Tag: Album of the Week

Album of the Week: Imagine Dragons – Mercury Acts 1 & 2

New Zealand Net Radio plays a song from our irregularly updated #albumoftheweek every hour from 9am to 12pm. Listen in @tunein at http://tun.in/sfAtE

After Mercury Act 1 last year comes the second disk, and completed double album. The first act focused on loss after frontman Dan Reynolds lost his best friend and sister. Act 2 focusses on moving forward and is a great collection of rock recorded in collaboration with Rick Rubin. As usual the band have delivered on melodic impactful music, and we’re sure that Pitchfork will enjoy the second disk as much as the first!

Album of the Week: George Ezra – Gold Rush Kid

New Zealand Net Radio plays a song from our irregularly updated #albumoftheweek every hour from 9am to 12pm. Listen in @tunein at http://tun.in/sfAtE

George Ezra has hit it out of the park again sticking to his formula of catchy numbers designed to be sung along to at summer festivals. This is a really nice mix of pop numbers sung in his distinctive baritone which are sure to be staples of radio and playlists for years to come.

Album of the Week: Vance Joy – In Our Own Sweet Time

New Zealand Net Radio plays a song from our irregularly updated #albumoftheweek every hour from 9am to 12pm. Listen in @tunein at http://tun.in/sfAtE

Vance Joy has produced album after album of sweet singer-songwriter material (this is his third). The Melbourian says this album was both born from a romantic relationship and life in lockdown. It is a personal album but filled with fascinating tracks, both classic soft pop numbers like “Don’t Fade” but also more experimental tracks like “Wavelength”, a collaboration with Dirty Projectors’ Dave Longstreth.

Album of the Week: Angel Olsen – Big Time

New Zealand Net Radio plays a song from our irregularly updated #albumoftheweek every hour from 9am to 12pm. Listen in @tunein at http://tun.in/sfAtE

Angel Olsen has produced a run of fantastic albums and this is no exception. With a classic mid-century sound (with strong country hints on the first half) and produced during a period of dealing with the loss of her parents and coming out, this is another superlative effort. AllMusic described how it wrangles “complex, overwhelming emotions with a broad palette that’s commanded by its lyrics and tormented vocal performances”.

Album of the Week: Emeli Sandé – Let’s Say For Instance

New Zealand Net Radio plays a song from our irregularly updated #albumoftheweek every hour from 9am to 12pm. Listen in @tunein at http://tun.in/sfAtE

We don’t want to diminish the undoubted achievement of the big release this week (Harry Styles’ Harry’s House) but this is one of a spate of releases earlier in the month that deserves highlighting. Emili comes back in style with another range of beautiful songs, well produced and blessed with her gorgeous voice, made for classy R&B. Oh – and love the fragment of Elgar at the end of “Family”!

Album of the Week: Florence & The Machine – Dance Fever

New Zealand Net Radio plays a song from our irregularly updated #albumoftheweek every hour from 9am to 12pm. Listen in @tunein at http://tun.in/sfAtE

This album is another tour de force from Florence Welch, a masterpiece of performance and songwriting, a talent for “rock-pop anthems that bristle with a kind of modern classicism” according to The Times. Can’t wait to explore its tracklist this week.

Album of the Week: Arcade Fire – WE

New Zealand Net Radio plays a song from our irregularly updated #albumoftheweek every hour from 9am to 12pm. Listen in @tunein at http://tun.in/sfAtE

A plethora of really great releases this week made choosing this week’s Album of the Week pretty challenging – we’ll have to enjoy some of the others over the next few weeks. Arcade Fire are really on form with this release, with Pitchfork echoing the critical consensus as the band “pivots back to a more melodic, sincere, and effortful style, attempting once again to find a genuine connection”.

Album of the Week: Hatchie – Giving The World Away

New Zealand Net Radio plays a song from our irregularly updated #albumoftheweek every hour from 9am to 12pm. Listen in @tunein at http://tun.in/sfAtE

We first enjoyed Hatchie’s talented dream-pop on her 2018 EP Sugar and Spice and her new release advances her talent without losing her special style. Heather Phare wrote in AllMusic that “The singer/songwriter’s second album introduces more mature songwriting and touches of acid house and trip-hop to her ultra-catchy dream pop.” We look forward to checking out the talented Brisbanian’s album this week.

Album of the Week: Jewel – Freewheelin’ Woman

New Zealand Net Radio plays a song from our irregularly updated #albumoftheweek every hour from 9am to 12pm

I loved Jewel’s early albums back in the 1990s, a talented woman who made beautiful melodic modern folk. She has had an interesting journey since then including having millions of dollars stolen by her by her mother. She is back in style here in a “bright cheerful bit of self-empowerment” according to AllMusic. We look forward to featuring it this week!