Hellooo! This post is part of a pair of posts written about 5 Seconds of Summer's new album, CALM! This one is going to be all about the album itself and you can read my thoughts on the physical releases of the album (including signed CD and cassette bundles) here! I bought the Deluxe version of the album, which includes three bonus tracks which I will also be talking about in this post.
After the first few listens, my standout favourite song on the album was track number 9, Lover of Mine! I love the lyrics, the effect on the piano at the start, the contrast between the acoustic guitar and the electronic bass that works perfectly, the rhythm, the backing vocals and the overall style of the song! I love the drums throughout Lover of Mine and the only thing I'm not sure about is that the sidechain on the cymbals sounds almost harsh, particularly in the instrumental sections however, I still love the song as a whole! Not in the Same Way (track 8) is another of my favourites and I love the lyrics, the chorus and the use of backing vocals throughout the song.
CALM features a handful of songs that were released as singles prior to the album being released with the first being Easier (track 4)! When Easier was released, I posted a review of the Flexidisc (which you can read here) where I said that I wasn't sure about the song to start with but it had grown on me and I can tell you that now, I LOVE this song! Easier is catchy and was the perfect first single from the album to showcase the aesthetic of the CALM era. The second single from this album was Teeth (track 5) and I LOVE the bass and guitar combination in this track! No Shame was the third track to be released as a single from this album and is another one that I love! I love the chord selection in the chorus and the overall style of the song. The video for Old Me (track 3) was released a few weeks ago and I LOVE the video for the song and the story it tells. Old Me is also one of the many songs on the album that highlights Luke's incredible vocal range! Wildflower is the most recent single to be released from CALM and has I love the style of the song. I love the effects on the vocals which work perfectly with the synth in the catchy chorus!
Thin White Lies (track 10) felt familiar to me when I first listened to it but I couldn't put my finger on why. I think it sounds like songs from the mid-2000s but I'm probably way off on that but either way, I love the song! Another song that feels familiar is Best Years (track 7) which sounds reminiscent of the Sounds Good Feels Good era and I really like the ending and how the song builds towards it. Lonely Heart (track 11) starts acoustic and switches for the first chorus, which I love, along with the drums throughout the song! The first song on CALM is Red Desert, which isn't one of my favourites but I really like the drums on the track. High (track 12) also isn't one of my favourites however, I like the varying styles on the album.
The three bonus tracks on the Deluxe version of the album are all Live from the Vault, a series which I LOVE! Track 13 is Easier (Live from the Vault) and I think this is my favourite from this series! I love the rockier version of the song and even though it was recorded live, it still sounds clean and professional and I just love it! Teeth (Live from the Vault) is track number 14 and is more similar to the original but I love the energy that the live performance brings to the song. The final song on CALM is No Shame (Live from the Vault) and I love the introduction and drums on this one! I also love the harmonies and particularly the lower harmony on the chorus, which I think is Michael!
The overall sound of CALM follows on from Youngblood well and I love the album as a whole! Listening to the album, you can hear how the talent of the band has developed more and more over the years with their instruments and vocals, but also their songwriting. CALM is an album that suits being played from start to finish and sounds like it would be amazing to hear played live! I have listened to the album A LOT since it was released and I can already tell that CALM is an album I will be listening to a lot in the future! The album has been a welcome distraction from the ongoing events and I would highly recommend it!
Thanks for reading! Stay safe and stay home!
Sophie
