Following a tumultuous 10 years of living up to the teen dream indie boyband lifestyle, 5 Seconds of Summer return. In the driving seat this time, the four-piece have left behind their juvenile pop-punk sound for a newly diverse album. Cat Jordan shares her thoughts.
When thinking about 5 Seconds of Summer’s decade long career up to this album, it’s fair to describe it in 2 parts. The first era: a band of teenagers producing music for teenagers. Filled with radio-appropriate angst, the four-piece recorded songs about leaving their small town and not conforming to social norms, (Rejects, She’s Kinda Hot and Hey Everybody, to name just a few), and let’s not forget their smash-hit debut about American apparel underwear… Their early music and performances were promising, but it seemed as though they were being groomed by their management to become the next One Direction, supporting the boys on tour, and following a similar schedule to the one that led to One Direction’s inevitable burnout in 2015. Lead singer and youngest member Luke Hemmings was only 17 when they went on their first global tour with One Direction, and has mentioned several times that he can barely remember any of those years, (perhaps this is referenced in the band’s 2022 single, Take My Hand, where he sings “shut my eyes right at 17”). Although still not comfortable sharing exactly what they went through during those years, the band have shared that they needed to take a break after their tour for their second album, as the intensity of their schedules inevitably took a toll on their mental health.
The second part of their career started with the band’s deciding not to split up altogether. Albums three and four saw the band stepping away from their previous pop-rock sound, and, in their early to mid-twenties, their music had really matured. Songs like Youngblood and Teeth performed well in the charts, and the band developed aesthetically as well as musically, throwing themselves into creating exciting concerts with unique musical arrangements and staging. Hemmings accurately described these years as a “second chance” for the group. 5SOS5 feels like yet another new start for the band. Bassist Calum Hood explains that this album feels like their first, and fact that the album title is an acronym for “5 seconds of summer 5” seems like a nod to their self-titled debut. The album boasts 18 tracks, and many of the best ones were produced by lead guitarist Michael Clifford. Not a lot of bands stay together long enough to reach a fifth album, and having that privilege has given 5SOS the gift of knowing exactly who they are as a group.
The third track on the album, Bad Omens, is the first track that listeners won’t have heard before their album release performance, also serving as the band’s next single. One of the strongest tracks on the entire record, this track feels like it would work well on a film or TV soundtrack. With beautiful and exciting background vocals, a whimsical mix of orchestral strings and electric guitars make for a song that sounds BIG. The song builds throughout until it peaks at the bridge. This track would’ve made a great first single, but I’m glad nevertheless that it’s being given the spotlight it deserves as the third one.
5SOS5 sees the group write their most mature and poetic lyrics yet, with lyrical highlights featuring in the melancholy Moodswings, (“I can tell when you're slippin' from me Even when it's only subconsciously”), bedroom-pop ballad Bleach, (“Brought a knife to a gun fight but the hurtin' is all mine. When the feeling is airtight, I know it takes time to let go”), and the falsetto-filled anthem Flatline, (“You're like staring into sunshine, burning into my mind”). The lyrics feel incredibly personal, and combining them with other aspects, such as how they decided to release the album independently and feature Hemmings’ partner Sierra on 50’s-style ballad Older, it’s clear how much they wanted this album to feel uniquely theirs.
All in all, 5SOS5 is an incredibly creative body of work where each member’s individual contributions were blended to produce something excellent. Even the weaker tracks (Me Myself & I and Emotions) are catchy and reminiscent of their Sounds Good Feels Good days; perhaps the band trying to appeal to the fans who miss their ‘old sound’. Maybe it’s greedy of me to say, but listening to this album has only made me more excited for 5SOS’ next project, where they will undoubtably continue to work independently; possibly an album that’s only written, produced, and mastered by the four of them? It may seem like a lot to ask, but for a group who spent some of their early years being so heavily restricted and controlled, it seems like a wonderful, and incredibly therapeutic, next step. Nevertheless, 5SOS5 is a great listen, and definitely won’t be forgotten anytime soon.
Cat Jordan
Edited by: Ewan Samms
Cover image and in-article image courtesy of 5SOS via instagram. In article video courtesy of 5SOS via YouTube
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