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Julien Baker - Relative Fiction
Julien Baker - Relative Fiction

Julien Baker - Relative Fiction


Cascading in with a robust bassline and sweet, summoning keys, Julien Baker’s “Relative Fiction” is the type of song that begs for a night drive, and leaves you feeling like you’ve been lucky enough to taste a fraction of the human experience in a few short minutes. Baker has the gift of stowing delicate ruminations on God, our own choices and the consequences of them in all-emotive, weather-filled arrangements. Throughout the track, she makes mention of instances wherein help is offered, but it is not what she needs: “I don’t need a savior, I need you to take me home / I don’t need your love, I need you to leave me alone." While much of the verbiage seems to fasten itself to religious concepts, the desire to be taken home and to be left alone accounts for the experience of so many, who want help but choose to grip only to themselves. “Relative Fiction” is a track from Julien Baker’s first full-band album, Little Oblivions, released on February 26. Photo by Alyssa Gafkjen.

Laney Esper on March 11, 2021
Kylie V - Natural

Kylie V - Natural


Kylie V’s "Natural" twirls and dances around intimacy in a way so earnest and honest, it almost breaks your heart. Their voice drops words like pebbles in a pond, rippling out before sinking in deep and out of sight. “I’m not a provider, I just wanna feed you,” they sing. The hook delicately touches on one of the most beautiful and intangible parts of love. It’s so enigmatic. Love never demands you to be anything but what you are; however, it often asks you, politely but insistently, to keep growing. It doesn’t shrink behind insecurity, even though you might. Love delights in vulnerability, taking in as eagerly as it gives. It’s strong and intimidating, and it takes time to learn how to conduct it. "Natural" sits right at the heart of that feeling, overwhelmed by the impulse to keep one hand held tight, and the other grounded on a door handle. Rhythm guitar lines ebb and flow as the lyrics tug between the fear of feeding someone else until you’re empty and the fear of letting them feed you back. The fear that you’ll take too long to get it right tends to linger at the back of your throat like something sweet and burnt. But you love them so much that of course you would try to figure out how to love them best. It’s almost too much to consider how you would begin to trust them to do the same for you, though. It feels safer to let yourself get wrapped up in the tide of feelings you’re experiencing, ready to climb out of the river when the current pushes you back to the banks. It’s a heart-wrenching feeling, but a delightful taste of what’s to come with Kylie V’s debut album, Big Blue, due February 28th. Photo by Lauren Ray.

Allison Hill on February 24, 2021
The Heatlamps - Find You

The Heatlamps - Find You


A soft strummed acoustic guitar introduces “Find You," the beautiful brand new single from The Heatlamps. Released on Valentine’s Day, this tender song serves as a meditation on the hope of finding and finally being with an ever-elusive love. 

The verses build slowly as arpeggiated guitars and solemn-sounding piano chords express a feeling of longing. However, this is beautifully juxtaposed with a sense of trusting that things will eventually fall into place, even if a little patience is required. The L.A. duo, consisting of Bo Jacobson and Louis Weeks, capture these conflicting emotions in a captivating manner as they sing “Maybe someday we won’t be waiting for another tomorrow / It’ll be our time," followed by “Show me the way / All I wanna do is find you." The song ends with an angelic swirl of noise made by guitars, pianos, synths and ghostly vocals, bringing it all to a reassuring conclusion.

Whether you are alone and looking for someone, you’ve found the one or aren’t really interested, this song will definitely get you in your feelings.

James Ramos on February 24, 2021
Jovan Perez - feel again (huck rework)

Jovan Perez - feel again (huck rework)


Jovan Perez’s buttery vocals are accentuated within the freshly-released adapted version of his late-2020 release, titled "feel again (huck rework)." The track is one of four versions released this month that contrast the energy of the original. While dynamic sonic changes suggest the idea of alternate perspectives, the impassioned lyrics stay consistent across each version. While the original was a soft, melancholic exploration of lost love, this rework has gained a few additional captivating melodies that bring a brighter movement to the emotionally engaging track. Perez’s lyrics examine how it feels to reminisce on a former connection; when presented in conjunction with the catchy and soulful elements reworked by NYC native Huck, the song offers a depth and groove that juxtaposes the relatively pensive original. Delicate components such as jazzy guitar melodies, shimmery synth layers and added percussion emphasize Perez’s already eloquent vocal delivery. A powerful guitar solo added at the end brings the once somber tune to an entirely different energetic level. The track truly captures the emotions that are brought up when going through heartbreak, and contemplates what it means to work towards being able to, as Perez puts it, "feel again." Photo by Ragan Henderson.

