Many would say that 2018 has been a great year for music fans. Beloved artists from a wide span of genres have released great music. Though the quantity of new releases this month may have been low, the quality is still amazing. This September, fans of all genres will be pleased with releases from artists making headlines for the first time in years.

“East Atlanta Love Letter” – 6lack

On Sept. 14, up and coming R&B artist 6lack (pronounced “black”) released his sophomore studio album “East Atlanta Love Letter.” The Atlanta artist rose to stardom after his first album “FREE 6LACK” became popular in early 2016. Since then, he has released six singles as well as this new album, which he announced he was going to drop back in early 2018.

Unlike his first album, this one has other artists featured in his songs. 6lack worked with other Atlanta natives Future and Offset, along with well-known artist J. Cole. With this album, he maintains the style that was so popular with his earlier works. His unique, calm voice paired with slow and steady beats combine to create a spectacular R&B album.

The songs “Loaded Gun,” “Pretty Little Liars,” and “Seasons” reflect the slower side of the album with a calm beat behind the relaxing, soft voice of 6lack. Many of the singles on the album are worth listening to and are perfect on a relaxing late night. In almost all of the songs, 6lack uses the R&B style of music, but switches it up slightly in the song “Balenciaga Challenge” featuring Atlanta rap artist Offset. This song, unlike other 6lack songs, is more of a rap song with faster-paced lyrics and a faster overall beat.

The release of “East Atlanta Love Letter” signifies the advancement of 6lack as a musician. By releasing songs that both show his experimental side as well as the side that many fans fell in love with, this album will both generate new fans as well as please many of his old ones.

“For ever” – Jungle

Also on Sept. 14, the genre-blending indie pop group Jungle released their sophomore album “For Ever.” This seven-person band out of the United Kingdom came to popularity with the release of “Busy Earnin” in early 2014. Since this release, the group has released one original single between 2014 and 2018. However, the indie pop band’s second full-length album is a statement that they are back.

Using the style that made them popular in 2014, the group once again uses a heavy techno background beat with soft falsetto singing. Both the songs “Heavy, California” and “Happy Man” use this method. Both of these songs as well as the others in the album all have a very happy feeling.

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Both this album and their previous album are similar to each other in the overall mood. However, the release of “For Ever” provides the fans of this band with another set of great songs.

“Nina cried power” – Hozier

After not being heard from for four years, the Americana artist out of Ireland released a four-song EP “Nina cried power.” With his first and only studio album “Hozier,” released in 2014, the artist rose to stardom with the song “Take Me To Church” reaching the top of the Billboard Hot 100. This album established Hozier as one of the best in his genre.

This unannounced release was a shocker to many fans. After only having thirteen Hozier songs to listen to, these four songs were an excellent change. With this newest album, Hozier continues many of the things that made his first album great. Combining amazing melodies in all of the songs with beautiful lyrics and storytelling reminds us all why Hozier is one of the best musicians around. These things combined with his powerful and unique voice create songs that remind us of all of the songs we came to love in his original album all the way back in 2014.

The intro song of the same name as the album displays the sheer power of Hozier’s voice. The fast drums and smooth piano starts off with a calm overall feeling. However, by the chorus, Hozier’s upbeat voice completely takes over. His voice combined with a background multi-person chorus makes for a beautiful song that sends chills down the spine. The other upbeat song in the EP, “Moment’s Silence,” uses a bluegrass sounding guitar and only clapping and minuscule drums in the background.

The last great song off the album is “Shrike.” unlike the other two upbeat songs this one takes it way down. He did this in his previous album with the song “Cherry Wine.” The fingerpicked guitar intro shows Hozier’s talent not only as a songwriter and singer but as a musician in general. The calming guitar with Hozier’s soothing voice creates a beautiful warm feeling.

With a four year drought from music, many expected another full-length album. While this may seem like a disappointment to some, the positive side of this short release is that Hozier is back and is still making the same amazing music.