In the first few minutes of March 27th, hundreds of thousands of fans of an Australian band, 5 Seconds of Summer, opened Instagram and joined in watching the live stream they’d been waiting for. CALM, the band’s fourth studio album, was released and as a long time fan, I was just one of many waiting to listen to it.
The live stream began with the band’s drummer, Ashton Irwin, and not long after he started the live stream, he played the first track from the album. Starting off with a hauntingly beautiful unison of all the members singing, it starts off strong with what can be inferred as a reference to their home of Australia.
“Red Desert” starts off the album, bringing a totally new sound different from the band’s previous work. The band makes references to their cover of “Killer Queen” with all members singing in harmony and it pays off immensely. “Red Desert” turns into “No Shame,” the third single released before the album’s release takes a turn to an 80s theme. The song, with references to a world obsessed with one’s image, brings listeners back down to earth, reminding them to be humble with fun and upbeat notes.
The third track, and fourth single, is “Old Me,” an obvious reference to the band’s road to fame. The song takes fans back to the band’s early days when they uploaded covers and original songs to their YouTube channel. Even the music video shows the band’s progress from a small town band to worldwide superstars.
Next comes “Easier.” This was the album’s first single and was released way back in May of 2019. This song was the first indicator that the album was headed in a new direction. While it has deep lyrics, the song surprisingly stays soft, while also demonstrating lead singer Luke Hemmings’ incredible vocal range.
The second single, and fifth album track, is probably the most well-known song from the record. “Teeth” was featured in the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why and is often played on major radio stations. While the first few songs on the album lead fans to believe this album will be as the title says, “Teeth” is a loud and heavy song. The song shows a clear difference from the band’s previous work. It’s more mature and takes the album on a completely different path than before.
Next up is “Wildflower,” the sixth track and final single. Starting off the same as “Red Desert” with all singing in unison, the song is easily the most upbeat and positive song on the album. Bassist Calum Hood takes over vocals for this one, his deep voice adding something unexpected and new in the heart of the album. In my opinion, shows the true personality of the band. While on the exterior, critics and fans see what they want to see, deep down each member is unexpected from what we think.
