Welcome to “Cut Through the Noise,” an entertainment column from the St. Louis Park Echo covering new music releases. Every week, a different Echo staffer takes on the role of writer, reviewing recent single releases from a variety of artists.
Ed Sheeran — ‘Amazing’ ★★★★☆
Ed Sheeran, who is known for his heartfelt and relatable lyrics, shows this on a deeper level in his newest album, “Autumn Variations.” This album is Ed Sheeran’s seventh album and was released Sept. 29. Sheeran’s songs are very personal and he expresses his feelings openly with his fans. One track on the album that stood out to me is called “Amazing.” It’s a great example that shows how his brilliant lyricism expresses Sheeran’s honest emotions. In this piece, Sheeran shares how recently he has been feeling loads of stress and anxiety. The song describes how he wants to hide away from the pain of his gloomy thoughts. He sings, “every time I crack a smile, I can sense another tear comin’.” I like that Sheeran is especially honest about living through internal negative feelings. While the song provides extremely relatable lyrics and a catchy chorus, it does not stand out as one of Ed Sheeran’s best songs. Even though I love the message and beat on this track, I would not say “Amazing” is an amazing song because it is lacking the cool instrumental factors that his other songs include. I really appreciate the guitar parts in most of Sheeran’s tracks but “Amazing” was missing that guitar piece. This causes my rating of the song to be ⅘ stars.
Blonde Redhead — ‘I Thought You Should Know’ ★★★☆☆
Blonde Redhead is an alternative rock band with nine studio albums, including their newest release called “Sit Down For Dinner.” This album features a cover photo of a strawberry, which lead me to the belief that all the songs on the album are sweet and simple, similar to a strawberry. However, I could not be more wrong as the song “I Thought You Should Know” on the album is incredibly bittersweet and describes the complexities and challenges that come with relationships. One line that particularly stood out to me was “I’m trying to say it, but I don’t know how.” Sometimes it’s hard to communicate in relationships and I like how Blonde Redhead accurately shares the difficulty of how it feels to be misunderstood. This song is perfect for evening drives and good cries. The background music is very calming with some pretty guitar and harmonizing that adds to the overall vibe of the piece. What I wished was different about the song was it’s introduction. The first lyrics were sung over a minute into the song. If the initial start of the track were more interesting I would not have rated the song ⅗ stars.
Jorja Smith — ‘Backwards’ ★★★★☆
“Falling or flying,” which is only Jorja Smith’s second studio album, came out Sept. 29. Smith, who is an R&B and soul singer, started her career with a single called “Blue Lights” in 2016. Since then, she has grown up and matured. Her growth is expressed in her newest album. One of the tracks, “Backwards,” is about moving forward positively and breaking negative patterns. She sings, “gotta change my ways, gotta find a better place.” This expresses her desire to move beyond her past errors and become an improved person because of her mistakes. The song deals with self-reflection and personal growth, which is paired with her incredibly unique voice that is apparent throughout the track. Her gorgeous voice is the main reason I gave this song four stars. I am looking forward to seeing what else Jorja Smith will release in the future.
