5 Seconds of Summer, or 5SOS, knows how to make a hit. From its debut single “She Looks So Perfect” in 2014 to the 2018 mainstream hit “Youngblood” and a couple more since, 5SOS has barely slowed down — only faltering to change its sound along the way. Its latest album, CALM, shows only flashes of 5SOS’ mainstream pop capabilities.
5SOS — made up of frontman Luke Hemmings, guitarist Michael Clifford, bassist Calum Hood and drummer Ashton Irwin — got its start by posting song covers on YouTube before Irwin joined the band. After the initial three’s cover of Chris Brown’s “Next to You” amassed hundreds of thousands of views, Irwin joined, and the Australian bunch eventually earned a deal with Sony/ATV Music Publishing.
After releasing two EPs, 5SOS opened for One Direction on both its Take Me Home and Where We Are tours in 2013 and 2014, respectively. Since then, 5SOS has released four LPs, with the latest being the worst yet still providing satisfactory moments.
Hemmings’ vocals are certainly the bright spot on CALM, which is riddled with production problems. The strange synths on “No Shame” don’t pair well with Hemmings’ vocals, especially when he goes into his head voice. Despite its promise in the beginning, “Wildflower” falls apart amid its chaotic chorus. The radio hit “Easier,” however, is fantastic through and through, as the pulsating bass line from Hood and Hemmings’ flawless vocals accentuate the band’s raw talent. Three other tracks from CALM wholly exemplify why 5SOS deserves the hype it’s getting.
Here are the three notable tracks from CALM:
3. “High”
If you don’t think the way Hemmings sings the words “highly” and “like” in the chorus of “High” is what it feels like to enter heaven, you’re lying to yourself. Hemmings takes this acoustic ballad to tell his ex that he still thinks about her, and he hopes she still thinks about him, too.
Alongside a beautiful acoustic arrangement from Clifford and gorgeous harmonies, Hemmings admits he knows he will never be good enough for her: “I know I’ll never meet your expectations / But the picture that you paint of me looks better in your mind / Now every step I take with hesitation / And I’ll miss the memories of the morning we were high.”
2. “Best Years”
“Best Years” is an absolute gem, thanks to silky guitar lines from Clifford and U2’s David Howell Evans and beautiful songwriting. Hemmings is acknowledging his past mistakes to someone — presumably his girlfriend, Sierra Deaton — and promises to fully cherish her moving forward. Hemmings provides some gracious offers that would be hard to refuse: “I wanna hold your hair when you drink too much / And carry you home when you cannot stand up / You did all these things for me when I was half a man for you / I wanna hold your hand while we’re growing.”
1. “Red Desert”
Fiery, infectious drumming from Irwin highlights the unflawed showpiece that is “Red Desert.” Hemmings, alongside his counterparts angelic harmonizing, reveals that even though they’re in America now, Australia will always be with them. They specifically point to Australia’s Red Desert as a sense of comfort during stressful moments and times of uncertainty: “Red, Red Desert, heal our blues / I’d dive deeper for you / What a blessing to feel your love / Twilight moments with you.” “Red Desert” is as good as an album opener can possibly be, and it’s the best track on CALM.
