During Oceans and Mountains, Nuke The Soup is able to build upon Green Day and The Highwaymen to make one of the most unique tracks we’ve heard. There’s a familiarity present that feels inspired by mid-1990s alternative, but the taut instrumentation and smooth vocals are able to do something special here. The vocals are able to pull double duty in creating a cogent narrative and adding another layer of harmony…
AJ Smith’s Billy Joel showcases a performer that is able to build upon the rich tradition of piano-led pop performers. Beyond the titular musician, Smith is able to draw in the spirit of Elton John and Robbie Williams to create something truly emotional and effecting. There’s little more needed during this single than Smith’s vox and some keys as he is able to utilize a considerable vocal range to make…
Always Lookin’ Fly As Fuck is a confident, fun effort that showcases TripleYoThreat’s considerable faith in himself. Twinkling keys work with quick lyrical patter, building upon the framework of acts like Wiz Khalifa and Soulja Boy. The bit of Three 6 that plays in the song’s backing beat moors the lyrics to a classic rap tradition. A crisp production ensures that each word that falls from TripleYoThreat’s mouth can eagerly…
McCall’s The Unmapped Man has a driving piano / drum dynamic that allows Tris’s dreamy vocals to shine. A taut 3:30 in run time, McCall’s latest easily refreshes the lo-fit alt rock of the mid-1990s with just the right amount of emotive guitar work. A rich narrative is laid down during The Unmapped Man that reads as richly as a Pynchon novel. The keys that join themselves to Tris’s vocals…
Kitty Mama is a great introduction to Shiadanni. The thick, sweeping backing beat on the single establishes a perfect response to Shiadanni’s vocals. With nods made to 1990s R&B, modern pop, and even hints of EDM and trap, Shiadanni ensures that her song is relevant to the largest potential audience. Turn On My Brain slows things down to allow for fans to have more of an intimate look at Shiadanni’s…
Revival has a good amount of dusty, deesrt rock guitar to provide a grittier counterpoint to supersonic vocals that are laid down. Straddling the line between rock and country, The Imaginaries are able to bury an infectious tune deep into the minds and hearts of listeners. Thinking ‘Bout You has a soft, touching approach that deftly links together Americana, modern country, and pop. The two-part melodies allows each to reach…
Armed with a chugging guitar riff and a slick rhythm straight out of the American pop/rock playbook, “Know What She Said” comes sliding out of the speakers as smoothly as a track can, emitting a sense of catharsis with every beat it unfurls. Les Nuby is pulling out the stops to make a big impression in this song, along with the nine others that join it in the new record Clouded, out everywhere…
Rolling out of the speakers with an angelic ease that is indebted as much to Hollywood glam as it is the bucolic balladry of an old school Nashville, the vocal harmony in Wild Fire’s “Rolling With the Stones” is reason enough to pick up this new track from the acclaimed crossover duo this summer. Blending country with strong pop aesthetics and a talent for conjuring up powerful hooks out of…
Different is a trap track that blends together a taut lyrical flow with a different take on the genre. By blending together real world experiences with a revelatory moment, Pastor Jamaal is able to reach out to others that may be going through the same sort of problems. During Different, he is able to create an effort that is robust as anything a Lil Uzi Vert or a 2 Chainz…
Changing Your Story has some power and fury behind it. Carr is in rare form, hitting highs and lows while weaving a story of praise. Her backing band is on top of their game, creating an instrumental backdrop that deserves to be focused on just as much as Jekalyn’s story of praise. The ability of said band to stop on a dime and move into a wholly different sound is…
Give It To Me Baby showcases some of the most touching and sensual vox that we’ve ever heard from Trav Torch. The range that he hits during this new cut places him alongside the who’s who of R&B, whether it be a Jodeci or Brian McKnight. Smart use of the titular statement will tattoo the single’s melodies deep into the heart’s of anyone listening in. The narrative quality of Trav…
On Power Of The Lightside, Makes My Blood Dance build upon the tradition of Avenged Sevenfold, My Chemical Romance, and HiM to make a track that has serious rock chops while some seriously catchy vox. The hardcore-inspired breakdowns that are weaved into opportune times provide further variation for this track. With the ability to change to orchestral metal to gritty glam, MMBD is able to reach fans of a wide…
One by One (Little Things) is the initial effort on PK and the In-Betweens’ recently-released EP, A Lifetime of Almost. Taut playing, charismatic vocals, and a dynamic sound that continues to impress even after multiple plays, this first single builds off of the tradition of 1990s rock and college radio. Hints of Live and Our Lady Peace be heard here. The secondary vocals provide further depth to the composition; listeners…
On Don’t Say, Brandon Hutcheson is able to immediately draw listeners in with emotive and sultry instrumentation. When his vocals kick in, the song gains a fullness that would work perfectly on pop rotation / playlists. The song builds upon the traditions of performers like Trey Songz and early Chris Brown with hints of Justin Timberlake and Justin Bieber. The subtle nod to EDM producers in the song’s backdrop add…
Thought-provoking, Algorhythm’s Slipping effortlessly floats through psychedelic, progressive, and 1970s easy listening and jazz modes. The tautness of the act’s compositions unites these disparate elements. With a bit of electronic haze imbued upon the vocals, Algorhythm is able to seamlessly link together instrumental and vocal sides. The rising movement that marks the 2:35 mark of the track ushers in hints of Santana, Zappa, and Pink Floyd. While Slipping does reach…
Subtle in size but shapely enough to create an ominous rhythm beneath the surface of its stealthy verses, “No Be Mouth,” the new single from JTK (and featuring Tunji), doesn’t hold back from laying heavy grooves on us inside of a rather minimalistic packaging this summer. Swaggering but uninfluenced by the arrogant attitudes that have poisoned some of hip-hop’s most promising young voices, JTK is an efficiency king in this…
Modern rock tracks never sounded this good – Las Vegas’ Sprockets grip on fast guitars and great lyrics in their new EP Self Made. Taking the energy from the streets and dazzle of the Vegas Strip and transfusing reverb into a fun rock vibe, Sprockets’ gamble pays off in all four tracks. Making up the band Sprockets are Brodie Knight (vocals, guitar), Dave Schwaller (bass guitar, vocals), Jesse Magana (lead…
A tidal wave of beautifully overdriven riffage comes crashing into a vocal harmony as delicate as a strand of silk in one track, while another features glowing kaleidoscopic melodies that ride atop a smooth beat as though they were always meant to be joined in sonic matrimony. As indebted to the storm rock of Pelican as it is the vulnerability of Unknown Pleasures, The Brothers Union’s Pain and the Opposite is scarcely dull and consistently…
In his new 2-song EP, Too Bright to Fade Away, troubadour Reed Waddle experiments with elements of easygoing folk/rock and indie pop to forge a fantastic pair of ballads more than worth your time this summer. Both the title track in Too Bright to Fade Away and its counterpart in “Bells of Brooklyn” borrow a lot from the Bakersfield sound of the 1970’s, as well as a dose of tempered, Neil Young-style poeticisms,…
On Sixteenth Summer, Liam Mogan is able to imbue each beat with a charisma that is hard to deny. While the track straddles the line between pop and country, there’s enough of a nod made here to EDM and even rock to jazz up the widest possible swath of fans. The bit of hope and carefree living that is discussed during the single is replicated perfectly by the backing instrumentation.…