Walking On A Dream – Empire of the Sun (2008)
Often, many avid music listeners overlook the ethereal beauty of a synth keyboard consistently employed in some of Australia’s iconic electronic music duo, Empire of the Sun’s hits. Empire of the Sun’s “Walking on a Dream” represents versatility across genres; rappers like Mac Miller and Wiz Khalifa sample its melodies in their productions, “The Spins” (Mac Miller) and “The Thrill” (Wiz Khalifa). The duo’s debut album won ARIA music awards, Album of the Year, and Highest Selling Album.
- “Standing on the Shore”
- “Half Mast”
- “Walking on A Dream”
- “We Are The People”
Only By the Night – Kings of Leon
Only By the Night marked Kings of Leon’s shift towards a more polished and commercially appealing sound that spawned popular alternative staples like “Use Somebody” and “Sex on Fire.” To add to the almost haunting vibes of the album, Caleb Followill, the band’s frontman and lead singer, lends soulful grit to his vocals. With a mellow yet passionate guitar, bold yet poignant drums, and harmonious basslines, Kings of Leon’s By The Night won the 2009 Brit Award for Best International Album in 2009. Below are some of my favorite songs on the album.
- “Use Somebody”
- “Sex on Fire”
- “Manhattan”
- “Revelry”
Cage the Elephant – Cage the Elephant
When New York band Cage the Elephant debuted with their self-titled album, they emerged with a flaunting confidence in their sound that revived garage rock. Similar to Arctic Monkeys’ music, the seemingly bipolar mix of southern-style punk riffs and vocal poise shot them to new heights of musical success, including the Billboard Hot 200. Smug basslines paired with distorted guitars define the Cage the Elephant sound before their later transition into polished, commercially weathered musicians. Below are some of my favorite songs on the album:
- “In One Ear”
- “Judas”
- “Drones in the Valley”
- “Tiny Little Robots”