As we’re continuing the strife to uncover a new “normal,” we can’t help but settle in the uncertainty that these past few years have left us floating within. So much has happened and so much has changed all from behind the confines of the four walls that we call home. For the moments when the sky feels like it's falling and you need someplace to plant your feet, the San Diego-raised artist Jelani Aryeh offers his latest drop, “From These Heights."

Uniquely its own entity, "From These Heights" both separates itself from modern music and sows new roots for the music of the future in a quick 3-minute go. Aryeh reorients early 2000s indie rock to suit our time of need. Featuring existential lyricism and that good ole’ stripped-down garage band sound, this gem channels the energy of music in the past to invoke worldwide change for the future.

Aryeh began crafting this track during the pandemic, at the height of civil unrest, sharing on his Instagram: “I made this song with Alex Craig of Slaters last May...George Floyd had just been murdered, and the riots were just starting to take place. It felt like there was so much chaos + uncertainty in the air and it seemed like everywhere you’d turn there was something threatening your livelihood. It was like everyone was trapped in a box of mayhem with no exit. I know that's still the case for a lot of you and many others around the globe.  At the least, I hope this song can ease your feelings and give you somewhere to settle yourself. Even if that’s for 3 minutes.” 

The young Black and Filipino artist has been making wide strides in the industry since 2018, with his track "Daunt" catching fire in the hearts and ears of alternative indie lovers. Aryeh is a trailblazing creative, never ceasing to hone his craft or personal growth, both of which evolve with each new release. “From These Heights '' is the third single from his forthcoming debut album I’ve Got Some Living To Do and merely a preview of the young artist’s musical dexterity and effortless ability to transform hearts and minds. See for yourself. Photo by Zamar Velez.

The words “once upon a time” invite you into “Wasted,” a genre-bending track full of lush, warped soundscapes that flow through a breezy, laid-back melody. The song clocks in at just over two and a half minutes, bops to an odd time signature, and has an undeniably mathy influence, yet is completely immersive. The intricate production of the arrangement is nicely complemented by the easy-going tempo and Old Cob’s smooth vocals—allowing you to acknowledge the weirdly wonderful synths without losing the beat. The vocal layering effect, reminiscent of Dr. Dog, adds a pleasing layer of warmth to the more technical sonic elements. At the heart of “Wasted” are the carefree banjo strums. Old Cob’s decision to add a banjo to a song flush with spacey synths is a good metaphor for the song itself: strange, but exactly right.

Rising indie-pop artist Trafton’s newest single, “Winter Blues (Demo),” is a hauntingly beautiful rumination on toxic relationships and seasonal depression. Bathed in hazy reverb, the arrangement is deeply and effectively atmospheric. Delicate piano notes tug at your heartstrings while Trafton’s wistful vocal guides you through a snowy landscape. His lyrics are a lullaby packed with soothing imagery and sung next to a warm fire: “Deep in the dark as the light snow flurries / my body warm your vision blurry / want more baby don’t you worry.” Born and raised in the northeast, Trafton is no stranger to bleak, chilly winters, and “Winter Blues (Demo)” is a vivid, emotional portrait of the season. It’s the softest track Trafton has released thus far. Marked as a “demo” to single out its raw, stripped power, this track proves that sometimes quiet songs speak the loudest.

Okay Kaya turns Cher’s soaring anthem “Believe” into a quietly contemplative bedroom-pop track with her newest release. Unlike the dancey pop ballad, this cover finds its strength in stillness and emotion making it feel like a whole new entity. The steady bassline drives the song as quietly ethereal synths come in to fill in the gaps. This pared-down version allows you to focus on the heart-wrenching yet valiant lyrics as Kaya emphasizes the melancholic undertone of the song. The King Krule collaborator has a way of uncovering the core of a song and highlighting it in her own unique way. This cover highlights the inherent sadness of the track without losing the hopefulness of the original. Okay Kaya took something powerful and overwhelmingly popular and was able to push aside all previous conceptions to make something that's completely her own. She reinvented the anthem while still honoring the original. This is the Norwegian-born, New York-based artist's first release under Indiana-based label Jagjaguwar and the follow up to her debut album, Both.

