Welcome to the latest installment of Jake’s Take’s New Music Reviews! (Bitmoji property of Jake’s Take)
By: Jacob Elyachar, jakes-take.com
Welcome to the latest edition of Jake’s Take’s New Music Reviews! We got a lot of music to unpack, so let’s start this party!
Ellie Goulding’s ‘Higher Than Heaven’ could be one of 2023’s best dance pop records. (Album cover property of Universal Music Group)
Higher Than Heaven by Ellie Goulding
Ellie Goulding is back! The “Lights” singer-songwriter released her fifth studio album: Higher Than Heaven. This album brings the United Kingdom songbird back to her dance-pop roots. High-profile music producers and songwriters such as Andrew Watt, Greg Kurstin, Julia Michaels, and Koz assisted Ellie Goulding in crafting the album. Also, rapper Big Sean is the only featured artist on the album. What I love about Higher Than Heaven is that this album has several radio and streaming-ready songs. I believe that Higher Than Heaven has the potential to be one of 2023’s best dance-pop music albums. A
Tracks to Download or Stream: “Midnight Dreams,” “Cure for Love,” “By the End of the Night,” “Easy Lover,” & “Temptation.”
‘Way Back (Deluxe Edition)’ represents a new chapter for country music band High Valley. (Album property of Cage Free Music)
Way Back (Deluxe Version) by High Valley
It has been a minute since I covered music from the country group High Valley. Since I last reviewed their music, Curtis Hempel left the group in June 2021. His brother Brad revamped the group to include his supporting band: bass guitarist Dave Myers, vocalist Sam Bergeson, Dobro player Raymond Klassen, guitarist Clint Milburn and drummer Andrew Hemmerling. Way Back is a strong start to the High Valley relaunch that features guest artists Alison Krauss, Anne Wilson, and Granger Smith. B/B+
Tracks to Download or Stream: “Whatever It Takes,” “Run Otta Somedays,” “Never Not,” & “All My Lovin’.”
“Love Again” by Celine Dion
Celine Dion is about to make her feature-length film debut. People reported that the legendary singer released “Love Again,” which is featured in the upcoming film: Love Again. The title track showcases a softer side of the “Flying on My Own” vocalist and encourages listeners to see the movie. B+
“Welcome to Fist City” by Chapel Hart
Jake’s Take friends Chapel Hart welcomed listeners to Fist City. The trio weaved a fantastic tale about the floozy from Loretta Lynn’s 1968 classic hit “Fist City” and how she entered the town. The tune is an excellent piece of storytelling and contains the group’s superb three-part harmony. A-
“Hot Stuff” by Frankie Zulferino
Jake’s Take friend Frankie Zulferino dropped a new single. After covering music legends such as Janet Jackson and Paula Abdul, the performer turned his attention to the late Queen of Disco – Donna Summer. Frankie transformed the 1979 classic tune “Hot Stuff” from a peppy dance track to a sultry R&B track with fiery vocals! Well done, Frankie! A
“Waffle House” by Jonas Brothers
The Jonas Brothers’ reunion era continues! Kevin, Joe, and Nick Jonas will release their second album, cleverly titled The Album, with Republic Records on May 12. The album’s second single, “Waffle House,” sees the brothers collaborate with Jon Bellion, Daniel Tashian, Johnny Simpson, Peter Nappi, Jason Cornet, and Ido Zmishlany. “Waffle House” is an incredible banger of a song, and I could see this tune being on countless “Best of” track lists in December. B+/A-
Artists to Watch:
Jake’s Take’s Artists to Watch highlight rising recording artists or bands that have what it takes to make an impact in the music world!
“Stone Me” by Juniper Honey
Southern California-based alternative rock band Juniper Honey is slowly developing a social media following. The quartet – lead vocalist Jake Hesse, drummer Donovan Hesse, guitarist Cason LeSueur, and bassist Josh West – dropped a new song: “Stone Me.” Music fans would be satisfied with the guitar riffs and the heartbreaking lyrics. I am looking forward to seeing how this group develops as recording artists. B
“Care” by Raegan Sealy featuring the Gang of Angels
British singer-songwriter Raegan Sealy and friends Nottingham, United Kingdom-based choir Gang of Angels are back with a new song. “Care” is a hauntingly ballad with shades of Radiohead’s “Creep” and classic doo-wop. Reagan has a fabulous vocal range, and the Gang of Angels brilliantly adds another level of excellence to this superb track. A-
“glued to the floor” by Shy Martin
Swedish pop artist Shy Martin rounds out this edition of Jake’s Take’s New Music Reviews! Numerous music media outlets, such as Consequence of Sound and Paper, have praised the Indie Pop recording artist highly. Her latest single, “Glued to the Floor,” is a hypnotic track that has the potential to be used on various social media posts throughout 2023 and could see itself on countless End-of-2023 playlists. I sneakingly suspect that Shy Martin could be one of the 2023 breakout recording artists. B+
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