Songs To Kick Off The New Year

Review By: Sean Kayden

Young The Giant – "Crystallized" – After three years, Southern California natives Young The Giant are returning with their sophomore effort, “Mind Over Matter.” The album will be released on January 21^st via Fueled By Ramen. One of the first singles is “Crystallized.” It packs delicate vocals, fervent melodies and huge hooks. The love song is the ideal summer night jam that just happens to be coming out in the winter. No matter what season it is, “Crystallized,” is sure to comfort anyone feeling lovesick.

Bad Suns – "Cardiac Arrest" – Another SoCal band making the list are Bad Suns. The group is preparing to release their first EP, “Transpose” later this month. “Cardiac Arrest” is pure fun from this new pop-rock bursting onto the scene. Frontman Christo Bowman sings with conviction and fervor. While “Cardiac Arrest” isn’t reinventing any genre, the song is incredibly catchy and infectiously addicting to keep on repeat. With bands like Capital Cities and Youngblood Hawke increasingly becoming popular, Bad Suns and their similar sound should be able to find much success with their 4-song EP. “Cardiac Arrest” is simply fun pop rock and sometimes simple and straightforward isn’t half bad. “Transpose EP” will be released on January 21^st through Vagrant Records.

New Desert Blues – "Zachary" – New Desert Blues is another newcomer hailing from the county of Whiteley located in Hampshire. The indie band evokes an American folk resonance. New Desert Blues actually dubbed themselves “noir Americana.” Whatever you want to call it, it’s great stuff.  “Zachary” is a subtle, alternative-rock-country track that is invigorating from a band from England. While most bands hailing from there these days sound exactly the same, New Desert Blues seemed to be more influenced with the western civilization. Their guitars soar, the harmonies are ethereal and the vocals shine throughout. Despite only releasing a 4-track EP entitled “Devil’s Rope” on January 21^st through Whiteley Records, the band’s potential will have everyone anticipating their full-length record.

The War on Drugs – "Red Eyes" – The most seasoned group on the list, The War On Drugs should have a huge year. Their fourth record, “Lost In the Dream” features “Red Eyes” a rolling rock gem that ignites the likes of Springsteen and company. This is good old fashion rock without the gimmicky electronics and tweaked vocals that’s all the rage these days.  It’s raw and serious. “Red Eyes” is just shy of five minutes, but it could have been longer and I wouldn’t have mind. It’s dreamy rock with the signature sound from The War On Drugs that I can stand behind. The band is one of the more original bands out there playing today. If “Red Eyes” is any indication of how the entire record may sound, we just might have an early contender for album of the year. “Lost In The Dream” hits shelves March 18^th via Secretly Canadian.