#StayHome playlist: The albums that released during quarantine
Niall Horan — Heartbreak Weather: Niall Horan’s second album is a feel-good, full-bodied effort that remains stubbornly buoyant despite its theme of overcoming heartbreak. The singer-songwriter delivers melodic nostalgia on the titular track, acoustic essentials on ‘Dear Patient’, R’n’B-lite on ‘Bend the Rules’ and ‘New Angel,’ high-energy rock on ‘Arms of A Stranger’ and uplifting pop on ‘No Judgement’. Pianodriven ‘Put A Little Love On Me’ remains our standout.
Riz Ahmed — The Long Goodbye: Riz Ahmed breaks himself open on this brutally forthright breakup album; but, he isn’t grieving the loss of a woman here. Far more profound and scarring, he’s splitting up with post-Brexit Britain. On tracks like ‘Any Day’, ‘Fast Lava’ and ‘Can I Live’, the British poet and rapper of Pakistani origin paints with furious strokes a disgraced racist landscape that has chewed him up, spit him out and left him for dead. Voicemails from celebrity friends, including Mindy Kaling, Mahershala Ali, and Hasan Minhaj (even Ahmed’s mum) will give you a chance to breathe.
Mandy Moore — Silver Landings: On her first album in 11 years, singersongwriter Mandy Moore is unrecognisable to the ‘Candy’ star we grew up with; here, Moore is more mature, grounded and shaped by the tumultuous experiences of adulthood. On ‘Fifteen’, she reflects on the naivety of her younger years, crooning, ‘No regrets, with a few exceptions.’
Dua Lipa — Future Nostalgia: Dua Lipa asserts herself as a musical force on second album ‘Future Nostalgia’, fuelling her usual pop sound with gallons of disco, funk, electro and dance-pop influences. Lipa’s smoky and playful vocals are more confident than ever, making this a blazing, bold and belligerently bubbly antidote to daily doom and gloom.
Tame Impala — The Slow Rush: Tame Impala returns with his first album in five years, ‘The Slow Rush’, rife with layers and synthsteeped emotion. Disco, funk and pop combine to cushion vocalist Kevin Parker’s hypnotic vocals, which will have you floating on a far away plane even as you sit at your desk to work from home.
