By Emma Weidmann | Arts and Life Editor
The first day of fall has come and gone. New music drops every day, along with the temperature and the leaves. Let’s get into the best releases of the past week.
“Modern Girl” by Bleachers (Sept. 20)
What do you get when you cross Billy Joel and The 1975? “Modern Girl” by Bleachers, that’s what. The rhythm of the lyrics is reminiscent of “We Didn’t Start The Fire,” but the saxophone in the beginning is a callback to Bleachers singer Jack Antonoff’s work as a producer on The 1975’s “Looking For Somebody (To Love).”
“Modern Girl” is just so much fun to listen to, and it is sure to give you a little extra pep in your step on your walk to class.
“Lifetime” by Faye Webster (Sept. 20)
Faye Webster doesn’t stray far from the whispery, slowed-down style that she mastered a long time ago. “Lifetime” is a really pretty mix of high, twinkly piano, deep bass guitar and soft drums. The song feels a little long, being five minutes of repetition at an easygoing pace, but it doesn’t seem to drag on to an irritating extent.
“Sarah’s Place (feat. Noah Kahan)” by Zach Bryan (Sept. 22)
The hottest country star of the year dropped a five-song surprise EP, featuring Noah Kahan and Bon Iver, and broke the internet in the process. “Sarah’s Place (feat. Noah Kahan)” merges Bryan’s gritty vocal style with Kahan’s more nasal lilt and signature banjo. It also may just be the least depressing song either of them has released in a long time.
“After Midnight” by Chappell Roan (Sept. 22)
Decked out in glitter and puff sleeves like an ’80s prom queen, Chappell Roan has blasted onto the indie pop scene in a haze of raunchy lyrics and curly red hair. Her first album, “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess,” features several TikTok-viral singles such as “Pink Pony Club” and “Naked in Manhattan.”
Roan’s lyrics are equally as risky as they are clever. Mixed with high-energy pop instrumentals, they make for a “Cyndi Lauper meets Madonna meets Olivia Rodrigo” vibe. Speaking of Rodrigo, you can catch Roan opening for Rodrigo on the GUTS World Tour next year.