The band’s fourth studio album is exactly what the world needed right now
With a combination of upbeat tunes that can help take your mind off things and solemn songs that offer an opportunity for reflection, Five Seconds of Summer’s fourth studio album, “CALM,” is exactly what the world needed right now.
The album’s title is an acronym of its member’s names, explained lead singer Luke Hemmings, 23, of bandmates Calum Hood, Ashton Irwin, and Micheal Clifford. But in the midst of the coronavirus crisis, this title has derived a double meaning as fans have long coined the band with that name.
“They’ve been using that acronym for a long time,” Hemmings told the New York Post. “It kind of just sums up [that] we’re a little bit older and a little bit wiser. But it was named before this went down, obviously.”
Since the album’s release, the band has even partnered with the Calm app to create chill remixes to a couple of their songs that are designed to calm your nerves.
One of these is “Old Me,” which was the last single they dropped before the release of the album. It has the nostalgic aftertaste of the garage band they used to be and presents us with the perfect opportunity to look back at the good old days when we used to jam to 5SOS in high school.
Hemmings even does so himself in the song’s chorus, singing “Shout Out to the old me/ and everything you showed me. /Glad you didn’t listen when the world was tryna slow me. ”
“Teeth,” one of the lead singles of the album, was featured in season three of “13 Reasons Why.” It offers a more intense beat to the album by passionately piecing together the story of a love-hate relationship and the weakness you can experience through an intense dysfunctional connection.
My personal favorite off the album is “Lover of Mine,” in which Hemmings’ vocals and songwriting skills are on full display. Hemmings co-wrote the song with his girlfriend, Sierra Deaton, and calls on us to embrace the love that we have in our lives.
“Best Years” is a song about hope for future relationships. The line “I’ll give you the best years” is repeated throughout the song, reiterating to the listener an optimistic message that the best time in life is yet to come. It’s all about positive growth, and that’s a mindset that we could all benefit from.
A more uplifting song on the album is “Wildflower,” which presents an eighties vibe with its combination of synthesizer and drums. You can easily lose yourself in the tune and enjoy the beat, which is all about youthful love. The chorus describes a blooming romance and brings a rush of emotions upon you.
The band had to get creative with putting together a music video to a fresh release amidst the social distancing guidelines that have been set in place. With 10 straight hours of stop-motion animation, the use of 529 flowers, and 358 different photos, they were able to produce a clip entirely from home.
The lyrics “tell you what I like” are repeated throughout the song in a lower tone, adding to the song’s emulation of youth by capturing its innocent and adventurous characteristics. The song also showcases the bassist Calum Hood’s lower toned vocals, giving the song a feel-good vibe. It also illustrates a different side to the band, straying away from Hemmings’ lower tone.
According to 5SOS official twitter account, the song “Is a Frankenstein of everything we love about music, we really hope you dig this one.”
The album overall showcases a mature 5SOS and demonstrates massive growth in their music and identity as a band. “CALM,” as the album title suggests, is about finding peace amidst intense emotions. Wherever you may find yourself in the world, there’s a song for you on the album that invites you to reflect and look at the positive aspects of life.