5 Seconds of Summer 

Calm (released March 27, 2020)

Pop rock/ rock 

My first impression of this album after the first listen was just awe. The way the instruments blend together and perfectly illustrate the emotions of the band is just amazing in my opinion. This album was really one that deserved all the love and hype it received.

*Little fun fact- the name of the album comes from the first initial of all 4 members

Calum, Ashton, Luke, And Michael 

About the band and previous Albums :

5 Seconds of Summer is an Australian pop/ pop rock band that formed in 2011 and consists of 4 members, Ashton Irwin, Calum Hood, Michael Clifford, and Luke Hemmings. The band first started out on Youtube where they posted covers of different artists like Ed Sheeran or Justin Bieber and caught the eye of many and their fame began to grow. Through Sony and a publishing deal, the group was given the chance to release two original EPs in 2012, Unplugged and Somewhere New. A third Ep would be released in 2014 titled She Looks So Perfect. The group’s first 2 albums and their EPS usually had a punk rock with pop vibe mixed in and they were always number one hits. As they grew they were able to really find their sound while getting inspiration from collaborating with many different artists. The 2018 album, YoungBlood, was just a snippet of the different types of sounds and surprises we would get to see in 2020, and it was definitely worth it. 

Why Calm isn’t like previous albums: 

Calm was released on March 27 at the start of the pandemic, and this album really shows how these 4 boys really developed not only who they were but who the band is. They held nothing back and made clear the growth that they made from the young teenagers in 2011 to the young men they are now. This album incorporated writers and musicians from old rock bands, to those who are in the pop scene now. They didn’t shy away from trying out different combinations and just total rawness in lyrics and in their sound.

This album isn’t just about the honesty of love but also what comes from heartbreak and having to find yourself and taking new approaches to the reality of relationships. Songs in this album that really represent this are “high” which is a song about the pain that he is going through and his thoughts on having to let go for himself, and “best years” a song about a boy professing his love and telling his love that he’ll do whatever it takes to make sure he makes her happy again. 

I have always been a huge fan of this band, so when I first heard this album, it was like a game-changer and I could really hear how much they’ve grown and the improvements they made from the small cover band from Australia to who they are now. I was very impressed with this album and would definitely recommend it to anyone who’s into this kind of genre or trying to express their music taste. 

My Rating :

 If you couldn’t tell already, I give this album a definite 10/10 

Finding an album where I like every single song is rare, but this one really hit it on the target.