Charlie Hickey - No Good at Lying
Pasadena singer-songwriter Charlie Hickey has delivered a dream-filled ode to having real feelings for made-up people. Sitting at just under three minutes, Hickey’s “No Good at Lying” strings together his subconscious thoughts and delivers them to us, fully fleshed within the lull of his voice and a soft guitar. “I’m no good at lying / On my back or through my teeth,” Hickey sings alongside his long-time friend and collaborator Phoebe Bridgers. The twenty-one-year-old describes the nuances of the head and the heart with a certain tact that is prematurely wise. Written with Marshall Vore, another friend and collaborator of both Hickey and Bridgers, “No Good at Lying” describes the confusion surrounding the vivid emotions for dreamed-up scenarios and people that exist only in your mind, like waking up from a nightmare covered in sweat. Our dreams may be different, but our shared reality is quite easy to digest: Charlie Hickey’s musicianship is significant, and his career is in bloom. Photo by Olof Grind.
— Elizabeth Shaffer on November 12, 2020
JR JR - Clean Up
Indie favorites JR JR, formerly known as Dale Earnhardt JR JR, have returned to the scene with new music after their self-titled LP back in 2015. The new single, “Clean Up” offers a look at the mind of someone coming to terms with their addictions and indulgences. The duo uses a throbbing bass line, simple plucked guitar and harmonies to illustrate the conflict that happens when one willfully chooses something that is bad for them. “Clean Up” brings JR JR to a more provocative realm, and one that we are excited to see more of in the upcoming album.
— Nick Arcos on January 7, 2018
Henry Jamison - The Wilds
Henry Jamison is a storyteller at heart. It may be in his blood — his father, a classical composer, and his mother, an English professor — but Jamison is a writer and artist in his own right, evidenced by his debut album The Wilds (released October 27th). Beyond writing, recording and arranging the album all on his own, Jamison has a special ability to bring each track to life. Take his song, “The Wilds”: it’s instrumentally rich without being overbearing, letting Jamison’s narrative whisk you away. “The Wilds” sounds like an old-time American love story - unassuming and familiar, but nevertheless, still surprising.
— Natasha Cucullo on January 7, 2018
Moses Sumney - Plastic
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.
— Dara Bankole on October 22, 2017
