New Discoveries: Japanese Breakfast, Passenger, and More

JAPANESE BREAKFAST - "BE SWEET"

Michelle Zauner a.k.a. Japanese Breakfast announced her new album with a groovy, upbeat new single. "Be Sweet" is impossible to hear without nodding your head along to the beat. Zauner wants the new record to have a focus on joy, and this is no exception. Her buoyant voice floats over bright guitar riffs, rhythmic synths, and a very danceable baseline. This song comes after the announcement of her new memoir Crying in H Mart, set to come out April 20th. Japanese Breakfast enters a new era with her third album, Jubilee, which drops on June 4th.

- Meghan Hockridge, Staff Writer

GIRL IN RED - "SEROTONIN"

Girl in Red is getting ready for her debut album If I Could Make It Go Quiet, releasing on April 30th. She let us have a sneak peak of what it will be like with her new single "Serotonin". The song features a different sort of style than what we're used to with the Norweigan singer's previous discography. When listening from the start, you're unsure of where the song will go. By the end it has gone pretty much everywhere between pop punk, synth and electronic vibes. Be on the lookout for more to come from Girl in Red very soon! 

- Kelsey Sidman, Staff Writer

FLEET FOXES - "SUNBLIND"

Fleet Foxes pays a sweet homage to their late musical influences with "Sunblind." Through the lyrics, lead singer Robin Pecknold acknowledges artists Richard Swift, Elliot Smith, and John Prine, among several others. Despite referencing so many tragic deaths, the song is warm and uplifting. These feelings manifest strongly in the climb leading up the chorus. Pecknold's voice effortlessly ascends and descends octaves alongside playful piano and light drumming. Intertwined with its theme of keeping the memory of late artists alive, "Sunblind" also paints imagery of vacationing with friends. The song comes off of Fleet Foxes' fourth studio album, Shore, which was released in September 2020. Like "Sunblind," the rest of Shore has the band's signature indie-folk sound and will leave your spirits lifted. 

- Nora Onanian, Staff Writer

PASSENGER - "SWORD IN THE STONE"

A bright guitar and piano melody introduces the first song of Passenger's new album, Songs for the Drunk and Broken-Hearted. With lyrics like, "How are you feeling, sweetheart? Are you moving on," Michael David Rosenberg talks about moving on from a past relationship. A steady upbeat tune, complements his unique voice as he continues to pose questions to his ex-lover. The simple melody continues throughout the song. It contrasts with the complexity of the heavy content of the lyrics, creating a perfect mix of highs and lows. Listening to this, you can really feel the emotion that he poured into this album and the pain that he was going through when this was recorded.

- Christina Casper, Staff Writer

TAYLOR SWIFT FT. THE NATIONAL - "CONEY ISLAND"

On Evermore, Taylor Swift had already teamed up with HAIM for "No Body, No Crime." Now, she brings us her second collaboration from the album with "Coney Island." This lush, gentle song explores love lost, specifically when you visit locations you and your loved one visited. The National's Matt Berninger delivers his signature deep, even vocals alongside Swift's, giving the song a mournful weight. Many fans have theorized that different parts of the song address different memories from Swift's exes. She hasn't confirmed that, but it's still a really fun theory if you're up to do some digging. If not, "Coney Island" is still a gorgeous song dripping in nostalgia and emotion for those dealing with the loss of a lover or a loved one.

- Tatum Jenkins, Music Coordinator

Each week, our intrepid music staff picks out some new songs you can't miss. For even more new releases, listen to All New From 8-9 every evening on 88.9

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