Emma Hazard
Arts & Culture Editor
With the beloved chill of fall slowly starting to creep its way into Pennsylvania, I can’t help but look back on the sweet, sweet summer vacation that was ripped from my hands far too quickly.
This past summer was huge for the music industry when it comes to new releases- especially when we shine a light on what was probably many people’s “album of the summer,” “BRAT” by Charli XCX. While yes, I know that many of you out there were in fact “bumpin’ that” on your was back to the Ville this summer, I can’t help but think back on what my favorite album of this summer was. So, while I cozy up for the upcoming sweater weather, it’s time for me to finally do something that I’ve been hesitating to do since the release of “BRAT.” That’s right, I’m breaking my silence.
Now before I begin, I would like to state that this isn’t a review of “BRAT.” I’ve only listened to about half of the album, so I truly have no right to state if I thought it was good or bad. However, I will say that it wasn’t exactly my taste.
I would say my taste in music is rather broad. From K-pop to dad rock, and even your occasional country or screamo song- I listen to a lot of music. Unfortunately for me, however, I’m not a huge fan of club music, so I sadly had to miss out on having a “‘BRAT’ summer.” I won’t deny that there are songs on the album that I enjoyed, but overall based on what I’ve heard, the album wasn’t my cup of tea.
So, I know what you’re wondering; if I wasn’t having the neon green “BRAT” summer of a lifetime, what would I say was my “album of the summer?” Well, I’ve taken it upon myself to play a little game this year with all the new music I listen to. Every new album I listen to, not new as in it came out this year, but new as in I’m hearing it for the first time, I’ve decided to rank the album on a scale of one to ten. Then at the end of this year, I’m going to make a list of my favorite and least favorite albums.
From the four albums that I decided to dedicate at least 20 minutes of my undivided attention to this summer, there were some that jumped out at me more than others.
For example, ATEEZ released their newest album, “Golden Hour: Part. 1” back in May, and I finally had the chance to listen to it during a long car ride in July. Currently, on a list of 11 total albums so far, “Golden Hour: Part. 1” is one of the two albums I ranked 10/10.
However, even with its high rating, I would still give the title of my “album of the summer” to someone else. On the same day that I had the chance to listen to “Golden Hour: Part. 1,” I listened to Breaking Benjamin’s “Phobia” album, and boy oh boy did it rock my world.
Released in 2006, this album is 43 minutes of what I would consider, in my unprofessional opinion, peak “divorced dad” rock. If you know me, you know that I absolutely despise long albums- so the idea of spending almost 45 minutes listening to an album sounded unbearable, so I was very glad to prove myself wrong.
Upon first listen, I gave this album a solid 8/10. Some points were taken off for the fact that the album was so long, and for the fact that I’m still getting used to the fact that singers will scream in the middle of a song for fun. Despite these points, I found myself coming back to this album constantly over the summer. During my short commute to work, driving to see friends, and even getting ready in the morning, I found myself reaching for this album all the time.
Originally, back in July, I said that this album, “was packed full of the semi-emo, grunge sound you would want from a 2006 rock album,” and I would stand by that statement almost three months later. Over these past few months, I’ve been trying to get into rock music more, so finally finding another band that I really enjoy within the genre is fantastic. If I end up reassessing my album ratings at the end of the year, I would definitely give this album a higher score.
If you’re in the market for an album to help transition you from your “BRAT” summer into a crunchy leaf fall, I highly recommend breaking into the “Phobia” album.