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Payton Odom - Hinterland
Payton Odom - Hinterland

Payton Odom - Hinterland


Payton Odom's latest EP Sightlines is a sonic escape. “Hinterland,” the last track off the EP, is laced with instrumental chords from guitars and horns that create a gorgeously rich jazzy background to accentuate his vocals. Having lost his voice in a fluke some time ago when first starting up as a solo artist, the focus on the depth of feeling Odom's voice is able to bring out in the listener never gets old. With a slow pace and beautifully placed lyrics, the song's build matches that of any of his past pieces and sets the tone for his future ballads. "Hinterland" is simple, meaningful, and funky.

Monica Hand on June 4, 2019
The Marías - ...baby one more time

The Marías - ...baby one more time


Britney Spears iconic pop hit “...Baby One More Time” turns 20 this year, and to celebrate, psychedelic indie-pop group The Marías has released a dreamy cover. An amalgamation of jazz, indie, and funk influences, “...baby one more time” is a softer rendition of the original and swings to a smooth, sultry beat. Lead singer María’s vocals, sung just above a whisper, are velvety and sweet, guiding you through the arrangement with sweeping attention and ease. Her intonation, particularly in the “Oh baby, baby” backing lines, is even reminiscent of Britney herself, turning the nostalgia level up a few extra notches for good measure. Still, the light, delicate synths behind the vocal work with the jazzy percussion give the track a timeless feel. The original is planted firmly in the 90s, but “...baby one more time” transcends decades and genres.

Britnee Meiser on June 3, 2019
Alex Lahey - Unspoken History

Alex Lahey - Unspoken History


Australian artist Alex Lahey's "Unspoken History" prettily describes holding onto a relationship despite its troubled past. It can be hard to detangle yourself from people who have become essential characters in your life, and sometimes it doesn’t feel like it is worth the trouble. Even if the relationships are proving to be more detrimental than uplifting. The echo of the piano adds a softness to the track that we don't often hear from Lahey as strings come in to fill the space in-between. It is full of softness with very little dead space as she sings, “We couldn't play the roles we were assigned / wasn't any space with everything on your mind.” She managed to make a light and airy song with a gloomy message—leaving someone behind when you aren’t completely ready to let go of all the good that came with knowing that person. It’s sad, but her intonation and the brightness of the arrangement makes it a hopeful sadness. It’s sparse compared to the rest of her discography, but it hits just as hard. "Unspoken History" is the third and final single off Lahey’s sophomore LP The Best of Luck Club released via Dead Oceans on May 18th.

Corey Bates on June 3, 2019
Fake Dad - Can U B My Home?

Fake Dad - Can U B My Home?


There’s a heartbreaking scene somewhere in the middle of (500) Days of Summer that follows Joseph Gordon-Levitt through two parallel parties, one labeled “expectation,” the other “reality.” In one version of the party, he’s the charming hero he wants to be, but in the latter, his jokes don’t land and he is reminded just how over his relationship is. When going well, it’s hard not to see the different parts of relationships as one, but faltering relationships often have two very different sides, a phenomenon played out by Fake Dad in their new single, “Can U B My Home?” Like a dreamy, polite version of Gotyes inescapable “Somebody That I Used To Know,” the track features one lonely, heartsick mess (“Sometimes it feels like you hold / The better half of me”), as well as the breaker-upper wearing 20-20 hindsight goggles (“Everybody’s asking if you need help / But there’s no shame in trying to do it yourself / Just take my masterpieces off of your shelf”). The letdown itself is gentle in a way that reminds us that a breakup isn’t necessarily malicious, and the production of the track, with its ethereal piano chords and hip-hop-influenced beat, places Fake Dad squarely in the world of a genre-bending band like Glass Animals, but it was clearly of the utmost importance to make it all seem effortless. With the song’s feel-good summer vibes, it would be easy enough to forget its subject matter entirely. Fake Dad says it right there in the band bio, their mission statement reading loud and clear: “They want you to know that everything is going to be okay.”

Daniel Shanker on May 31, 2019
Arlo Day - This Love

Arlo Day - This Love


Indie singer-songwriter Arlo Day has arrived on the scene to break your heart. Arlo Day, a moniker for London-based Alice Barlow, has released her second track, “This Love” from her upcoming debut EP, Bad Timing. In her new song, Barlow invites us to follow her down the rabbit hole that is a toxic relationship, describing the addictive nature of a love you can’t quit. Gloomy, electric guitar strums and grounding, hypnotic drum beats play underneath yearning vocals—creating a mesmerizing sound that has you feeling like you’ve stumbled into a private and painstaking moment. “This Love” combines dark, enchanting melodies with a knack for storytelling to pull you into an inner turmoil before you can realize it’s happening. Barlow returns again and again to her mantra, “This love, I won’t do, I don’t want to be apart of it,” seemingly trying to convince herself just as much as her audience. Her voice climbs and wavers and fades on every “This love,” making the word entirely inescapable throughout the song. In the last line, Barlow makes a slight edit and sings, “wish I didn’t want to be apart of this,” suggesting a relapse that leaves us aching as the song ends quietly. Arlo Day’s Bad Timing EP is out this Friday, May 31st via Domino and is sure to be a bewitching debut if “This Love” is any indication.

Brigid Moser on May 30, 2019
​Sidney Gish - Somebody’s Baby

​Sidney Gish - Somebody’s Baby


Sidney Gish’s single “Somebody’s Baby” throws a contemporary spin on Jackson Browne’s 1982 original. The instrumentals blend synthetic and natural sounds in a delightful fusion of old and new. Gish’s cool vocals immerse the listener in the universal story Browne penned in the original—overcoming doubt to pursue a crush. This track is filled with infatuation and butterflies in the stomach. Through calm and mellow music, Sidney Gish’s bold artistry shines through.

