By: Jacob Elyachar, jakes-take.com
Hello everyone! Welcome to the final music reviews of July 2021! We got a lot of new music to unpack, so let’s get this party started.
Hail Satin by Foo Fighters
The Foo Fighters have decided to pay homage to the Gibb family through a two-part album. The first one features the rockers’ Disco-based alter-egos: The Dee Gees, while the B-side features live versions of five songs from Medicine at Midnight. I was stunned how well “The Sky is a Neighborhood” tacked the Bee Gees songbook. What disappointed me was the inclusion of the live tracks. If bands or artists are going to do a tribute album, have all ten tracks be the group you will cover and not the original music. I would have given Hail Satin a B+, but because of the band’s stupid decision of putting live tracks on the album, the grade is D+.
Tracks to Download: “You Should Be Dancing” & “More Than a Woman.”
Welcome 2 America by Prince
While it has been five years since Prince passed away, his estate released another posthumous record. Welcome 2 America showcases that the “Purple Rain” singer-songwriter was at the top of his game. Many of the songs such as “Running Game (Son of a Slave Master),” “Born 2 Die,” and the title track perfectly inserts today’s water cooler talking points. From beginning to end, the Welcome 2 America album is an emotional roller coaster ride for listeners. A-
Tracks to Download: “Welcome 2 America,” “1000 Light Years From Here,” “Hot Summer,” & “Check the Record.”
“Coming Down” by Alexander Jean
It has been a while since we have heard new music from one of my favorite duos – Alexander Jean. Alexander Jean is made up of husband and wife: Mark Ballas and BC Jean. Their latest single: “Coming Down,” immediately put a smile on my face, and their vocal harmonies were superb! The guitar licks were also on point, and fans would love the hypnotic chorus: “I only want to do what I want to do and what I want to do is start raging.” Well done, guys! A-
“Higher Power” by Coldplay
Coldplay is expected to drop its ninth studio album: Music of the Spheres, in October. To prepare for its launch, the “Viva La Viva” band released the record’s first single: “Higher Power.” The group co-wrote the track with hitmaker Max Martin, Federico Vindver, and Denise Carite. “Higher Power” was also produced by Max Martin, Oscar Holter, Bill Rahko, Rik Simpson, and Daniel Green. Fans will love combining the synth-pop and pop-rock genres, and I would guarantee that it will get you dancing. A
Good Things” by Dan + Shay
Dan + Shay is one of my favorite country music groups of today! I first became a massive fan of Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney when they released “From the Ground Up” from their 2016 sophomore album: Obsessed. Five years later, I am still on the Dan + Shay train. Their latest single, “Good Things,” is their upcoming fourth studio album’s title. Dan co-wrote this song with Ashley Gorley, Ross Cooperman, and Jason Evigan (who helped Dan with the production side). “Good Things” reminds me of a hybrid of Rudimental + Tom Walker’s “Walk Alone” with a hint of Jimmy Buffet. It’s a great song, and once again, Shay’s voice blew me away. B
“If I Didn’t Love You” by Jason Aldean & Carrie Underwood
It seems like Jason Aldean has a fascination with American Idol. A decade ago, he recorded “Don’t You Wanna Stay” with Kelly Clarkson, and now he released a new single with another Idol winner – Carrie Underwood. People reported that the country music superstars recorded a country-rock breakup song for Aldean’s tenth studio album. While it could be “Don’t You Wanna Stay’s” opposite, “If I Didn’t Love You” featured superb vocals and impeccable guitar licks. B+/A-
“Wherever I May Roam” by J. Balvin featuring Metallica
The Metallica Blacklist is slowly released its superstar track list. Rolling Stone reported that Reggaeton star J. Balvin tackled the heavy metal rock icons’ 1992 track: “Wherever I May Roam.” I thought it was an intriguing blend of the two music genres: Reggaeton and heavy metal. I am looking forward to seeing other gems are featured on this tribute album. B
“I Want Love (twocolors Remix)” by Jessie J featuring Billy Porter
Jessie J teamed up with Emmy, Grammy, and Tony-winning actor Billy Porter to remix her latest single: “I Want Love.” The “Domino” singer-songwriter uses the track as the first song from her upcoming fifth studio album. This remix is phenomenal, and I cannot wait to hear more new music from her soon. A
Head over to the second page for this edition’s Jake’s Take’s Artists to Watch!
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