As summer is drawing to a close, today I thought I would share what I have been listening to over the summer. I love sharing my music discoveries, but I actually haven’t found a lot of new loves over the summer, instead sticking to what I love, so I haven’t written about it as much as usual. Yet I think the time has come to share a few new favourites!
Danny Jones & McFly
At the beginning of the month I went to see McFly frontman, Danny Jones on his solo tour at the O2 Ritz Manchester. In the small venue, I managed to be about five rows back and it was a really great concert. Danny’s new solo music is really good, especially my favourite Talk In The Morning, but the fans truly went crazy when he performed a couple of McFly songs such as Five Colours In Her Hair. It was lovely to see him live again after three years away from McFly, who at that point I had given up all hope of ever returning.
Yet less than a week later, suddenly McFly announced they were doing a show at the O2 in November. They were back – and so was suddenly a plethora of fans. I thought this was going to be perfect, them making a return when I was down in London, but unfortunately I didn’t get tickets which I was super disappointed about until they announced a tour and I got really good tickets for Manchester! I am almost equally excited for is their new old music that they are releasing every Sunday on the lead up to the O2 show.
The first two songs they released, Red and Touch the Rain, were debuted at the Keep Calm and Play Louder tour in 2012, when I was only eleven years old – that concert seriously blew me away. Ever since then I have longed for the day I would hear a studio version of them, and became more and more sure it was never going to happen. I’d watch a bad quality YouTube video of Touch The Rain live, where Tom says ‘this is for McFly album number 6’ and tear up at the fact it would probably never come. But now it has come, in the form of ‘The Lost Songs’, the album 6 that never was, and I can’t wait for more we have never heard at all – these first two songs are fantastic!
Taylor Swift’s Lover album
Additionally, the past few weeks since it came out, I have been pretty much constantly listening to Taylor Swift’s new album Lover. 1989 is one of my favourite albums ever, and while I liked Reputation and everything it stood for at that point of Taylor’s life, I think I’d put Lover in between the two. It has a real classic Taylor Swift feel, so happy and fun in areas, especially Paper Rings, but sad and even haunting in parts. There’s a couple of tracks that are a little forgettable but the majority of them are real stand out tracks that I’ve been excited to listen to more and more. I just wished she would release it on vinyl! ‘The Man’ is probably my favourite, it’s such a statement I believe in, and I also love Cruel Summer, it really showcases Taylor’s vocals. The track Lover is absolutely gorgeous, and I am also loving London Boy, going to London myself.
Sam Fender’s Hypersonic Missiles album
When he was announced as the Brits Critics Choice winner a few months ago I really got into his EP, so of course I was also excited for his debut album to be released. Since it only came out a couple of weeks ago I haven’t had chance to listen to everything but I certainly love lots of new songs on it, especially The Borders. The album has a great guitar-led sound and I can’t wait to properly listen to it.
The Script’s new single The Last Time –
In the midst of all the McFly madness, another of my long-time favourite bands, The Script, made a return with their new single The Last Time. They have definitely returned on top form, with a song that sounds different than anything they have done before and yet totally their style. The lyrics are very clever and I imagine it is going to do very well.
The 1975 –
A little mention at the end, as they haven’t released much lately (okay, apart from People but it is kind of the first song from them ever that I don’t really like…) but I got tickets to see The 1975 next year which means I am finally going to see them! I am super excited so I have been listening to some of their music in celebration, sometimes I forget how good it really is!
