Five Albums That Will Grow On You
Words and Picks by Daisy Marietta
Whether you started out hating an album or just weren’t that into it, there’s always those rare ones that end up growing on you over time to a point where you end up absolutely loving the music. Or at the very least, you’re glad you gave it a second (or third… or tenth…) chance in order to appreciate it the way you do now.
The Amity Affliction – Chasing Ghosts
This album was hit or miss for me the first time I listened to it. I didn’t hate it, but I definitely wasn’t about to buy it on iTunes or recommend it to friends. I liked a couple of songs and the rest I skipped over. As I started listening to it more, for research purposes, I started to like those couple songs even more, and gave the rest of the album a chance – which I grew to love. The overall story and vibe of the entire album became so vivid and meaningful to me. The songs became part of my repertoire. The band and this album have a way of not quite fitting into a specific genre, making some people initially uncomfortable, but this album is worth that second chance.
Go Radio – Close The Distance
Having been a fan of Go Radio for quite some time, like with any band you really like, you make expectations for a new album. When this one came out, it wasn’t quite what I was expecting. On the first listen through, you may be slightly disappointed. Or maybe you would just think it was acceptable, like I did. But the more I listened to it, and really listened to it – paid attention to the songs and the lyrics, the more I realized how important and special the tracks were and eventually came to appreciate it even more when the band called it quits.
Jessie J – Who You Are
Initially, this album was somewhere between what I would call pop music and something more meaningful. It’s catchy upon listening for the first time, something that you would dance to and sing along to. As you start to listen to it a few more times, you may realize that many of her songs have a true inspirational message behind them, something that you can get behind. And when you’ve listened to the entire thing a few times through, you may just find that there are no songs that you don’t like. Well, that’s what happened to me anyway – call it a bit of an addiction. It’s definitely music you could hear at the club, but if you pay attention, there’s something more there.
Major League – Hard Feelings
I may be biased, but I believe that Major League can do no wrong. They are truly an inspiration as a band getting themselves out there, as well as talented musicians in their own way and as a band. Their songs are strong and although they may not be a fan of being labeled as a genre, they certainly make a good name for pop punk, if that’s what you want to call them. When Hard Feelings came out, I liked it. But it wasn’t until I sat down and listened to it without any distractions, that I realized how powerful the record really was. The lyrics that the band had written, obviously inspired by real life and subjects close to home, were so touching. Every song has its own message and if you’re paying attention, they will be received. What a powerful record, I’m so glad that I have given it so many hours of play time to really understand it.
System of A Down – Mezmerize
“BYOB” was the first song I heard off of this album, and I immediately hated it. For the next couple of months hearing it on the radio, I had a back-and-forth effect of hating it and then loving it. This went on until I heard the entire album. I didn’t like it much. There were a couple of songs I could stand – barely. For the most part, I thought it was pretty obnoxious and untasteful, even for SOAD. But over the next couple of years (yes, it can take that long) I began to have a newfound appreciation for the darkness that is this album. It came out 9 years ago now, which is pretty unbelievable, but it didn’t take THAT long for it to grow on me.
