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thomTide - clockWise
thomTide - clockWise

thomTide - clockWise


"clockWise" is a striking single, mysterious both in its feel and its creator. There’s very little that's easy to find out about thomTide other than the unquestionable — as an artist he is channeling some deeply creative and original textures and songs. His three previous releases are all less than 100 seconds, offering only a taste of what his musical world could be. Across these releases, thomTide brings up a diverse cast of comparisons for me: hints of Moses Sumney’s longing and grandiosity; using his falsetto as an instrument in ways that channel 645AR; and an undeniable swagger that feels like that of Brittany Howard. “clockWise” is an earned next step, an evolution in sound that still keeps the mystery alive. A driving kick forces a dark guitar riff onward, as he delivers poetic thoughts on growing and time. Just like the song’s energy, there is no stopping life from moving forward. Yet, rather than fall victim to its unrelenting momentum, thomTide takes it in stride, recontextualizing it as a motivation and reminder to “love and fail while we may.” Around halfway through, the song expands outwards, those lead vocals reaching for something more. In the final thirty seconds, drums are traded for a chorus of voices, creating a hauntingly beautiful moment. This is a performance that proves thomTide is not messing around, the mysterious figure capable of so much incredible artistry in under two minutes. We'll certainly be tuned in for what's to come. thomTide's hand-painted sweater is by Ryan Sadler and Spencer Lee. Photo by Ahmed Owda.

Max Himelhoch on November 24, 2020
We the Commas - I Will

We the Commas - I Will


Celebrating the sun-kissed California sand and surf isn't only a treasured feeling or a beloved aesthetic for We the Commas. For the three San Diego-based brothers, their breezy brand of surf R&B is a loving tribute to their California roots. "I Will," a track from the brothers' debut EP, SARB, reflects how personal the trio feels about creating music that reflects their beloved homestead and tight bond. The track begins with an ominous-sounding organ to draw the listener into the sound, encouraging us to be present in the moment for what the brothers are about to deliver. However, just as quickly as we're drawn into the somber-but-still-sexy-sounding intro, fueled by the sounds of a swirling trumpet, the mood suddenly changes, and we're transported into a joyous celebration of young love and commitment, a love letter of encouragement to release all expectations and surrender to the infinite possibilities a relationship can bring. 

SARB is now available via Flying Boy Entertainment.

Taylor Hodgkins on November 16, 2020
Bre Kennedy - Where Did Summer Go

Bre Kennedy - Where Did Summer Go


The first thing I think of to describe “Where Did Summer Go,” Bre Kennedy’s latest single, is tender. The mixing here is absolutely gorgeous; her vocals are a perfect mix of strength and dreamy breath, expertly lifted by a soft, lilting instrumental bed of guitars, subtle piano and stripped down drums. She goes on to lament that summer has passed her by with “nothing to show,” and I don’t know anyone who would hear this in the depths of fall 2020 and not feel a deep heartstring mercilessly pulled for the year that’s almost gone (and did it ever really begin?). Psychology tells us we feel comforted by music because it triggers our feelings of being empathized with; “Where Did Summer Go” is the soft, thoughtful hug we all need right now to feel not so left behind, and to make peace with time’s relentless passage in a year when it seems to have stood still. “Where Did Summer Go” is a welcome emotional gut punch reminiscent of Taylor Swift’s recent creative partnership with The National, and I’ll be listening on repeat for some warmth ‘til spring peeks its head out once again. Photo by Lindsey Patkos.

Stephanie Lamond on November 16, 2020
Iska Dhaaf - Unheard Choir

Iska Dhaaf - Unheard Choir


With budding instrumentation and feathery vocals comes Iska Dhaaf’s “Unheard Choir,” the final track on the Brooklyn-based duo’s latest EP, Up. “Unheard Choir” traces the everlasting remnants of loved ones that have either been lost or separated from: “Even when our bodies disconnect / There’s always something left.” Opening with cradling strings of guitar and weaving piano notes, the track flows into a cascade of reverb and percussion. As the luminescent vocals ensure that “There’s never nothing left,” the track falls into an arrangement of strings sweeping high altitudes. It is an intricate and riveting expression of longing conveyed in a balance of softness and swift cadence.

