Top Five Records

It’s been a while since we’ve done one of these. As you may know, Top Five Records is a small company with just a few writers, and life events derails our plans of getting new music to you. But never fear, we are making our way back to putting out info on all the best tracks out there. Starting with – our top five picks for the month of May!

“UNHEALTHY” by Anne-Marie feat. Shania Twain

British pop singer-songwriter Anne-Marie has had reasonable success on her side of the pond, with her 2018 debut album Speak Your Mind reaching as high as #3 on the UK Albums Chart. Buoyed by giant singles such as “FRIENDS” and “2002”, Anne-Marie is one of those singers whose tracks you’ve probably heard a bunch of times on an algorithm-driven playlist somewhere. “UNHEALTHY” is off of her upcoming new album, also called Unhealthy, and features Canadian country star Shania Twain. The country-pop song features Anne-Marie’s strong vocals in a beautiful duet with Shania’s iconic vocals, set against a jangly guitar and a driving beat. Another great pop song from Anne-Marie – definitely check it out!

“From the Start” by Laufey

Laufey is a pop singer from Iceland blessed with a beautiful voice that transports listeners to elegant jazz clubs of yore. Indeed, the classically-trained singer lists female  singers such as Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald as the key influences to her sound. Her sound is perfectly exemplified in her new track “From the Start” which mixes in an element of bossa-nova with plinking piano notes into her jazzy vocals. The crisp and clean production makes this a repeat-listen kind of song – as seen through the more than 5 million streams that it’s already racked up on Spotify.

“Should I” by Sir Chloe

Sir Chloe is an indie rock band created by singer-songwriter and guitarist Dana Foote, along with her four band members Emma Welch, Teddy O’Mara, Palmer Foote and Austin Holmes. The band first caught our attention due to their presence on the upcoming Beck and Phoenix tour across the US this August and September; however, this hasn’t been their first brush with fame. Tracks like “Michelle” and “Animal” from their 2020 album Party Favors have hundreds of millions of streams online, and for good reason – Foote’s drawling vocals are confident and rambunctious in a restrained punk rock sort of vein, and her bandmates do well to support her. With “Should I” – off of their latest album I Am The Dog – the band amps up the energy to new levels, showing an edge that hasn’t been on their earlier tracks. You’ll instantly find yourself nodding along, especially to the noisy and well-structured chorus. And for fans of early-aughts teen movies – we can’t be the only ones who see a similarity between this track and the one that Lindsay Lohan’s garage rock band performs in Freaky Friday…

“The Narcissist” by Blur

Britpop legends Blur have made a couple of attempts to get back together in the intervening decades since their Parklife (1994) heyday. They released their first new album in 2015 – The Magic Whip – after a twelve-year drought, and embarked on a couple of reunion tours and shows since then. Of course, on the side, lead singer Damon Albarn is more than busy creating album upon album as Gorillaz, and the other members have done sundry solo albums and so on. Now, the iconic band is back with a new track, “The Narcissist”, off of their upcoming and recently-announced new album The Ballad of Darren.

“Infinity Repeating (2013 Demo)” by Daft Punk feat. Julian Casablancas & the Voidz

In 2013, French dance music duo Daft Punk released what would be their final record – the smash-hit Random Access Memories – to critical and commercial acclaim. The album went on to win just about every award possible in that year’s music awards circuit, and still holds up 10 years later. The album features an all-star guest list, from Pharrell Williams to Stevie Wonder, but perhaps the most mellifluous collaboration on the tracklist was the subtle “Instant Crush” featuring the Strokes’ Julian Casablancas. The song came at the perfect juncture of the two artists’ evolving sounds – Daft Punk softened their club / house sound, just as the Strokes were also mellowing out in their peak Comedown Machine-era – indeed, the two albums released within 60 days of each other. Turns out, that collaboration had one more fruit to offer. “Infinity Repeating” was a demo from those sessions ten years ago, and offers a snapshot in time of Daft Punk and Julian Casablancas in 2013. Julian’s vocals are soft and beautiful, and the instrumentals have just the right touch of melancholy and yearning to make you hit repeat just as the track finishes. “Infinity Repeating” is the rarest of gifts – a last-ever song that adequately closes out a beloved band’s discography. (Side note: Not sure what the Voidz were doing here but it’s all Julian’s show here.)

