Armand Hammer – “Doves“

In the wake of their critically acclaimed 2023 release We Buy Diabetic Test Strips, despite both of their unrepentant proliferation, I don’t think anyone was expecting further work under the Armand Hammer name anytime soon. Both artists, Billy Woods and ELUCID, would likely return to their bustling and increasingly demanding solo careers. However, many listeners found that at the end of February, an 8 minute 45 second song was released. Now, I think that the culture surrounding ‘bonus tracks’ is a general regard for them being throwaways. Songs that didn’t make the final cut tacked onto the end for the fans. That being said, Armand Hammer is no average group, and this is no average bonus track.

In conversation with Armand Hammer, you wouldn’t think it to be the staggering composition it is, with easy humbleness from the two veteran MC’s simply seeing it as business as usual. However, the product is unprecedented. Beginning with an eerie, echoing sample of throat singing buried under a haze of vinyl crackle, the track patiently develops with weary guitar lines, then echoing piano meandering like staircases to nowhere. Then complimented by contemporary blues artist Benjamin Booker’s whispered rasps, the song expands, crackles, and wavers in the cold air. Blasts of harmonic noise appear and decay, stabbing through and then collapsing in on themselves.

When Billy Woods finally appears, he is reticent, yet remorseful from his decrepit hideaway. He easily delivers one of his weightiest and brooding verses from an album of weighty and brooding verses. By the time ELUCID’s echoing vocals enter, the stabs of noise have returned, gathering for a moment behind his harmonies before the entire song begins to fall inwards, accompanied by increasingly panicked cries of “Great day!” “Doves” is undoubtedly a peak in a career of towering achievements and one of the most evocative compositions I have heard in my life.  

-Evan Raefield, Training Director

Charli xcx, Lorde – “Girl, so confusing featuring lorde“

If you haven’t heard of the album brat by Charli xcx it is likely that you have been living under a rock for all of 2024. The electronic dance pop album went viral with its minimalist album cover and unorthodox promotional tactics, essentially revitalizing mainstream pop music. While the album is loaded with hits from front to back, there was one track in particular that stood above the rest of the pack.  

That song was “Girl, so confusing” centered around a tumultuous relationship with another singer. This song highlighted one of the biggest flaws in mainstream music that starts with industry politics and often trickles down into obsessive fanbases. For some unknown reason, there always has to be a particular “it girl” in pop music. Some people would argue that it’s Charli xcx, others will make arguments for stars like Beyonce or Chappell Roan. To a casual fan like myself, it feels strange that an industry rooted in feminism thrives from pitting its biggest stars against one another.  

This is perhaps why the “Girl, so confusing remix featuring lorde” feels like the most monumental moment of pop music in a long time. This remix version of the song not only answers the questions posed by the original, but also adds perspective with Lorde’s stellar guest verse which addresses the toxic effects that industry politics has on artists and subtly pleads for unity amongst women in music. One can only hope this song serves as a turning point where pop stars and labels realize that there is enough money and critical acclaim to support multiple superstars and create an environment where the new norm for artists is to lift each other up instead of tearing each other down. 

-Maurice Crawford, Editorial Staff

Cosmo’s Midnight, Franc Moody – “Fantasy“

A match made in nu disco heaven, Australian electronic duo Cosmo’s Midnight teamed up with British dance duo Franc Moody for their groovy single “Fantasy”. Released in February 2024, “Fantasy” continues to be in heavy rotation for me ten months later, making it a clear choice for my song of the year. Why? Well, there’s the sonically perfect opening, with a space laser giving way to funky drums, bass, guitar, and falsettos.

There’s the infectiously flirty chorus: “You’re my all night safari/You keep gettin’ me wild.” Then there’s the perfect instrumental pause for the start of the second chorus: “Joyride,” they harmonize before the instruments kick back in, “we can take it slow/Exhale, unwind, enjoy your time.” The song’s brilliant music video, featuring trains, chain mail, and a bath full of oranges, further exaggerates the carefree vibes. Glossy, upbeat, and above all else danceable, “Fantasy” is the ideal song to blast during a ride at “Cali sunset time.”