On "Pullstring," LA singer-songwriter Lauren Ruth Ward colors her usual glittering approach to Americana in watery pastels. A buzzy, lush guitar arrangement provides a soft cushion for the emotive rasp of Ward’s voice as she reconciles with the weight of the expectations that others have projected onto her. The soft percussion falls like footsteps in the forest, reverberant and felt most viscerally in your chest. Nuance is second nature to Ward. She weighs sentiment alongside reality, describing how we reflect what we know onto the ones we come to love. "What you see / it don’t come from me / your reality pulls my strings," as Ward sings the melody with a hint of tension and sadness, her voice is affected with ease.

Austin-based singer-songwriter Christelle Bofale’s debut single “U Ouchea” is a behemoth coming in at seven and a half minutes. Even at such a length, it never drags. Instead, it meanders from one melody to another with the strength and grace of a river. It is contained but not repressed as Bofale plucks her guitar and the other instruments come in and out as accents. The blues styled guitar riffs, steady bassline, and the gentle patter of perfectly placed drums allow her powerfully smooth, jazzy vocals to be the focal point. Bofale effortlessly switches from breathy and soft high notes to sultry, low notes with a hint of gravel. Her lyrics are just as graceful as she weaves imagery throughout, “You’re out here tight roping / should have left that to the acrobats.” The song showcases Bofale’s range as a songwriter, singer, and musician. Though it goes on for an extended period of time, it never explodes. Instead, it soldiers on slow and steady with little breaks of silence that keep the listener from getting bored. It is persistent in its understatedness. The song feels like getting lost in the night sky floating languidly with no particular destination...just enjoying the journey.

"One by One," the latest release from Canadian folk artist Dana Gavinski, feels like a wandering walk through an unknown landscape. A curious and thoughtful tune, "One by One" makes use of solitude as a point of reflection and contemplation. The inventive shifts in melody and cadence between the verse and chorus instill a sense of movement and playfulness—the spacey, whirring arrangement captures the dizzying inner dialogue that comes alive in all of us in times of solitude. The opening line is a wrenching moment of remembrance, "one by one / I think of how he’s gone / as the sun has drawn from the day." It calls upon the kind of nostalgia that sometimes comes when one takes a step back from the noise of the day to day. When the floodgates of your memory open and the things you’ve tried hard to ignore come back into focus.

“Adeline,” the cozy, new single from indie-folk artist John-Robert, feels like coming home. A gentle synth and soft, warm guitar line open the track, sweeping you up in comfort and nicely setting the mood for what’s to come. The reverb-soaked arrangement compliments John-Robert’s angelic vocal; sweet and clear, it’s a calming force at the front of the track. His falsetto guides you through with ease, and when he sings, you might feel like nothing bad could ever happen to you. The nostalgic lyrics add depth and longing to the hopeful instrumental: “Oh Adeline, take me home / walk me through the barren streets I used to roam / say you never saw us growing old / we can still live young.” “Adeline” is a gorgeous and evocative debut.

Since their humble beginnings, psych-rock project, Crumb, has been making the music of dizzying dreams. After the warm reception of their first two EPs, they are set to release their first full-length album, Jinx. One of the first tracks ahead of the album, “Nina,” invites you into a dazed, ethereal realm that seems to be detailing a hazy brain map. “Nothing makes much sense,” sings vocalist and guitarist, Lila Ramani, as an electric piano descends into the rabbit hole. Ramani is at the helm of the band's hypnotic songwriting. As she describes the distortions of the realities we create for ourselves, cadences swirl around in reverb, anchored by a tittering drum beat. “Nina” is a mystifying track. Pulling back its layers uncovers the surface of Crumb’s smooth consciousness, dripping with kaleidoscopic color and triggered by an expanding mind.