This Week’s Music is a weekly column that discusses the weeks’ best, worst, and most interesting songs. We try to select songs of different artists and genres to keep things interesting and to please a variety of music fans.
This week’s column highlights the return of two eagerly awaited performers (Vampire Weekend and Jenny Lewis) and the introduction of the offbeat girl band Unperfect. Check out their songs:
Pop
Vampire Weekend – Harmony Hall
Vampire Weekend’s return to music finds them in a different place, more grown up but just as quirky. “Harmony Hall” is the band’s first single in six years, following “Modern Vampires Of The City,” an album that awarded them a Grammy. When founding member Rostam Batmanglij left the band in 2016, different album names and contributions were teased, until finally the band confirmed that a new record would be released in 2019. “Harmony Hall” proves that despite all of the changes and time that’s passed, there are still aspects of Vampire Weekend that stand unchanged; their irreverent sound, elaborate piano bits and complex layers of instruments are all there. Still, you can tell that the album will show us a different side of the band, one that’s more evolved and hopefully just as creative.
Rock
Jenny Lewis – Red Bull & Hennessy
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Jenny Lewis has done a lot of interesting work throughout her career, playing vital roles in bands like Rilo Kiley and Jenny & Johnny. “Red Bull & Hennessy” is Lewis’ first single since her 2014 album, “The Voyager,” and it finds her continuing to explore country, pop and rock music in inventive ways. While Lewis’ work with Rilo Kiley was amazing and beloved by many fans, her solo work gives her the opportunity to be more indulgent with her music and vocals. “Red Bull & Hennessy” feels like a song pulled from a time machine, with a heavy Stevie Nicks influence and an awesome guitar solo. It’s a lead track that promises an amazing album.
Indie
Unperfect – Gots To Give The Girl
Despite the band’s preference for poorly spelled words, “Gots To Give The Girl” is an interesting song that stands out from the bulk — an achievement in today’s music industry. Despite the shoddy quality of the video and the strangely muted song, there’s something genuine about the band. Unperfect follows the formula of girl bands that sing empowering songs but they manage to feel more real and honest than their counterparts and predecessors. Hopefully, they can find the necessary impulse that’ll allow them to shape their voice accordingly.