Katya Myasnikova on November 16, 2020
Reptaliens - Taking

Reptaliens - Taking


In the science-fiction universe of Reptaliens’ “Taking,” a compendium of synths orbits complex themes of perception and existence. “Taking” is the nebulous matter on our cosmic route, mystifying our notion of self to later inquire, “Are we existing?” And how can we tell? The answer may lie within the lyrics’ own contemplation of life, broken down in its simplest, most absolute forms: “Making / Eating / Loving and / Hating.” It is these characteristics, along with others, that we can tether ourselves to on the tumultuous planes of existence — the textures of life. The synth-pop track is an otherworldly experience of whirling, euphoric sounds and beaming spaceship lights that coax us into a dance — the best way to be present in our bodies and with ourselves. Photo by Dan Hanson.

Captured Tracks group Reptaliens hail from Portland, Oregon. Their dreamy new EP, Wrestling, was released on November 6.

Katya Myasnikova on November 13, 2020
shiv - Hold Me

shiv - Hold Me


Zimbabwean-Irish singer-songwriter shiv (also known as Siobhan McClean) has been quickly carving her way into the rising ranks of young R&B artists. She recently dropped "Hold Me": a silky and sentimental track lacing nuanced memories into unhurried but intricate beats. This track comes after the release of her other stand-alone single "You and I," making "Hold Me" the second song promised to be featured on her upcoming debut EP, Me 2 Me.

"Hold Me" is a confessional and sweet song about the love the artist has for her parents. It touches on the inevitable vulnerabilities every young adult encounters in their striving towards independence and security. "I want you to hold me like you did when I was younger... and then everything will be okay" is a deeply sincere expression in this song. Shiv has concisely and effortlessly made an emotive and understanding song about the woes of growing up and the sanctuary of coming home. The audio of her parents' encouraging words at the start of the song is enough to make you shed a few tears. This song reminds me of the importance of writing what we know and touching the very visceral and immediate emotional needs we may be experiencing. That level of self-reflection and empathy produces honest, good, heart-stirring art, and that's what shiv has done with "Hold Me." Listen to it wherever you stream, and be on the look-out for her EP! Photo by Joshua Mulholland.

Hannah Lupas on November 13, 2020
Simen Mitlid - Last of Us

Simen Mitlid - Last of Us


With “Last of Us”, Oslo’s Simen Mitlid takes a soft, lush cloth to the foggy windows of our Zoom burned-out minds. Soaking up its delicate, meticulous production, I’m reminded of Sigur Rós’ ethereal style; Mitlid’s vocals float across the track, expertly layered over a rhythmic backdrop of rain-tapping-on-the-window-esque plucking and smooth, sinewy strings. Lyrically, he reminisces on childhood, on returning to “the ordinary normal,” with an earthy authenticity. The track stays right at home in its even-keeled dreaminess for its duration, evolving to deeper emotionality in tandem with the string lines lowering in key; by the time the chorus sings, “Honey, we’re out of this world,” Mitlid has brought us to back in time right along with him. Fans of José González will love this one; it’s a beautifully evocative work of art, perfectly at home to be put on repeat in the crispy winter days on the horizon.

Simen Mitlid's third full-length album, Birds; or, Stories From Charlie B’s Travels From Grønland to the Sun, and Back Again, was released on October 30.

