On Agate or Barium, David Norland is able to establish a compelling instrumental effort. Building an entire landscape with pianos and rising strings, Norland generates a cogent narrative. Spontaneous sections are buttressed well with more deliberate, piano heavy movements. While the effort concludes a hair over the three-minute mark, the composition will remain in one’s brain for much longer than that. It’s always impressive when an instrumental artist is able…
Come Back to Me is an epic R&B track that is able to convey some seriously heady emotions. Drea Jeann’s vocal range is without comparison, hitting highs and lows in the same breath. Come Back to Me is made stronger by DJ’s ability to tell a cogent narrative while bolstering the instrumental side of things with each note. It is precisely when Drea Jeann steps away from thie lyrical content…
Taut emo with a bit more contemplative guitar playing in the background, Nesting is one of those efforts that will continue to yield new twists and turns multiple plays in. The band is able to tell fans a multitude of stories with this layered approach. Building upon the style of early Taking Back Sunday and Alkaline Trio, An Old Friend refers back to the halcyon days of emotive rock while…
Bleeker has released a very chill single in Straight For The Money. The track oozes with charisma and succeeds due to the dynamics established between smart instrumentation and alluring vox. The band is able to stop and start on a dime, further providing separation between Straight For The Money and the rest of the songs seeking popular recognition. Bleeker builds upon Walk The Moon and OK Go; the louder and…
The Best has AWOLNATIOn calling forth synth-pop and a bit of progressive to bolster their inimitable style. The soft vocals that start each stanza are pushed to their limit as things switch to a higher gear. The drum fills that are interspersed throughout The Best has AWOLNATION at their creative plateau. A very stylized video adds further context to the song as well as going all in to a children’s…
A sludgy, mid-1990s alt-rock sound issues forth from Utility’s Bull In The Shop. Deliberate, crunchy guitar riffs match nicely with classic / hair rock-style drums. There are nods made throughout this effort to acts like Deep Purple and early-1980s-era Motley Crue. By whipping in just a hint of grunge music to Bull In The Shop, Utility is able to make something bold and new while hitting some of the high-water…
During Take Me Down, Alexa Friedman is able to provide some confident and catchy vocals. Laid upon an EDM-infused backing instrumentation, Alexa’s voice ensures that fans of dance, pop, and rap will be able to find something that they can sink their teeth into. Take Me Down is able to renovate the mid-oughts sound of performers like Nelly Furtado by pairing them with a modern set of pop sensibilities. A…
During Honesty, Mychael Gabriel is able to marry together the synth-infused R&B of the early 1980s with the vocal-forward R&B of the early 1990s (e.g. Tevin Cambell, Babyface). This laid-back groove allows for Gabriel’s vocals to shine out brilliantly over the composition. A taut groove ties together luxurious synths, fat bass liners, and punctual percussion that ensures that listeners will get out on the dance floor. We’re particularly enamored with…
On I’m Straight, Kimberly Rice immediately impresses with hard-scrabble flows and more than a bit of swagger. The snap track and synths build off the mid-oughts rap of performers like Lil Jon. When Calvin Cofield enters into the mix, the effort is able to garner a bit of additional momentum. With each side of the composition hitting on all cylinders, I’m Straight ensures that it can hang quite nicely with…
On The Hardest Part, Oliver James is able to make a hauntingly beautiful track that needs little more than echoing vocals and a strummed acoustic to make huge waves. There are nods here to the alt-rock of the late 1990s as well as earlier traditions like The Smiths. Beautiful strings are weaved throughout The Hardest Part, imbuing the effort with a richness that will fulfill fans long after the song…
On Motion Sick, Anna Claire Loftis is able to blend equal amounts 1990s pop and atmospheric indie to make something that will resound with listeners long after the song ceases to play. The backing instrumentation is surprisingly deep here, with a wall of sound needing to be unraveled to hear everything that Loftis has placed within. The guitar / drum dynamic plays at the fore, but smart usage of loud…
Your child may be nagging you about getting a new bike and learning how to ride. When do kids learn to ride a step through bicycle for the first time in their young lives? Many parents find themselves in a dilemma when estimating the readiness to learn to ride a bike. Other parents grapple with the fear of their child getting injured as they learn to ride for the first time. …
Gryndin may just be our favorite Jae Mansa song out, as it is able to call back to the early days of Kanye and Styles P. Impressing Young Marco into throwing down some bars for this track is a genius-level decision, as the two distinct approaches taken by the performers makes Gryndin into an unmitigated banger. With smart use of samples and hints of mid-oughts acts (The Game, early Rick…
On Recognize, pineappleCITI is able to create an easy-going rap track that builds upon the framework of Young M.A. and A Boogie. With a backing beat that is more dreamy, accentuating rather than boldly countering PC’s bars, Recognize comes forth as utterly distinct from other rap tracks currently populating playlists. Delicate and replete with an infectious vocal hook, Recognize gradually increases in speed as one hurtles to the end of…
Touch It succeeds because of a haunting, Hypnotise Minds meets Migos sort of production. Intricate wordplay is spat at a bullet’s pace as PM beats fans over their head with the most ornate maul. Get It is a hard-hitting track that has PM spit lyrics that are cocksure and confident. Matched well with a booming bass and trap-inspired backing beat, Get It is the sort of track that will immediately…
Dan Ashley is a celebrity in his own right, but What Really Matters is an effort that will catapult him alongside such rock luminaries like Michael Stanley and Elvis Costello. The same charisma that bubbled through his news broadcasts comes through in droves during his latest single. Easy listening rock with musical chops to add more than a bit of oomph, What Really Matters is able to revive the style…
On Planet, The Phoenix Rose create a wholly unique effort that links together the taut pop-rock of later Genesis, a bit of 311-styled modern rock, and the orchestral pomp of Dream Theater. Throw in some huge jazz-infused bass and a bit of reggae wobble and one will have some semblance of what The Phoenix Rose is trying to do here. The band picks up speed at around the 3:25 mark,…
Jane N’ The Jungle create a technically amazing effort that blends together progressive rock instrumentation with emotive, impassioned vocals. With a set of influences as wide-ranging as Metallica, Jethro Tull, and Santana, Jane N’ The Jungle are continually evolving and refining their musical output. Few songs are able to be enjoyed in such a wide-reaching fashion. One can just take Beach On Fire on its surface or they can dig…
By The Throat is a powerful, introspective effort that refreshes the sound of Nick Cage, Chris Isaak, and Where The Streets Have No Name-era U2. Instrumental and vocal sides struggle for dominance here. The bit of electronic fuzz that the guitar / drum dynamic includes bring The Great Dictators a bit closer to NIN. Alluring and darkly emotional, By The Throat’s shuffling tempo will make fans out of anyone listening…
Zidiq is able to infuse African Mama with an infectious groove and an eye back towards traditional styles, even as he hits fans with some booming EDM beats. Insistent synths match nicely with smooth vocals; hints of Akon and Sean Kingston can be heard in this effort. African Mama turns on a time with slower and quicker sections. With so many things happening during ZIDIQ’s latest single, fans will be…