-Glenn Houlihan, Editorial Staff

gabby start – “Boys“

I genuinely can’t stop listening to this song. gabby start is an artist that I’ve been a fan of for a while, but something about this one is different. I really like lyrics that are kind of vague, and the only thing I truly know about this song’s content is that it references Interpol and hooking up in a car, and that’s really all I need. The line “I’m obsessed with the boys, but it’s not like that, it’s never been like that,” has rattled around in my brain ever since I heard it.  

“Boys” begins with a slow build up that feels like you’ve stepped into something new. I’m pretty sure gabby start writes all their songs to take place in a fictional world, which adds to that feeling even more. The synths of this song are absolutely insane; sharp, metallic, and peppered with spaceship noises, exactly as music should be. This bass tone could easily be part of a Skrillex song, also exactly how music should be. I’m glad that I live in a world where “future bass” is a term used to refer to music, and that one of those songs references Interpol and hooking up in a car and makes me think about gender a bit too much. 

-Sidney Bakker, Music Staff

Ikkimel – “KETA UND KRAWALL“

Summer 2024 was defined by one hyperpop artist, and that was Ikkimel. I first came across her music at the Euro 2024 Fanzone in Berlin, which was right in front of the Reichstag, on a day when there were no matches being played. Instead of showing games they had musicians playing on a stage. When I walked in, she was performing. Ikkimel had the wooden pallets placed over the muddied ground bouncing with pseudo techno beats and clashing electro synth sounds, all in a magnetic allure. Every single body was moving, caught up in the vivaciousness of her music.  

After one song, it ended. I got there late. What followed was some wannabe Drake style rapper singing in English that sucked all the energy from everyone who then just lingered there listless. The one song I did get to hear from Ikkimel though was “KET UND KRAWALL” that came out ahead of her HAT SIE NICH GESAGT EP, which defined much of the remaining year. Her style is very provocative and assertive, with a patronizing attitude to everything around her, often making fun of macho culture. She has popularity in Germany, but it feels like she belongs as an icon in the global zeitgeist. “KETA UND KRAWALL” will insert life into anything in whatever place it’s played. 

-John Glab, Editor-In-Chief

Joost Klein – “Europapa“

In short, “Europapa” by Joost Klein is an absolute bop. It is the most fun dance tune to come out of this year, but there are bigger reasons why it should be on a list of the best songs of 2024. The song was written in tribute to Joost’s parents, particularly his father, both of whom he had lost by the age of 13. It is also an ode to the European Union, speaking to the freedom of movement and personal experiences Joost has had. 

Europapa was the Netherlands’ submission to the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest which has significant impacts in terms of international relations. However, Joost was unprecedentedly disqualified from Eurovision hours before the final competition due to later dropped allegations from Israel. Europapa was projected to be the winner before Joost was disqualified, and his removal from the contest sparked a massive discussion around Israel being permitted to participate in Eurovision, as well as wider discourse around the genocide in Palestine and Gaza. People protested in person outside the contest, on social media with #FreeJoostKlein, and even inside the contest, booing and singing Europapa over Israeli contestant Eden Golan’s song. 

When asked to think of the best song of 2024, for me it had to be Europapa. Not only is it a fantastic and meaningful song, but it was one of the most politically powerful songs to come out of 2024 that sparked genuine discussion. 

-Amanda Moy, Editorial Staff

Kim Gordon – “BYE BYE“

Sonic Youth vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Kim Gordon proves boomers still got juice in them with her genre bending release The Collective. Exploring trap and hip-hop styles through the lens of her industrial noise rock background, she creates a truly novel and badass experience. Specifically, its opening track left me in awe the movement I heard it and continues to stay in rotation.  

