A Head Full of Dreams – Coldplay (December 4th, 2015)

If “Adventure of a Lifetime” is any indication of Coldplay’s sound in A Head Full of Dreams, fans can expect a vibrant, energetic, hopeful album indeed. “Adventure of a Lifetime” hints at upcoming groove and disco styles untapped in any of their previous records, replacing the soft minimalism of 2014’s Ghost Stories with smooth guitar melodies and a joyous chorus repeating the mantra, “You make me feel like I’m alive again.” Coldplay is quite consistent in their commercial success. All signs point to this one becoming another heartfelt blockbuster.

Death of a Bachelor – Panic! At the Disco

This group’s no stranger to theatrical blends of many different genres, and Death of a Bachelor’s three singles—“Victorious,” “Hallelujah,” and “Emperor’s New Clothes,”—do more than demonstrate the band’s ability to reinvent their sound with every seceding album; they display Panic!’s ability to reinvent the rock genre altogether. Spencer Smith’s departure as drummer was certainly destined to influence the group’s next effort, though it was unclear whether this influence would prove positive or detrimental. With what we’ve seen so far, it’s almost guaranteed that Panic! At the Disco’s fifth studio album will be an album well-worth notice.

I Like It When You Sleep, For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware Of It – The 1975

“Chocolate” remains a popular showcasing of The 1975’s slick, glossy sound that, admittedly, can hardly be considered anything groundbreaking. It’s easy to write off this indie-rock band as just another passing pop craze, but they actually have some good stuff going for them, namely their songwriting abilities. For instance, The 1975 pays homage to the 1993 film True Romance in“Robbers” with a heist-gone-wrong storyline delivered by lead singer Matthew Healy’s haunting and sorrowful vocals. “Sex” depicts the conflicted thoughts of a boy sleeping with a girl with repetition of the conflicting reality, “She’s got a boyfriend anyway.” The band’s got talent, no question. What remains to be seen is if they will diversify their sound and their stories on their sophomore effort.