Hatchet reporter Sandra Loyola shares her latest musical obsessions.
“Warpaint“
Warpaint
★★★★✩
The Los Angeles-based female quartet comes out strong with its atmospheric rock, induced with psychedelic and carefree ambience. First gaining fame during the MySpace era, Warpaint has progressed both lyrically and instrumentally since its inception in 2004 through elevated synths and vocals that highlight all four members’ talents.
“Love Is To Die” is a catchy number that grabs the listener as vocalists Emily Kokal and Theresa Wayman use their charming tones to chant “Love is to die, love is to not die” as the guitar riffs create a hazy melody. Some may find Warpaint difficult to follow on the first listen, but the quartet must be recognized for stepping outside the boundaries of mainstream music. Throughout the album, the atmospheric sounds of synths mesh into a lullaby from this girl-power band.
Lanterns on the Lake
★★★1/2✩✩
Although their EP was first released in the UK on October 2013, “Until the Colours Run” only made its way across the pond this January. The band lost several members, but managed to funnel their problems into their music. The melancholic album is beautifully orchestrated, filled with the beautiful vocals, dreamy piano and string arrangements familiar from its previous album. The band’s frustration and disappointment is clearly felt in “Another Tale from Another English Town” where vocalist Hazel Wilde pleads, “We just want the quiet life, the quiet life, but they won’t stop till they see us in the ground.” Despite their musical setbacks, Lanterns on the Lake managed to pull themselves by their bootstraps and complete this album to the best of their ability as fans wait to see what the future holds for this band.
Young the Giant
★★★✩✩
Many bands dread falling victim to the sophomore slump. Trying to define a signature sound without straying too far away from their musical success, can be even more difficult when a band decides to switch labels after a successful first album. Young the Giant attempts to navigate this tightrope for its second album “Mind Over Matter.” 
After signing on to the record label, Fueled by Ramen, the band does its best to fuse its summery southern California sound with the catchy guitar riffs and drums from its first album while incorporating new elements of percussions and violins. The singles “It’s About Time” and “Crystallized” share the upbeat, catchy, synthesized music meant to attract the general mainstream audience. But those who crave the band’s original indie sound – have no fear. Sameer Gadhia brings his strong vocals to songs such as “Firelight” and “Camera” to comfort fans. Although Young the Giant takes a crack at testing new sounds and instruments to expand, there are few songs that can stand out on its own and gain the popularity it gained from their popular songs like “Cough Syrup” and “My Body”.
