Author: James McQuiston

Ph.D. in Political Science, Kent State University. I have been the editor at NeuFutur / neufutur.com since I was 15. Looking for new staff members all the time; email me if you are interested. Thanks!

Francine Honey releases new Single “Stay”

Distant flickering lights give way to black and white images of a small, intimate club and the band that has taken its stage tonight. The bass marches forward with a hesitant hustle, the guitar follows suit in a harmonious groove. The rhythm that the drums are conjuring up frames a passionate vocal from the one and only Francine Honey, who enters the spotlight and immediately commands the attention of everyone in the room with her emotive singing. We’re in the front row for a performance from one of the underground’s most discussed crooners this spring, and she isn’t holding anything back from us in this, her latest single, “Stay.” “Stay” is a song steeped in melancholy and defined by its pristinely melodic pleas, but it’s anything but a self-serving exercise in pop egotism.

OFFICIAL VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCJdNLvukrw

As cinematic as the music video is, the soundtrack is the real star here. There’s a lot of details to be appreciated within the instrumentation, and furthermore, its decadent arrangement amidst the virtuosic verses that Honey lays down effortlessly. Her style is unapologetically show-stealing, but it doesn’t ignore the value of rich tonality as it’s espoused by the glowing guitar parts in this track. The vocal is as soft as a velvet sheet and dripping with honest pain, the likes of which many artists would conceal with platitudes and mundane metaphors, but rather than employing a sonic smokescreen, Honey gets as real as she’s ever been with us in “Stay,” and subsequently dispenses her most relatable and endearing song so far.

France Honey continues to impress discriminating critics and fans like myself with her evolving songcraft and disciplined use of grandiose textures, and I think that, in many ways, this new single encapsulates her identity as a composer and vocalist better than any other that she has released thus far has. She’s a storyteller, a master of homespun harmonies, and most importantly, a soulful singer who knows a thing or two about conveying emotions that are otherwise impossible to express in words alone. I’m going to be keeping tabs on her future output for sure, and once you get a taste of her latest work, I think you will to.

DEEZER: https://www.deezer.com/en/track/544074222?autoplay=true

Kim Muncie

Plants – Fervent Devise

On Fervent Devise, Plants are able to call back to the rock of the 1960s and 1970s. Infectious guitar lines, charismatic vocals, and shuffling drums laid down by Alex unite to make something tremendously cohesive. With just a hint of 1990s alternative included in the mix, Plants are able to make an effort wholly unique while reverent of influences preceding the act. With the swagger of 1970s-Steven Tyler or Emotional Rescue-era Mick Jagger, Plants are able to craft a song that will stick with listeners long after the song ceases to play. Few acts are able to create such a cohesive sound with a single track; Fervent Devise is an early favorite for this summer.

Plants – Fervent Devise / Soundcloud / Bandcamp

Chris Eves And The New Normal – Find Your Way

Remember to Forget is a track that ties together the jam-band sound of Umphrey’s McGee and Gov’t Mule with a more contemplative, Collective Souls meets Wallflowers sort of sounds. The instrumentation that brings fans into Find Your Way stands up to repeat plays, while the passion and range of Chris’s vocals will keep fans firmly focused into the music that is to follow on the band’s latest, Find Your Way.

Walking on a Wire is a track that goes back to the halcyon days of the late-1990s with nods to the Dave Matthews Band and Rich Hardesty in the band’s light-hearted and bouncy approach to rock. By bringing in just a hint of the 1970s Apple Records sound, Chris Eves and The New Normal are able to add a fullness to the resulting song.

Find Your Way brings in a sizzling guitar line to the mix. When coupled with the hopeful vox laid down by Chris, what results is a track that will have listeners’ toes tapping. Just a hint of 1970s rock can be discerned here, further adding to the honest sound that the band promotes through the entirety of the disc.

The Chains You Wear comes at fans with a fair amount of swamp rock (think Every Mother’s Nightmare, Jackyl, or Seven Mary Three); When the Stars Start Falling is the other side of the coin with a much more celestial sort of sound. The gradual increase in the band’s momentum through this track makes for a late-album track that absolutely sparkles. Bigger Than the Two of Us is a fun track that calls back to the late-1970s output of Aerosmith, blended all up with Boulevard of Broken Dreams-era Green Day.

