“Wuthering Heights” by Charli XCX

Released as a soundtrack to accompany Emerald Fennell’s film adaptation of Emily Bronte’s “Wuthering Heights,” Charli XCX’s newest album is a dark and brooding set of songs that tells the story of Cathy and Heathcliff’s tragic love. 

Using classical string instruments in the background paired with modern guitar riffs and drum beats, the album is a modern twist on the traditional soundtrack for such an acclaimed period movie. The tracks do retain some of Charli XCX’s traditional electronic style, and some songs like “Dying for You” bear a playful resemblance to 2024’s “BRAT,” but overall the album takes a moodier turn away from her previous work to match the vibe of the movie. 

While most of the songs are enjoyable on their own and fit in well with the film, the album as a whole feels uneven with the lack of connectivity that the film provides between songs. “Wuthering Heights” is an enjoyable and well made album, but it works much better as a collection of singles rather than a cohesive listening experience. 

Favorite Tracks: “Seeing Things,” “Dying for You”

Rating: 7/10

“Cloud 9” by Megan Moroney

“Cloud 9,” country singer Megan Moroney’s third studio album, released in February to an excited country music scene that’s been awaiting an album since 2024’s “Am I Okay?.” It debuted at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 list after its release, making it Moroney’s first No. 1 album. The 15-track album comes in at almost an hour, and the songs feature her typical storytelling with more of a pop-country vibe than her prior work, which trended toward traditional country.

The singles released for the album, “6 Months Later” and “Beautiful Things,” seemed to set up a more upbeat listening experience, but the majority of the songs take a sadder turn. While the despairing songs are good listens, especially the collaborative tracks with Kacey Musgraves and Ed Sheeran, they don’t mesh with the overall pink-princess vibe of the album’s promotion and its singles released prior to the album.

A pop-country fan may enjoy this album more, but it falls short of the hit summer country record that it was advertised as. 

Favorite Tracks: “6 Months Later,” “Bells & Whistles”

Rating: 6/10

“The Romantic” by Bruno Mars

“The Romantic” is Bruno Mars’ fourth solo studio album and fifth overall studio album, and it marks his first solo album in nine years since “24k Magic” in 2016. The album has nine-tracks, and it was teased with the singles “I Just Might” and “Risk It All.” The songs are catchy and fun to listen to, typical of Mars’ music, but there is nothing new or experimental production-wise. 

Stylistically, the songs resemble different parts of Mars’ discography, with jazzier tracks like “Cha Cha Cha” and “On My Soul” drawing inspiration from Mars’ collaboration album with Anderson .Paak, “An Evening With Silk Sonic,” while slower and more romantic tracks like “God Was Showing Off” and “Nothing Left” have hints of 2012’s “Unorthodox Jukebox” in them. 

But the similarity is not a bad thing, and “The Romantic” is a great listen that uses the parts of Bruno Mars’ music that fans love the most. 

Favorite Tracks: “I Just Might,” “On My Soul”

Rating: 8/10

“Kiss All The Time, Disco Occasionally” by Harry Styles

Harry Styles’ highly anticipated fourth album, “Kiss All The Time, Disco Occasionally,” released at the beginning of March after a four year hiatus since the release of “Harry’s House” in 2022. The album was greatly inspired by the band LCD Soundsystem according to Styles, and the 12-tracks feature a larger dance influence than his previous works. 

The production and backup tracks on the album are excellent, especially on songs like “Pop” and “Season 2 Weight Loss” that feature a new electronic synth and drum sound that replaces Styles’ usual soft guitar sound. However, Styles’ vocals do not stand out as much as they do on his other releases. Additionally, some of the slower songs like “Paint By Numbers” and “The Waiting Game” stick out in contrast to the  broader dance-pop vibe of the album, and contribute to an uneven transition between sounds. Those slower songs almost feel like they’re from a different album, more similar to “Harry’s House,” and make the album seem less cohesive. 

Grouping together the disco-esqe songs, this album is a fun listen in preparation for summer, but the slower songs feel like they are intended for a different time.

Favorite Tracks: “Dance No More,” “American Girls”

Rating: 6/10