The summer after I graduated high school, I sat with bulky headphones on a hard metal stool at Waterloo Records in Austin, TX, completely spellbound, as I learned that music can literally make you feel like you’re on another planet. At the time, the newly released album Me∂ su∂ i eyrum vi∂ spilum endalaust was the first music I’d ever heard by Jónsi Birgisson, and his band Sigur Rós quickly became my favorite. To me, Birgisson’s music has always been about the sacred, inextricable relationship between filling and releasing. So when I saw that his first true solo release in a decade would be called “Exhale,” I smiled. The track begins with what is essentially a guided meditation: cavernous piano chords lead slowly to eight simple words: “Breathe in / breathe out / learn to / let go.” But the beautiful message of “Exhale” is that in moments of instability, you have to be able to forgive—at the very least, yourself; and perhaps, the universe. As the soundscape begins to shimmer and awaken post-meditation, Jónsi sings, “This is the way it is / It isn’t your fault / It isn’t your fault,” and maybe it’s just me, but right now that’s exactly what my anxious brain needs to hear. Around the halfway point, we begin to hear distant electronic chirps: the first signs of the track's brilliant co-producer, A. G. Cook, and a subtle amuse-bouche for the pounding, cathartic pop he provides for the song’s magnificent coda. The space created by the contemplative second verse (“Hold on / Inhale / Exhale / Exhale it from today”) is then filled with an ecstatic sun-shower of sound: anchored by A.G. Cook’s buoyant bass, Jónsi’s vocals swirl around themselves like a hive of butterflies, and eventually disappear. Then, filled with a fresh hope, you exhale.

Brooklyn based thanks for coming’s newest (very timely) album, almost named this album"untouched" in reference to not editing the cover photo and also having an unrequited crush on a stranger but then i remembered we're all social isolating right now and it's a little too on the nose even for me is impressive all around. It features the song “intersection," a 3-minute long euphony that serves as a cathartic listen for anyone with a lot on their mind. According to Rachel Brown, the artist behind thanks for coming, this song was written before the height of the crisis we all find ourselves in right now. But there’s something prophetic about their choices in composing this track. Brown’s vocals accompany relatively simple acoustic guitar, but they’ve layered three different vocal tracks atop one another, effecting a sort of self-amplification. Their tone throughout the song feels like a balance of lighthearted humor and serious self-expression that’s somewhat inexplicable in its powerful execution. “Meet me at the intersection / I’ve got so many fucking questions,” they sing, simultaneously with two other statements directed at an unknown subject. While the world is smothered in unknowing, and distance between people, thanks for coming’s “intersection” seeks to know. Perhaps it’s this that makes the song resonate so deeply, in a way that’s hard to pin down.

There is an earthy and tactile way about Big Thief's music that has always evaded me. There's an elusive nuance to the combination of Adrianne Lenker's timid and iconic vocalizations and the ambitious, lustrous and occasionally bizarre musical choices the band makes. It's what makes them genius and what makes me hard-pressed to listen to their ever-blossoming discography. There's something about them that makes me a smarter and better music listener. "Love in Mine" only exemplifies this quality.

"Love in Mine" is a bonus track off of their most recent full-length record Two Hands, which dropped just months after the release of another 12 track LP: U.F.O.F. Two Hands and U.F.O.F. listen like a narrative pairing. One leads and bleeds into the next. Lenker herself described the two records as "Earth sisters." While both of these albums are true-blue fixtures of Big Thief's personality—featuring sultry instrumentation, chilling vocals and sharp, poetic lyrics—Two Hands is the softer, more unfurling of the two, and "Love in Mine" is a near-perfect extension of that sentiment. Gentle and contemplative, this song manages to feel full and round while boasting only five stanzas of lyricism. It's a longing, sweet sentimental track about leaving a well-worn past behind and pressing on with grace. Perhaps we can hold this song in our hearts as we ramble forward in such a bizarre and difficult period in history. Listen to "Love in Mine" wherever you stream!

