Welcome to “Underrated Artists,” an entertainment column from the St. Louis Park Echo covering unpopular and unknown artists. Every week, a different Echo staffer takes on the role of a writer, reviewing single releases and albums from four underrated artists.
The Weeks is a band that was formed in 2006 but has stayed fairly unknown for the majority of its existence. I was first introduced to this band after hearing their song “Brother in the Night” on their 2013 album, “Dear Bo Jackson.” What most sticks out to me about this band is their unorthodox and sometimes nonsensical lyrics. Although this aspect was initially off-putting for me, I quickly came to enjoy the strange lyricism paired with the fun rhythms and instrumentals of their songs. Another aspect of this band’s music that I love is the excellent musical build that a majority of their songs have. An example of this is their song “Buttons,” which starts out with a simple rhythm guitar and incorporates more instruments throughout the song, making a wonderful sounding final composition. I would recommend this band to anyone who enjoys Noah Kahan and The Backseat Lovers, as I feel this band’s music is a harmonious combination of those two artists with its rich, folky rock sound.
Meaghan Smith has had an interesting career, given that she seems to change genres not only with every album, but even within the songs on the same album. Her first album, “The Cricket’s Orchestra,” was released in October of 2009 and immediately gets off to a very riveting start. The album’s first track, “Heartbroken,” has a very 1960s-esque musical introduction, which immediately intrigued me. The next few tracks on the album continue with that vibe before the fifth track, “Poor,” takes the listener back to the modern pop era. Then in the sixth track, “Drifted Apart,” Smith suddenly turns country. The rest of her albums, “It Snowed” and “Heave a Heart,” also include wild genre changes throughout that I was surprised to find myself enjoying. Even though her songs have many different genres, her voice still matches with every song to make a cohesive product. The lack of genre consistency assures that I never get bored of listening to Smith. Her music reminds me of another artist I love, Ingrid Michaelson, because they both write slow, lyrically complex pieces that touch your heart.
If you are a Phoebe Bridgers fan, then I highly recommend Marianne Beaulieu. Beaulieu first gained popularity releasing covers of popular songs like “The Night We Met” but has recently started releasing original music. I was first introduced to Beaulieu’s music when I heard her cover of “Yellow,” originally by Coldplay, and immediately I wanted to hear more of her beautiful, sorrowful voice. Her most recent album, “The Committee,” has five touching, sad songs that only made me love her more as an artist. Her soft voice is comforting, even though her music is sad, which makes her a great artist to listen to on a rainy day. My favorite song of hers is the first track,” Oh Dear,” of “The Committee”. This song plays perfectly to Beaulieu’s strengths as an artist with her slow, emotional lyrics and soft instrumentals that compliment her voice perfectly. I am hopeful that she will come out with more original music soon because I can not wait to hear what else she has to contribute to the musical world.
The first time I heard the band Everything Everything, I thought I was listening to Owl City. When I realized I was not, I had to learn more about them. This band was formed in Manchester, England, in 2007 when three of the original members were still in high school. I really enjoy how this band combines their synth sound with meaningful lyrics, which makes the perfect combination. Another musical quality I enjoy about this band is their use of vocals as background music in songs, like “Cold Reactor” and “R U Happy?” Overall, this band has a unique sound that sets them apart from other artists in the music industry, which I hope they continue to use to gain more popularity around the world and not just in the UK. Everything Everything most recently released their seventh album, “Mountainhead,” in March, 2024, but I can’t wait for more music to come out in the future.
