Jake’s Take’s New Music Reviews: Week of March 15, 2019

By: Jacob Elyachar, jakes-take.com

Welcome to another exciting edition of Jake’s Take’s New Music Reviews!  We have a lot of music to digest, so let’s get this party started.

Girl by Maren Morris

Music dynamo Maren Morris released her sophomore studio album on March 8. “The Middle” singer recruited a superb list of collaborators to record Girl.  Some of Nashville’s finest such as Ryan Hurd, Jimmy Robbins, Sarah Aaron, and Natalie Hembly assisted with the co-writing, while both busbee and Greg Kurstin produced a majority of the album.  Also, keep an ear out for Brothers Osbourne and Brandi Carlile, who collaborated with the “I Could Use A Love Song” performer. Ms. Morris’ successfully cements a road Taylor Swift start paving with her Red album and I think that the sky is the limit for her. B+/A-

Tracks to Download: “The Feels,” “All My Favorite People,” “To Hell & Back,” “The Bones,” & “Common.”

“No New Friends” by LSD

Music fans are eagerly waiting for the highly anticipated release of music supergroup LSD’s debut album.  LSD stands for R&B singer Labrinth, singer-songwriter Sia, and legendary producer Diplo. Their latest single, “No New Friends,” is a spectacular club jam that showcases LSD’s musicianship.  This track has radio potential and potentially delivers a new chapter in pop music. A-

“A No No (Remix)” by Mariah Carey featuring Stefflon Don

One of my favorite tracks off of Mariah Carey’s Caution is “A No No.” Ms. Carey’s record label, Epic, released a remix of the track that featured rising music superstar Stefflon Don. I think the remix was an excellent collaboration that should have been put on the album.  While the “GTFO” singer-songwriter still shines vocally, I wished that they included more of Stefflon Don on the song. B+

“Don’t Threaten Me With a Good Time” by Thomas Rhett & Little Big Town

Thomas Rhett is getting ready to release his fourth studio album! Center Point Road is expected to drop on May 31. To prep his fans and the country music world, the singer-songwriter dropped a new single: “Don’t Threaten Me With a Good Time.” This amazing song features Little Big Town.  What I have noticed is that both acts have joined the wagon train of artists who are pushing the country music boundaries by making their sound more pop.  “Don’t Threaten Me With a Good Time” is an outstanding collaborative song and it could be an early front runner for 2019’s best country collaboration. A

“Superstition” by Tristan Cole featuring Shaadie

I love it when friends to the blog release new music. It has been a while since Tristan Cole released new material. He decided to tackle Stevie Wonder’s legendary “Superstition.” Music lovers would definitely enjoy Tristan’s take on the soul classic as he took the track to a tropical house party. Also, rapper Shaadie added an intriguing beat or two that made the cover enjoyable. Can’t wait to see what Tristan has in store next. A-

Artists to Watch

Jake’s Take’s Artists to Watch section is back! Here are several artists and bands that might shake up the music world.

Paper Castles by Alice Phoebe Lou

Cape Town, South Africa singer-songwriter Alice Phoebe Lou kicks off Jake’s Take’s Artists to Watch. This independent musician captured the attention of media outlets such as Complex, Consequence of Sound, and Rolling Stone. Her sophomore studio album, Paper Castles, showcases that Alice Phoebe Lou’s innate ability to successfully mix various music genres together. While there were some tracks that might have put some people to sleep, Paper Castles could have the potential to gain traction in both the Alternative and Blues music worlds. B

Tracks to Download: “Galaxies,” “Paper Castles,” & “My Outside.”  

Sucker Punch by Sigrid

Norwegian singer-songwriter Sigrid has caught the attention of the dance pop and synthpop music world.  This wunderkind performer received praise from AllMusicand NME, plus amassed a strong social media following. Sucker Punch is a powerful debut album that could make Sigrid a major voice in the pop music world. The songs that she co-wrote with collaborators Emily Schwartz, Oscar Holter, and Askjell Solstrand are spectacular and radio ready. I thoroughly believe that Sigrid will be one of 2019’s breakout artists. A-

Tracks to Download: “Sucker Punch,” “Strangers,” “Don’t Feel Like Crying,” “Sight of You,” & “In Vain.”

“Dirty AF1s” by Alexander 23

Chicago native turned California transplant Alexander 23 is turning heads. The multi-instrumentalist and Interscope Records-signed artist dropped his debut single: “Dirty AF1s.” This song focuses on dealing with a lover who lives on the opposite end of the United States. While the track is too short, “Dirty AF1s” does showcases Alexander 23’s potential into breaking into the Top 40.  B

“Starry Eyes” by Young Bombs

Young Bombs conclude this edition of Jake’s Take’s New Music Reviews. Vancouver natives Martin and Tristan have assisted a plethora of superstar artists such as Nick Jonas and Lady Gaga to Alessia Cara and Khalid. Now, the Tiësto-backed duo have stepped into the spotlight as they announced their solo project for Astralwerks Records. “Starry Eyes” is the feel good EDM/pop song of the year. I believe fantastic opportunities are heading for Young Bombs and 2019 could be one of the biggest years of their career. A+

I do not own the music videos or clips that are sprinkled throughout the album. They belong to the artists and their respective record labels.