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This week Mac Miller, AlunaGeorge and Against Me! drop new LPs.

Friday means two things: a couple of days to recuperate from the crazy week you just had and a new list of fresh tunes for you to put on repeat. Mac Miller is back with his latest, The Divine Feminine, and is full of surprises. AlunaGeorge finally returns with their follow-up to 2013's Body Music, with I Remember. Meanwhile, Laura Jane Grace speaks (or sings) her truth on Against Me!'s Shape Shift With Me. Beware of Darkness tell it like it is on their new record, Are You Real?, and finally Paper Lions are back with Full Colour, which will instantly put you in a bright mood.

Read more about this week's top 5 new album releases below.

 

'The Divine Feminine'  - Mac Miller

Mac Miller may have explored sobriety in 2015 with GO:OD AM, but his new album, The Divine Feminine celebrates the female. And as crooners like Maxwell and D'Angelo have done in the past, he dedicates this fourth record not only to all women but also love.

While we're not saying that Mac is doing those vocal runs and hitting those high notes as the neo-soul artists we just mentioned, he does a surprisingly good job at singing on this record. Keeping the hip-hop flow in his voice, "Stay" shows how he keeps the vox in the pocket and bounces over each beat with each syllable. This new sound was pretty evident with the release of his lead single, "Dang!," featuring Anderson Paak. The '90s R&B vibe on that track runs throughout the LP, especially on his explicit bump-and-grind track, "Skin." And if you didn't know that song was about sex, then maybe the female moans that open the track may give you a hint.

Physical things aside, Mac's duet, "My Favorite Part," with his new boo, Ariana Grande, shows how committed he was to this fresh musical direction. In case their PDA in the press didn't tip you off to their feelings for each other, this song easily conveys that and is a great progression from their previous collaboration on Ariana's 2013 single, "The Way." Mac also teams up with Cee-Lo on "We," Ty Dolla $ign on "Cinderella," Bilal on "Congratulations" and the highly anticipated collab with Kendrick Lamar, "God is Fair, Sexy, Nasty." While fans have been waiting for the latter track, the best part about this song is how it ends — with Mac's grandma recounting his grandparents' love story. Get ready for all the feels with that bit.

 

'I Remember' - AlunaGeorge

Don't try to put AlunaGeorge in a category because you're likely not to find the right one for them. Being a little bit electro, a little garage, a little dancehall, Aluna Francis and George Reid have been able to prove that music can encompass all sounds with their sophomore effort, I Remember. Yes, it's obvious that the album is full of tunes that will get you moving. However, as you listen to each track, you'll get various layers of different sounds that seem to meld together into what has been their signature.

MORE: AlunaGeorge Will Inject You with a Dose of Bouncy Empowerment

Kicking off with the first track, Aluna seems to take a bit of inspiration from Rihanna's "Pour It Up" on the opening of "Full Swing" but delves into a man who's supporting his wife who's competing in the Olympics. Things switch gears on the moody "My Blood," featuring Zhu, which lyrically tackles racism and conflict. Meanwhile, "Mean What I Mean," their song with Leikeli47 and Dreezy, may sound like a party track; however, it has a more serious backstory. Aluna blasts a guy who refuses to take no for an answer and continues to pursue her. The collaborations continue with their tune, "I'm In Control," where dancehall artist, Popcaan, lends his talents. It's also been creeping up the dance charts around the globe. And the UK duo teams up with Flume on the title track, "I Remember," which is evident in the ambient tones and triple beats. While we really had to wait a while for this record, I Remember is worth the wait.


 

'Shape Shift With Me' - Against Me!

Live or through your headphones, Against Me! hardly ever shy away from blowing you away with their music. And Shape Shift With Me is no different. But in addition to keeping with the anthemic sound, Laura Jane Grace taps into the world of love on this one. Whether it's diving into it, falling out of it or just not knowing what to do when there's trouble in paradise, she covers it all on the 12-track record.

Although you may need to rifle through the belting and shouts as she traditional delivers vocals, songs like "Haunting, Haunted, Haunts," "Boyfriend" and the guitar-led tune, "Suicide Bomber" convey her stances on the more tender things in life. The frenetic "Rebecca" takes us into the first steps of attraction. While she doesn't want to fall in love with Rebecca, the lyrics seem to lead in that direction. While some Against Me! fans may be hoping for something more intense and not so romantic for the band's new record, it's refreshing to hear matters of the heart conveyed with buzzing guitars, heavy drums and a screaming Laura Jane Grace.

 

'Are You Real?' - Beware of Darkness

Life would be much easier if we just said what we mean, right? It seems that's what Kyle Nicolaides, frontman of Beware of Darkness, thought when he wrote the tunes for their new album Are You Real?.  As you move from song to song on this record, you can hear the unapologetic candidness in the lyrics like "Muthafucka," which opens the record.

Reading about Are You Real?, the band members claim that it's their boldest effort, and it's true. Although instrumentals are filled with mid-tempo drums and roaring guitar riffs, it's all in what they're singing that will really grab you. "Dope" plainly tells a woman that she's great but also could be poisonous to him, while the title track looks at the characters we display on social media opposed to real life. The songs follow a pretty traditional indie rock formula, but "Angel" shows another side of Beware of Darkness. Not only does it weave two different styles of sounds, the atmospheric intro adds a nice surprise to the album, too.

 

'Full Colour' - Paper Lions

When you initially press play on Paper Lions' new album, Full Coulour, you'll think you just stepped into a vibrant disco ball. Despite the fact that the opening track, "Don't Wanna Dance," sets the tone on a high energetic note, it is only a taste of what the Canadian band has to offer.

Working on the record for the past two years, it's clear that they put thought into each song that they added onto the tracklist. While keeping the sonic theme light, Paper Lions offer up various sounds like the buzzy "If You Ever" or piano-driven melodies like on "Best Out of You" and "Born to Rule." And if the dance vibe on "My Number" or "Take a Look at My Girl" doesn't grab you, perhaps the sax solo and flowing vocals of John MacPhee on "End of July" will be more your speed. Full Colour has something for everyone, no matter what mood you're in.

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