Check out these four new albums to listen to that were released in February.
1. Black Panther – Kendrick Lamar
This album, put together by Kendrick Lamar and featuring many major names in hip-hop, is an accompaniment to Marvel’s fabulous new superhero blockbuster of the same name. It follows several singles that quickly rose to the top of the charts and have since remained high, including “All of the Stars” with SZA and “Pray for Me” with the Weeknd. Other great tracks include “The Ways” with Khalid and Swae Lee (a slower piece that shows off Khalid’s pure vocal talent), “King’s Dead” with Future and “Bloody Water” with Ab-Soul, Anderson .Paak and James Blake. Overall, this album is a masterful reflection of the messages of black empowerment from the film and of Lamar’s position at the top of the hip-hop arena.
2. Nation of Two – Vance Joy
A solid follow up to his 2014 album Dream Your Life Away, which featured beautiful hits like “Riptide”, “Georgia” and “Mess is Mine”, Joy’s second album is a similar mix of soothing, acoustic love songs. This album feels honest and personal, true to the style he has carved for himself in his previous projects. Strong pieces off this album include “Lay It On Me” and “We’re Going Home.”
3. SOB x RBE – GANGIN
Hailing from the Bay Area, the home of many great rappers, this group of four artists has a new project that comes on tails of their feature in the above-mentioned Black Panther album. In verses that alternate in different orders and combinations between the four rappers, they follow their own style, which tends to stray off beat and then somehow find it again. “God” and “Back to Back” are both particularly strong tracks off this album that portray this style. This energetic project gives hope for the future of this relatively young group, who will also be on tour with 21 Savage and Post Malone this year.
4. How to Solve our Human Problems – Belle and Sebastian
Belle and Sebastian, an indie pop band out of Scotland, released the third of their trilogy of EP’s in February, completing the album. This piece follows the style of easy-listening music that they have developed over their many years together. Standout tracks include “Everything is Now (Part 2)” and “The Girl Doesn’t Get It.” All in all, this is a solid feel-good album that plays to the band’s strengths.
Photos Courtesy of Creative Commons