Each Friday, Atwood Journal’s workers share what they’ve been listening to that week – a track, an album, an artist – no matter’s been having an influence on them, within the second.
This week’s weekly roundup options music by Doechii, Naesia, Arcy Drive, Thomas Thomas, Lily Talmers, Midwife, Karley Scott Collins, LYRA, The Froot, O’Phantom, Azul Kechi, Alexia Religion, Kameron Marlowe, Buboy, Blue Capricorn, Jaidson, PANIK FLOWER, and Siblings!
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comply with WEEKLY ROUNDUP on Spotify 
:: “Nosebleeds” – Doechii ::
Brian Denney, Los Angeles, CA
On Sunday night time, Doechii collected the Grammy award for Finest Rap Album for her masterful mixtape Alligator Bites By no means Heal – making historical past as solely the third lady to ever win the class because it was launched in 1995. Whereas she tearfully accepted her award, her victory lap had already begun.
Instantly after the Grammy Awards, Doechii dropped “Nosebleeds,” an immediately iconic, blatantly conceited, hype monitor declaring her place as rap’s queen of candor – riffing line after line about the way you’ll by no means know what would occur if she misplaced, due to course – she didn’t.
Stepped out the swamp to the stage
Minimize my mic off ’trigger I’m ’bout to misbehave
“Will she ever lose?”
Man, I assume we’ll by no means know
“Will she lose hеr cool?”
I assume we’ll by no means —
I hopped out the swamp, gave the bitch props
Doechii, the place you been?
“Doechii went pop”
“Will she ever lose?”
Man, I assume we’ll by no means know
“Will she lose her cool?”
I assume we’ll by no means —
“Nosebleeds” is greater than only a assertion – it’s successful. Beginning off with Doechii’s signature melodic gasps for breath, the monitor builds and builds with excessive vitality and catchy lyrics till the track tapers off over an surprising pop outro. It’s an ideal file, of a star proudly owning her second and her place in historical past, whereas concurrently reminding you that that is only the start.
:: Indecisive – Naesia ::
Danielle Holian, Galway, Eire
Naesia’s debut EP Indecisive is a mesmerizing debut that looks like a late-night dialog together with your deepest ideas – heat, intimate, and inconceivable to disregard. At simply 25, the German-born, London-based singer, songwriter, and producer carves out her personal lane with a sound that seamlessly blends Entice, Neo-Soul, R&B, and Hip-Hop. Her sultry beats and introspective lyricism don’t simply make for simple listening; they pull you right into a world of emotional push-and-pull, the place love, self-discovery, and uncertainty collide. Whether or not it’s the hypnotic pull of “Mr. Mysterious” or the golden-hour glow of “Golden,” Naesia masterfully balances vulnerability with an plain groove.
The standout second arrives in “Indecisive (Interlude)”, the place she strips every little thing again, inviting listeners into an area of reflection and uncooked emotion. It’s an ideal pause earlier than the plush, passion-filled trip of “Take Me Excessive”, a monitor that sways between longing and ecstasy. With this four-track journey, Naesia isn’t simply showcasing her versatility—she’s redefining what it means to be an impartial artist within the fashionable music panorama. “Indecisive” serves as a press release of intent, proving that Naesia’s artistry is one to observe. Stream it now, and let her sound wrap round you want a well-known, but thrilling, embrace.
:: “Oak Tree (Daydream)” – Arcy Drive ::
Mitch Mosk, Beacon, New York
Somewhere alongside the road, the so-called ‘Data Age’ advanced into an age of data overload. The fixed entry to every little thing, in every single place, on a regular basis, mixed with nonstop notifications, inevitably fried all of our brains, destroyed our consideration spans, and made life, on the entire, extra poisonous and fewer pleasant.
However all hope shouldn’t be misplaced, and I’m a agency believer that artwork can save us – particularly music, and particularly songs like “Oak Tree (Daydream).” Arcy Drive’s first single of the yr is a smile-inducing folks rock reverie basking in heat mild. It’s three minutes of sonic sunshine – an acoustic jamboree embracing life’s easy pleasures and reminding us that true pleasure and satisfaction received’t come from any doomscroll, however they may simply come from logging off, going outdoors, and touching grass.