The first boygenius album is exciting even before you hear it. Their EP was excellent music and it’s also just such a good feeling to see three exceptionally talented women living out the friendship we all wish we were lucky enough to have. This album feels like an evolution both in their music and their friendship and is excellent rock to boot.

We’ve heard a lot of Phoebe Bridgers of late and I’m always happy to hear more so it’s good to hear something like “Emily I’m Sorry,” which is as much of a Bridgers cut as anything on Punisher. She’s as delicate and wistful as ever and the apology of the song gives it a beating heart.

It’s fascinating how well it goes into Lucy Dacus’ “True Blue.” It’s much less gossamer than “Emily I’m Sorry” but they flow well into each other and the robustness is like eating something savory after something sweet. She drops some memorable epigrams in it too. “And it feels good to be known so well / I can’t hide from you like I hide from myself” is a strong lyric delivered well but “When you don’t know who you are / You fuck around and find out” is a truly excellent line in its reframing of a particularly trite aphorism.

Meanwhile, Julien Baker’s “Satanist” is one of the best songs of the album. It’s very funny and very personal and brings in a spectacular grungy guitar. Her “Anti-Curse” is also very strong. The lyrics don’t quite cohere, the two threads never splice together but it’s still spectacular indie rock.

There are some misses in the album though. “Letters To An Old Poet” would be too insubstantial were it not for Bridgers’ exceptional lyrics. “You made me feel like an equal / But I’m better than you / And you should know that by now” is an ice-cold line. The acapella opener with all three of them singing is better as an idea than a song. It has none of the energy that the rest of the album does well with and the it’s thankfully followed by the fantastic “$20” which adds a huge jolt.

“Not Strong Enough” really benefits from the video showing the three of them having fun. It makes a more complex statement about friendship, a statement about how you don’t need to be strong enough by yourself, but can instead rely on the people you love. It’s particularly interesting in an album that features a lot of my turn-your turn from the artists as they alternate songs in which they are clearly the lead.

Maybe though, this is what the album is about. It’s not about subsuming the individual for the collective, but instead of making sure that everyone has space for their own voice and sometimes using your own in support. “Not Strong Enough” does a lot of work with the line “Not strong enough to be your man” and then Dacus later reinforces that with a chant of “Always an angel, never a god” but the song, which is Dacus’ from the jump, ends with the three voices coming together powerfully.

Neeharika just put up her list of the most anticipated albums of 2023, but I already got mine with Ice Spice’s debut. “Munch (Feelin’ U)” was comfortably my favorite song of 2022 and “Bikini Bottom” wasn’t far behind. Her boastful, playful, sexy drill is the most exciting thing in music right now. It’s a little disappointing then that the rest of the EP doesn’t quite live up to the singles.

Firstly, both “Munch” and “Bikini Bottom” are as magnificent as ever. She drops incredible punchlines with tremendous confidence. That whole chorus from “Munch” is infinitely quotable and “Ayo, baddie, what it do? / Ayo, Maddie, what it do?” from “Bikini Bottom” always draws a laugh. When she says “Flow the nicest, but I’m rude” it’s just true. She has solved the question of how to do drill.

Unfortunately, the rest of the album is not close to the same quality. Save for a guest verse by Lil TJay, it’s never actually weak and she brings an interesting deepness to “Gangsta Boo” and “Actin’ a Smoochie.” It reminds me a lot of Pop Smoke. I don’t think it’s her at her best, but it’s an experiment that I really appreciate. She also has bars like “No, you cannot have your boo back (Huh) / If I’m shootin’ my shoot, he gon’ shoot back (Grrah)” in “Smoochie” and “I’m think ’cause I be eatin’ oats” in “Princess Diana,” strong lines that her delivery makes unforgettable.

All told though, the EP really doesn’t do much to expand beyond what her glorious singles already put down. Those are strong enough to carry the EP by themselves, but it would have been very nice if there was something more here.

There are few artists that have maintained a certain level of quality over several decades – Bob Dylan or Red Hot Chili Peppers, for example – but perhaps the most underrated of these unerringly consistent artists is Austin, Texas-based Spoon.

