Jake’s Take New Music Reviews: Week of April 12, 2019

By: Jacob Elyachar, jakes-take.com

Welcome to another exciting edition of Jake’s Take’s New Music Reviews! We have a lot of music to digest, so let’s get this party started.

The Ghost of Ohio by Andy Black

Andy Black released his sophomore album: The Ghost of Ohio. Following the success of his 2016 solo outing The Shadow Side, the Black Veil Brides frontman transported fans to a new goth rock world. Andy continues to shine as a songwriter and vocalist. The Ghost of Ohio is a superb arena rock album that showcases Andy Black’s growth as a solo performer. I cannot wait to see what is next for him. A

Tracks to Download: “Westwood Road,” “Know One,” “Ghost of Ohio,” “The Promise,” & “The Wind & Spark.”

Free Spirit by Khalid

Both “Location” and “Young, Dumb, and Broke” established Khalid as a hot artist in the R&B/Soul community.  Now, the five-time Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter is back with his sophomore record: Free Spirit.  While Khalid co-wrote a majority of the album, he teamed up with a plethora of collaborators that range from Stargate and Disclosure to John Mayer and Father John Misty. There were some successes such as the Disclosure-penned track “Talk” and the John Mayer duet “Outta My Head,” I was a little disappointed that his team decided to recycle tracks from his 2018 EP Suncity.  Khalid is a very talented artist and I wished that RCA Records allowed him to release original material or other collaborations. B-

Tracks to Download: “My Bad,” “Talk,” “Right Back,” & “Outta My Head.”

Labrinth, Sia, & Diplo Present…LSD by LSD

Last year, three of the music industry’s unique artists came together to form an impeccable supergroup.  Using the first letters of their respective names, LSD (short for Labrinth, Sia, and Diplo) dominated the 2018 charts with “Thunderclouds” and “Audio.” Labrinth, Sia, & Diplo Present…LSD is an record that is going to change the way Top 40 artists collaborate in the future. When future supergroups are listening to this album, I hope that they note the way that all ten tracks incorporate LSD’s distinct voices and personalities. Pop music fans will devour this record. A

Tracks to Download: “Thunderclouds,” “No New Friends,” “Audio,” “Heaven Can Wait,” & “Genius.”

Stronger Than The Truth by Reba McEntire

Reba is back! The Queen of Country Music and Kennedy Center Honoree released her thirty-third studio album. Stronger Than The Truth showcased the “Fancy” singer-songwriter at her finest vocally. The album has impactful ballads such as the title song,  “Cactus in a Coffee Can,” and “Your Heart.” However, I wish that Ms. McEntire and her team added more songs like “Storm in a Shot Glass” to Stronger Than the Truth, because her fans love up-tempo songs! B+

Tracks to Download: “Stronger Than the Truth,” “Storm in a Shot Glass,” “Cactus in a Coffee Can,” & “Freedom.”

“Somewhere Only We Know” by Branden + James

Two dear friends to Jake’s Take, Branden + James, just released their latest music video. The duo covered Keane’s “Somewhere Only We Know.” It was a beautiful cover from start to finish. Branden’s voice will give listeners goosebumps, while James’ elegant cello arrangement made this track haunting.  Bravo, gentlemen!!! A+  

“The Daughters” by Little Big Town

Little Big Town tackled a massive issue in their latest single, “The Daughters.” Rolling Stone reported that the quartet blasted the expectations placed on women with their new single. Karen Fairchild beautifully leads the group on this powerful track, and I believe that this song will make people think about how they raise the next generation of women. B+

“Can We Pretend?” by P!nk featuring Cash Cash

P!nk released her third single off of her upcoming studio album, Hurts 2B Human. The “Hustle” singer-songwriter teamed up with EDM trio Cash Cash for “Can We Pretend?” Before I saw the “featuring Cash Cash” next to the song, I thought that P!nk collaborated with David Guetta. “Can We Pretend?” definitely has the same vibes as “When Love Takes Over” and “Titanium.” However, P!nk co-wrote the track with the trio and Ryan Tedder.  The song is a great club anthem and raises expectations for Hurts 2B Human. A-

“Video Killed the Radio Star” by Walk off the Earth & Sarah Silverman

I love when Walk off the Earth covers a song. This time, actress and comedienne Sarah Silverman joined the band in covering Bruce Wooley’s iconic anthem. Walk off the Earth did an impeccable job with their arrangement. The group took away the synthesizers and heavy electric guitars and replaced it with recorders, acoustic guitars, and a ukulele. I also thought Sarah Silverman’s vocals were an excellent addition to the cover. I hope that Walk off the Earth performs this song on some of their tour stops. A

Artists to Watch

Artists to Watch is Back! Here are several artists that Jake’s Take believes could shake up the music industry!

KILL THIS LOVE by BLACKPINK

K-pop group BLACKPINK kicks off this edition of Jake’s Take’s Artists to Watch. This Interscope Records-signed act became the very first K-pop group to headline the 2019 Coachella Festival. To commemorate this occasion, Jisoo, Jennie, Rose, and Lisa released their third extended play. KILL THIS LOVE will probably be one of 2019’s best EPs, thanks to the five tracks on this album.  BLACKPINK’s songwriting and production team (Teddy, R.Tee, Brian Lee, 24, Bekuh BOOM, and 24) did a phenomenal job highlighting the quartet’s strengths. I genuinely believe that this group will be on track to match (or maybe eclipse) BTS’ success in the international music market. A+

Tracks to Download: “Kill This Love,” “Don’t Know What To Do,” “Kick It,” “Hope Not,” & “DDU-DU DDU-DU (Remix).”

“Good Vibrations” by Erik Stuckly

Nashville-based Erik Stuckly is a multi-instrumentalist that release feel good pop music. His latest single, “Good Vibrations,” is actually the most surprisingly fantastic track so far this year. Erik is a superb songwriter that would be a dream for any record label.  I hope that music directors across the country play this track, because “Good Vibrations” would definitely satisfy listeners’ ears. A-

“Future” by whenyoung

The London-based rock band whenyoung closes out this edition of Jake’s Take’s New Music Reviews. I had the privilege of seeing vocalist and front woman Aoife Power, guitarist Niall Burns, and drummer Andrew Flood perform at this year’s New Colossus Festival in New York City.  I remember them perform “Future” for the crowd and how I immediately fell in love with whenyoung’s sound. “Future” is going to put whenyoung on the map and I cannot wait to see how this rock trio continues to evolve as artists as their music careers grows. A

I do not own any of the clips that are featured in this article. They belong to the recording artists and their respective record labels.