Forgottensong’s “Shirts And Skins” immediately reminds me of the work of acts like Vertical Horizon and Incubus. The fuzzy guitar provides a solid counterpoint for the vox, while the deliberate pace of Forgottonsong ensures that anyone listening in will be eagerly devouring whatever they serve up. While the song is built upon the tradition of earlier pop rock, I think that the ways in which Forgottensong weaves Shirts And Skins…
Get Ready has a laid-back sound that settles the song into a decidedly oughts vibe. There’s nods to pop and EDM here, widening the potential audience to a considerable degree. SUPER-Hi and NEEKA’s combined forces are able to create an airy and alluring arrangement, something that will have fans singing along after their first encounter with Get Ready. One of the strongest facets to the single has to be the…
Dream is a timless rap effort that blends heavy topics with a gospel-infused chorus. Together, they unite into something that builds upon the backs of giants like Rick Ross and Slum Village. The airier keys on the backing beat are given further gravitas by a booming bass bop. We’re excited to hear more from Sean Kiez, as this work absolutely sparkles. Kiez absolutely tattoos the themes and music on Dream…
Ian Ward’s “One Shot” is a call back to all of those sunny singer-songwriters that populated the music charts back in the 2000s and the 2010s. There is little more than a guitar and a set of pipes that starts out this single, but the gradual incorporation of drums and a more assertive arrangement allows the track to be built out fully. For fans of performers like Stroke 9, Jason Mraz,…
Long Time Comin’ is a brilliant modern rock track that succeeds because of the richly emotive vocals, thoughtful guitars, and an intricate arrangement that stands up to repeat plays. There’s a dynamic approach to Long Time Comin’ that keeps things fresh and inspiring, whether it be te keys that point through at points or the bit of emo-inspired guitar/drum pairings that rise to prominence. M. Spano’s voice takes a bit…
He Is is led on by an interesting, unique time signature. By focusing the spotlight solely on Mack Holland’s vocals during the song’s first minute, He Is ends up deftly moving through movements. Of course, there are the rich collection of female vocals that rise up at the right points, but there’s a backing instrumentation that absolutely defies genre conventions. All of these pieces fit together to make for a…
Mack Holland’s Are You Ready For Your Blessing has an eclectic sound to it that will gain converts out of a wide array of listeners. The song is ostensibly in the gospel tradition, from the subject material to the call and response present between Mack and the chorus. However, the song is fascinating in that it is absolutely dripping with synths that are drawn from the electro-funk tradition. Are You…
One Anothers, the current song by We Feed Alone, begins with an insistent, brooding guitar. Haunting vocals enter into the mix shortly after, mooring the band’s latest work to the corpus of performers like The Cult, mid-career Marilyn Manson, and Robert Smith. The raw emotion that is present in One Anothers’ main instrumentation is amazing. Together, the musical and lyrical sides establish a wholly engrossing effort that will continue to…
Biggest Storm is a bouncy track, an interesting counterpoint to the darker subject material present in the song’s title. During the single’s run time, hints of Wilco, They Might Be Giants, and the Barenaked Ladies all bubble to the surface. Nuke The Soup have constantly put in work on their music, with each subsequent single we encounter showcasing a more thoughtful and elevated approach. Fans will need to strap on…
Rick Tyson’s “Call Me Don’t Text Me” is a track that immediately hearkens back to the rock of the early 1980s. There is a decided electronic (think INXS) influence even as Rick’s vocals end up being the focal point of the song. The video (attached below) does well to amplify some of the themes and trends that listeners will observed during “Call Me Don’t Text Me”. With Rick’s vocals pulling…
Never Judge A Book is one hell of a track. Swirling eddies of instrumentation play in the background while distinct lyrical sections provide complex, heady experiences for anyone that is fortunate enough to listen in. Q. Ali Bey is able to carry the standard of performers like early Three 6 Mafia and Outkast. The trio of features (Krystal Klear, Killah Priest, and Solomon Childs) all add their own unique touch…
Learn Ya Bout Me is an assertive introduction to Terry Milla. The strong vocals are interspersed with insistent backing beats to craft an absolutely timeless track that is inspired by mid-2000s NOLA and Atlanta. The production of Learn Ya Bout Me is sharp, giving both the bars and the beats more than enough ability to shine alone as much as they do together. Multiple lyrical layers provide further complexity to…
Adrianna Freeman’s “The Price” does a wonderful job in straddling the line between 1990s country and modern rock-infused country music. The passion and charisma presented during The Price is hard deny. While the guitars rise to the occasion and the drums are immaculate in the tempo they keep, fans cannot deny how big of a role Freeman has in setting up the narrative and overall feel for The Price. Freeman’s…
Even is a stellar pop / R&B track that works well in whatever context one incorporates it. There are bits and pieces of a Jason Derulo, Sean Kingston, and even Chris Brown that can be heard here. The instrumentation that comprises the backing beat on Even has the cold crispness of 1980s synthpop as well as the dynamism of modern EDM. Even is an effort that needs space to breathe…
(I’m Spending) Hanukkah In Santa Monica is an effort that has all of the spirit of 20th century brass bands and Americana singles. Deborah Silver and The Count Basie Orchestra are immaculate in their output here. While the vocals have their time in the sun, it is the constituent elements of the band that provide bright spots to the composition. (I’m Spending) Hanukkah In Santa Monica is an effort that…
Aquila’s cover of the Van Halen classic Eruption is a complete reinvention of the original. There a bit more in the way of gravitas, a bit more echo, and there’s something that feels heavy and intense at all points here. Each note is spot-on, but there’s just so much of Aquila’s own skill bleeding through that the track feels almost as if it is her own. There’s a vitality that…
Man, there’s nothing more engrossing than the flow that GoodGuyDavid1 drops on his latest track, Baby. With a dreamy-meets-drill backing instrumentation, Baby is able to shine. The repetition of the single’s title further firms up the composition. The patter of GoodGuyDavid1 is a bit Outkast, a bit Chance the Rapper, and chock full of his own inimitable approach to things. The song is decisively deep, ensuring that listeners have to…
Freekstar’s “Bulletproof” is an electronic-infused pop-punk track that whips in hints of Bif Naked, Atom and His Package, and The Red Hot Valentines into the modern era. The assertive vocals of the main body of Bulletproof immediately sets listeners on a journey, while the bit of guitar fuzz that peeks throughi is reminiscent of earlyoughts emo like The Appleseed Cast. This is a serious bop, and the video (embedded below)…
On Letter 2 My Folks, Young Hitta is able to blend together hard-hitting lyrics with a glistening, ethereal sort of backing beat. Together, these elements are able to make a cohesive effort that stands alongside modern rappers’ content with the greatest of ease. We’ve not had the chance to check out Young Hitta previously, but the work he puts in to Letter 2 My Folks stands on the shoulders of…
Where I Got My Fire, the latest single from Jeremy Gravely, showcases tremendous musical ability from its onset. Carefully-crafted guitar work will invoke considerable emotion before Jeremy’s dulcet vocals enter into the equation. Keeping the memory alive of his grandfather, Gravely is able to allow listeners to walk a mile in his boots. The track gradually gains momentum, before settling into a modern pop-country style that feels destined for high…