Informed my ft, I’m sitting by the large oak tree
Cardinal’s, jay’s all singing for the yellow bee’s
Sitting by the large oak tree,
yelling ollie oxen free
The crimson swing chair they’re saying it’ll by no means break
I do know I don’t ever wish to go away this place
Dreaming of the large oak tree,
and yelling ollie oxen free
So excessive I really feel I feel like I’m grounded
Solar shines mild, strikes life, surrounded
So take me increased and better
“‘Daydream,’ ‘Oak Tree,’ no matter you wish to name it’s by far the weirdest track Arcy Drive has made collectively thus far,” Nick Mateyunas tells Atwood Journal. “The track has taken such a journey in its time and has related me with folks I by no means thought in my wildest desires I’d meet or see once more. I wrote the track in Buffalo, in my grandpa’s yard the place I spent most of my finest childhood reminiscences with my brother, sisters, and cousins. I used to be on a visit alone visiting my grandpa for his birthday. In the course of the sluggish days I’d sit outdoors within the solar trying round reflecting on all these inexperienced years that appeared to be gone. I felt my youth slip a bit on that journey to Buffalo.”
“I actually didn’t suppose a lot of the track, however for some purpose it was the primary one the band pulled out of me after we went to put in writing collectively this final winter. All of us sat round by the piano and jammed the tune, and within the spur of the second I began singing, ‘What a day for a daydream’ over a brand new part. I knew what I used to be doing, however for some purpose these phrases felt so proper for the track and that second in time.”
Sometime I’ll return to
enjoying youngsters’s video games
I’ll take my child to cardinals
and the yellow days
I’ll take him to the large oak tree
and train him ollie oxen free
What he’s speaking about and we’re listening to – what Mateyunas and his bandmates skilled in writing and recording this track – is genuine cathartic launch. It’s the acknowledgement that instances are at all times altering, however we don’t must lose ourselves throughout the chaos of that change; we’ve got the flexibility to ‘decide out’ and chase that ever-elusive bliss.
“‘Oak Tree’ is a dreamy track,” Mateyunas provides. “After I sing it I can really feel my childhood and movie my future… It was the primary time as a band that I felt like we achieved one thing nice. After I heard one line within the track, it made me consider my grandma, and that blended with every little thing abruptly was an excessive amount of to deal with – I needed to go away the studio as a result of I felt myself breaking apart… I’ve by no means felt so weightless in actual time. The solar had such a singular mild to it, like how you’ll image it in an previous reminiscence when it’s all hazy. I simply keep in mind drifting by the fields laughing and crying, telling my gram I liked her and missed her.”
“That was one of many happiest days of my life. I keep in mind coming again into the studio and simply liked each individual standing in there.”
So excessive I really feel I feel like I’m grounded
Solar shines mild, strikes life, surrounded
So take me increased and better
Oh take me increased and better
Launched January 10th, “Oak Tree (Daydream)” is the candy, sun-kissed celebration 2025 wanted. We’re solely a month in, however that first month felt like a full-on yr. It’s going to be a protracted one, and we’ll want music full of love, mild, and laughter to assist see us by. Arcy Drive – along with particular visitor John Sebastian (founding father of The Lovin’ Spoonful) – have, with this track, given us not only a balm for the arduous instances, but in addition a information again to our personal happiness – the locations and areas that heart us, giving us that means and function. Tune out the noise, activate “Oak Tree (Daydream),” and discover your euphoria.
And what a day for a daydream (so he mentioned)
What a day for a daydream (yeah)
What an evening for a daydream (so he mentioned)
What a day for a daydream (yeah)
I stand up, I stand up, I stand up
I stand up, I stand up, I stand up once more
:: “One Lone Candle” – Thomas Thomas ::
Mitch Mosk, Beacon, New York
I’ll be hitting ten years in my relationship this yr, and I’m glad I get to rejoice that love with songs like “One Lone Candle.” Thomas Thomas’ first launch since 2021 is a dreamy, playful indie pop ode to these intimate connections that preserve burning brighter and deeper with each passing yr.
“I like the picture of a candle that refuses to exit, and that’s how I really feel concerning the love we had been attempting to seize on this track,” frontwoman Shannon Thomas shares. “It’s the sluggish burn, the one which sticks with you lengthy after the flash of a fiery second has handed.”
You say
Darling you’re going gray
I’m in love, so in love,
nonetheless in love with the one I’ve
Youth fades
Oh in mysterious methods
I’m in love, so in love,
nonetheless in love with the one I’ve
Collectively, Shannon Thomas and her bandmate Thomas Englund (therefore the title ‘Thomas Thomas’) sing a heartwarming back-and-forth, their voices accompanied by jumpy guitars, a dynamic drum beat, and glistening keyboard chords – all of which add to a way of candy cheer, pleasure, and appreciation.
