- Haim: Something to Tell You
Sophomore slump, what sophomore slump? It may have been four years since Haim's debut album, Days Are Gone, but their new album is definitely worth the wait. These rock stars bring back their banging sound, adding new tricks to their repertoire (follow them on IG to get a glimpse of how much they experimented while recording to get, say, the perfect thick drum sound). Can someone please, please, please bring them to Manila?
Spin these: "Want You Back," "Nothing's Wrong," "Little of Your Love"
- LANY: LANY
There's no such thing as too many love songs, not with LANY's first full-length album (which was technically released on the last day of June but we're still obviously hung up on it). Their dreamy pop sound instantly brings to mind both sun-drenched seaside supercuts and neon-lit movie moments. We can hardly wait for their Ayala Malls tour this weekend!
Spin these: "Good Girls," "Super Far," "It Was Love"
- Oh Wonder: Ultralife
We're still high on Oh Wonder's soldout Manila show last week, and we're refusing to come down by keeping their second album on loop. Ultralife lives up to its name—it retains the duo's torn-from-a-journal feel but with a bigger, more textured sound that can fill up and soothe even the most wrecked of hearts.
Spin these: "Ultralife," "Bigger Than Love," "Heartstrings"
- Lana Del Rey: Lust for Life
Don't be fooled by that wide grin on the cover—your girl is still the queen of beautiful melancholy. In her fourth album as Lana Del Rey, she explores the complexities of relationships with significant others, not-so significant others, friends and fans, and a divided country. It's enough to make you go crazy, crazy in the best way possible.
Spin these: "Love," "13 Beaches," "When the World Was at War We Kept Dancing"
- Foster the People: Sacred Hearts Club
It's impossible to recreate the magic of "Pumped Up Kicks," the single that put Foster the People on the map, and the band wisely chooses to pursue a different kind of alchemy in their third album. Here you’ll find the deceptively upbeat, multi-layered sound that you fell for in Torches, just more grown-up and experimental.
Spin these: "SHC," "Sit Next to Me," "Static Space Lover"
- The Vamps: Night & Day (Night Edition)
Remember the height of the boy band resurgence a few years ago? Sigh, those were the days. In this age of solo career launches (see: Harry, Zayn, Niall, Liam, Louis), it's refreshing to see The Vamps still making music together and making hearts aflutter with flirty, radio-friendly songs—the standouts in the first part of their third album. (The second part, Day, is set for release in December.)
Spin these: "Middle of the Night," "Hands," "It's a Lie"
- Capital Cities: Swimming Pool Summer
Proving that their breakout single "Safe and Sound" was no fluke, Capital Cities is back with a new collection of synth dance pop songs that'll lift you up on the dreariest days. The rainy season may be upon us, but warm sunny skies don't seem too far away with Swimming Pool Summer, which is technically an EP but is just too good to not include in this list.
- Keiko Necesario: Escape
Another EP we love is local singer-songwriter Keiko Necesario's Escape. Online rollout of the EP is still ongoing, but you can get a sneak peek of her powerful pipes and heart-on-sleeve lyrics in the video above.
- James Reid: Palm Dreams
As much as we love Basti and Clark, we always felt like the real James Reid was very, very different from the characters he became famous for. In his new R&B album (not his first but definitely the first album where he has full creative control), we get a peek of the real him: unapologetically sensual with a confident swagger that only a guy who knows exactly what he's doing can pull off. James gets some assist from his ride-or-die including Sam Concepcion, Paulo Tiongson a.k.a. Poor Taste, and of course, his girl Nadine Lustre, who joins him on I"L2LU." We imagine that Palm Dreams is largely about and dedicated to Nadine, which just gives that extra shimmer to this smooth collection.
Spin these: "Cool Down," "IL2LU," "Forever"
Which one got the highest play count from you this month? Share your favorite tracks with us below or tweet us @candymagdotcom to join the conversation!
