Sharp shimmering strings, defiant drums, an anonymous threat and a resilient refutation. On “Hunter,” the lead track from her 2020 album, The Greatest Part, Becca Mancari weaves together a swirling, eerie atmosphere through crunchy guitar tones, floating vocals and a kicking drum line. Throughout the song, Mancari flips back and forth between the voice of the sender and receiver of ominous letters which read, “I’m gonna hunt you down.” The track opens with three repeated stanzas of the same lyrics from the letters. The atmosphere builds during this time through flowing synth sounds and scratching strings. With a crash from the symbol and a flare of the guitar, the voice switches and we hear the bold response from the recipient: “Well, you’re never gonna track me down.” In the final verse, the two vocal lines are layered; the defiant recipient’s voice takes center stage, and the sender’s line buries itself insidiously within the instrumentals. The song ends abruptly as the contrasting characters disappear, and the listener is left with the haunting words from the letter repeating in the back of their mind.

Captured Tracks is a label based in Brooklyn, NY, and was founded in 2008. Becca Mancari's album, The Greatest Part, is available now on Bandcamp and other streaming platforms.

Los Angeles genre-bending artist Moses Sumney released his gorgeous and ethereal debut album Aromanticism into the world this September. Sumney has made a big impression on artists like Solange and Sufjan Stevens for good reason. His infusion of soul and folk come together on this album in a way that leaves us begging for more. A prime example of this heavenly blend is found on the third song of the album, “Plastic.” A previous version of the song can be heard on the first season of Issa Rae’s HBO series, Insecure. This new version serves as one of the more simplistic songs on the album, featuring just a fingerpicked electric guitar, a synth and Sumney’s captivating voice. The hook of the song repeats the line “my wings are made of plastic,” each time sung in a slightly different way than it was before, continuing to imbue the phrase with new meaning. This song of vulnerability, self-awareness and secret-spilling is the kind that you can leave on repeat and get lost in for hours.