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.
Noah Kahan, Hozier — ‘Northern Attitude’ ★★★★★
With both Noah Kahan and Hozier falling under the “folk” genre of music, these two artists collabed to create a fresh version of one of Kahan’s songs. Kahan released “Stick Season” in 2022 as his third-studio album. As the album is 55-minutes long, Kahan produced a multitude of hits, but “Northern Attitude” was significantly the most popular. Hozier also released his third-studio album, “Unreal Unearth,” in late summer and the song made for a euphonious blend of tracks. I was introduced to Kahan and Hozier by one of my dear friends who is a die-hard fan of both artists, so consequently, I also quickly became a fan. The mix between both artists makes for an instant winner in my book. I really enjoyed this track because of how well their voices meshed together. While Kahan writes more mellow lyrics, his songs are usually produced as more “folk-pop.” Hozier’s voice brought the track’s tone back down to a more indie/alternative folk. I will definitely be adding this song into my daily rotation of tunes.
Dua Lipa — ‘Houdini’ ★★★★☆
Kicking off her new era of music, Dua Lipa released “Houdini” Nov. 9. Starting right off the bat, the track has an upbeat, modern tone. It’s a song that will catch your ears with its 80’s-esq synths and booming bass. Lipa created this track as an anthem for her single life and how much carefree and fun energy that it brings into her life. The lyrics aren’t groundbreaking, but the track flows well and feels relatively short, it’s a song to dance to. Compared to her previous songs and musical genre, I like the style much more of this one. It’s still pop, but it feels more layered—less of your typical radio songs like her recent song for the “Barbie” soundtrack (which, mind you, was very fitting for the movie). Although I am not actively keeping tabs on Dua Lipa, I am excited to see what she does with the rest of her new album, which should be released sometime in 2024.
Jack Harlow — ‘Lovin On Me’ ★☆☆☆☆
Loud, autotune, messy. Three words I would describe Harlow’s new track “Lovin On Me,” which introduces his fresh period of music. I personally didn’t like this track, there wasn’t any apparent flow and instead felt rushed and messy. The autotune is almost ear-piercing, alien-esq, which is not something I particularly feel inclined to listen to. The lyrics themselves are unfortunately pretty tasteless, and not what I was expecting from Harlow based on his previous popular hits. The track abruptly starts, no smooth introduction or sneak peek into what the song is about, just plain noisy. If you’re going to rap about overdone and suggestive topics, at least pair it with an agreeable beat (nothing can beat Sexyback by Justin Timberlake). Overall, I cannot say I will be keeping my eyes peeled for Harlow’s new album, just this taste of his new music doesn’t appeal to me.
