s an album to follow, or if Ocean is going to pepper the year with single tracks– regardless, I’m happy to hear it.
- Frail State of Mind, The 1975
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Following the band’s August drop of the single People, Frail State of Mind is a return to the 1975’s signature moody techno-ethereality. People is full of rock guitars and screaming vocals, but Frail State of Mind employs the familiar move of distraught lyrics disguised with an uplifting beat. While the formula may not have changed, Frail State of Mind’s beat and chorus asking, “what’s the vibe?” makes for an ambivalent, engaging mood.
- rangerover, Porches
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A little less well-known, Porches is one of my favorite bands for their ability to create an album that plays through seamlessly– all of the sounds are unobjectionably similar, but each song still offers something new. rangerover’s manipulation of pitch coupled with a 1980s-throwback drum beat is a depature from the band’s last album, The House, and calls to mind their 2016 album Pool. rangerover features a beat that moves much faster than much of the band’s work, pairing their signature mixing and synth with something listeners can dance to. The House just dropped last year, so the prospect of a new album from Porches is unexpected and exciting.
- It Might Be Time, Tame Impala
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It Might Be Time might be the last single from Tame Impala before their February 2020 release of their album The Slow Rush. It Might Be Time employs the band’s signature modern psychedelics with a groovy keyboard and vocals from Kevin Parker that fade into synth. The Slow Rush will be the band’s first LP since 2015’s widely acclaimed Currents. Both 2019 singles It Might Be Time and Borderline compliment the last album with similar tricks, but also with beats that are more upbeat, giving listener’s a new twist on the band’s signature style.