![\"ed_sheeran\"](\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.towleroad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/ed_sheeran.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nThis week in New Music:\u00a0Ed Sheeran<\/a><\/strong> (above) continues to confound critics on new album\u00a0\u00f7<\/em>, new pop-punk from Los Angeles sister act\u00a0Bleached,<\/strong>\u00a0a new video<\/a> for\u00a0Leonard Cohen<\/strong>\u2018s \u201cTraveling Light\u201d and ethereal pop Icelandic-style from not-really-a-supergroup\u00a0GANGLY<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Ed Sheeran \u2013\u00a0\u00f7<\/strong><\/p>\n Simple as that really.<\/p>\n The critics hate the nicest man<\/a> in pop for the same reason \u2013 there\u2019s nothing deep in his music, nothing to be discovered beyond the immediately infectious, instantly memorable and usually sing-along-able songs on the album.<\/p>\n However, what Sheeran does best is write simple lyrics that appeal to the everyman (and woman<\/a>): \u201cYou used to hold my hand\/ And when we sipped champagne out of cider cans\/ I guess if you were Lois Lane, I wasn\u2019t Superman\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe could change this whole world with a piano,\u201d he sings at one point (\u201cWhat Do I Know?\u201d). Maybe not. Chris Martin has tried that too. However, he can<\/em> take over pop\u00a0with little more than said piano and an acoustic guitar. That\u2019s impressive.<\/p>\n A low point comes with \u201cGalway Girl,\u201d presumably a nod to his Irish granny. The rest of the album vascillates between lovely pop and teen<\/a> heartbreak friendzone saccharine ballads and there\u2019s nothing wrong with that.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Bleached \u2013 <\/b>Can You Deal?<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n Jennifer and Jessica Clavin make pretty loud pop that comes across like an anodyne version of <\/span>The Breeders<\/b>, a cleaner version of <\/span>Sleater Kinney<\/b> or a hugely successful attempt to fuse riot girl<\/a> pop with <\/span>Sonic Youth<\/b> as witnessed on the breezy summer pop track \u201cFlipside\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n Have a listen below.<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n Leonard Cohen \u2013 \u201cTraveling Light\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n The clip features previously unreleased footage of Cohen alongside archival video<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n It opens with Cohen discussing his fading health. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI feel a lot stronger,\u201d he says \u201cbut I\u2019m actually a lot weaker.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n Watch the video<\/a> below.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n GANGLY \u2013 \u201cWhole Again\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n When the members include three exceptional musicians who most people have never heard of.<\/span><\/p>\n In the case of Icelandic act <\/span>GANGLY<\/b>, the musicians in question are the brilliant\u00a0<\/span>Sin Fang <\/b>(a\u00a0sometimes-collaborator with <\/span>Jonsi<\/b> and <\/span>Sigur Ros<\/b>), <\/b>J\u00f3fr\u00ed\u00f0ur \u00c1kad\u00f3ttir (<\/span>Samaris <\/b>and <\/span>Pascal Pinon<\/b>) and \u00dalfur Alexander Einarsson (<\/span>Oyama<\/b>).<\/span><\/p>\n If you have in fact heard any of those acts and have a ying for ethereal Icelandic pop you will love this. If you are a newcomer we strongly suggest having a listen to the ridiculously atmospheric low key electronica that is \u201cWhole Again\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The post NEW MUSIC: Ed Sheeran, Bleached, Leonard Cohen, GANGLY<\/a> appeared first on Towleroad<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\n<\/a>There\u2019s a reason\u00a0Ed Sheeran<\/strong>\u2018s new album\u00a0\u00f7<\/em> has already been played close to\u00a01 billion times<\/em> on Spotify despite having been released less than a week ago and that is because he writes catchy pop songs.<\/p>\n
\n<\/a>Los Angeles pop-punk sister act<\/span> Bleached<\/b> have followed up last year\u2019s <\/span>Welcome to the Worms <\/span><\/i>with a new EP entitled, <\/span>Can You Deal?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n
\n<\/a>A collaborator with the late <\/span>Leonard Cohen<\/b>, Sammy Slabbinck has released a video<\/a> for \u201cTraveling Light\u201d from the legendary singer\u2019s final album <\/span>You Want It Darker<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/a>When is a supergroup not a supergroup?<\/span><\/p>\n