After producing and penning music for indie greats such as Your Smith, and Bay Ledges as well as pop powerhouses like Adam Lambert and Quinn XCII, it seems it was finally time for Jamie Sierota to go solo. To that end, the latest from his solo project as meija,“Laugh It Off”, comes fresh off the heels of his last track, “Buttons”, and explores the complicated way we respond to vulnerable moments. This fresh and summery track makes use of classic 80’s drum machines and a nylon string guitar along with less conventional accents like glass bottles and bongo drums. Of the song, Sierota remarks about how “some things are too serious and hurtful to shrug off, even if that helps you avoid an uncomfortable conversation.” The juxtaposition of a more serious topic with a lighthearted sound was his ingenious way of “making something hard to say easy to listen to.”

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.