The Record Company - Play Loud (2021) [Hi-Res]

The Los Angeles trio was ready for a change when it came time to make their third album, and they got it: 'Play Loud' pushes the group into uncharted territory with a dozen new tracks that move beyond the sound of The Record Company's first two albums. As the title implies, 'Play Loud' is a bigger sounding album, with songs packed full of taut grooves and stick-in-your-head hooks. Lead single 'How High' pairs bristling guitar with a sleek bassline and distorted vocals, while 'Paradise' lays back in a deep pocket with a spare, locked-in rhythm from bass and drums, bright bursts of guitar and, on the chorus, swelling keyboards that give the song a sense of lift. There's dirty electric guitar and a '90s hip-hop influence on the pulsing track 'Gotta Be Movin'', and a punchy bassline, tight backing vocals and just the right amount of a pop sensibility on 'Never Leave You'.