This week JoJo, Two Door Cinema Club and more put out new music.
It's that time of the week again, and we've got a roster of new records that you can throw into your playlist.
First, there's JoJo. Considering it's been a decade since we've heard from her, Mad Love. is a major comeback we can get behind. Northern Ireland's Two Door Cinema Club are back with their new album, Gameshow while husband-and-wife duo Johnnyswim follow up 2014's Diamonds with Georgica Pond. And then we have two new bands who are making their full-length debuts: Christoph and Anton Hochhein, also known as Ablebody, are dropping their record, Adult Contemporaries, and Muddy Magnolias draw soul from their life experiences to pen the tracks on their record, Broken People.
Find out more about this week's new releases below.
'Mad Love.' - JoJo
When JoJo released "Leave (Get Out)" in 2004, many said the then 12-year-old was set for pop stardom. And yes, with eight million albums under her belt, the adolescent was one of pop's brightest at the time. Unfortunately, that's when things seemed to go downhill. With her label, Blackground Records, turning its back on her as well as issues within her own family, this was a lot for JoJo to deal with. But despite her hardships — dealing with depression, drinking and her father's death last year — she found refuge in her music. And with the help of her ever so dedicated fans, she managed to continue to release her own music with EPs and standalone singles. But now, with the help of Atlantic Records, she's dropping her first album in 10 years.
If anyone could pack a decade's worth of growth and maturity into a record, JoJo can. Leading the new sounds with her first single, "Fuck Apologies," featuring Wiz Khalifa, she puts it all out there for everyone to hear and will never be sorry about it. She opens the record with one of her most vulnerable songs yet, "Music.," a tune that gives you a bit of Cliff's Notes version of the past few years with a shoutout to her late father. While she goes big with her other collabs on "I Can Only.," featuring Alessia Cara, and "FAB." with Remy Ma, songs like "Edibles." a sultry tune about getting high and hooking up with a good friend and "High Heels," which is about how she left her last relationship. JoJo shine with her vocals, but it's her sheer honesty that keeps us wanting more.
'Gameshow' - Two Door Cinema Club
Following the success of their 2012 album, Beacon, Two Door Cinema Club were ready for a break — not just from the touring life but also from each other. Between health issues and just wanting to see what else was out there for them outside of the band, singer Alex Trimble, guitarist Sam Halliday and bassist Kevin Baird took a break and reunited in the middle of 2015 with a fresh perspective and energy to record again.
But instead of actually getting into the studio together, they all did it from their current homes — Alex in Portland, OR, Sam in London and and Kevin in Los Angeles. Despite the piecemeal way of recording Gameshow, the body of work hardly feels disjointed and very much like the Two Door Cinema Club that we love. With bass and synth combos that keep you on your toes and Alex's vocals on songs like "Fever" and the title track will keep you moving on the dance floor (or your bedroom) all night. Their throwback rock-meets-disco groove on "Ordinary" and "Je Viens De La" will get you out of your weekday slump and get you ready for the weekend.
'Broken People' - Muddy Magnolias
What would a folk singer from Texas and the Mississippi Delta and an R&B singer from Brooklyn have in common? A lot of soul. When Kallie North and Jessy Wilson, who both just moved to Nashville to make names for themselves in 2013, met, it was instant musical magic. With powerful and harmonious vocals and their diverse musical backgrounds, these two became the soul sisters that we now call Muddy Magnolias. But what makes this album even better than the talent that these two possess is their ability to pen songs that not only sound like sonic poetry but also are messages of hope, peace and encouragement to make the world a better place.
Their lead single, "Brother, What Happened?" is a sheer example of their mission to make music that not only sounds good but will actually move people. You'll also hear it on "Leave It to the Sky," their closing tune that features the vocals and piano-playing talents of John Legend. Broken People might be an anthem perfect for the current times, but these artists also show they're humans that need some loving, too, as they sing on "I Need a Man" and the heart-hugging "Why Don't You Stay?" And if you like what you hear, you'll love Muddy Magnolias more when you see them on the stage.
'Georgica Pond' - Johnnyswim
It's safe and a bit cheesy to say that Johnnyswim make sweet music together, but they really do! Their combination of pop, folk and blues feels lovely on the ears and tingles in your heart, especially on their new record, Georgica Pond.
Following their 2014 LP, Diamonds, the husband-and-wife duo of Amanda Sundano and Abner Ramirez take their experiences together and put them into song. For instance, the two sound like they're renewing their wedding vows in the show tune-esque "In My Arms." Then, they blend country and pop vibes on "Lonely Night in Georgia," which features Vince Gill. Then there's ethereal "Touching Heaven" that includes a surprises vocal appearance by their baby at the end. They get down and dirty on "Hummingbird," while they get everyone in the bar singing along on "Drunks." Georgica Pond is the album that has something for everyone. No matter what you're into, you'll find something to get into on this one.
'Adult Contemporaries' - Abelbody
From the moment you press play on Ablebody's Adult Contemporaries, you instantly feel like you're taken back to another time. Between their sun-kissed melodies and mellow vocal harmonies, identical twins Christoph and Anton Hochheim have done a flawless job on a collection of songs that will ease you into the weekend. And can we just say how well each of the tunes would fit into a John Hughes movie soundtrack?
"Guacho" sounds like it would have been perfect for Molly Ringwald, Emilio Estevez and the rest of the Breakfast Club crew to get down in the library at Shermer High. Meanwhile, "Say What You Will" would seem to fit in perfectly in the post-argument scene between Eric Stoltz and Mary Stuart Masterson in Some Kind of Wonderful. While we can't go back in time to the teen film heyday of the '80s, at least we've got some tunes that not only feel nostalgic but also put us in a better mood.