Structurally she contrasts huge wailing guitars and walls of sound around her deadpan vocals that feels like she’s seemingly just reading off a to-do list before her upcoming flight, hence the title “BYE BYE”. This track is the definition of hard and the fact an artist in their 70s is dropping mosh worthy bangers to compete with the likes of Death Grips and Soul Glo should serve as some kind of inspiration. 

-Amman Hassan, News Director

Objekt, DjRUM – “Ganzfeld (DjRUM Remix)“

As a way to showcase his new label, the Berlin based producer Objekt calls some of his favorite fellow producers to remix a re-release of one of his most acclaimed tracks, “Ganzfeld”. DjRUM is on the list. The extraordinary musician from the United Kingdom is characterized by his intricate productions and DJing. The resulting track we received can be described as a sonic, dreamlike odyssey, one that begins like any other great story.  

Echoing snares and stunning tambourines follow with an incredible piano progression over the wonderful percussion that characterized the original track by Objekt. The track then falls apart into a chilling half-time percussive section, that then becomes increasingly convoluted and frightening, yet doesn’t lose any of its engaging sound design. The track reassembles, combining those frigid sections with beautiful ones, creating a contrasting image on the story and resolving its conflicts into the finishing string and piano chords that formed the beginning. This remix is a masterpiece of electronic music composition, one that shows complexity and story building like none other.

-Andrés Mora Mata, Music Director

Sabrina Carpenter – “Bed Chem“

While I originally wanted to give my spot for top song to Amyl and the Sniffers’ “Going Somewhere”, I couldn’t let Sabrina Carpenter’s success this year go untalked about. Her album Short n’ Sweet made a difference in my year for the better, especially the song “Bed Chem”. The song’s bright chords and grooves are unforgettable to me. The storytelling ability of the track and its early 2000s R&B influences make this one of the best pop songs of the year, if not the best. There’s just something about “Bed Chem” that is irresistible to dance along to. 

-Lee Nienhaus, Editorial Staff

Tom Cardy – “Transcendental Cha Cha Cha“

On particularly bad days, being asked to dance at the club fills me with a crippling fear of the expansiveness of the universe. It’s then that I listen to this song. Cardy steps out of his usual lane, musical comedy about flipping people off and the seminal 2009 classic film Human Centipede, to deliver this well produced ode to classic cha-cha and existential dread.  

Though he maintains his signature sense of humor, he dials down the funny to turn up the chaos, layering in a dense electro pop backing track with several unique percussive and piano features. His freewheeling lyricism adds to the madness, spinning the listener into an alternate universe where a lone human clubber in an intergalactic discotheque puts aside their existential fear and joins the room in a dance. Optimistic in its dread, “Transcendental Cha Cha Cha” is a certified club banger, club destroyer, club rebuilder, and every other reality in between. 

-Bailey Vergara, Music Staff

Verraco – “Godspeed >“

Once again Verraco, the Colombian who co-founded the label TraTraTrax, appears on my favorite tracks of the year, this time on his residency at Timedance, the UK label lead by Batu. As part of his Breathe… Godspeed EP, that includes tracks that also deserve to be in this list, especially “Sí, idealízame”. “Godspeed >” is an exhilarating piece of music that is made to be heard on large speakers at full volume with a crowd surrounding you.  

The track starts rather minimalistic with a dembow rhythm, and a vocal sample taken out of Dj Babatr’s notebook modified to sound other-worldly. A sliding bass comes in not too long after, teasing the party goer, to then be blown out of proportions with an organ like synth that calls for battle, and percussive elements to bring it all together. Truly a party starter, front to back. 

-Andrés Mora Mata, Music Director

Zookraught – “Red Hot Summer“

For the past few months, I’ve had Red Hot Summer — particularly, the attack of its syncopated main riff — stuck in my head. Released as a single ahead of their debut LP Vida Violet, this track is an all-hands-on-deck effort from each member of the Seattle dance punk trio. Featuring Baylee Harper’s electrifying drumming, Sami Frederick and Steph Jones’ full-force vocals, along with their respective guitar and bass to boot, all give everything in a steamy five minutes.  