Top Tracks: Walking on a Wire, When the Stars Start Falling, Bigger Than the Two of Us

Rating: 8.2/10

Chris Eves And The New Normal – Find Your Way / 2019 Self Released / Domain / Facebook /

Zāna “Nah”

On Nah, Zāna is able to blend equal parts Jennifer Lopez and Shakira into a song of female self empowerment, all while blending in an international flair to pop music. The track is able to establish a chiaroscuro of loud / quiet in a fashion to successfully capture the attention of listeners. The backing beat is on-point, providing a formidable canvas upon which Zāna is able to add her own unparalleled vocals and charisma to. Nah is a track that works as well in 2019 as it would have in 1999; this timeless sound is a fantastic way to get familiarized with the performer. What do you think about Nah?

Zāna “Nah” / Domain / Facebook /

Val Emmich “Worry”

On Worry, Val Emmich is able to insert some of the most intense and touching emotional content we’ve ever heard. The taut instrumentation that begins to rise up as Emmich moves towards the chorus is similarly strong. There are just so many layers at which listeners can enjoy the track. We like how the vocals / instrumentation insistently hurtle towards chaos before Worry pivots to an entirely different sound. Emmich has had success in a number of different roles, but the music issuing forth from Val’s mind may be his strongest work yet. For fans of Bright Eyes, At The Drive-In, and The Rocket Summer.

Val Emmich “Worry” / Domain / Bandcamp /

Lila Drew “Take It Back”

On her new single Take It Back, Lila Drew is able to blend in equal amounts of pop, R&B and EDM into a sultry, intense track that will bury itself deep into the minds and hearts of listeners. Of particular note during this song has to be the thoughtful, trap / funk / dance backing instrumentation that provides highlighting to Lila’s vocals. Another high-water mark for this cut has to be Lila’s vox; their rising and falling provides further depth to Take It Back that further distinguishes the song from the rest of the music that is currently occupying spots on Billboard charts. Check out the video for Take It Back below.

Lila Drew “Take It Back” / Instagram

Jeremie Albino “Hard Time”

Immediately bringing the bouncy sound of The Pretenders and The Tide Is High-era Blondie, Jeremie Albino is able to whip in his own unique flair. Charismatic vocals do more than just tell a story; they are able to add considerably to the overall; harmony of the composition. With a production that allows each element to shine alone or as a contributing part to a greater whole, Hard Time is one of those songs that will bury itself deep into listeners’ hearts and minds. Adding a secondary second of vocals at points, Hard Time further ratchets up the replay value of Albino’s latest.

Jeremie Albino “Hard Time” / Domain / Facebook /

Orange Birthday – 5

There is a surprising depth to the 86-second 5, the lead cut from Orange Birthday’s a1x album. The track feels as if there’s not too much to it during a cursory listen, but there is a dual duty to the swirling synths and instrumental arrangements here. Th epresence of electronic sections and guitars make for something that is a bit new age, a bit atmospheric, and a cogent statement of one’s mind. Never content to hammer home the same trends or sounds, Orange Birthday is able to easily make a statement with 5 that dovetails nicely with its follow-up, the much more bold and insistent 6.

Orange Birthday – 5 / Bandcamp

Sean McMorris “Vortex” and “C’est la Vie”

Vortex is a catchy rock track that keeps one’s toes tapping while washing over fans with taut instrumentation and an eclectic, deep sound. Hints of Bryan Adams and Rush can be picked up here; a ropy bass line and charismatic vocals push this single to an entirely higher plateau.

C’est la vie is our favorite of this pair as there is a bit more emotional heaviness to the composition. Listeners that have fallen in (and out of) love will find some common threads with McMorris’s other new single. Allowing the instrumentation a bit more room to breathe (plus hints of Cheap Trick and even disco) makes this an unfettered success.

Sean McMorris “Vortex” and “C’est la Vie” / Domain / Facebook /

Meddie Bloom “Time To Live”

On Time To Live, Meddie Bloom is able to create a cohesive dance track that will immediately draw in listeners’ attentions. The hopeful synth lines, supersonic vocals, and driving beat combine to make for something that will bury itself deep into one’s psyche. There is a good amount of shifting through tempos and styles as Bloom touches upon Italo dance, trance, and mid-1990s techno before adopting a more contemporary EDM approach to things. There’s simply something here for everyone on Time To Live; four minutes is just enough for Meddie Bloom to make something fantastic with his latest cut.

Meddie Bloom “Time To Live”