March Favorites: Albums of the Month

From alternative rock to indie R&B, check out the projects that we couldn't get enough of this month.

Once - Peggy Gou

Peggy Gou’s latest EP is nothing short of stunning, a near perfect house record. Hailing from South Korea and based in the mecca of contemporary electronic music, Berlin, Gou has a rare gift for taking well-worn styles such as acid and disco house and refining them into a fine spirit that unsurprisingly oozes chic cosmopolitanism. With rubbery bass lines intertwining with sultry vocals over classic four-to-the-floor beats that hearken back to house’s salad days, the music on Once is seductive enough to lure even the most rooted of wallflowers to the dance floor but cerebral enough to sound fresh to even the most jaded of electronic music critics. - Peter Melero

Clean - Soccer Mommy

This album is perfect to listen to while studying. It’s mellow but exciting at the same time; a perfect pairing for a long night filled with reading. Her songs are guitar heavy, which I personally enjoy - Francesca Gedeon

Rich As In Spirit - Rich Homie Quan

Rich Homie Quan’s latest addition to his discography Rich As In Spirit is a harmonic and soulful expression of his tribulations and journey to success. After a sudden and unexplained separation with his partner Young Thug and his rise to fame, RHQ has had a couple difficult years finding his sound again, many believed he had fallen off (myself included). Well, Rich As In Spirit is the phoenix rebirth of Rich Homie Quan’s sound. This 19-track album is a coming of age tale, a repent of his past sins, and an acceptance of himself and his roots. This is the type of music you wake up in the morning and put on to grind and remember your aspirations. It has trap production but almost gospel-like lyricism. Almost every song is amazing, truly better than expected.  - Josh Jones

Combat Sports - The Vaccines 

Combat Sports is the Vaccines’ best release since What Did You Expect from the Vaccines? in my opinion. Truthfully, the album is nothing exceptionally revolutionary in the music-realm, but it definitely delivers that nostalgic Vaccines sound that I’ve been yearning for the past seven years. My favorite tracks are: “Your Love is My Favorite Band” and “I Can’t Quite.” Give the album a listen, I promise it will be the perfect addition to your upcoming-summer playlist! I give the album a 8.5/10  - Sarah Braddock

Boarding House Reach - Jack White

This album is weird. Then again , what were you expecting? Jack White is a pretty weird guy. The album is riddled with songs that appear to switch genres at random intervals, from his classic blues/rock vibes to stripped down interludes, all the way to more electronic and hip-hop influenced tracks. This album sounds more like Beck than classic Jack White and cohesive is a word that will never come to mind when listening to it. What you can count on is that the unyielding effort he's put into his sound over the years always finds a way to shine through no matter how crazy the tracks get. It's a wild ride. - Nick Punales

My Dear Melancholy - The Weeknd

I saw a SpongeBob meme on Twitter comparing the Weeknd’s surprise project My Dear Melancholy to his debut collection Trilogy, but instead of the popular iteration with one being the compared to the inferior Chumbucket, both albums were the Krusty Krab.  My Dear Melancholy does feel like a version of Abel we have not seen since well before he reached commercial success with the more pop-friendly tracks on his past few albums. From the atmospheric production to the dark lyrical themes, MDM feels familiar yet completely unpredictable. It is full of has plot changes and tonal shifts. From the opening track, we are hit with a wave of raw emotions and throughout the project, we flow seamlessly through a range of sentiments, from that of loving someone so much you put all their needs ahead of yours, to not wanting anything but a physical companionship with another. Though it is clearly born out of pain, I can't help but hope we continue to see this level of vulnerability from The Weeknd and that this is a stylistic return to the artist who ushered in a new era or R&B.   - Aaliyah Weathers