I think it’s valid to say that sometimes a band or artist’s second album is more defining of them than their debut. “Sophomore” albums carry a lot of weight. Is this artist able to carry the same aesthetic, the same style to their second attempt? Will it “measure up” to the first? Or is the band just a one-album wonder?
It can go both ways. Sometimes an artist’s first album really isn’t that great, and their second one blows it out of the water. But other times, they have a stellar first album, and their second simply falls flat. And that’s show business for ya.
And as a result, of course everyone has their own opinion on the matter. It can get heated, even. Especially if people feel like they were cheated by a sophomore album, or the artist deviated too far from their original “sound.” And there’s something to be said about that. If a band has a stomp-n-holler sound, that’s what you expect from their consecutive albums. A good example of this is the uproar when Mumford & Sons released not their second, but their third album, with a much more synth-based sound, as opposed to banjos and all that nonsense. When you come to expect something from someone, it can cause a bit of cognitive dissonance when they don’t deliver.
I just happen to have some opinions on specific sophomore albums that I am super into, but haven’t proven themselves to be the apple of critics’ eyes. But for whatever reason, I’m into them. Maybe it’s because I’m a hipster and have high-brow opinions. (It’s not. It’s because I’m a human being with agency.)
So here’s a couple!
Let’s Be Still – The Second Album of The Head and the Heart (2012)
THATH’s first self-titled album, which was released in 2011, is jaunty and carefree. You get lyrics like “cats and dogs and rooster calls, telephones and payphone stalls” and the fun keys of “Ghosts.” THATH goes quickly from catchy to cerebral, however, with tunes like “Lost in My Mind” (one of my faves) and “Rivers and Roads.”
Their second attempt, “Let’s Be Still,” seemed to be met with a bit more contention than the first. Sure, maybe there’s not a standout song, and maybe the lyrics are a tad bit more vapid, but the heart and soul of, well, The Head and the Heart still seem to be there. The first song of the album, “Homecoming Heroes,” talks at length the fluctuating opinions of the populace. Pretty bold for a sophomore album, don’t you think?
Beneath the Skin – The Second Album of Of Monsters and Men (2015)
Of Monsters and Men comes to us from across the pond, if you consider Iceland to be across the pond. Their folksy sound embodies a chilly, bleak sonic atmosphere, with raw lyrics to boot (“And I run from wolves tearing into me without teeth.” Like, yikes.) And their second album definitely took a darker turn than their first. Their first album, My Head is An Animal, seems a bit more lighthearted and truly folk-oriented than its successor. The second album, however, seemed a bit heartier to me, and in a good way. It has some solid bops (“Crystals,” “Human,” and “Wolves Without Teeth”) and some emotionally gripping numbers (“Organs,” “I of the Storm,” and “Black Water.”) Yes, it’s angsty, but who doesn’t need that every so often?
Smoke + Mirrors – The Second Album of Imagine Dragons (2015)
When Imagine Dragons came onto the scene in 2008 they gave us some snaps. “It’s Time”? A mood-booster. “Radioactive”? Makes you wanna punch something. What did their second album bring us? MORE SNAPS. One of my favorites is “Polaroid,” but there’s a LOT. It seems like my only criticism would be it seems to quickly change moods – one minute it’s laidback and slightly immature, the next it’s deep and cerebral. But it still snaps.
Waking Up – The Second Album of OneRepublic (2009)
Dreaming Out Loud, OneRepublic’s debut album, was what every tween wanted in 2009. Poppy fluff with choruses that are anthemic of pubescent angst (“It’s TOO LAAAAATE TO ‘POLOGIZE.”) “Waking Up” was definitely a coming-of-age piece for the boy-ish band. The themes became more subtle, the choruses (slightly) more nuanced. And this just so happens to be my favorite album of theirs. “Made for You” is smooth and groovy, “Waking Up” is ethereal, and “Marchin On” is exactly what it sounds like. It transitions smoothly and is a very easy listen.
And a bonus round:
Wasteland, Baby! – The Second Album of Hozier (2019)
We’ve been waiting on a new album from this boy for quite a while, and our very tall, skinny Irishman Andrew Hozier Byrne did not disappoint. After teasing us with an EP in early fall, he dropped a full-sized album on us on March 1, and it has every bit of soul that the first album had. Hozier has a unique, throaty, dynamic voice that lends itself to gospel-esque pop folk. In his first self-titled album, he gave us the smooth-talking “Take Me to Church” and spooky, hymn-like “Angel of Small Death and the Codeine Scene.” In Wasteland, Baby! we get a similar sound in “Movement” and “No Plan,” while his folksy and slightly bluesy side comes out in “Wasteland, Baby!” and “Shrike.”
Audrey D. DeBoer 