Magic, Bruce Springsteen

This Bruce Springsteen album gives me a certain level of nostalgia-- Magic played out of our kitchen stereo, iPod classic, and car CD players with a fair amount of regularity in 2007. He's certainly had many other albums with more chart hits and overall commercial success, but my personal connection to Magic made it feel like the right choice for my first Bruce Springsteen album during this project.

Bruce Springsteen takes on concept albums in such a way that the concept almost sinks into the woodwork of the album-- the slight bit of background research I did into Magic prior to listening brought to light the contrast between the magic and lack thereof of humanity. That point comes across lyrically and the album as a whole is enjoyable to listen to for the realness and rawness of its instrumentation combined with those lyrics.

Stand-out tracks: Radio Nowhere, Livin' in the Future

My favorites: You'll Be Comin' Down, Your Own Worst Enemy

It's hard to compare the songs on Magic to one another. They work together to create a cohesive sound but tell very different kinds of stories on their own. There are songs like the powerhouse opener "Radio Nowhere" and lighthearted, vibey "Girls in Their Summer Clothes" that appeal to the feel-good side of this album. There are songs where the E Street Band sounds particularly exquisite, like "Livin' in the Future" and "I'll Work for Your Love." Uncertainty and frustration take on two very different personas with "You'll Be Comin' Down" and "Last to Die," one taking the head-held-high kind of sound while the other is pure, unyielding angst. Magic is somehow multifaceted yet cohesive across lyricism, sound, instrumentation, and storytelling-- as an album, it's simply some kind of magic.

AM I OBSESSED?

RATING:

KINDA OBSESSED

Superbloom, Ashton Irwin

I may have taken a bit of a hiatus from writing about music, but I can promise you that I haven't taken any kind of a break from listening to it. The coolest thing about this project so far to me has been the music-related connections I've been able to appreciate more and the discoveries I've made of music that brings me joy that I may not have otherwise listened to.

Superbloom is an album that I've listened to bits and pieces of over the last year and a half since its release, but I've never been able to bring myself to listen to it in full.

After taking it in as a complete work, it's honestly a shame I've never consumed this album cohesively prior to now. For me personally, there are one or two dud songs, but overall 5 Seconds of Summer drummer Ashton Irwin takes on a whole new level of classic rock depth than he's ever been able to show before.

Stand-out tracks: "Greyhound", "SCAR"

My favorites: "Matter of Time (Interlude)", "The Sweetness"

Superbloom dips its toe in many different corners of the rock genre, from airy acoustic of "Sunshine" to the electro-contemporary rock of "Perfect Lie." "SCAR" and "Have U Found What Ur Looking For?" open Superbloom with the vibe-y sweeping sound that accurately illustrates the sound of the rest of the album while lyrically portraying the messages of trying to understand the complexities of yourself. "Greyhound" checks every single box to make for a great rock track-- it's lyrically complex with its storytelling, has echoey and soulful vocals, and is fully immersive in it's instrumentation. I love the simplicity of "Matter of Time (Interlude)" in contrast to the rest of the album's ear-pounding sound. The highlights of the second half of the album are definitely "The Sweetness" - a fantastic representation of the feeling of passion when you've found the things that give your life meaning - and the album closer "Perfect Lie" - a darker sounding, dancier track that ends the album on a fitting mysterious note.

I'm not usually one to gravitate to such a heavy rock album as Superbloom, but if that's what I'm in the mood for, this is the album I'll be coming back to for that fix.

AM I OBSESSED?

RATING:

KINDA OBSESSED

This Is What It Feels Like, Gracie Abrams

Gracie Abrams caught my attention back when she was announced as the opener for Olivia Rodrigo's SOUR tour, but now that I'm officially seeing her open for Taylor Swift on The Eras Tour next year, I felt it was time to give her full album a listen.

This Is What It Feels Like fits right in with albums like SOUR and Folklore-- its lyric-focused, gently powerful, and so easy to enjoy listening to.

Stand-out tracks: "Feels Like" "Wishful Thinking"

My favorites: "For Real This Time" "The Bottom"

"Feels Like" is a solid album opener-- it almost gave me the vibe of a soft-rock "State of Grace". "For Real This Time" has a gorgeous, almost melancholy dance beat to it that beautifully demonstrates the freeing heartbreak of walking away from someone you care about. "The Bottom" almost feels vaguely Colbie Caillat-esque, but sassier.

It's hard not to compare Gracie to Olivia and Taylor, but with a song like "Wishful Thinking" she almost perfectly combines Olivia's "Traitor" and Taylor's "The Story of Us." "Better" continues the emotionally-charged soft-rock that Gracie does so well across this whole album. Between "Hard to Sleep", "Augusta", and "Alright" This Is What It Feels Like closes with some gorgeous acoustic songs, appropriately mimicking lullabies and ending the album with questions of what could be.

After listening to This Is What It Feels Like, I'm genuinely excited to see Gracie translate these songs to stadiums. And, I'm excited to see where her music goes next.

AM I OBSESSED?

RATING:

FULLY OBSESSED