Last week, Australian band, 5 Seconds of Summer (5SOS) announced their third album, “Youngblood”, which is set to be released on June 22^nd of this year. Along with the announcement of their album, they released their second song which is also titled “Youngblood.”

The band has been on hiatus for over a year and hasn’t released any music since 2015 so to anyone who is a follower of 5SOS knows this album has been highly anticipated.

In the past, 5SOS’s music tended to sound more on the pop-punk side. They prided themselves on having a heavy influence from bands such as All Time Low, Green Day and Blink 182. This isn’t to say that their influences have changed but rather their sound. Based off their two new songs, “Want You Back” and “Youngblood,” the band is heading in a slightly more pop-rock tone.

5 Seconds of Summer is known for having heavy guitars and relying on lead guitarist, Michael Clifford’s, guitar playing ability. In “Want You Back” you can tell they are trying to keep up that same focus on the guitar. However, in “Youngblood” it sounds like they put their emphasis on having a lot more drums in the background.

“Want You Back,” has a much harder pop sound to it compared to “Youngblood.” They have a lot of extra synths in the background which makes it sound like a perfect radio hit. The guitar during the chorus coincides perfectly with how they sing the lyrics which makes for a good flow and very easy to tap along to.

In comparison, “Youngblood,” definitely relies more on the power of the drums and the lyrics. This song tells a far more intimate and mature story compared to their first single. You really need to sit and listen to the lyrics to get the full picture and feeling of what the song is actually saying. During the chorus, there is a heavy bass drum that makes you feel like jumping. It’s a perfect song to play in a club or concert environment when everyone is dancing with lots of colorful flashing lights.

5SOS have mentioned on their social media’s that this album is the most honest music they have ever written and released. This album is supposed to be unlike anything they have released throughout their career.

I am excited to hear their new music and cannot wait to see where this new sound takes them.