A Collegiette’s October Album Review

Artist: Ellie Goulding
Album: Halcyon
Release Date: October 9th
Favorite Tracks: Anything Could Happen, Figure 8, Only You

You may have heard British pop sensation Ellie Goulding with her popular single “Lights” that took the U.S. by storm and landed at #2 on Billboard Hot 100, but this month, Ellie released her full album straight to our most grateful country just one day after her U.K release. If you couldn’t stop listening to the soprano’s high energy single “Lights,” definitely check out her new album Halcyon that fuses the genres of indie folk and electo pop.

With strong backbone beats and uplifting vocals, this album is full of future dance party favorites. The most stand-out single from Halcyon is “Anything Could Happen” and is soon to be Billboard Hot 100 gold. Ellie introduced the song in September before the release of her album in the commercial for Beats by Dre, where Ellie herself makes an appearance beating the drum to her new soon-to-be hit. This songbird is about to prove herself to not be another one-hit wonder with album Halcyon.

Artist: Freelance Whales
Album: Diluvia
Release Date: October 9th
Favorite Tracks: Land Features, Red Star, The Nothing

Freelance Whales are making listeners fall in love once again with their sweet melodic instrumentals and carefree choral-type vocals in their sophomore album Diluvia. Following their first album, Weathervanes, Diluvia continues to attract indie pop enthusiasts, making their niche following even greater than it was for Weathervanes. Rather than going for a completely different outlook for their second album, the New York based group seemed to have written Diluvia as more of a continuation of their first album, a choice that I’m sure will keep their loyal listeners, and new fans, very happy.

Each track gives off a hypnotic, trance like appeal that only can only be fully appreciated as a full album. “Land Features”, the albums second track starts with an ear catching banjo introduction and is then joined by a variety of instruments and is then topped off by both male and female vocals, making it the most stand-out single in the album.

Artist: Benjamin Gibbard
Album: Former Lives
Release Date: October 16th
Favorite Tracks: Dream Song, Lily, Oh, Woe

The man with a million faces, or mostly just musical projects, released in October his first album that is completely his own. The Death Cab for Cutie and The Postal Service mastermind continues with his second project under his own name since 2003 when he released Home Volume V, a split LP with Andrew Kenny. Former Lives is a sound pure from Benjamin Gibbard, helping listeners pinpoint his influence in every other project he has been involved in. The folk acoustics and lyrical emphasis makes this project entirely Gibbard.

The songs that make up Former Lives showcase Gibbard’s distinctive talent of songwriting. “Lily” demonstrates a classic, melancholic, love serenade that a Benjamin Gibbard project would not be complete without, as well as the more upbeat “Oh, Woe.” Former Lives is a unique success story of a front-man gone solo, so check out this album because it surely won’t be his last.