On “Two Bleeding Hearts”, Bruce Sudano’s inimitable approach to adult contemporary and country music is bolstered through the presence of Valerie Simpson. Bruce is able to call forth hints of Bryan Adams and Darius Rucker while packing the effort with emotive guitar and drums. The back and forth between the paired vox pushes each to an entirely higher plateau. Imagine Two Bleeding Hearts as a spiritual successor to Don Henley…
On Sheila E.’s new single El Rey Del Timbal, there’s a robust set of horns and omni-present drums that contribute mightily to a rapid tempo. The presence of Gilberto Santa Rosa’s vocals here add further complexity to what is already a heady effort. The number of moving parts here may lend themselves to messiness, but Sheila E.’s deft hand here ensures that each piece contributes to a cohesive and coherent…
On HALLELUJAH, Somesh Mathur is able to create a single that blends funk, electronic, and R&B with an international music flare. The vocals are able to add mightily to the overall harmonies achieved in this single, while the all-in chorus adds considerable fullness to the composition. The contributions here by Zakir Suthar and Harmaan Nazim do well to keep listener interest in this single high. Each distinct element on HALLELUJAH…
Ivan The Greatness’s “Power 2030” has a strong beat and catchy vocals, ensuring that one will immediately be drawn in. Power 2030 is part pop, part R&B, and possesses enough drive and dedication to keep interest high through out. With nods to Jason Derulo, early Kanye and Trey Songz, there’s every chance in the world that Power 2030 will garner influencer attention. Ivan The Greatness incorporates bright visuals in to…
Pretty Girl, the latest effort from Bruce Makin, is an engrossing track that builds upon earlier works like 2016’s I Got It All and 2017’s I Just Can’t Go On. The song links together a number of genres, ranging from 1980s pop rock to hard-edged rock and dance, while Makin is able to indelibly imprint his own style on the resulting composition. The disparate approaches are made into a cohesive…
ADVM’s “WEEKEND” is a supremely confident track with the rapper building upon the framework of Yung Gravy, Drake, Asher Roth and Bruno Mars. There’s the smallest hint here of early-2000s R&Bers like K&Ci and JoJo. WEEKEND is an effort that could easily make some waves on pop radio, but there’s a deceptive deepness that exists between the vocals and robust backing instrumentation. The inclusion of horns here allows for intrepid…
Rich Wyman & Lisa Needham have released a new single, Forgiveness. The dynamic that immediately presents itself – Rich’s vocals and sizzling guitars – are enough to draw in listeners by the barrelful. There are nods to 1970s rock, funk, and even a bit of blues rock. The presence of horns in Forgiveness provides a fullness to the composition. Forgiveness’ production allows each element – vocals, drums, horns, and guitars…
Echezona delivers some rapid-fire bars on his latest track TMH. Nods to Kanye and Kendrick can be picked up here, while the backing instrumentation digs in the crates for the perfect amount of Long Beach-styled klaxons. The crispness which each line is dropped far outstrips what is currently achieving radio attention. The back and forth between the vocals and the backing elements builds up this chugging momentum, hurtling fans to…
One of the strongest facets of Shaheed and DJ Supreme’s creative output is the duo’s ability to continually shift and modify their sound. With a 1980s-tinged backing synth that sweeps over the song, the song will immediately draw in listeners. The rapid-fire flow that plays out on top of these synths keeps the momentum high while providing something else for listeners to tuck into. We’re even more enamored with the…
A lot of pop singers are adopting more indulgent tones in their songwriting, but this just can’t be said of the one and only Barry Muir. His new single, elaborately titled “Home In A New York Minute,” is a concise, unfanciful shot of vitality to the indie pop/rock model. The stagnant pseudo-postmodernity of a tired alternative music scene isn’t present in this track – in its place, we’ve got a…
Reasons is a fun bit of punk-meets-math rock that looks back to the glory days of acts like The Red Hot Valentines and Weezer. The song has fuzzy guitars, charismatic vocals and a melody that is absolutely infectious. Include a sizzling guitar solo that delineates the two halves of Reasons and what one will experience here is nothing less than magical. Each part of Scoville Unit strike out on their…
D3X’s “Vacations Matter” has a gritty, chill sound that stands boldly out from the rest of the rap crowding radio rotation. There are nods to Juice WRLD and Lil Nas X, but Vacations Matter shines brightest due to D3X’s own unique style and ability to rapidly cycle through tempos. Vacations Matter is a deceptively deep track, one that will continue to showcase different twists and turns even as listeners put…
Shaheed and DJ Supreme’s World Of Water is a powerful environmentally-themed track about the titular substance. There’s no extended metaphors or oblique references here, just a laser-like focus on promoting a message of responsible usage. The flow liad down here feels right at home with the mid-1990s Outkast and Goodie Mob discogrpahies, but there’s the same erudite feel that permeates each Shaheed and DJ Supreme composition. This single is a…
On Save Me, Stringz EMB is able to craft an intimate track that will have listeners following every word. The back and forth between KV The Write and Jay Marie approximate the tenseness present between a couple. The dynamic here is tremendously deep, something that will continue to pay dividends the more that listeners dig into the track. The song goes by so quickly; one will be eagerly craving more…
Laforren’s “Outsyder” is an automatic hit from the song’s onset. The rapid-fire flow that immediately issues out will have fans falling over each and every bar. The booming bass that plays at the bottom of Outsyder will shake some windows, providing the dark to the brighter light of Laforren’s vox. The song possesses ample polish, ensuring that the backing instrumentation and lyrics are able to shine together as well as…
Wellingta’s “No Goodbyes” has a tremendous emotion to it that is bolstered through a responsive instrumentation. Building upon the tradition of late-1990s and early-oughts R&B, Wellingta is able to cultivate something that speaks to a wide swath of fans. The double-duty pulled here in conveying the single’s message and adding a further layer to the harmonies achieved by the guitars and drums further cements Wellingta into the upper echelon of…
What was the experience of creating “Sunday Afternoon”, and can you walk us through your songwriting process? I was working on my album, sitting at my piano and the extremely rough idea for the song started to come through. I began mouth syllables for the lyrics. Soon after I had this idea to write a love song and love tragedy in one. Relationships can be beautiful, painful, complex, and fragile, “Sunday…
Rory McBride’s Stay Blue is a dreamy indie-pop track that is delicate as all get out. The track is built up with nods to 1970s singer-songwriters like Donovan as well as performers like Elliott Smith and Pulp. Stay Blue will have listeners eagerly focused in to each lyric that is carefully placed down by McBride. The dynamicv established between the guitar and bass provide a fulfilling backdrop upon which the…
Strange Flowers is the latest track to be released from Sonarpilot’s The Mirage Project, Season 2. One of the things that may cause an individual to pause before turning on Sonarpilot’s new track Strange Flowers is the 7-plus minute run time. However, the deft hand of the performer ensures that anyone that is tuning in will be firmly planted on the edges of their seats. Numerous movements in this composition…
Waydown Wailers’s “Motor Scooter” shines with blues-heavy riffs and a bit of honky tonk meets country rock. The charisma and wide-reaching nature exhibited here by the vocals will draw in listeners, while the dynamic that is established between the guitars and drums will make fans of anyone that’s focusing in. The shuffling, toe-tapping quality of Motor Scooter is able to excite fans of a wide swath of listeners all while…