TORONTO (CelebrityAccess) – On Friday (September 23), multi-platinum selling pop-rock band 5 Seconds of Summer released their highly anticipated fifth studio album, 5SOS5. The Australian quartet’s first LP to be released independently in partnership with BMG.
5SOS consists of Luke Hemmings (vocals/guitar), Calum Hood (bass/vocals), Ashton Irwin (drums/vocals), and Michael Clifford (guitar/vocals).
The 19-track album showcases the band’s artistry and growth over their 10-year career, highlighting their dynamic pop-punk sound paired with mature and intimate lyrics, with the majority of the new album written by the band with guitarist Michael Clifford leading on production.
Alongside the album drop, the band also released their brand new single “Bad Omens,” joining previously released tracks “Blender,” “Take My Hand,” and “Me, Myself & I,” which gave fans a preview of what to expect from the album. The “boys in the bands” smash hit “COMPLETE MESS” was the No. 2 most added song on Top 40 Radio with over 100 stations in the first week.
Bassist Hood says, “5SOS5 has been the most rewarding experience and birthed in the desert of Joshua Tree, the core of the album derived from quieting the mind and allowing the band’s soul to speak. It’s a living, breathing thing made up of the most beautiful light and dark parts of ourselves. 5SOS5 is the truest representation of 5 Seconds of Summer.”
In celebration of the release, 5 Seconds of Summer played an exclusive global Livestream, The Feeling of Falling Upwards, Thursday night (September 22), from the world-famous Royal Albert Hall in London. The band performed a set of songs from their 11-year catalog, plus brand-new songs from the new album, accompanied by an orchestra and choir. Also in attendance was Hemmings’ fiance, Sierra Deaton, who provides vocals for the track “Older.”
“This is one of the most special records I’ve ever been a part of,” Deaton wrote on Instagram. “Luke and I started this idea in our living room back in March 2019 as an ode to Fifties love songs, but it wasn’t until he jokingly sent a voice memo of it years later that Michael convinced us we needed to finish it together. And I’m so happy he did.”
The deluxe CD and digital album versions also include 19 tracks in cassette and vinyl formats.
5SOS5 Album Review:
Musically the band has come a long way from their 2014 punk rock self-titled debut album, 5 Seconds of Summer – making total sense as eight years have passed, and they went from Boyz – II – Men (sorry, I couldn’t resist). 5SOS5 features heavy lyricism and marks the first time an album was produced almost entirely by the band.
After their fourth album, Calm, the boys planned a group retreat to Joshua Tree (COVID-19 took touring off the table), and 5SOS5 was born with a more mature sound and intimate lyrics that show where the four are in life and as artists – an emotional “Blender” if you will?
While the band showcases their sensitive and reflective side, what is missing from the 19-tracks are the edgy, harder rock songs the band has been known for. The closest you get to that are the tracks “Blender” and “Me, Myself & I.” After seeing the band live at Mohegan Sun Arena this year, these two tracks translate from recording to stage and seem “harder”, becoming full rock-out anthems during the live performance. SIDEBAR: “Red Desert” from the CALM album is a must-see on the live stage.
Memory lane seems to be a place the band is comfortable, as seen in past stand-out tracks, “2011”, “Broken Home,” and “Old Me.” This album is no exception to that rule. “Best Friends” talks about, well, just that with Hemmings singing about their past together and his love for his bandmates. “Emotions” is Clifford’s ode to the time of “emo,” and Hood takes the lead vocals on “You Don’t Go to Parties.”
Even though this reviewer’s heart will always belong to their 2020 release, CALM – 5SOS5 is the band’s best technical album to date, showcasing their growth, ability to reflect, and love of nostalgia. It is the natural progression for a rock band that has been in the industry since they were teenagers and continue to evolve and change. An LP that showcases their years together as a cohesive unit is lyrically their best and still leaves the listener wanting more. Well Done.
5SOS5 TRACKLISTING:
1. COMPLETE MESS
2. Easy For You To Say
3. Bad Omens
4. Me Myself & I
5. Take My Hand
6. CAROUSEL
7. Older (feat. Sierra Deaton)
8. HAZE
9. You Don’t Go To Parties
10. BLENDER
11. Caramel
12. Best Friends
13. Bleach
14. Red Line
15. Moodswings
16. Flatline
17. Emotions
18. Bloodhound
19. TEARS!
