Music Shopping List: Linkin Park Provides ‘One More Light’

Linkin Park, ‘One More Light,’ leads the charge for new music releases arriving Friday, May 19, 2017.  Rascal Flatts and Snoop Dogg also drop new albums.

Ah, the third music release week in May 2017! For the most part, the names that grace this list are big.  Linkin Park, Rascal Flatts, Blink-182, Papa Roach, and Snoop Dogg.  Still, save for Linkin Park, none of the releases have much buzz surrounding them.  Linkin Park (One More Light) has buzz, but given the radical departure of its promo single, some question what One More Light will sound like.

1. Linkin Park, One More Light

Warner Bros. 

Linkin Park (One More Light) enters May 19, 2017 as the week’s biggest attraction. One More Light marks the alternative band’s seventh studio album.  It arrives nearly three years after The Hunting Party (2014).  Only comprised of 10 songs, four songs arrived prior to the album’s release: “Good Goodbye” featuring Pusha T and Stormzy, “Battle Symphony,” “Invisible,” and promo single, “Heavy” featuring up-and-comer, Kiiara.

2. Rascal Flatts, Back To Us

Big Machine

Rascal Flatts once ranked among the crème de la crème of country music.  Even if the trio have passed their lucrative peak, they’re still pretty good.  Back To Us marks the trio’s first proper studio album since Rewind in 2014 (Note: They did release a Christmas project, The Greatest Gift of All in 2016).  Comprised of a skinny 10 songs, five songs arrived prior to Back to Us: “Yours If You Want It,” “Back to Us,” “I Know You Won’t,” “Hopin’ You Were Lookin’,” and “Our Night to Shine.” The sole guest on Back to Us is Lauren Alaina on “Are You Happy Now.”

3. Blink-182, California (Deluxe Edition)

BMG Rights Management 

For whatever reason, Blink-182 decided to release a deluxe edition of California.  How does the deluxe edition expand the original album released in 2016? It adds 12 more songs, including “Parking Lot,” “Misery,” “Wildfire,” “6/8,” and “Can’t Get You More Pregnant.” All told, California in its deluxe form features 28 songs.  Still, there’s no Tom DeLonge – no offense Matt Skiba.

4. Papa Roach, Crooked Teeth

Eleven Seven Music

Rock band Papa Roach returns with Crooked Teeth, something that most of us have in our mouths. Okay, dumb joke. Anyways, Crooked Teeth arrives two years after F.E.A.R, which arrived in January 2015.  An ambitious 29 tracks in its deluxe edition (10 in its standard edition), five songs arrived prior to Crooked Teeth: “Crooked Teeth,” “Born for Greatness,” “American Dreams,” “Help, and “None of the Above.”

5. Snoop Dogg, Neva Left

Doggystyle / EMPIRE

Snoop Dogg returns relatively quickly. Neva Left arrives less than a year after COOLAID (July 2016).  Comprised of 16 tracks, only two songs arrived prior to Neva Left: “Trash Bags” featuring K CAMP and “Mount Kushmore” featuring Redman, Method Man, and B-Real.

Other New Releases:

A R I Z O N A, GALLERY; Mandisa, Out of the Dark; MisterWives, Connect the Dots; MISSIO, Loner; Faith Evans & The Notorious B.I.G., The King & I; Matisyahu, Undercurrent; Goapele, Dreamseeker;

Photo Credits: Warner Bros., Big Machine, BMG Rights Management, Eleven Seven Music, Doggystyle / EMPIRE