Mine in Yours – Cold War Kids

Sarah H.

Cold War Kids has always been a favorite of mine – “Hang Me Up to Dry” and “Audience” have always been on my playlist. But with the release of their newest album, Mine is Yours, I realized how truly amazing the band is. Mine is Yours shows a deep side of Cold War Kids you probably didn’t know existed, as well does Bulldozer. Though most songs are quite new, “Royal Blue” and “Louder Than Ever” bring you back to the old stuff. Personal favorites are “Broken Up” and “Louder Than Ever.” From start to finish, this album shows how different a band can be but also how consistently wonderful. If you are a fan of the Kings of Leon, the Script or the Black Keys, you will probably enjoy this album as much as I do.

Speak Now – Taylor Swift

By Sarah H.

Taylor Swift’s latest, and third, album is her best yet! The twenty-year-old’s music just gets better and better. She wrote every word to fourteen songs, every melody, every guitar piece, everything by herself, and, as she claims, “at three in the morning.” She also says the heartfelt album is a diary of her last two years. The title track, “Speak Now,” is one of her top songs – written about a friend hoping to crash her true love’s wedding. Other popular tracks are “Mine” and “Back to December” – written about Taylor Lautner – both released before to album. My personal favorites are “Haunted,” “Dear John,” (written about John Mayer) and “Mean.” All of the songs, ballads and melodies are beautifully composed, with very upbeat tracks and amazing vocals. I would recommend this passionate album to anyone who appreciates good vocals, great guitar pieces, and just genuinely good music.

Doo-Wops & Hooligans - Bruno Mars

By Sarah H.
 
If you turn on the radio, three songs you are likely to hear are: ―Just the Way You Are, ―Nothin‘ On You, and ―Billionaire.  What do these songs have in common? They are all sung by Bruno Mars, a 25-year-old Hawaiian singer, whose debut song was ―Nothin‘ On You featuring B.o.B. On October 4th, his new album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans, was released. This album is in the style of soft R&B, rock, and soul. Some of the most notable tracks on the album are ―Grenade, ―Marry You, ―The Lazy Song and ―The Other Side (featuring Cee Lo Green and B.o.B). For the most part, the music is light and cheerful, and I just can‘t get enough of Bruno Mars‘s falsetto! I would recommend most of the songs on this album, but as there a few that don‘t come up to par, I don‘t think it is worth it to buy the whole album, and would buy the songs singularly.