Stephanie Lamond on November 13, 2020
Derek Ted - Out There

Derek Ted - Out There


Hopeful pessimism is something I’ve become very familiar with recently. Feeling as though the world might be ending, but still choosing to hope for the best, has become common practice for many. While the lyrics of Derek Ted’s new song, “out there,” appeal to the pessimist within me, the melody and instrumentation of the song make for a more joyous three minutes and forty five seconds. Ted makes his feelings known in the first verse as he sings, “There’s poison out there just waiting for you / Don’t you forget what you’re made of / When everything taught just waltzed out the door / That look in her eyes won’t tame you.” While this seems to be pulled from a specific experience, it also feels like Ted is generally warning his audience about what the world has to offer and how to proceed accordingly. Each chorus differs slightly, but they all focus on a sensory experience in Ted’s environment, varying from water dripping from a faucet in the kitchen to the rising of dark smoke on the horizon. Though each differs, the repetition in the lines, “There’s no way to save the world we live in / Hide out alone, let the silence sink in,” furthers the doomsday narrative Ted propagates in the song. With all of this being said, I wouldn’t classify “out there” as sorrowful. The fast-paced finger-picked guitar and light percussion lightens the seriousness of the lyrics, creating a contrast that allows for listeners to bop their head along to the narration of the end of the world. Photo by Jason Lin.

Sloan Pecchia on November 13, 2020
Juan Wauters - Pasarla Bien

Juan Wauters - Pasarla Bien


Juan Wauters' track “Pasarla Bien” is a lighthearted and carefree ode to friendship and life at its best. The track comes off of Wauters’ recent EP, Más Canciones de La Onda, a collection of songs from his travels through South America. With each track comes a different country and a different feel, yet they all still carry Wauters’ signature croon. The song finds the native Uruguayan plucking along on his guitar as a wandering bass line and serene vibraphone guide the track along through short but sweet verses in Wauters’ native Spanish. From the airy instrumentals to the untroubled lyrics, the short but sweet song feels like a portal to another world where all we do is follow Wauters' mantra: “pasarla bien.” Photo by Audrey Del Piccolo.

Jonah Minnihan on November 12, 2020
Jordana - I Guess This Is Life

Jordana - I Guess This Is Life


“I Guess This is Life” opens with a floating piano melody and percussion, with a light swagger as casual as strolling through falling autumn leaves on your way to somewhere mundane; and Jordana's innate ability to capture the power of that mundane is what lends the track its warm glow. The light instrumentation allows her voice to serve as the focal point of the song, and her lyrics are as conversational and candid as you’d expect from a close friend you haven’t seen in a while. In a montage of mental scenes, we see Jordana walk past the same house party twice in one night, stare at the ceiling, visit her mom at home in Maryland and take a boat ride with an old friend (to whom she says, “it was so nice to see ya”). It captures the essence of the routine so many of us have felt after leaving home, leaving childhood friends and some old dreams behind, and being jolted into adulthood; we wake up, work, take a walk, sit at home and eat dinner alone, occasionally visit our parents, eat, sleep, repeat — to which Jordana echoes our thoughts by singing, “I guess this is life.” Although the piano carries a sunny disposition, the wistfulness of this sentiment and the aching loneliness of feeling disconnected from our own life — although it continues to speed past us — can be felt throughout the song. It reminds us that even once we feel settled into our adult life years later, it takes no time at all to quickly recall that once-biting feeling of its disjointed beginning, when we first wondered, “is this all there is?” But, it also urges us to remember that there’s so much more to come, even if we haven’t arrived at it yet. [Recommended listening method: staring at the ceiling from your childhood bedroom over the holidays.] Photo by Jacob Clark.

Heddy Edwards on November 12, 2020
Charlie Hickey​ - No Good at Lying

Charlie Hickey​ - No Good at Lying


Pasadena singer-songwriter Charlie Hickey has delivered a dream-filled ode to having real feelings for made-up people. Sitting at just under three minutes, Hickey’s “No Good at Lying” strings together his subconscious thoughts and delivers them to us, fully fleshed within the lull of his voice and a soft guitar. “I’m no good at lying / On my back or through my teeth,” Hickey sings alongside his long-time friend and collaborator Phoebe Bridgers. The twenty-one-year-old describes the nuances of the head and the heart with a certain tact that is prematurely wise. Written with Marshall Vore, another friend and collaborator of both Hickey and Bridgers, “No Good at Lying” describes the confusion surrounding the vivid emotions for dreamed-up scenarios and people that exist only in your mind, like waking up from a nightmare covered in sweat. Our dreams may be different, but our shared reality is quite easy to digest: Charlie Hickey’s musicianship is significant, and his career is in bloom. Photo by Olof Grind.

Elizabeth Shaffer on November 12, 2020

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