The lyrics’ passion infected me with an energy best suited in the basement of a house show, much like the one they played in Iowa City last fall. The switch ups, especially towards the bridge, are to die for, and the chorus alone gives a brilliant payoff. If I died right now and went to punk heaven, Zookraught’s “Red Hot Summer” better be playing in the mosh pit. 

-Harry Ginsberg, Music Staff

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On Weatherglow, 5th-wave emo icons Weatherday and Asian Glow, masterminded by Sputnik and Gyungwon Shin respectively, team up to create a new high-water mark for the genre. While these recordings may sound comparatively hi-fi beside Weatherday’s Come In, and a bit closer in production style to Asian Glow’s Cull Ficle, the raucous, DIY ethos is present as ever. Dirty guitar textures blanket an atmosphere of shoegaze and pair it with vibrant riffs and intimate vocal performances. This duo’s comfortability in both crooning and screaming allows them to convey a full range of feeling while writing lyrics that sidestep cliche completely. No one else would sing lyrics like those on “Clockwalk Around the Ache”: “All of my penetrated spells were found to head to you through the neon signs / If we come to break right in time, no longer suffer from each other.” It is a loose poetry just barely audible under the scuzz of guitar and crashing cymbals. Most impressive is how they pull off something only the best emo bands can–they make melancholy really rock. A song like the opener, “Melt a Bed” showcases the variety of their strengths–from the starting get-up-and-jump riff, to the middle section of ambient, crackling synths–the band jumps between levels of energy with such ease that the song is barely more than three minutes–no big crescendoes necessary. “Look Alive, Sunshine”, meanwhile, has some of the catchiest melodies in either of the bands’ catalogs–a feat of its own. Weatherglow is an accomplishment that packs the brilliance of five genre-defining albums into one EP.

–Jaden Amjadi

Denzel Curry – Melt My Eyez See Your Future

Denzel Curry has never been one to cling to a single style or sound. While he may be best known for his more energetic tracks, complete with jarring, horror-esque production and raucous delivery, he turns away from his signature sounds in favor of a more reserved sound. Many of the beats are much more relaxed than on Denzel’s previous albums, but they still cling tightly to the alien, foggy sounds that are a key component of Denzel’s musical reputation. While the sound may not be as striking, the beats are still filled to the brim with zest and still capture Denzel’s musical personality flawlessly. While he has never shied away from opening up to his listeners, the emotion and tenderness is particularly dense on this record. On the lead single, “Walkin”, he touches on his personal demons and expands on how this struggle is not unique to him, but is a struggle brought on to many by the system. He preaches over a simple yet smooth beat, with a graceful beat-switch in the middle of the track that he glides over with multiple flows. On “Ain’t No Way”, one of the album’s more zestful cuts, Denzel joins forces with 6LACK, Rico Nasty, J.I.D., Jasiah, Powers Pleasant, and Kitty Ca$h, all of whom add a unique element to the track in what is by far the most feature-heavy song on the album. On “X-Wing”, Denzel’s originality in his production blossoms, fusing angelic strings and piano melodies with classic trap 808s and drums. This direction of sound and theme may not have been what most fans, including myself, expected, but the direction Denzel chose is clear and executed with few flaws.

