We’re slowing it down this week with three pretty remarkable ballads and a new release from Grimes. Here are the songs for this week:</p>
1. “Believe” – Mumford and Sons
It’s been a while since we’ve last heard from Mumford and Sons. Now, they’ve announced their new album Wilder Mind, which will be released on May 4. According to various interviews with the band, the new album will feature a more electric sound, and lead single “Believe” is our first glimpse at it. The song starts slowly, with the classic strings and piano, but builds up to a massive electric guitar chorus, with Marcus Mumford howling “I don’t even know if I believe / Everything you’re trying to say to me.”
2. “REALiTi” – Grimes
In 2014, Grimes completely scrapped all the work that she had done for her follow up to 2012’s excellent Visions. However, it’s hard to understand why after hearing pieces of that scrapped album, such as “REALiTi.” Shared as a one-off release for her fans, the song’s sound is much different from any track on Visions, yet still displays the “ethereal” feel that we know so well from her.
3. “Without You” – Tobias Jesso Jr. and Danielle Haim
Next week, Vancouver native Tobias Jesso Jr. will release his debut album Goon. From what’s been released from the album, it is clear that it will be extremely emotional. Virtually all of the songs are soft piano ballads, reminiscent of John Lennon in many ways. There’s a whimsical but heartbreaking element to his ballads, like this one, which speaks of the pain of an unrequited love.
4. “Never Let You Down” – Woodkid and Lykke Li
“Never Let You Down” is a song released from the soundtrack from the upcoming 2015 film Insurgent. It’s a magical piano and strings ballad, with the timbre of Woodkid’s warm, deep voice acting as a perfect complement to Lykke Li’s voice. The pairing of voices is hauntingly beautiful, and each of the singers also gets a verse that allows their individual talents to shine through.