“The track is an ode to the often-unsung long-term relationship,” Thomas provides, diving deeper into the monitor. “It romanticizes beginning to see the odd gray hairs in your accomplice’s head and being lucky sufficient so as to add extra candles to the birthday cake. The track’s vocal hook, ‘one lone candle / one girlfriend’ is an allusion to the superstition that failing to blow out all of your candles will lead to a relationship this coming yr. A single candle left burning felt like an ideal image to the concepts we had been exploring. The songwriting and association closely reference early pop music of the 50s/60s with its honest direct lyrics and woman gang vocal hooks. However the sonics are all fashionable indie-rock: jangly guitars and warbling synth leads.”
Don’t say it out loud
Or it received’t come true
All I’ve ever wished for was you
Candle depend could have elevated
However I nonetheless image the identical face
After I blow ’em down I at all times go away one
So that you say “oooh one girlfriend”
One lone candle
One girlfriend
One lone candle
On a deeply private stage, what makes “One Lone Candle” so particular is how expresses, in track, what I’ve thought and felt daily for the previous ten years. It doesn’t get any higher than love, and whether or not you’re 1, 5, 10, or 50 years in, that love is – at all times and ceaselessly – value cherishing. Songs like this solely serve to amplify that everlasting fact.
You keep
For yet one more birthday
I’m in love, so in love,
nonetheless in love with the one I’ve
Don’t say it out loud
Or it received’t come true
All I’ve ever wished for was you
Candle depend could have elevated
However I nonetheless image the identical face
After I blow ’em down I at all times go away one
So that you say “oooh one girlfriend”
One lone candle
One girlfriend
One lone candle
:: It Is Cyclical, Lacking You – Lily Talmers ::
Josh Weiner, Washington DC
I had a protracted trip again from a ski journey to Vermont this previous Sunday night, however entry to some poppin’ new tunes at all times make prolonged journeys of this nature go by extra simply. On this case, it was a pleasure to make my means by all of It Is Cyclical, Lacking You in a single go whereas driving dwelling to Boston.
The album’s creator, Lily Talmers, is initially from Michigan however now resides in Brooklyn, New York. She formally began recording music within the late 2010’s and has been mighty prolific throughout that interim, having launched 5 LPs since her 2019 debut, all whereas working full-time as a literature trainer. Every of the 13 songs in her new batch was recorded in a single take, and no fewer than 20 visitor musicians cease by to contribute quite a lot of devices (one, Konstantinos Revelas, even performs the bouzouki, in honor to the Greek heritage that each he and Talmers herself share).
The widespread narrative thread these songs share, in accordance with Talmers, is the theme of Hope. All through the album, this emotion is imagined as an individual, and every track particulars “the triumphs and depressing disappointments that lead to saying ‘sure’ to her as she extends her hand to you.” Hope is as Greek a theme because it will get (as you’ll recall from the story of Pandora’s Field, maybe) and for it to be elaborated upon musically is kind of the intriguing prospect. It Is Cyclical, Lacking You pulls it off remarkably effectively.
:: No Melancholy in Heaven – Midwife ::
Noa Jamir, Lafayette, Louisiana
Madeline Johnston, finest identified below the moniker Midwife, is an unimaginable one-woman present. From enjoying a number of devices, to audio engineering, to including backing vocals on Ethel Cain’s most up-to-date mission, in addition to releasing 5 of her personal albums below the ‘Midwife’ title since 2017, Johnston is a fragile and charming drive to be reckoned with.
Her newest file, No Melancholy in Heaven, acquired important acclaim and was named Paste Journal’s 66th finest album of the yr in 2024. Singing by a phone receiver to create a whispered and heat sonic impact, Midwife delivers a hypnotic efficiency on No Melancholy. It creates a sense just like dissociating whereas driving on the freeway, the place abruptly, half-hour have passed by, and you’ll’t keep in mind the place the time went or what you probably did with it. It’s a peaceable form of detachment from area and time.
The album’s melancholic temper, nostalgic melodies, and mantra-like choruses have a therapeutic impact on the noisy thoughts. Identical to light sounds in ASMR will help calm down the physique, or how singing bowls would possibly put somebody comfy throughout a bout of tension, No Melancholy serves as a balm for the weary soul. With every track, one falls deeper and deeper right into a state of tranquility and wholeness. It’s a blissful, somber, and tender soundscape to fall into.
