On Take the High Road, Owls & Lions are able to keep things slow and emotionally intense. The vocals and drums combine in a fashion that calls back to Pink Floyd and forward to the more introspective Maroon 5 fare. A booming, epic sound builds up at the 2-minute mark, representing the separation between the two halves of this cut. We’re in love with the drums on the track, which…
Ball is a twinkling track that links together The Weeknd and Billie Eilish into a compelling package. The haunting vocals laid by Eryn distinguish the composition from other chart-seeking effort. The overall stark sound to Ball is a fun change from most pop singles, with a Hynotise Minds meets Migos tinge to things. Martin’s work here may come and go in the space of 2:30, but there is a ton…
The Taste shines by its deft uniting of vocals and synthesizers. The heavenly voice that glides on top of the composition simultaneously tells a story and bolsters the sizzling guitar lines. There is a distinctive production that glues together these disparate elements, further separating Night Dreamer’s output from other songs seeking rotation. Another Life has Night Dreamer establish a dark, synth-pop infused sound that calls back to the era of…
Cam’ron is back with some intense fire in his new single, Believe In Free. With strong female vocals representing the main body of the single’s hook, Believe In Free immediately takes a strong term when Cam starts laying down bars. The dichotomy between dark and light is present here; the street-wise lyrics pop brightly this season. Taking a look back to the font that got Dipset to the height of…
It’s a star-studded holiday season for Ingrid Michaelson. Christmas Valentine, a duet with Jason Mraz, is a fun foray into the modern season that has each side of the equation contribute mightily to the final effort. Soft instrumentation ties things up with a bow. On her take on the classic Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree, Michaelson is able to impart rich vocals with a smoothness. Coupled with vox contributed by…
On Dazed, Tiavara is able to blend together the vocal-forward approach of System of a Down with the chugging, taut instrumentation of the Deftones and Machine Head. The guitar / drum dynamic represents the backdrop for Dazed, ensuring that there’s a tremendous amount of momentum pushing listeners to the song’s conclusion. Fans of late 1990s / early 2000s metal will find much to sink their teeth into with this single,…
The Sarandons begin their new EP with Don’t Mean Much, an emotionally intense effort that calls back toe mid-1990s alt rock. Simply beautiful guitar work is the hallmark of the opening effort, as are lush vocals that build off of the framework initially laid by Adam Duritz and Wayne Coyne. The instrumental side of Don’t Mean Much is similarly strong, with sizzling guitar lines playing nicely with electric keys. A…
Maybe is a hooky emo-rock effort that takes the highest notes of Boys Like Girls and Mest and joins them to taut instrumentation. What results with Marquee Grand’s latest is a song that could easily slot onto modern rock radio / playlists. Take a deeper listen to Maybe and one will be rewarded with contemplative guitar lines, punchy bass notes, and splashy drums, a trio which imbue the composition with…
I Carry The Fire is an intense piece of instrumental fire. With nods to Muse and Queens of the Stone Age, I Carry the Fire whips in a bit of Peanut Butter Wolf and even Dream Theater into the mix. The song is able to tell a voluminous story with stylistic shifts through numerous genres and approaches. Hard, heavy, and taking a hard right at the 3:30 mark, Wettworker’s latest…
There’s something strangely comforting about ‘90s lo-fi Indie Pop stalwart Ben Lee turning to the songs of his louder contemporaries for his covers record. Though Lee is probably better known for the more accessible pop elements of that era’s alt rock music, he makes an inspired choice to take on songs by the likes of more distortion-laden bands like Sonic Youth, Fugazi and Dinosaur Jr. on Quarter Century Classix. The…
Good Girls is a delightful effort that blends together 1980s-inspired synth pop with a taut rap flow. Dreamy vocals are the perfect counterpoint for rapid-fire rap lyrics. AUGUST 08’s vocals are impressive here, inspiring a more docile feeling even as the modern era is given a nod through Duckwrth’s unparalleled bars. Fans of Kid Cudi’s more experimental stuff or DRAM will immediately dig what is going on here. The video…
High Sierra Club build upon the tradition of Coheed and Cambria with their latest single, Waiting. Tremendously complex instrumentation is interspersed with impassioned vocals to make something that will affect fans in a number of way. The dynamics that are established between the guitars and drums call back to the days of At The Drive-In and The Appleseed Cast. High Sierra Club’s strongest side comes in the dynamics it establishes…
Panty Droppa is a memorable effort that links together mid-oughts Atlanta with mumble rap. F$O Dinero is impressive in keeping the cadence as well as crafting an intricate flow. A bit of harmony is present in this aforementioned wordplay, adding considerable to the crap / sequenced backing beat that bubbles under on Panty Droppa. This single can easily crawl up the charts due to the hooky chorus and timeless backdrop,…
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…
Kerry Pastine and the Crime Scene’s third album release City of Love promises to be their defining moment to date. The Denver, Colorado native and her band mates built the two previous releases around a rockabilly blues hybrid sound earning raves in the process and established a reputation as a lively concert act more than capable of building on the energy they capture in the studio in front of enthusiastic fans. Her…
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…