"Play it in the car or any safe space, knowing that ‘songs to drive to’ is likely to become a comfort album for many. You didn’t know that you needed this until now."
Recommended songs: “where do we go from here,” “time flies when you’re having fun” and “every part”
Review by Bruna Cucolo
The weather is getting warmer. It’s time for that night drive with the windows down and music blasting through car speakers, singing along as loud as possible. There is a fresh new album just for that, so prepare your heart and to be in your feels for the next while. The three-part alternative pop band Nightly is about to drop their third full-length album, ‘songs to drive to.’ The album title is quite fitting.
Mark your calendar — Friday, March 7 is the big day. It consists of 11 songs, six which are singles released throughout the last year. Think of their previous release, ‘wear your heart out,’ but with musical growth in their sound, vocals and lyrics. There is a lot of similarity between these two records, but the band still sounds fresh with their new work.
Start in the driveway with the opening track “tv shows.” This slow vibey intro guides the listener onto the road with a fun but lowkey pop sound, introducing them to what is ahead. It’s not predictable, though, for Nightly does an excellent job including some musical surprises here and there that will leave listeners with a full, happy heart. In other words, the trio set up the feel of their new album in a lowkey fashion without giving too much away right from the beginning.
There is a noticeable well-balanced feel throughout this record flowing smoothly from track to track. It goes from a chill melody to an upbeat, groovy song to something that will make you want to dance to whether it’s before or after track five. Get out of the car for a bit, you might have found yourself at a gas station parking lot.
Even though there’s that alt-pop tone in the entirety of the album, Nightly sneaks in some acoustic country elements, throwback instrumental sounds and even a musical feeling where a disco ball should be placed in the middle of a room just for the vibes. There’s an awareness of experimenting coming from the band here, which only shows they have worked on their talents to further improve and move forward with their music, never a bad thing. Fans may appreciate this aspect as there is that familiarity compared to previously released music, yet it’s still new and exciting and something to look forward to because it’s not the same as before.
Anticipate emotions of perhaps being in doubt about how to approach feelings, being enthusiastic of what a situation could turn into, being so deeply in love and, well, that warm, fuzzy feeling about someone special. Nightly presents fans with all that or however one may interpret the lyrics on this album. Play it in the car or any safe space, knowing that ‘songs to drive to’ is likely to become a comfort album for many. You didn’t know that you needed this until now.