Founded by singer and guitarist Britt Daniel and drummer Jim Eno in 1993, the band has remained a force in their hometown, with notable presence at SXSW, ACL and other cultural touchpoints that the city has to offer. The other members of the band have gone through several rotations, but the current roster includes Ben Trokan (bass / keyboards), Alex Fischel (keyboards / guitar) and Gerardo Larios (guitar).

Since their inception almost 30 years ago, the band has released a steady stream of great albums, notable of which include 2001’s Girls Can Tell, 2005’s Gimme Fiction, and many more. (In fact, ask a group of Spoon fans what their favorite album is from the band’s discography and you’ll likely get different answers from each – that’s how consistently good Spoon is.)

Now, the band is back with their 10^th studio album, Lucifer on the Sofa, which, we are happy to announce, continues the band’s lifetime streak of catchy and highly-listenable albums.

Although we loved the band’s previous album – 2017’s Hot Thoughts – it was one of the more divisive albums in their discography; with old-time fans discouraged by the decidedly electro-pop edge that the album took. Lucifer on the Sofa is a back-to-basics rock album, almost as a direct rebound from Hot Thoughts. While both auras of Spoon have their musical highlights, the band definitely sounds more at ease on Lucifer.

The album starts off with “Held”, a cover of a 1998 track by Bill Callahan in his Smog avatar. “Held” serves as a perfect starting point to Lucifer, with a bluesy live-recording vibe that permeates the rest of the track-list. In fact, so good is their cover that you would not be remiss in thinking that it’s a Spoon original. “Held” melds coolly into “The Hardest Cut”, the best track on the album (and lead single) that easily made our end-of-year list upon its release in 2021. Here, Spoon take on the rock-and-roll mantle further than almost any other active band today – close your eyes and you can see this track in a Cadillac commercial in place of Led Zep’s “Rock and Roll”.

There are a few others here that come close to the vitality on “The Hardest Cut” – for example, the devilishly-good blues-rock track “The Devil & Mister Jones”. Another great track is “Feels Alright” with its melodious hooks and warm guitars, where we find Daniel’s charisma at a maximum. Jangly second single “Wild” is an homage to wanting to break free, which Britt Daniel expresses through some well-wrought lyrics. “I got on fine with modern living, but must I be such a citizen?” he asks, before confessing on the chorus: “And the world, still so wild, called to me.”

In fact, many of Spoon’s songs have to do with this feeling of restlessness – wanting to leave, skip town, run away and so on. Some others deal with his general sense of nostalgia and introspection – for example, the keyboards-driven classic indie rock track “On the Radio” – while still others are (surprisingly enough for a slick rock band) sweet love songs. The vaguely 1960s-tinged “Satellite” is one such song, with Daniel calling himself the namesake satellite to his lover.

Lyrically, though, the soul of the album lies in the title track and album closer, “Lucifer on the Sofa” – which is essentially a stream-of-consciousness poem of what it was like to wander through mid-pandemic empty streets. “Looking through the windows as you’re passing by / And I’m chasing every thought / And I’m walking over water / Thinking about what I lost,” he croons – and who can’t relate to their own experiences in 2020. Also, the song is very much set in Austin with references to Lavaca Street, West Avenue and others. “Lucifer on the Sofa” also clarifies the meaning of the namesake devil: a manifestation of the negativity in our own minds, freezing you into a disheveled state to the extent that it literally feels like an unwelcome guest crashing on your sofa.

With few drawbacks throughout the track-list – the weakest being perhaps “Astral Light” and “My Babe” – Lucifer on the Sofa is a thoroughly entertaining rock record.

Rating: 8.5/10

Best tracks: “The Hardest Cut”, “Wild”, “Held”

Little Simz is just going from strength to strength. Grey Area was not music that you could miss and Sometimes I Might Be Introvert is very comfortably the best music she has ever made. She clearly still hasn’t fully realized her potential, but this is still a very strong album.

Firstly, there’s an astonishing variety in this album. She, of course, fills the album with her normal blistering raps. Both “Speed” and “Standing Ovation” are very strong this way and just great music. This is what she’s know for and where she’s always able to deliver. She mixes it up though with cuts like “Protect My Energy” that brings in a very nice dance music energy.

The real highlight of the album also comes from this experimentation. “Point and Kill” is really good afrobeats and hopefully the blueprint for a full album in the future. Obongjoyar works really well off her and it’s just an exceptional track.

