The Singles Jukebox

This is slightly improved if you imagine that the video takes place in the same cave as The Descent…

[Video]
[3.67]

Tobi Tella: An insipid dirge. After “Youngblood” I thought 5 Seconds of Summer might be artistically maturing into a more refined pop rock sound than their messier earlier albums, but this is a massive step into white-guy-with-guitar bland pop. Easy listening perhaps, and probably won’t upset many people, but will also likely be forgotten in three months.
[3]

Will Adams: 5SOS’ power pop pedigree makes them ill-fitted to this Charlie Puth brand of sleazy electro-funk. From the unwieldly falsetto to the collapse of “sodamnbeautiful,” there’s little to elevate an already streamlined, pat production.
[4]

Alfred Soto: The falsetto doesn’t let up, the group’s signifier of commitment and sincerity — a commitment to getting the woman addressed. The electrobeats and rhythm guitar licks emerge, without shame, from the Charlie Puth play set. 
[3]

Scott Mildenhall: Even more than their spiritual forebears Busted and McFly, 5 Seconds of Summer’s transformation into electro vampires feels natural. Charlie Puth as-bitten-by 2009 Preston is fertile ground, but as all vampires know, it could do with fleshing out. Where “Youngblood” was relentless, with more hooks than panto season, this has far less grip. While it’s great that they found room for percussive sniffs, there’s still room for a whole lot more. Nevertheless, if this is a step on the way to going the full Phixx, who could complain.
[6]

Andy Hutchins: I appreciate that the “She Looks So Perfect” boys have range and style beyond “mid-Aughts Warped Tour,” and I really liked “Who Do You Love” despite itself and myself. But “Who Do You Love” at least has Chainsmokers-derived focus, and “Easier” careening every which way is a clue that maybe limiting themselves to one better band to emulate per minute would be a better idea for 5SOS than performing an unholy pastiche of snippets from every radio dial that plays white people in 2019.
[3]

Alex Clifton: “She Looks So Perfect” was an annoyingly decent earworm, but sadly “Easier” just slips in and out of my head as I listen to it. I can’t even remember the melody or the lyrics or anything else about the song. It’s fine, I guess, but fairly meaningless overall.
[3]