–Evan Weidl

Charli XCX – Crash

After working with some of the most acclaimed artists in the hyperpop hemisphere, such as the late SOPHIE herself, Charli XCX has returned to rip out the barely beating heart of the pop industry to take a nasty bite. On her latest release, Crash, Charli plays up the big popstar trope with lavish outfits, choreographed dances, and even bigger hair while the music follows suit, drawing heavily from the glam pop of the 1980s and millennium-age dance pop. This tongue-in-cheek incarnation of the “pop diva” stereotype is elevated by the undeniably catchy and commanding pop songwriting the singer consistently brings to her work. On tracks like “Beg for You” and “Used to Know Me”, Charli interpolates the classic 00s hit “Cry for You” by September and the 1992 track “Show Me Love” by Robin S. These odes to her so-called pop foremothers not only uniquely reimagine the tunes, but also imbue the record with a shot of pop gold from the past. While it veers hard into the campy realm of mainstream pop, this record also steps away from some of the heavier hyperpop work she has done recently, specifically on her last release in 2020, how i’m feeling now. Throbbing bass and erratic synths are replaced with nostalgic, shimmery keys and light-footed staccato beats on the tracks “Constant Repeat” and “Lightning” just to name a couple. Though, while she may be moving into a territory that some consider superficial, over-the-top, and predictable, Charli proves that she is anything but your run-of-the-mill pop princess. She is indeed the bloody queen of the pop charts.

–Sydney Sjobakken

Soul Glo – Diaspora Problems

To live in the US diaspora population, in my experience, is to be in many ways removed from the culture some would assume of you. It is to recognize you live in a deeply racist, nationalist country while also recognizing, with respect to people in destabilized countries, that much of the terror the US perpetuates is somewhere far away. Of course, this is in no way equal for everyone in the US diaspora (it helps to be white, for one!). On Diaspora Problems, Soul Glo meets these contradictions with wit and grace–and a whole lot of energy. Sonically, the band sits beside emotional hardcore acts like Orchid and Converge–but with an added undeniable sense of groove. As vocalist Pierce Jordan cascades between high register screams and low register rhymes, he reminds the listener how negligible the line between rapped hip hop vocals and screamed punk vocals has always been. Afterall–what hip hop fan could possibly deny “Driponomics” with Mother Maryrose for the banger it is? While the quickly screamed lyrics can be a bit hard to make out, they’re well worth a look-up. Jordan writes about emotional subjects with great humor. Jordan’s lyrics are less about being some dialectical literary dork that politically “dropkicks MGK” and more about being–and through being the inherently political nature of just living on appears. But outside of any lyrical content, the passionately performed music on its own packs more of a punch than your average hardcore record. Soul Glo’s Diaspora Problems is the most exciting punk album to come out in a long time.

–Jaden Amjadi

Zeal & Ardor – Zeal & Ardor

There’s something to be said for musicians who ensure that a constant je ne sais quoi permeates their art; something that tells the listener, “Hey, you’re listening to my album!”. In the case of Zeal & Ardor, their commitment to creating a world through their music that asks, “What if enslaved people in America turned to black magic as a means of escape?” is right up that alley. The Swiss sextet’s newest self-titled album is both ambitious and insular in its sound with tracks like “Emersion”–a synth backdrop coupled with unintelligible death metal shrieks–and the blistering bare-bones black metal “Götterdämmerung” sharing space in this release and neither feeling out of place. Of course, the true highlights are when lead singer Manuel Gagneux brings out his blues-inflected vocals like on singles “Church Burns” and “Run”. Altogether it’s a dark churning mashup of the humid South and freezing Europe with something on it for just about everyone.

–Zachary LeBoeuf

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Jeff Rosenstock – N O D R E A M

Throughout his career, though especially the last decade of it, Jeff Rosenstock has done more than possibly any artist to remove the stigma from pop-punk. His earworm melodies, impassioned shouts, and nervous energy consistently produce cathartic listening experiences. His newest effort, the surprise-release N O D R E A M, is no exception to this rule. Acting as a soundtrack to yet another anxious breakdown, songs respond to perceived personal inadequacies (“Old Crap”, “Beauty of Breathing”) and political helplessness (“Scram!”, “N O D R E A M”). While many tracks aren’t more than four minutes, most have a tremendous sense of pacing and dynamism, never wearing out a melodic or sonic idea before moving onto the next. The title track’s different musical phases cover a massive range. As a soft and simple guitar riff naturally develops into a pummeling barrage, Rosenstock decries the inherent violence of capitalism. Other highlights include the ridiculous “***BNB” or the surprisingly mature “Honeymoon Ashtray” where he describes a mediocre honeymoon experience and the rejected temptation to see it as a symbol for the marriage. The album is sometimes silly, usually poignant, and a lot of fun. So essentially, it’s more Jeff. 

