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,…
On Bad Boy, Lori P. Davis is able to build upon the rich new wave-tinged pop of the 1980s and blend it up with a fair share of mid-oughts country music. What results here is something special; the track bounces between styles and approaches with great aplomb. We’re in love with the rich guitar riffs as well as the ethereal and bright vox that Davis presents here. There’s a crossover…
Hard-edge southern rock is the order of the day for LAN LAW’s newest song Hillbilly Legal. The rich narrative that the act lays out from the beginning of the track will keep one focused in, while the dynamic that is established between the vocals and the rich instrumentation will keep them sticking around until the act closes up shop. The back and forth between the vox here keeps things nice…
On here new track, Fav Flavor, Amanda Holley lays everything out. The tinges of Mariah Carey and early Destiny’s Child that can be found here are married well to Holley’s inimitable style. The backing instrumentation does masterfully here, providing Amanda with ample ability to build complex and fulfilling vocal arrangements. There’s a surprising depth to Fav Flavor that ensures listeners will be able to find new twists and turns with…
On Party Like You, Jason Owens is able to create a tender modern country song that showcases a tremendous amount of emotion while having the hookiest chorus you’ve heard this year. The song is able to span the range of legendary performers like Blake Shelton and the Zac Brown Band while having just the lightest tinge of a Harry Styles. For those long-time fans of country music, the backing instrumentation…
Carbon County’s “Panic” comes forth with a bit of Ramones and Screeching Weasel. Furious guitar work, splashy drums, and an in-your-face set of vocals unite to have listeners tapping their toes. Panic’s chorus will bury itself deep into listeners’ brains, while the sizzling guitar lines hurtle fans to the end of the track. There’s a vibrancy and current feel to Carbon County’s latest single that will garner a great many…
Midnight Sun is a country-rock track in the vein of Alabama, .38 Special and the Drive-By Truckers. The charismatic vocals will immediately draw listeners in, while the assertive guitars blend with the strings and bass to make for a seriously robust backing track. The two elements are able to join together into something special as Lake enters into the chorus. With these lines resounding loudly out through the speakers, Lake…
On Light of the Moon, Red Matter are able to craft an engrossing narrative replete with complex arrangements and considerable charisma. The band’s own brand of jam builds upon the Grateful Dead, Blues Travel, and My Morning Jacket. The multi-part harmonies that are presented during their latest single are impressive. More than just laying out a narrative with them, Red Matter’s vox add mightily to what is already a deep,…
JIP’s new album Thought This Was Over begins with Money & Candy, a single which immediately draws listeners in with assertrive guitars and drums. The guitar fuzz adds a bit of cushion upon which the Offspring-meets-Rise Against infused vocals can reside. Other nods are made here to Samhain-era Danzig, Offspring and Unwritten Law. The swagger than begins Smile. Enjoy Yourself will immediately draw fans in, while the cohesive sound of…
Loving the callback to the 1980s with synths that feel inspired by early Depeche Mode, Yaz and The Psychedelic Furs. The vocal charisma here will ensnare listeners, while the overall sound of the single will entrance those that appreciate Walk the Moon or later Jonas Brothers. nxtime insert in a synth/drum section to Medicine that rapidly ratchets up the single’s momentum, a move that keeps things fresh until the band…
Riverside Drive is a truly timeless track that immediately impacts listeners with soulful brass and a robust backing instrumentation that rapidly sets up a narrative that runs through the track. We particularly love the keys which push the track forward to its end. The numerous elements contributing here could easily fall into disarray, but the considerable ability of each player makes this into something that will blow fans away. Twisting…
Bigg Z has a hit on his hand with his newest cut, Out Of Reach. This song is able to refresh the late-oughts style of R&B and rap music. The wordplay that is incorporated here builds off of the tradition of Nas and early Kanye. Bigg Z’s decision to feature Blu and Lauren Mateo during his latest single adds considerable depth to the composition. Multiple vocal layers and a scintillating…