Jenna Andreozzi on February 23, 2021
Andris Mattson - Summer

Andris Mattson - Summer


Andris Mattson debuts a brand new side of his musical style with the release of “Summer,” an acoustic singer/songwriter track that fits the seasonal theme of his upcoming EP, North, set for release next month, available for pre-order on Bandcamp. Mattson is known for his Neo-soul production with the band Moonchild, especially his groovy beats, attention-grabbing synth bass lines and horn solos. His new release, “Summer,” is full of surprise textures and new sounds that we have never heard before from Mattson, especially his voice! He reveals delicate sides of himself as he sings about the beginnings of falling in love; late-night drives, phone calls and a feeling of blissful endlessness. Mattson reaches safety amidst the excitement, singing, “when I’m with you winter won’t come.” This heartfelt honesty sits atop dreamy guitar picking patterns and twinkly production elements. Mattson’s signature harmonized trumpet and flugelhorn solo feels brand new in this context—acoustic and bright. Everything about the track feels like a revived solo expression, and as a listener, you feel as if you have been granted special access to a charming secret. As a whole, it feels like holding hands in the car. It feels like infinity. It feels like summer. This song, along with the upcoming EP, was produced by Mattson himself. Additionally, he played every instrument. It is a labor of love, and truly a heartfelt masterpiece. 

Elizabeth Woolf on February 23, 2021
Rostam - These Kids We Knew

Rostam - These Kids We Knew


"These Kids We Knew," the latest single from ROSTAM, addresses climate change with an assertive, but hopeful hand. Lushly produced simple strums are a warm background for the contrastingly harrowing subject matter. Written while Rostam was recovering from Covid-19 last March, the song chronicles Gen-Z putting an older generation on metaphorical trial in "sidewalk courts" for the state in which they've left the Earth's climate. We see the lasting effects already with what's going on in Texas as we speak, unprepared for the temperatures they are now withstanding. It's not a far-off future that Rostam conceptualizes in this track, so with young activists like Greta Thunberg and Leah Thomas as key leaders in the climate revolution, change may still be on the horizon. Rostam's hopeful outlook might inspire that generation to believe that it's not too late to hold these harbingers of destruction accountable for their part in causing this crisis. You'd just have to wait for them to get back from Cancún first. Photo by Olivia Bee

Ysabella Monton on February 19, 2021
Claud - Pepsi

Claud - Pepsi


Claud’s Super Monster is their debut album and the first release on Phoebe Bridgers’ Saddest Factory Records. And while must both of those statements must come with immense pressure and vulnerability, it certainly isn’t felt on "Pepsi." A deeply personal and delightfully bold opening lyric, somber as the line might be, wipes away any notion that Claud can’t handle this moment. Instead, Claud brings us along as they come to terms with what a specific relationship is, and painfully, what it isn’t. A crack of the can sends us dancing into the chorus, playful pop sounds rounded out with a fun bass line. Layered with subtle harmonies, Claud considers all the ways they could’ve changed themselves to fit this relationship better. A dangerous line of thinking, one so easy to slip into—just like this song, light and fun with heartbreak underneath it all. The bridge feels intimate and personal, even with added vocal layers begging you to sing along. Claud manages to pack a lot of power into this song, finding distinct and loving ways to share through the tough times. By the end, after dancing our way through it, we can all sit back, crack another "Pepsi," and feel a little more at ease. Chock full of beautiful moments, Super Monster is a cohesive debut worth your time. Photo by Daria Kobayashi Ritch.

Max Himelhoch on February 19, 2021
Daisy the Great - Persephone

Daisy the Great - Persephone


If there ever was a musical work to express the moment when now-Vice President Kamala Harris told Mike Pence, “I’m speaking,” through her charming smile, “Persephone” is it. The new single from Brooklyn indie-pop duo Daisy the Great addresses the shared frustration of women everywhere: the societal pressure to be demure and keep quiet.

Folklore has long warned men of the siren’s sinister song: once she opens her beautiful mouth, destruction will follow. Not much has changed, as the likes of Greta Thunberg or Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and many others could attest. “The plight of the siren is / She'll never sing without somebody claiming she's starting a war,” sing Kelley Nicole Dugan and Mina Walker, with a crescendoing intensity, as though both suppressing a growl. Sonically, “Persephone” mirrors the nature of the message itself: beneath its angelic exterior is something more substantial—and potentially dangerous. Words like “menace,” “temptress" and “whore” appear in the lyrics, words that are widely used in lieu of “powerful” when describing a woman. Persephone, goddess queen of the underworld, is but a symbol to shine a light on centuries of patriarchal storytelling warning “virtuous” young boys against the perils of a woman who doesn’t stay in her lane. 

