Wrap Music: Florence And The Machine, Shamir & SOAK

It's been a big month in music. Let's wrap it up.

Muse dropped a new album; Miley Cyrus appeared nude on the cover of PAPER Magazine with a pig; and Taylor Swift continues to dominate the charts with “Bad Blood”, while Carly Rae Jepsen’s “I Really Like You” still sits at the bottom. It’s been a wild month, music wise, especially in the world of new albums, with well-loved musicians returning and brand new artists debuting.

The following is a breakdown of five new albums that have been released in the last month or so. The kicker? They’re all available on Spotify, so get listening.

How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful by Florence and the Machine, the English indie band that basically everyone has heard of and presumably loves. Easily among the most anticipated albums of the year, it delivers on quality. From the easy tunes to thoughtful lyrics, How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful, is what we expected from the band, but minus the bold theatrics that came with their last album.

Key Track: “Third Eye”

‘Oo wah oo wah' is going to be stuck in my head for days.

Wilder Mind by Mumford and Sons, the banjo-loving gentlemen you either love or hate. Wilder Minds is not the Mumford and Sons you’re familiar with. Rather, it’s the Mumford and Sons you never thought they could be. Replacing banjos for guitars and dropping the harmonicas, the band has switched up their sound yet kept the soulful bliss of Marcus Mumford’s vocals.

Key Track: “Believe”

This one basically spells out the new Mumford and Sons sound.

Beneath The Skin by Of Monsters and Men, the Icelandic indie folk band who captivated us all with “Little Talks” are back, and they seem to have arrived relatively unnoticed. I’ll admit, this album sounds very much like their last one. Now either that’s down to them knowing their sound completely, or them deciding not to change up anything. If you’re already a fan of the band you’ll probably dig it. Good for a walk in the woods and pretending you’re going adventuring.

Key Track: “Human”

The beginning is super-cool and the lyrics are gorgeously haunting.

Ratchet by Shamir, known for his Pitchfork-approved single ‘On The Regular’, is an American electronic artist with an androgynous countertenor voice that will stop you in your tracks. This album is just cool. As Shamir’s first, it’s a statement. There’s nothing really like it around; nothing that combines cool beats with wicked vocals the way Shamir does. Ratchet is not only great to listen to, it’s an experience; an experience everyone should go through.

Key Track: “Make A Scene”

It will become the soundtrack for whenever you go out.

Before We Forgot How To Dream by SOAK, an Irish, indie-folk, singer-songwriter, best known for her single “B a noBody”.  With soft guitars, beats and relaxed vocals, this album is full of tracks to mellow out to. There are a couple of odd interludes as you listen to the album through, but they seem to work. Before We Forgot How To Dream is like a window into SOAK’s soul. If you’re a fan of Daughter, you will become a fan of SOAK.

Key Track: “24 Windowed House”

This is the first one you should chuck a listen to, as it it sums up her mellow vibes.

Caitlin Moore is one of Student Edge’s student contributors. Learn more about our contributors program.