She also gets in some nice storytelling in this album. “Little Q Pt. 2” is very well done and it’s just novel to hear about a sisterhood breaking down on a rap track. Unfortunately though, she can’t keep up this quality in other parts of the album. “I Love You, I Hate You” comes close, but it just falls too far into trope too often.

Substantially worse though are the interludes. They just lack any real meaning and don’t seem to understand how empty they are. The price of being someone like Little Simz is that there are higher expectations on you. She’s just too intelligent for me to overlook these lapses.

On the flip side though is the closer “Miss Understood” which is a very compelling story and a very apropos sound. It’s a really good way to close a really good album and both leave me excited for what she’s going to do next.

Chances are, you’ve heard the handiwork of singer-songwriter Victoria Monet even if you’ve never heard of her before. The prolific pop creator has had her hand in recent hits such as “Ice Cream” by BLACKPINK and Selena Gomez and “Do It” by breakout sibling duo Chloe x Halle. Most notably, Monet has been a direct contributor to most of Ariana Grande’s recent output of singles, from “7 Rings” to “NASA” to “Thank U Next“. (Indeed, Monet was herself one of the recipients of Ari’s seven rings – apparently the song is based on a real story.)

On debut album JAGUAR, Victoria Monet finally steps out of the shadows of the Arianas and Selenas of the world, and comes into her own. The result is one of the smoothest, best-produced pop albums of the year.

JAGUAR spans a mere 25 minutes, but covers a lot of ground on its seven crisp songs (and two sub-minute interludes). Album opener “Moment” is a pop-R&B track with dramatic string flourishes and chillwave beats – in short, the track could easily appear on an Ariana Grande project. One listen through the track, however, is enough to make one realize that Monet plays a giant role in Ariana’s sound – because she owns this song. “Aye, this your motherfuckin’ moment / Yeah (That you manifested slowly),” she says on the chorus, presumably to her lover, but the words could easily apply to Victoria herself on JAGUAR.

First single “Ass Like That” strips away the R&B for a more hip-hop sound. Lyrically, Monet somewhat subverts expectations by talking not just about how her posterior makes men go crazy, but also about how she got, well, an ass like that. “Treat my calories like weed, yeah, I burn that shit / Shout out to my trainer ’cause he crack that whip,” she explains, rather helpfully. In a way, it’s a subtle indication of Monet as a behind-the-scenes that has had to work hard for her position in life – and also, it’s just an interesting pop songwriting choice.

A few other songs on the album work especially well too. “Go There With You” has a much stronger pop-funk sound that sees Monet suggesting intimacy instead of a late-night fight. On lines like “I don’t wanna go there with you / Let’s end the night on a good time / I can find a better way to be all in your face,” the simplicity in her lyrics make clear just why Ariana’s last two albums felt relatable yet well-written – like a heartfelt Instagram post. The title track “Jaguar” is an echoey, catchy ode to her own well-maintained sex appeal (“Supersonic pussycat / Just like a jaguar, silky black”) with slick beats for days.

JAGUAR is a strong offering from a seasoned player in the modern pop industry, and we’ve loved seeing Monet coming into her own, well-deserved spotlight. Although the album overall is too short and perhaps not endlessly playable, it was a great addition to the year’s debut albums. JAGUAR is apparently just the starting point of what’s to come from Ms. Monet – she notably calls it a project and not an album – so we are definitely staying tuned for more.

Best tracks: “Moment”, “Jaguar”, “Ass Like That”

Rating: 7/10

Bria is a charming Jazz album well worth a listen no matter your experience with the genre. The music is very listenable and packed full of interesting moments. The Arabic tint of “Curious Game” is intriguing and the trumpet solo into vibraphone solo of “I Was A Little Too Lonely” is excellent.

Bria Skonberg herself has a wonderful voice for Jazz standards and it really sells songs like “Don’t Be That Way” and “You’re Getting To Be A Habit With Me.” Her chanting is the lovely and intricate “Malaguena” is also of note. None of this is to diminish her trumpet playing or the rest of the musicians, all of whom are irreproachable.

The album is a whole is laid back and not very challenging, but nevertheless quite good and packed with interesting little moments. Highly recommended for people looking to get into Jazz and worth a listen from those already invested.

– @murthynikhil