Pretty Girl, the latest effort from Bruce Makin, is an engrossing track that builds upon earlier works like 2016’s I Got It All and 2017’s I Just Can’t Go On. The song links together a number of genres, ranging from 1980s pop rock to hard-edged rock and dance, while Makin is able to indelibly imprint his own style on the resulting composition. The disparate approaches are made into a cohesive…
ADVM’s “WEEKEND” is a supremely confident track with the rapper building upon the framework of Yung Gravy, Drake, Asher Roth and Bruno Mars. There’s the smallest hint here of early-2000s R&Bers like K&Ci and JoJo. WEEKEND is an effort that could easily make some waves on pop radio, but there’s a deceptive deepness that exists between the vocals and robust backing instrumentation. The inclusion of horns here allows for intrepid…
Rich Wyman & Lisa Needham have released a new single, Forgiveness. The dynamic that immediately presents itself – Rich’s vocals and sizzling guitars – are enough to draw in listeners by the barrelful. There are nods to 1970s rock, funk, and even a bit of blues rock. The presence of horns in Forgiveness provides a fullness to the composition. Forgiveness’ production allows each element – vocals, drums, horns, and guitars…
Echezona delivers some rapid-fire bars on his latest track TMH. Nods to Kanye and Kendrick can be picked up here, while the backing instrumentation digs in the crates for the perfect amount of Long Beach-styled klaxons. The crispness which each line is dropped far outstrips what is currently achieving radio attention. The back and forth between the vocals and the backing elements builds up this chugging momentum, hurtling fans to…
One of the strongest facets of Shaheed and DJ Supreme’s creative output is the duo’s ability to continually shift and modify their sound. With a 1980s-tinged backing synth that sweeps over the song, the song will immediately draw in listeners. The rapid-fire flow that plays out on top of these synths keeps the momentum high while providing something else for listeners to tuck into. We’re even more enamored with the…
A lot of pop singers are adopting more indulgent tones in their songwriting, but this just can’t be said of the one and only Barry Muir. His new single, elaborately titled “Home In A New York Minute,” is a concise, unfanciful shot of vitality to the indie pop/rock model. The stagnant pseudo-postmodernity of a tired alternative music scene isn’t present in this track – in its place, we’ve got a…
Reasons is a fun bit of punk-meets-math rock that looks back to the glory days of acts like The Red Hot Valentines and Weezer. The song has fuzzy guitars, charismatic vocals and a melody that is absolutely infectious. Include a sizzling guitar solo that delineates the two halves of Reasons and what one will experience here is nothing less than magical. Each part of Scoville Unit strike out on their…
D3X’s “Vacations Matter” has a gritty, chill sound that stands boldly out from the rest of the rap crowding radio rotation. There are nods to Juice WRLD and Lil Nas X, but Vacations Matter shines brightest due to D3X’s own unique style and ability to rapidly cycle through tempos. Vacations Matter is a deceptively deep track, one that will continue to showcase different twists and turns even as listeners put…
Shaheed and DJ Supreme’s World Of Water is a powerful environmentally-themed track about the titular substance. There’s no extended metaphors or oblique references here, just a laser-like focus on promoting a message of responsible usage. The flow liad down here feels right at home with the mid-1990s Outkast and Goodie Mob discogrpahies, but there’s the same erudite feel that permeates each Shaheed and DJ Supreme composition. This single is a…
On Save Me, Stringz EMB is able to craft an intimate track that will have listeners following every word. The back and forth between KV The Write and Jay Marie approximate the tenseness present between a couple. The dynamic here is tremendously deep, something that will continue to pay dividends the more that listeners dig into the track. The song goes by so quickly; one will be eagerly craving more…
Laforren’s “Outsyder” is an automatic hit from the song’s onset. The rapid-fire flow that immediately issues out will have fans falling over each and every bar. The booming bass that plays at the bottom of Outsyder will shake some windows, providing the dark to the brighter light of Laforren’s vox. The song possesses ample polish, ensuring that the backing instrumentation and lyrics are able to shine together as well as…
Wellingta’s “No Goodbyes” has a tremendous emotion to it that is bolstered through a responsive instrumentation. Building upon the tradition of late-1990s and early-oughts R&B, Wellingta is able to cultivate something that speaks to a wide swath of fans. The double-duty pulled here in conveying the single’s message and adding a further layer to the harmonies achieved by the guitars and drums further cements Wellingta into the upper echelon of…
Rory McBride’s Stay Blue is a dreamy indie-pop track that is delicate as all get out. The track is built up with nods to 1970s singer-songwriters like Donovan as well as performers like Elliott Smith and Pulp. Stay Blue will have listeners eagerly focused in to each lyric that is carefully placed down by McBride. The dynamicv established between the guitar and bass provide a fulfilling backdrop upon which the…
Strange Flowers is the latest track to be released from Sonarpilot’s The Mirage Project, Season 2. One of the things that may cause an individual to pause before turning on Sonarpilot’s new track Strange Flowers is the 7-plus minute run time. However, the deft hand of the performer ensures that anyone that is tuning in will be firmly planted on the edges of their seats. Numerous movements in this composition…
Waydown Wailers’s “Motor Scooter” shines with blues-heavy riffs and a bit of honky tonk meets country rock. The charisma and wide-reaching nature exhibited here by the vocals will draw in listeners, while the dynamic that is established between the guitars and drums will make fans of anyone that’s focusing in. The shuffling, toe-tapping quality of Motor Scooter is able to excite fans of a wide swath of listeners all while…
Young Holyfield and Ishadon team up on the new track 1Concern. The track has a little bit of something for anyone lucky enough to listen in. There’s a bit of reggae, hints of mid-oughts rap, and a laid-back production that lifts up everything under the sun. Incorporating two distinct vocal styles ensures that 1Concern remains fresh from the initial note all the way until the end. We’re in love with…
Canyon Town is an engrossing effort that shines based on Regina’s adopting of numerous approaches from the 1960s-70s (Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez) and 1990s-2000s country music. Along with remaining reverent to country and traditional gospel styles, Ferguson’s output far outpaces other performers of these approaches. Taut instrumentation ensures that the backing arrangement remains a vital part of the track. The production of Canyon Town gives Regina, as well as the…
Justin Love’s “No Friends” is a confident R&B track that immediately impresses with charismatic vocals and a robust backing instrumentation that keeps things grooving. The back and forth between the vocals does well in further bolstering the overall intensity of No Friends. Where R&B performers sometimes struggle to carve out a unique spirit to their music, Justin Love is able to do something wholly different than what contemporaries are crafting…
Americana has been making quite a big comeback in the last couple of years, and if you’re curious as to why, you need to take a peek at what the underground has been submitting lately – and particularly what indie folk duo Mike Stinson and Johnny Irion are releasing this coming April in Working My Way Down. Much like their fellow underground artists making big waves on the other side of…
Jesse Lynn Madera’s latest release, “Unchained,” serves as the lead single from her forthcoming sophomore album, Belle Sent Me, and showcases Madera’s growth as an artist. It’s a compelling cover of Johnny Cash’s 1996 song of the same name, but the track is only similar in the broadest of strokes as Madera taps into something far more maternal and emotional with her take on the track. As a lead single,…