On Empathy Test, Eli Raybon is able to establish an engrossing 1980s-infused synth-pop track that takes the best parts of the Cocteau Twins, Depeche Mode, and Erasure. Simultaneously, he ramps up the track’s momentum to refresh the overall sound and place it as a viable alternative to electro-funk. Tremendous charisma drips off of every lyric for Empathy Test, making for an absolutely memorable song. We’re particularly fans of the depth…
On Love Is Like a Goldmine, New Silver Girl is able to blend together 1960s and 1970s rock in a fashion that is authentic, while given a new lease on life due to the band’s unique approach. Key to the success of this single has to be NSG’s vocals, which link together The Ramones and The Doors. Intense guitar work and bass line unite to make something as heady as…
New York, by way of England, singer songwriter Bobby Long has turned in a strong, vulnerable record for his fourth effort, Sultans. Spanning 10 tracks, Long channels everyone from Elliott Smith and Al Green to Dylan for an emotional, at times soulful journey that covers the themes of all great folk artist: love, lost love and the inevitable heartache, the staples of a great soundtrack for the lonely. Far from…
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/ashleydelima/ Few pop singers have been making as big a splash with critics around the country as Ashley Delima has in the last year, and in “Fire in the Sky,” it’s easy to see why. Delima’s vibrant vocal style has been described as ethereal and transcendent in the past, and in this latest single from the acclaimed singer and songwriter we get to experience the full scope of her…
Heartstrings, the debut full length from Belgium punks This Means War, easily proves that the band’s self-titled EP wasn’t simply a fluke. Across nearly a dozen tracks, this five-piece, teeming with a solid pedigree of influences from Cock Sparrer to the Bouncing Souls, turn in a wonderfully catchy, anthem-ready album that has all the trademarks of a modern punk rock classic. Taking their name from a 2014 Old Firm Casuals…
Velvety soft vocals penetrate the silence and immediately spellbind us with their modest melodicism in the opening bars of “Heroine,” one of the ten incredible tracks that comprise the new, self-titled album from Steel Blossoms. As the story in the song begins to unfold, the somber tone of the lyrics bleeds into the bittersweet serenade, and our hearts become bound to the evocative textures in the strings cascading from the…
Only Got One is a gritty rap track that is unparalleled in how much of a story that is given to listeners. With a bit of smoothed out, Akon-inspired style to the song’s hook, SHI 360 is able to connect 2000s rap with the present. With nods to Immortal Technique and Atmosphere, SHI 360 is able to give rap music an international flare. Only Got One is able to work…
During Vivo Persa, Aurora Kuda is able to hit all of the marks. The timeless Latin flair is present in a big fashion here. Hints of reggae and EDM can be heard at points. Passion and energy ensure that one is never left wanting b Kuda here. Slower sections showcase the technical skill of the guitar, as well as giving listeners a bit of a breather before Aurora is able…
How ‘Bout We Make Love is one of the most passionate effects we’ve heard so far this year. The track is able to touch upon the New Jack Swing of the early to mid 1990s while having some of the full instrumentation that is the hallmark of contemporary rhythm and blues. The sheer sexual energy of Timothy J. WIlson will immediately invite listeners in, but those that are looking for…
Lullwater comes out hard with their new single Empty Chamber. With a ferocious guitar and drum dynamic lighting up the track’s first minute, the vocals are able to shine brightest during the single’s second minute. The two distinct elements are able to combine to a robust wall of sound breaking over fans shortly after that. When this supersonic sound gradually shifts into a more atmospheric, guitar-led section, listeners are really…
On her new track Balm/Burn, Kristen Lee Sergeant is able to refresh a storied jazz vocal tradition that traces its way back about 100 years. With a backing drum and bass line that elicits comparisons to early modern jazz performers, Balm/Burn is able to contain some deep and dense dynamics that need to be experienced multiple times to properly understand. Sergeant’s vocals pull double duty here, both telling listeners a…
On the first chapter of See Through, A BOI is able to deftly navigate vaporwave, 1980s R&B, and trip-hop styles. There is a richness here that unites these dispare elements. Sweeping synthesizers, insistent percussion, and echoing vocals establish this effort as wholly unique from what’s currently garnering radio and playlist rotation. It is the skill of this backing instrumentation that will have fans coming back for more. With a gradual…
On Beats of Zion, Rocky Dawuni is able to link the past and presence of reggae music.Soaring vocals are given additional oomph through a shuffling, brass-infused backing beat that will stick with listeners long after the track ceases to play. There is an intense momentum that is cultivated here. On Wickedest Sound, Dawuni impresses Stonebwoy into service. There is a bit of 1960s jazz and bossa nova music that is…
Riley is able to call back to the late 1990s for inspiration while keeping the overall production of the single absolutely popping. The backing beat provides bassy beats with a rising and falling money counter / gun drum percussion. The presence of V$ ASAD adds a further layer of complexity to an already intricate composition. Rapid-fire flows are bold and front-facing; this is a pair of rappers that have no…
When Will I See You Again is a touching ballad from Fiona De Vos. With a tremendous vocal range, De Vos is able to immediately pull at listeners’ heartstrings. The presence of emotive guitar lines pushes the track a bit into the power ballad style. With multiple vocals entering into the fray after the two-minute mark, De Vos is able to separate this track from the other singer-songwriter singles that…
On Buy Any Means, Willi M. Blake is able to call back to the halcyon days of gangsta rap. With a screwed and chopped sound to the single’s chorus, there’s a whole hell of a lot of gravity here. Blake’s flow on Buy Any Means is sick; rapid-fire bars come forth, bolstered through sweeping synths and a booming bass line. Blake is able to keep listeners interested through the entirety…
In Stuck in a Video Game, Feyer is able to tell a story about the playing experience in a fashion similar to Atom and His Package and Owl City. With a bit of chiptune and video game-esque synth arrangements, Feyer is able to really hammer home the overall feel of sitting down and getting down and dirty with a wide array of video game genres. A clear, clean, and crisp…
On Situation, Gold Dig and Mista Roe are able to create a track that both calls back to the late oughts and the current era of rappers (e.g. Big KRIT, Kendrick Lamar). With sections to Situation that call back to The Game and Trey Songz paired alongside a more gritty, street-wise flow, there’s something for everyone on Situation. With a chorus that will tattoo itself deep into the minds and…
On Jessica WJ, Cayucas are able to make a catchy piece of alt-rock that calls back to the halcyon days of the mid-1980s. With tremendous charisma and taut instrumentation, Cayucas are able to immediately catch listeners’ attention. The bit of synths and Cure-styled guitar/drum dynamics imbue this single with an air of authenticity. The track is effortlessly able to change styles while maintaining the same momentum of the song’s first…
On A Million Times, T-Pain is able to bring back the same laid-back flow that set him so far ahead of what other rappers were doing in the oughts. The shuffling production of the track ensures that the sound has a current and contemporary sound, while the feature by O.T. Genasis provides a bit of a boost to the single’s momentum. Refreshing and a nice change of pace from what…