Album review Archives - Queen's Journal

The Weeknd lets us escape in ‘Dawn FM’

Written on January 21, 2022. Posted in Lifestyle, Pop Culture.

The cover of The Weeknd’s newly released album, Dawn FM, provides the first hint about the themes within. The singer’s appearance resembles how most of us feel after going on three years of a global pandemic—tired and aged. With Dawn FM, The Weeknd provides listeners with a fantastical escape...

Olivia Rodrigo’s ‘Sour’ is a beautiful, angsty rollercoaster

Written on June 28, 2021. Posted in Lifestyle, Pop Culture.

Sour has everything we could ask for: head-banging anger, honest and raw emotion, forgiveness, and vulnerability. On Jan. 8, nineteen-year-old Olivia Rodrigo released “Drivers License,”which surpassed Spotify’s record for the most streams in one week, and currently has over 844 million streams on...

The Wilderness finds its home with first full-length studio album

Written on September 11, 2020. Posted in Arts.

Working with the acclaimed Bathouse studio was a dream come true for The Wilderness, but releasing their first album during a pandemic never factored into their plans. The Journal spoke to Jonas Lewis-Anthony, lead singer and rhythm guitarist, and Liam Neale, keyboardist and percussionist, about...

Taylor Swift’s ‘Folklore’ is a storytelling triumph

Written on July 27, 2020. Posted in Lifestyle.

On a seemingly ordinary Thursday morning, Taylor Swift threw fans for a loop with a simple Tweet and an Instagram post detailing the midnight release of her eighth album, Folklore. Teasing new music just over 12 hours beforehand is an unusual move for Swift who’s known for putting out radio-friendly...

Selena Gomez’s comeback album was worth the wait

Written on January 17, 2020. Posted in Lifestyle, Pop Culture.

With the release of her first full-length album since 2015, Rare, Selena Gomez has delivered an empowering message about loving yourself and removing toxic relationships from your life. The album’s title track, “Rare,” immediately offers an exciting start to the album’s trajectory. Gomez says goodbye...

Styles walks a “Fine Line” between sadness and hope in new album

Written on January 10, 2020. Posted in Lifestyle, Pop Culture.

Last month, Harry Styles released his second solo album, Fine Line. This comes three years after One Direction (comprised of Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, Liam Payne, and, formerly, Zayn Malik) announced what was supposed to be a mere 18-month hiatus, which is now indefinite. In a 2010...

Taylor Swift revisits her country-pop roots with Lover

Written on September 4, 2019. Posted in Lifestyle, Pop Culture.

This August, Taylor Swift released her seventh studio album, Lover. Swift returns to her country-pop roots with this latest musical endeavor and reverts to a softer, more cheerful sound than that of her previous studio album, reputation. She also manages to once again deliver the lyrical prowess that’s...

Ariana Grande bares her soul in new album 'thank u, next'

Written on February 12, 2019. Posted in Lifestyle, Pop Culture.

Ariana Grande’s new album, thank u, next, dropped last Friday and is full of depth, lyricism, and perfection—to nobody’s surprise. The album, which features previously-released songs “7 rings,” “imagine,” and the titular “thank u, next,” is an ode to singledom, luxury, and truthfulness. It’s...

Mumford and Sons bring back the banjo on Delta

Written on November 23, 2018. Posted in Lifestyle, Pop Culture.

Nine years since the release of their debut album, Mumford and Sons have returned to their roots. Delta, released last Friday, delivers 14 tightly-written, yearning-filled folk tracks. Each song is a unique, emotional build towards catharsis. The hopeful undertones of Delta’s lyrics offer a more...

Three chart-topping rappers face off

Written on October 30, 2018. Posted in Lifestyle, Pop Culture.

This has been a great year for rap—which is important because students could use a distraction from their semester. The Journal reviewed three rap albums that recently topped streaming charts to help you conquer upcoming midterms, final assignments, and December exams. ASTROWORLD, Travis Scott ASTROWORLD...

Country strong sound

Written on September 12, 2014. Posted in Arts.

With vocals that seem both soothing and angry, and a togetherness that makes their sound effective at evoking both nostalgia and cheer, Toronto-based band NQ Arbuckle’s latest album The Future Happens Anyway is a hidden treasure within the country-rock genre. Their latest album came out earlier this...

Timber Timbre stays true to signature sound

Written on September 9, 2014. Posted in Arts.

Timber Timbre, a dark and intense Canadian folk-music band, is taking a more eccentric approach to their sound in their latest album Hot Dreams. With slow and eerie acoustic guitar riffs and meditational drum orchestrations, this album creates powerfully quiet sounds that could serve as the soundtrack...

Album review: Beyoncé, can you handle this?

Written on January 8, 2014. Posted in Lifestyle.

Beyoncé drops a line early on her fifth solo album: “I probably won’t make no money off this… oh well”. This hypothesis was quickly disproved in the early hours of Dec. 13 when the album’s unexpected digital release broke sales records and generated an unprecedented buzz from music lovers around...

Unexpected versatility

Written on October 7, 2011. Posted in Arts.

It’s been two years since the release of Dan Mangan’s breakout record Nice, Nice, Very Nice — an album that landed him a Polaris Music Prize short list nomination. With his new album Oh Fortune, the Vancouver native steps away from the folk sound that brought him critical acclaim. The singer-songwriter...

Far from leftovers

Written on September 9, 2011. Posted in Arts.

Paul Saulnier and Benjamin Nelson returned to their Kingston roots this past spring to record PS I Love You’s second studio album, Figure it Out. While the duo’s last album, Meet Me at the Muster Station, boasted an unlikely fusion of grunge rock and experimental pop, this one takes a successful leap...

Tag: Album review

The Weeknd lets us escape in ‘Dawn FM’

Olivia Rodrigo’s ‘Sour’ is a beautiful, angsty rollercoaster

The Wilderness finds its home with first full-length studio album

Taylor Swift’s ‘Folklore’ is a storytelling triumph

Selena Gomez’s comeback album was worth the wait

Styles walks a “Fine Line” between sadness and hope in new album

Taylor Swift revisits her country-pop roots with Lover

Ariana Grande bares her soul in new album 'thank u, next'

Mumford and Sons bring back the banjo on Delta

Three chart-topping rappers face off

Country strong sound

Timber Timbre stays true to signature sound

Album review: Beyoncé, can you handle this?

Unexpected versatility

Far from leftovers

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