The Aces take a catchy edge and fill it with testing lyrics and upbeat energy on new album, Under My Influence.
If you haven’t heard of American Indie-Pop band The Aces you’re clearly missing out. Their new album Under My Influence is a fun yet sassy record which touches on situations that most teens find themselves in. Bringing a sense of empowerment, the lead singer Cristal Ramirez carries an effortless level of cool with inspirations from what sounds like Jhene Aiko and Jorja Smith, two huge female figures in the music scene.
The first track Daydream is entertaining and carries high energy with the upbeat guitar riffs sounding like something that would come out of The 1975. Making you want to dance, the chorus is extremely catchy and easy to sing along to, something accomplished in most of the songs on this record; especially Los Angeles.
New Emotion is easy to listen to with its funky guitar riff played throughout the song. A track about wanting to ruin the friendship with someone in a sexual sense makes it come alive with exciting story-telling lyrics. As well as this, My Phone Is Trying To Kill Me is an anthem for teens everywhere. The overriding message to live your life with no regrets is something that everyone needs to hear. With relatable lyrics for their fans such as “I told my friends I’d never text you again, but I lied because you replied”, it creates that honest connection between the band and their listeners which is an incredibly smart approach.
As the album progresses the songs start to become more vulnerable and we hear about an ex-girlfriend that left a scar. With songs like Kelly, Cruel, I Can Break Your Heart Too and Can You Do, The Aces take us through their experiences of heartache, mind games and never-ending booty calls. Although the lyrics may tell a deeper story, the instrumentation still remains fun, lifting the mood and showing that there is always light at the end of the tunnel.
There are, of course, some more laid-back songs to stop the album from sounding like one giant party. All Mean Nothing is an example of this, with a perfect blend of a chilled-out atmosphere that the instrumentation creates mixed with Cristals’ relaxing vocals. We really get to experience the emotion that is being portrayed, here.
Ending with Zillionaire, this energetic track sounds like the baby of Bruno Mars and Dua Lipa. It would make anyone want to get up and dance and this is what The Aces are best at.
Score: 4/5
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