“What if I” is the latest single from Cuddle Magic, and it embraces one of the best acoustic spaces known to humankind: bathrooms. The track, like the rest of the tracks on their upcoming album, was recorded entirely in the band’s bathroom—doubtlessly earning the album its title, “Bath." The result of the unconventional recording space is a warm, intimate sound full of boundless patience and ethereal harmonies. Lyrically, “What If I” is a song that ponders ways to win over a longtime love during a rocky patch; however, it lacks the sting of most bargaining songs. The words are wrapped up in gently strummed chords and uplifting harmonies that fill every ounce of space. There is no room for sadness and desperation— only love and hope for the future. Sink into the cozy magic of Cuddle Magic, and soak in the harmonies until we can all enjoy the sure-to-be-warm Bath on July 3, 2020, via Northern Spy Records.

Tender on the ears lyrically and instrumentally, James Blake’s newest single in over a year “You’re Too Precious” touches on the inevitable warmth and care you might feel for a lover. Isolated piano opens the curtains and allows us to peer in on how “precious” Blake finds his lover. Little lines like “I’d take the calls you don’t want to / I’d take the hair in your food” are invaluable details on how much care he views the object of affection with. The mundane things that make the descent into adoration swifter. When the rush of falling and the excitement of newness flickers in and out, there is always that lingering tenderness of real love. Instrumentally the song feels stripped of big gestures and instead relies on the natural and effective things–gorgeously delivered vocals and simple claps to fill the tune. The song feels like a slow Sunday night, “Div[ing] into diamonds / scratched and you’re smiling,” held in the glow of wonder–in bloom and just sweet enough.

"Who Are You" is the third single from Diet Cig’s latest album, Do You Wonder About Me, and it’s a song that you know is going to be fun to hear live. The track opens with some classic early 2000s cheerleader clapping, and it’s not hard to imagine a crowd getting really into those off beats before vocalist Alex Luciano hits you with the hook. From the start, the song is direct and anthemic. The first line you hear is “Who Are You," accented by snappy vocal leaps that are so catchy the line would get stuck in your head even if it wasn't repeated about 20 times. Like a good rom-com or coming of age flick, "Who Are You" is full of charming quips that balance out the heavier elements of the narrative. My personal favorite is “My moon is in Cancer, I wish I was a better slow dancer." Overall, the "Who Are You" is a perfect anthem for frustration over the end of a relationship you ultimately feel better letting go of. It acknowledges the anger and frustration; however, there are enough rhymes tinted with a feel-good pop campiness that it’s a sure mood booster. Diet Cig's call out anthem perfectly articulates what we wish we could all tell an ex or two. If you can’t be better, at least be honest, and don’t waste my time.

Building on the success of her 2019 EP, You’re A Dog!, Remi Wolf is back with "Woo!" showing no signs of slowing. A perfect summation of Wolf’s one-of-a-kind music, "Woo!" has it all. Funky production and stunning vocals, filled with songwriting that’s somehow deeply insightful, wildly goofy and completely relatable. The production plays the perfect partner to Wolf. Setting the mood and complimenting every move made. Refreshingly groovy and just as playful as the lyrics. A voice full of so much heart unleashes a remarkable performance from start to finish. Even as the chorus opens subdued, the seams quickly begin to burst and set Wolf free to soar. Pondering the complexities of love, only Wolf could deliver the stellar, “and I don’t know what I really wanted / and fuck I think I lost my wallet"—floating between the heaviness and the light of life. The versatile young artist is an undeniable hitmaker, each release bringing more to the table, winning over more ears. No one will put you in a good mood faster.

Summer is inching closer, and Laszlo and the Hidden Strength’s latest album came just in time to accompany picnics in the park and late night drives alike. Their Weezer-meets-Fall Out Boy sound is passionate and relaxed all at once while maintaining the perfect amount of post-punk ambiance. In the track “Chastity Seatbelt” the NYC-based band puts a specific imagery in the minds of listeners—one of vintage automobiles and cruising the open road. Songwriter Laszlo Horvath who is also on vocals and guitar has a way of taking the religious virtue of refraining and using it as an oxymoron. The song gives an overall feeling of escape and needing to break free. In times like these when many feel isolated and in desperate need to get away, this song delivers what present-day listeners need.