As the charts gear up for a slew of new albums this spring, artists across the music industry are giving listeners sneak peeks of their upcoming records. But not all pre-releases are made equal, and while some artists have teased promising new music, others have fallen flat.
Noah Kahan, Kacey Musgraves and Bleachers all released singles last week ahead of highly anticipated album releases this spring. Their new music provides a telling glimpse at the next few months of album releases.
Courtesy of Patrick McCormack via Universal Music Group
“Porch Light” by Noah Kahan
The second single from his upcoming studio album “The Great Divide,” Noah Kahan’s “Porch Light” brings the same thoughtful lyrics, heartfelt vocals and indie-folk influences that propelled the singer into fame. The song tells a story of holding out hope for someone you love, finding that helpless feeling in the image of a porch light.
“I’ll leave the porch light on / Heartbroken, each morning when it’s me that turns it off,” Kahan sings.
The song begins with a nostalgic blend of banjo and acoustic guitar that leads into a refrain of simple yet punchy lyrics. Moving from fast-paced, long lines in the verses to short, repeated lyrics in the refrain, Kahan captures a feeling of emotional exhaustion and defeat simply through a shift in lyrical complexity.
Back in 2022, Kahan vaulted into mainstream success with his highly acclaimed record “Stick Season.” If “Porch Light” is any indication, his next album is sure to be a similarly impactful success.
Kahan’s ability to capture nuanced emotions through ordinary imagery has made him a household name in the singer-songwriter realm. The craftsmanship of “Porch Light” is reminiscent of Kahan’s lyrical style in “The View Between Villages” and “Orange Juice.”
“Porch Light” effortlessly flexes the same literary intricacy. By painting mundane yet relatable pictures, Kahan invokes a powerful and moving sense of sentimentality.
“But, baby, there are bills to pay and your dad’s road needs salt,” Kahan sings. “And I try to drown out all the talk, the eyeballs in the parking lots.”
Courtesy Brandon Ross via Universal Music Group
“Dry Spell” by Kacey Musgraves
Despite Kacey Musgraves’s history of high-quality work, the first release from her upcoming album “Middle of Nowhere” falls victim to the trap plaguing the country music scene: excessive repetition and total predictability.
Through the first chorus, the whining guitar and catchy percussion on “Dry Spell” are enough to capture listeners’ attention. But after three minutes of the exact same instrumental line, the track feels more monotonous than it does catchy.
The song’s chorus features a variety of witty sexual euphemisms as Musgraves seeks salvation from her “Dry Spell.” The verses are not much different — that is, besides from the innuendos being a little less subtle.
“I’m so lonely / Lonely with a capital “H” / If you know what I mean / I’ve been sitting on the washing machine,” Musgraves sings.
While the lyrics are certainly memorable, the song’s comedy fails to make up for the track’s sonic monotony. Without a bridge to offer respite from the same four chords, the single can at times feel never-ending — possibly fitting for the “Dry Spell” Musgraves describes.
Courtesy Alex Lockett via Wikimedia Commons
“dirty wedding dress” by Bleachers
In typical Bleachers fashion, “dirty wedding dress” immediately grabs listeners with an intoxicating blend of electric guitar, piano and saxophone riffs. While the instrumental quiets down for the first few lines — stripping back to guitar and a simple snare — the instrumental grows into a delightful hodgepodge of strings and brass over the first verse. When Jack Antonoff, the band’s lead singer, sings “' when the past makes you wanna die a little,” listeners can even hear hints of a xylophone.
After the conclusion of the first verse, layers of ambient guitars practically explode out of the speakers. The six-member band has mastered the art of harmonious chaos, and the invigorating, gradual buildup of “dirty wedding dress” is a true testament to this skill.
The lyrics advise listeners to keep their inner circle close and ignore “everybody outside talkin’ like they know.” With its stream-of-consciousness songwriting, the lyrics immerse fans into the noisy world of the entertainment industry.
“Well, on tour with the band, there’s like, a backstage party / And this reporter makes her way across the room to me,” Antonoff sings. “She asks me ‘bout my loss, she laughs and calls it canon / She asks if I’ll read her latest piece.”
“dirty wedding dress” is the second release from Bleachers’s upcoming album, “everyone for ten minutes,” and is a promising indication of what is to come. The song’s style and production feel consistent with that of the album’s first single, “you and forever.” Together, the two predict a record reminiscent of the band’s debut album, “Strange Desire.”
Ann Gray Golpira is a Section Editor covering Arts & Culture. She is from Norfolk, Virginia and plans on concentrating in both International and Public Affairs and Anthropology. Outside of The Herald, you can find her writing, recording and producing her original music.