Charli XCX – how I’m feeling now

On how i’m feeling now, Charli XCX fully commits to the hyper-pop sounds of last year’s Charli, culminating in a near-perfect quarantine pop album. Since the release of 2016’s Vroom Vroom EP, a collaboration with acclaimed experimental electronic producer SOPHIE, Charli’s music has gradually strayed away from the Top-40 friendly sounds of early singles like “Boom Clap” and “Fancy”, instead seeking a more experimental and futuristic sound. How I’m Feeling Now executes this sound incredibly with a variety of high-energy, infectious pop songs laced with a mix of blown-out basslines and pristine electronic backdrops. Much of this album’s sound lends itself to its impressive lineup of producers, including PC Music founder A.G. Cook, Dylan Brady (100 Gecs), Palmistry, Tommy Cash, and Umru. Their cutting-edge production gives the entire album a truly futuristic feel with a vast pool of stylistic influences from modern trap and R&B to underground electronic, and most prominently, bubblegum bass. Songs like “pink diamond”, “claws”, and “forever” show Charli at her most experimental while also being some of her strongest songs yet. Over industrial synths and a pounding UK Grime beat in the opener “pink diamond”, Charli repeats “I just wanna go real hard” – and for the next 37 minutes, she goes pretty hard. 

Deerhoof – Future Teenage Cave Artists

Deerhoof are back and as delightfully zany as ever. Hailing from San Francisco, the noise-pop group has been releasing albums consistently since the ’90s with each new release building on the band’s signature style of quirky and experimental production. Future Teenage Cave Artists is no exception, as it is riddled with dissonant guitar chords, unorthodox time signatures, and colorful instrumentation. But this time, each track bleeds with themes of apocalypse and emotional unrest. Transitioning smoothly between songs that are abrasive and disjointed (“‘Farewell’ Symphony”, “Zazeet”), to dissociative and ghostly (“Fraction Anthem”, “Reduced Guilt”, “I Call on Thee”), Deerhoof’s signature character shines through always, even as they delve into new sonic territories.  

Backxwash – God Has Nothing To Do With This Leave Him Out Of It 

The looping cry of “Oh no, please God help me” on the opening track of Backxwash’s latest album sets the stage for what the listener is about to hear: aggressive bars with demonic themes over hard-hitting beats with dark twists. Beyond the horrific presentation—and often intertwined—is a deep reflective pain, as Backxwash grapples with difficult family relationships, the darker aspects of religion, and the world’s perception of her and her trans identity. The heavy subject matter is conveyed through witchy bangers, such as “Black Magic” with guitar from Ada Rook of Black Dresses, or “Amen” where she screams above choir vocals and heavy bass, raging against class disparity and fascism. Devi McCallion, the other member of Black Dresses, also appears on “Spells” to deliver an unsettling, yet captivating hook. This and the demonic screeching on the chorus, which rides the line between ridiculous and terrifying, plus Backxwash’s passionate delivery, make for one of the most memorable tracks on the album. Backxwash is a completely unique voice in rap, and both fans of left-field hip hop and traditional rap will likely find something to love on this record. 

Natalia Lafourcade – Un Canto por Mexico, Vol. 1

Best known for her contribution to the soundtrack for Disney’s Coco, but perhaps most hailed for her contributions to Mexican popular music, Natalia Lafourcade has become a staple in modern Latin American pop-rock and Mexican folk revivalism. Her latest album follows up her two-volume Musas, which were an exploration of traditional Mexican folk music, and a stylistic transition from her more poppy, commercially-successful Hasta La Raíz. Stylistically, Un Canto por Mexico is sort of a hybrid of those previous projects. Each track evokes the themes of pride, joy, struggle, and heartbreak that are characteristic of traditional Latin American folk. Some are renditions of classic huapango songs (“Cucurrucucu Paloma”, “El Balaju / Serenata Huasteca”), others are re-recordings of popular songs from Lafourcade’s earlier discography (“Hasta La Raíz”, “Ya No Vivo por Vivir”). On Un Canto por Mexico each track blends into a sonically consistent ode to national pride. 