In the accompanying music video, dancer/choreographer Matilda Sakamoto portrays the siren’s plight in the form of a sweet-looking young woman, smashing eggs and smearing makeup on her face, appearing increasingly frightening and insane. Towards the end, she stares into the camera and flashes a warning snarl, while the lyrics deliver their closing statement: “The plight of the siren is / Everyone's always been / Scared of a powerful woman.” Photo by Sara Laufer

Karyna Micaela on February 19, 2021
ISLAND - Octopus

ISLAND - Octopus


When it comes to picking singles, the goal is usually to identify a track with an element that will really stick with a listener and keep them coming back for repeat listens. “Octopus,” the newest single from London-based rockers ISLAND, does not leave you guessing as to what that element is for long, as the harmonic-heavy and bright guitar riff that serves as the track’s selling point is the first thing a new listener will hear. After the riff registers a few times, the rest of the instruments unfold neatly from their hiding places—and once the bass and guitar kicks have settled into the mix, it becomes evident that “Octopus” is a slick, summery indie rock anthem, one that would have been poised for radio domination during the genre’s chokehold on the airwaves in the late aughts and early 2010s. ISLAND brought producer Mikko Gordon on board as their first outside producer, and his slight variations on an already winning formula gave way to a song strongly reminiscent of a warm, carefree afternoon. Photo by Christian Cargill

Alec Bollard on February 19, 2021
Middle Kids - Questions

Middle Kids - Questions


The indie pop trio Middle Kids burst onto the scene in 2018 with their debut album Lost Friends, garnering critical attention and solidifying them as a standout in the rising Australian rock scene. This band has proven themselves to be an act worth hearing, touring with the likes of Cold War Kids and Bloc Party, not to mention their talk show and festival appearances.  "Questions" is one of three singles Middle Kids has released in preparation for their second full-length album Today We're the Greatest, dropping March 19.

This band continues to dole out punchy, fun indie rock songs. "Questions" in particular is a hard track to ignore, as it breathes new life and creativity into handclaps and provocative lyricism. This song escalates and explodes into horns and percussion at its pivotal moments, adding drama and feeling to the stream-of-consciousness questionnaire of lyricism. All of this song's musicality points at the inner turbulence and growing desperation of the speaker: "And I've got questions / and you've got answers / and I'm not sure if they're fact or fiction." The redundancy of beginning each line with "and" is an expression of inner conflict, the speaker's brain spinning around the proverbial tilt-a-whirl of "what ifs" in a relationship.

"Questions," alongside "R U 4 Me?" are exciting introductions to Middle Kids' forthcoming record. You can listen to "Questions" anywhere you stream, and Today We're the Greatest comes out March 19. Photo by Daphne Nguyen.

Hannah Lupas on February 18, 2021
Flyte - Under the Skin

Flyte - Under the Skin


Flyte, the indie British rock band, has released another single from their forthcoming album This is Really Going to Hurt, dropping April 9. "Under the Skin" is the fifth single Flyte has released since May of last year. This series of sincere and thoughtful singles have tapped into a deeper, more intimate part of Flyte's songwriting. From the heartbreaking and cutting "Losing You" to the contemplative "Never Get to Heaven," their next LP is bound to launch the London-based trio into the indie spotlight. 

"Under the Skin" is a perfect representation of what Flyte does incredibly well as a band: it's excitable, catchy rock music with contemplative, nuanced lyricism. But similar to the themes of the song, it's not a tune that's asking you to take it too seriously. The speaker begs someone to not give up on them, to not look their issues too hard in the face, but instead to let them in. "Under the Skin" serves as a lighter break in the stream of singles that we've heard from This is Really Going to Hurt, but it's hardly pulling any punches, and it stands alone as maybe the strongest single they've put out for the record thus far.

The writing for their upcoming album is laced with echoes of a turbulent time for the band. The singles' themes have varied from impassioned storytelling to melancholic longing. This ability to balance various themes and produce a cohesive piece of work is part of what makes Flyte so exceptional. Their premiere album, 2017's The Loved Ones, was a romantic and explosive introduction to their round indie rock sound. A band with a break-out album that self-actualized doesn't have anything to prove, but these latest releases have proven that Flyte has nowhere to go but up.

Stream "Under the Skin," and be on the lookout for their upcoming LP This Is Really Going to Hurt. Photo by Jan Philipzen.

Hannah Lupas on February 18, 2021

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