The Platform Playlist: Our August 2020 recommendations

Gearing up to kickstart the next academic year, knowing absolutely zilch about what to expect (cheers COVID) it’s nice to have a soundtrack keep those worries in check. Here’s what the Platform committee and writers have been jamming to this August…

Original Broadway Cast Recording – Hamilton Soundtrack (Album)

Satisfied was the first song I decided to listen to from the Hamilton soundtrack and I was immediately obsessed. I’ve always been a musical theatre fan, but something about this show felt new and different. Musical theatre fans will love the fun and catchy numbers like Helpless, but if you’re a rap fan you’ll enjoy Cabinet Battle #1 and #2 and if you’re just a big fan of Hamilton, Yorktown will probably be the one for you. 46 songs later and you’ll know more about American history than you ever have before, and you’ll probably have more than one of the songs stuck in your head.

Rating: 10/10

By Faith Pring

Miel – Tourist Season (Album)

Tourist Season marks the musical debut of singer Miel, who you might recognise from her days as one of the top comedian creators on Vine. While known for her slightly outlandish sense of humour, Tourist Season is anything but funny. It is a seven-track album of beautifully crafted soft pop that delves into the emotional core of someone going through a break up. Recorded and produced with her brother, à la Billie Eilish, the writing feels like that of Phoebe Bridgers, deeply personal and emotive. In fact, Miel’s writing perfectly toes the line of being personal whilst still creating relatable music. It’s the perfect album to play in your bedroom on a cloudy day.

Rating: 8/10

By Robbie Nichols

The Avalanches – Since I Left You (Album)

I’ve been struggling to listen to anything other than this recently. This is probably because once you dive deep into everything that’s being presented here, it’s impossible to recreate that euphoric feeling with any other music.

Robbie Chater and Darren Seltmann poured an incomprehensible amount of imagination and creativity into this album. It’s an hour-long journey consisting only of samples, but these samples are plucked from just about every genre and every era since the 50s. The result is nothing short of a party: they manage to evoke nostalgia and bliss whilst celebrating the very nature of music.

Rating: 10/10

By Dan Fauzi

Joji & Diplo – Daylight (Single)

The four teaser tracks for George “Joji” Miller’s upcoming second album Nectar have each been on a whole other level than anything the former internet comedian has released prior, and Daylight is no exception. Produced by Diplo, the song retains the angsty feel of previous singles Sanctuary, Run and Gimme Love, with an echoey production style and a bassline that recalls Arctic Monkeys’ AM. There’s not exactly anything new here lyrically – it’s about feeling crappy after a breakup – but Miller’s vocals convey deep, authentic emotion that draws you in and has successfully kept me coming back for another listen.

Rating: 8.5/10

By Jamie Morris

The Feeling – Fill My Little World (Single)

In the last month, my playlist seems to have flashed back to 2006 to the days of The Feeling with one of my favourites Fill My Little World. Just like 14 years ago, I still find this song upbeat and one you can sing to at the top of your lungs – especially on a long car journey.

This song came from The Feeling’s 2006 album Twelve Stops and Home, alongside some of my other favourite childhood hits including Love It When You Call and Never Be Lonely. It was songs like these that remind me of my younger days, and flash me back to some great times.

Rating: 9/10

By Katie Green

The Neighbourhood – Pretty Boy (EP)

The Neighbourhood has announced a new album called Chip Chrome & The Mono-Tones, due out September 25. Meanwhile, the fans can get a taste of the new music and performative style of the band as they have already released four songs from the upcoming album: Middle of Somewhere, Cherry Flavoured, Devil’s Advocate and Pretty Boy.

Chip Chrome, also known as Jesse Rutherford or the lead-voice of the alt-pop band, has adopted this new identity of a fictional, silver-painted persona for himself and the whole group – an aspect that inspired the name of the album.

One thing is certain – the band has never been this versatile, jazzy and playful, which may also be disappointing for those of you who were waiting for another in-depth dramatic signature tune. Moving from the black and white music videos to what are now colourful or animated setups, it might be the start of a new chapter for The Neighbourhood – and I’m definitely here for it.

Rating: 8/10

By Olimpia Zagnat

J Hus – Common Sense (Album)

I first started listening to this album in the summer of 2017 when it was a new release, I loved it then and I love it now. In the three-year gap I haven’t heard a lot of the songs on the album with only five making my main playlist. After some encouragement from a friend I recently decided to give the album another airing and to say I have enjoyed it would be an understatement. So many of the songs on this album are brilliant that I am left wondering why they never made my playlist – an oversight I have now corrected.

Rating: 8/10

By Alex Brinton