Ka – Descendants of Cain

Continuing in a similar style to his previous albums, Ka’s new project is dense with wordplay and heavily descriptive of lived pain. Descendants of Cain is filled with biblical allusions, the primary one being Cain’s murder of Abel as an allegory for violence within oppressed communities. Each of Ka’s bars are filled with double entendres, to the point where full comprehension may take multiple revisits. He raps calmly in a cadence similar to spoken word, but there is a substantive weight to it all, and even when deploying quick multisyllabic flows the cleverness of his wordplay is never compromised. New listeners will note how scarce the drums are on many tracks, sometimes not appearing at all, allowing Ka to act as his own rhythm section. Some instrumental highlights are “Solitude of Enoch”, where rushes of sharp strings periodically encroach on the guitar and keys, and “PRAY”, an eerie track where the primary component of the beat seems to be monitor feedback. The choral vocals and acoustic guitar on “Old Justice” are a surprising choice that showcases Ka’s versatility, leading into the unusually tender and wholesome closing track, “I Love (Mimi, Moms, Kev)”. On Descendants of Cain, Ka further cements himself as a rapper without a single filler line. 

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The album kicks off with the familiar sound listeners have come to expect from the band. The lyrics of “My Trigger” follow the popular trope of a man telling his lover that money doesn’t matter and they could escape from this whole mess of a world. I didn’t feel particularly excited by this song, but I definitely nodded along to the beat while I listened.

The next song, “The Heart of Me” was released in February of 2016 as a teaser to their new album, and it has many similarities to the previous song: not too upbeat, but enough energy to remind me of the upcoming excitement of summer days. I liked this song up until a weird distorted voice joined in and recalled past memories vacationing with a past lover. I’m really not a fan of this trend in electronic music right now.

The next song had some contradicting, semi-racist lyrics. “Genghis Khan,” released in December of 2015, glorifies possessiveness and jealously in romantic relationships. The vocalist sings “I get a little bit Genghis Khan/Don’t want you to get it on with nobody else but me,” referring to the leader of the Mongolian Empire in 1200s, who “got it on” with a lot of people. I’m not sure about Khan’s attitude towards polyamorous relationships, but I do know that about 0.5% of men alive today carry his Y-chromosome, according to a study in 2003. So there’s that.

“Heart is Full” may have my favorite chorus of the album. Singing about wanting to settle down after years of “having fun,” the vocalist climbs up and down the musical staff in the melody.

“For U” features Charli XCX, a young English singer/songwriter who sings the choruses with that classic haunting indie-singer voice. This upbeat features a busy, trippy background sample which plays throughout the song and keeps listeners moving.

The band takes a break from their upbeat, club music with “I Feel the Weight,” a song that reminds me of a M83 and Modest Mouse lullaby.

“Back of the Car” has a catchy piano riff that sounds like The Office theme song coupled with their signature falsetto vocals and electronic beats. The relaxed song provides a good transition between “I Feel the Weight” and the rest of the album.

“Lonely Life” reminds me of songs by MGMT and Foster the People. I got a little bored of the slower songs at this point in the album, but the band picks up the pace with the following song.

Although “Over and Over” was probably supposed to be some motivational song for people to get through their crappy office jobs, 9-5, I think the style of the vocals creeped me out too much to pay attention to anything else. Listen here to make your own opinions.

By the last song, I realized that this album went downhill around the seventh song, and couldn’t redeem itself. Miike Snow does not end “iii” on a high note, but I really enjoyed the first half of the album. I’d encourage people to listen to this album and stop at “Back of the Car,” or continue if you’re feeling like taking a nap.

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