:: “Runner” – Kaley Scott Collins ::
Emily Algar, Oxfordshire, UK
This week nation musician Karley Scott Collins launched her first track of 2025, “Runner,” a story of what your first actual heartbreak can do to you and the way it can inform all of the relationships that come after.
Born with an innocence
Raised in a picket fence
Again when ignorance was bliss
I gave you all of me
The sunshine in my eyes totally free
You sealed my destiny with a kiss
And I curse you by title
For what I turned
And I couldn’t even inform my very own mom
“They at all times say the primary minimize is the deepest and on this case it was true – it took me all of seven years to search out the phrases to explain that feeling, of somebody hurting you so deeply that you just search for the worst elements of them in everybody else you ever attempt to love, and the way somebody can affect the best way you take a look at love and vulnerability for a extremely very long time whether or not they should or not,” Karley Scott Collins tells Atwood Journal.
The track begins with an innocence and a primary love that doesn’t final. Every verse strikes by the wreckage and examines the scars of what that first heartbreak has carried out to each relationship since, “Preserve my coronary heart in a vault/ These partitions are ten years tall/ There ain’t foot-holes to climb ‘em.” Every refrain is a reminder of what the very worst heartbreak can do to an individual.
Like all of her music, the track blends her two loves: nation and metallic collectively. The music is heavy and has a repetitiveness because the piano chords unfold from the start to the top of the track. Scott Collins’ voice is regular till we hit the bridge,with the bitterness and damage spilling out.
A breaker
A cry about it later
I don’t give ‘trigger I as soon as liked a taker
I used to be a truster
You ripped the rug from below
The ft of a lady who as soon as was a lover
“Runner” is much less about the individual that damage her or the heartbreak that modified her, and extra concerning the lack of who she was, the individual she ought to have been.
:: “Freak” – LYRA ::
Joe Beer, Surrey, UK
Irish pop artist LYRA unleashes her wild aspect in her playful new single, “Freak.” Serving up an anthem to rejoice each inch of who you’re, the songwriter urges you to by no means cover your inner-freak, including, “It is a track about being an attractive ass highly effective lady. As a lady I’ve been advised “be attractive however not too attractive” effectively f* that. This track is all concerning the energy of a lady’s sexuality. Convey your ego to the dance flooring.”
The daring and unapologetic monitor enters with moody synths and hard-hitting beats pulsing with a darkish, edgy vitality. Casting a sinister vibe, “Freak” may have you below its spell, fully hooked from begin to end. Together with her music beforehand detailing tales of affection and heartbreak, 2025 sees LYRA coming into a brand new period, as she focuses on self-love, empowerment and embracing who you’re.
:: “As Good As It Will get” – The Froot ::
Mitch Mosk, Beacon, New York
The Froot’s first track of the yr is a heavy, psych-soaked fever dream stuffed with hazy sonics and hearty feelings. Launched January tenth, the achingly intense “As Good As It Will get” channels a well-known intrusive thought into heavy, hypnotic music, because the Hull, UK-based band invite us to affix of their meditative reverie – a rumination on what it means to be, to need, to have… are we ever glad? Do attaining our targets really lead to happiness, or is all of it a fallacy?
“This track is influenced by our heroes and one of the best songwriters of all time – The Beatles and all different Sixties songwriters which can be near our coronary heart who helped form us as a band,’ The Froot’s Louie Donoghue explains. “The track is intently impressed by Rodriguez’ track ‘I Consider You,’ and Paul Weller’s track ‘Above the Clouds’ extra particularly and identifiably influenced this track, subconsciously, with a sprinkle of ‘fashionable’ synth sounds.”
“‘As Good As It Will get’ was written on my Sixties 12 string guitar in my bed room at my mum’s home. The track is about actual life and my actual life and actual residing,” he provides. “We name it Dreamgaze. Dream pop and Shoegaze, rolled into one. We goal to ship a timeless sound with actual, timeless songs.”
I hearken to “As Good As It Will get” and really hear Pink Floyd – which is a reference I don’t get to make fairly often. The sheer dreamy warmth of The Froot’s guitars, mixed with the uncooked aching in these vocals, are very paying homage to Pink Floyd’s late ‘80s and early ‘90s work on A Momentary Lapse of Cause and The Division Bell – these remaining publish–The Wall studio albums that, in my view, make up their most ignored period. Over six minutes, The Froot entrance and enchant our ears, immersing us of their spectacular ‘dreamgaze’ world as they ponder the very nature of our fleeting human existence.
