Cory Driscoll got some well-deserved attention for his 2018 LP Tropical Depression, but in the years that have passed since dropping that disc, I think it’s quite obvious that he’s grown exponentially – especially as a songwriter. In his new single, “Hope Changes,” we find a much more bucolic composer in Driscoll than we did around the time he released “The Sinking State,” and to me, his maturity bleeds into the…
Zuniga possesses a uniquely qualified affinity for world-building. Needless to say, part of the fun of The Elder Scrolls – Zaneta’s Chronicles: Part One: Vvardenfell isn’t just its strong and potent story, but the way it completely envelopes you three hundred-and-sixty degrees within its environments. In this regard, Zuniga’s smarts also pertain to contemporary references, including politics and a mysterious epidemic that is on the brink of overwhelming various societies.…
Despite being a one-man operation, Versal manages to produce a litany of colorful tones and textures in the new album Versal Volume 2 that sound like a symphony more than they do simple electronic melodies woven together by a steady hand. Where a lot of other electronica efforts have been leaning on the avant-garde in both the mainstream and the underground in the past few years, Versal’s latest release sees him flirting…
The breathtaking gaze of the piano is rivaled only by the perfectly timed tempos in the new album Singing the Nocturnes from Chopin impressionist Elizabeth Sombart, but this isn’t to say the record is lacking structural substance. Contrarily, I think that Singing the Nocturnes may well be one of the best homages to this classic composer I’ve listened to in the past year, which is no small statement to make by any means. INSTAGRAM:…
Buster Baer’s Sleepy Baby has a dreamy, poppy sound that calls back to the 1960s (e.g. doo-wop, Donovan). There is a sweet message that is furthered through the track that is matched by the instrumentation. Wholly unique in its sound, Baer’s new single will stand boldly out from the rest of current fare. We’re particularly in love with the horns that rise up during the track’s chorus. This is an…
On Zach Churchill’s Would You Believe Me, touching vocals blend with complex instrumentation to make something that will stick with listeners long after the song ceases to play. There is an honesty that drips off each second of this single, a rarity in modern music that will undoubtedly make converts of listeners. Would You Believe Me gradually moves into a style that draws upon Ben Harper and Tonic with just…
TheDropout Spectrum’s Take Off is a hard track to suss out. During the track, TheDropout Spectrum is able to boldly forge through with his own unique style of rap music. There’s a ton of harmony that is inserted into the mix with this patois, making the song have a whole different feel than the vast majority of songs that are currently populating pop and rap charts. The arrangements present on…
See It is one of those crazy EDM tracks that will bounce around listeners’ heads long after the song ceases to play. The driving beat and vocals are intertwined to immediately draw fans in, while the progression of the single is enough that fans will be eagerly anticipating the drop from the single’s first note. ;The track is one of those that will gain a lot of attention from DJs…
Jim Waneka’s “I’m Coming Home” is a track that builds upon the proud 1990s country tradition laid out by Randy Travis and Travis Tritt. There’s considerable vocal range brought here by Jim, while the honky tonk backing instrumentation of the guitars and drums impart further legitimacy to the composition. The tautness of the vox and music working together mark for a track that could easily have made it onto CMT’s…
On Outta Town, Bruce Lii is able to \immediately draw attention with his rapid-fire flow and a supreme sense of confidence that separates his single from the rest of the music cluttering rap radio. The booming bass beats that play in the background of Outta Town provide a solid jumping-off point for Lii’s lyrics. The two sections combine to make a track that even the most weathered rap heads can…
Rap is no longer on the alternative end of the spectrum – truth be told, it’s the definition of mainstream in 2021. Even with this being the case, there’s still a lot of artistic credibility to be found in the underground pulse hip-hop has always prided itself on; take for instance the emerging talent of one Vikki Sota, whose new EP Genesis is making noise before sharing a single note…
When he’s crooning in songs like the title cut of his new album Philadelphia, singer/songwriter Eric Colville isn’t cutting lyrics that sound like they’re coming from someone else’s heart. He doesn’t want to tell the stories of the past, and his romanticism for the folk/rock genre ends at the line between influence and impersonation, and considering the depth of originality there is to behold in Philadelphia, it’s a wonder why…
Real Life is a hopeful track that adopts hints of Pop Smoke and Akon in creating something that is eminently playable on rap rotations. Fans of performers like Sean Kingston and Fat Joe will be able to sink their teeth into Real Life. The piano that plays as the backing instrumentation is given further highlighting with booming bass beats and an on-point snap track. Star 2 has the confidence necessary…
Love Again has a funky, alt-pop vibe to it that will work equally well no matter whether it garners airtime on indie playlists or pop radio stations. The driving beat that plays at the background of Love Again will tattoo itself deep into the minds and hearts of listeners, while Milky Chance are solid enough hands to keep things interesting from the first note until the last gasp of the…
On The Dirty Moogs’ latest single “Hot Moms”, the band lies down a funky, electro-infused groove that will firmly bury itself deep into the minds and hearts of listeners. The driving beat that pushes the song along is spun off into a different sound entirely as distinct vocals enter into the equation. Fans will be unable to stop their toes from tapping during Hot Moms. While the song is a…
JidScan “On Fire” has a tremendous back and forth between the harder flow that represents the main body of the single and the more soulful, touching voice that enters into the equation when listeners make it to the chorus. JidScan tells an autobiographical story here of self determination that is honest and earnest. There’s a bit of humanity that comes into focus during the single’s chorus. While there’s a ton…
The Veer Union are able to imbue the Mendes / Bieber track Monster with their own unique flair. There’s a larger than life rock sound that bubbles up into something ferocious during the song’s chorus. The brooding instrumentation works to lift up the vocals well, while the intense drum beats that fill the back of the track deserve some serious attention. Sizzling guitar licks come to the fore next, giving…
Candlebox make a tremendously emotional plea with the acoustic version of their Riptide. Thoughtful guitar work meshes nicely with softly-sang vocals. Ample layers ensure that fans will continue to find news twists and turns during the performance. There’s such an allure to Riptide that fans of Candlebox or of alternative rock generally will be able to find continual reasons to keep spinning the track. We’re in love with the guitar…
Dre’Co’s “Way Up” (featuring Asia Major) is precisely what modern rap and R&B stations need to include. The high-energy track has a considerable amount of depth to the composition. While the song is full of booming beats and confident bars, the production of the single ensures that one will continue to dig up new twists and turns even five or ten plays in. The pair fo vocals here further increase…
The Parcels’ Famous has luxurious funk that drips off each section. With multiple vocal layers calling back to acts like Earth, Wind and Fire as well as The Bee Gees, Parcels ensure that fans will be immediately enamored with their newest single. The tautness of Parcels’ instrumentation is hard to march; each guitar line, bass note, and drum beat combine to make something that will draw listeners out onto the…