Away From the World by Dave Matthews Band

“Away From the World” by Dave Matthews Band was released in 2012. The album features the single “Mercy” in which the singer ponders whether not society has doomed itself. He sings, “I know you can see all the world and the mess that we’re making.”

In the song “Goucho,” he talks of all the great things we, as humans, have accomplished through the years, but ultimately, “will we not survive ourselves.” He issues a call to action by saying “we gotta do much more than believe if we wanna see the world change.”

The song “Belly Belly Nice” starts off with a roar from a saxophone and has an upbeat mix of guitar, drums and bass. It is vibrant and playful. Steve Lillywhite tweeted that “Belly Belly Nice” is the “happiest song Dave has ever written.”

This album easily gets five out of five Muskies in my book. The instrumentals alone already make this album one of my favorites of all time. Some of the songs touch on real problems we are facing in the world today to a beat that makes it hard to turn off.
-Breanna Weber

Pure Heroine by Lorde

“Pure Heroine” is an album released by Lorde on Sept. 27, 2013. The lead single, entitled “Royals,” was ever popular and played constantly on the radio, and it still lingers on the airwaves today. The song is fabulous. It questions mainstream culture while still being catchy. I expected the rest of the album to follow suit, but I was disappointed. Sure, the album has three good songs, but the rest is the same repetitive junk that has the same tone, nothing interesting and just fills your head with confusion. Lyrically, the album brings up major problems with youth today, and I appreciate their efforts, but the music needs meat to it. Every song on an album cannot sound the same. Given the fact that there are some great aspects to a few of the songs, I give “Pure Heroine” three out of five Muskies. And that’s being generous.
– Amanda Bagnall-Newman

Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness

This self-titled album came out in October, but I am still hooked. Partially about the changes in his life leading up to and after the birth of his daughter, part rumination on what life would look like had he made different decisions, this album is all-around amazing. McMahon manages to maintain the musical characteristics for which he is known while also showing his evolution as an artist, expanding his piano-driven songs to include more than just the traditional sounds of his instrument. Listen right now to “High Dive.” As a bonus, McMahon’s got an excellent back catalogue via Something Corporate and Jack’s Mannequin to explore. 5/5 Muskies.
-Karalee Manis

X by Ed Sheeran

My rating: five out of five Muskies

Ed Sheeran’s album, X, is quite diverse. From pop to folkish to rap, his album shows how versatile his voice can be. The general idea connecting X is relationships, whether they be healthy, failing or just a hook-up. I enjoy his clever lyrics and his voice makes me want to fall in love. “Thinking Out Loud” and “Bloodstream” are by far my favorite tracks on the album. Also, I cannot dance (whatsoever), but I feel like I could dance to the songs of X. I feel somewhat biased towards Sheeran because of his simplistic philosophies on life. For example, when he was asked if he would ever go on a diet, he responded with something to the effect of “but there are cheeseburgers.” I cannot help but love the music from this cheeseburger-fanatic with an alluring voice.
-Danielle Livingston