Ben Burke on May 30, 2019
Mereba - Kinfolk

Mereba - Kinfolk


“Kinfolk” is the second track off L.A. based singer-songwriter, rapper, and producer Mereba's debut album. In The Jungle Is The Only Way OutMereba gives us a break-up album that flips break-up album expectations on their head and showcases her unique folk-R&B hybrid style. The 13 tracks leave out the typical pining and wallowing and instead focus on getting up, moving on, and appreciating the moment. In “Kinfolk,” Mereba exalts the power of spending time with the people you love and reminds us not to take our kin for granted with lines like “Don’t you see we got what no money could measure.” The track opens with haunting, mellow guitar riffs that pave the way for Mereba’s smooth, gliding vocals. The melody is joined by a sultry bass line and eerie choir-like echo that pick up in the chorus to highlight the delightful range of her voice. The track has no patience for planning for tomorrow as Mereba sings bluntly “not gon’ save my love for no rainy day, I’ll never find no peace that way.” “Kinfolk” focuses on the present and is just one of the many wisdom-filled, genre-bending songs on a break-up album unlike any that came before it.

Brigid Moser on May 29, 2019
HÅN - Gymnasion

HÅN - Gymnasion


HÅN’s latest single “Gymnasion” is wistful and enchanting. The Italian synth-pop artist named the song after the Greek word used for high school in Italy, which ties in the nostalgic feel of the track. "Gymnasion" is an homage to a certain person from her past, but also the past itself. Even though it's brooding and mysterious, the mid-tempo brightens it up a bit. It is the perfect song for driving at night with the windows down. Reminiscent of a Lorde track, it ebbs and flows as 22-year-old Giulia Fontana sings, “you can go ahead and tell me what I used to be / but who cares.” "Gymnasion" is a song about being only slightly detached from youth. You can still remember the people and the places from back then and they aren’t so far away, but they are starting to drift. It is soft yet upbeat, nostalgic without being sad, and hopeful without feeling trite. The tone of Fontana’s voice allows for emotion without succumbing to it. “Gymnasion” is HÅN’s first single of 2019 and the first track from her upcoming sophomore EP, which will come out this fall.

Corey Bates on May 29, 2019
Brother Son - A Lonely Shoulder to Cry On

Brother Son - A Lonely Shoulder to Cry On


“A Lonely Shoulder to Cry On,” the smooth new single from slack-rock quartet Brother Son, pulls from a variety of classic indie influences to evoke an entirely new genre of easy listening. Two years ago, four very different dudes bonded over the likes of Mac Demarco and Alabama Shakes and then decided to start a band. Since then, they’ve developed their own sound, but their favorite bands will always continue to influence it. Such is the case in “A Lonely Shoulder to Cry On.” The light, pinging keyboard and soft, intricate percussion are reminiscent of Mac Demarco and give the track its gliding feel, while the guitar’s bluesy rock influence is all Alabama Shakes. Vocalist Francis Harrington’s voice is easygoing and pleasant; he holds a subtle but certain command over the lyrics and your attention, even when what he’s singing is just “La di da di da.” More than just a mashup of good sounds, “A Lonely Shoulder to Cry On” is a catchy, genre-bending slow jam, and you’ll want to play it on repeat all summer long.

Britnee Meiser on May 28, 2019
Sorcha Richardson - Don't Talk About It

Sorcha Richardson - Don't Talk About It


Dublin singer-songwriter Sorcha Richardson downplays her own emotions in her newest single “Don’t Talk About It.” It starts small with just a simple beat, electric guitar, and Richardson’s smooth and mysterious voice. She lilts seamlessly into the refrain where everything builds as she sings, “hey ok we don’t have to talk about it/ it’s only love / I guess we’ll live without it.” Richardson has come a long way from her bedroom-pop days with this certifiable indie-rock track meant for blaring and shouting along to. It’s anthemic in both its composition and central message. Sometimes speaking feels impossible like it will ruin everything. Maybe love is too scary. Maybe the other person isn’t ready. They may never be, but Richardson seems to want to keep them around even if it means the most important things are left unsaid. Maybe it will all be ok if we just don’t talk about it. “Don’t Talk About It” is the latest single from Richardson’s debut album First Prize Bravery out this fall.

Corey Bates on May 28, 2019
Ra Ra Riot - Flowers

Ra Ra Riot - Flowers


Ra Ra Riot’s recently released “Flowers” is the second single off their upcoming album, Superbloom. The first single, “Bad to Worse,” dropped in March, and the album itself is set to drop in early August. It will be their first LP since 2016’s Need Your Light.

“Flowers” is the perfect teaser for the album and the perfect song for any summer playlist. Produced by Rostam Batanglij, a former member ofVampire Weekend, the song is an upbeat ode to a lost love. The indie rock band sings, “Do I wonder if I should have stayed? / Every night / Every day” a bittersweet sentiment followed by “So don't bring flowers to my grave / Say goodbye from far away”—in an uplifting, pitched chorus paired with a quick-paced, dance-inducing rhythm. The song is quite matter of fact with lyrics like, “I know it ain't good but I'm feeling self-destructive,” in Wes Miles’, the lead vocalist, perfect tone. While the lyrics are raw and rather heart-wrenching, the instrumentals and beat keep the piece light and fun—a great song for reminiscing while keeping in mind the days ahead.

Monica Hand on May 28, 2019

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