:: “Shadowpain” – O’Phantom ::
Mitch Mosk, Beacon, New York
Tright here’s an untamed, unfiltered high quality to O’Phantom’s “Shadowpain” that makes it completely irresistible. From their sonics to the subject material, the Hull alt-rock collective’s second single is unapologetically uncooked – a feverish eruption of raging riffs and heavy drums, mixed with emotive vocals that ache inside and outside. Launched January 17th, the follow-up to final October’s debut single “Chilly Name” places the nascent band’s skills – to not point out a definite penchant towards post-punk rock – on full show.
“For me, ‘Shadowpain’ actually turned a turning level for us as a collective,” keyboardist Rose Barker, who performs in O’Phantom’s core lineup along with bassist Rowan Foster and vocalist Daniel Mawer, explains. “It was the second track we recorded with Matt Peel, whose deep data of synths and digital music actually helped to push these sounds ahead within the monitor, and inspired us to step out of our consolation zone and develop. We nonetheless discover ourselves coming again to this track as a touchstone after we’re writing new materials.”
Darkish, churning, and charming, O’Phantom are undeniably beginning 2025 on a excessive observe. “Shadowpain” is completely enthralling, making certain we pay additional shut consideration to this band over the months to come back.
:: “Nada Más Solo” – Azul Kechi ::
Danielle Holian, Galway, Eire
Azul Kechi’s newest single “Nada Más Solo” is a radiant testomony to self-discovery and creative freedom, weaving collectively components of neo-soul, R&B, and jazz with seamless finesse. From the opening tight drum groove to the shimmering piano prospers, the monitor exudes heat and class, drawing listeners into its intimate but expansive soundscape. Azul’s vocal supply is effortlessly assured – her easy, expressive tones dancing between sultry croons and rhythmic spoken phrase, reinforcing the track’s empowering message of individuality and self-acceptance.
Past its lush instrumentation and glossy manufacturing, “Nada Más Solo” thrives on its emotional core, capturing the essence of letting go and embracing one’s true self. Azul Kechi’s lyricism is as poetic as it’s daring, carried by a efficiency that feels each private and common. The monitor stands as a shimmering introduction to her world – one the place wealthy, textured melodies meet fearless self-expression, leaving listeners looking forward to extra of the soulful storytelling she’s poised to ship in “Celestial Love.”
:: “Butterfly Woman” – Alexia Religion ::
Grace Holtzclaw, Los Angeles, CA
Alexia Religion is a debut single from rising pop meets R&B sensation Alexia Religion. As a songwriter, Religion captivates with infectious melodies and vibrant hooks that breathe life into her heat, soulful vocals. Her debut launch, “Butterfly Woman,” is about reworking into your finest self and hovering to new heights.
“Butterfly Woman” radiates with putting electronics, gripping percussion, and effervescent but rooted vocals from Religion herself. She sings, “Step away from the darkish / Come into the sunshine / You’re a butterfly woman / Don’t you understand you’re a shining pearl.” The track encourages listeners to rediscover themselves by uplifting lyrics and touching metaphors that resonate deep with the center. “Butterfly Woman” is an anthemic celebration of self-love that reminds us all of our true energy inside.
Alexia Religion is dedicated to empowering ladies by her songwriting. Her new single “Butterfly Woman” was produced by Printz Board. Outdoors of music, Religion is an actress who has appeared on Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, Fox Soul, and Sky Information London. Religion is a multi-faceted artist and “Butterfly Woman” is barely only the start for her.
:: “Right here Lies the Idiot” – Kameron Marlowe ::
Emily Algar, Oxfordshire, UK
“I made this mattress, if this barstool was a gravestone, right here lies the idiot” is one in all my favorite lyrics. It’s intelligent, evocative and paints the right image of drowning your sorrow in a bar.
Nation artist Kameron Marlowe co-wrote “Right here Lies the Idiot” with fellow nation artist Laci Kaye Sales space and producer Ben West. The track is the newest single from Marlowe’s EP, Unhappy Track for the Soul. The file has a vibe not dissimilar to Chris Stapleton’s breakout album file Traveller with its soulful, bluesy sound and sluggish, nation drawl. Nevertheless, it’s also completely distinctive to Marlowe. His songwriting is delicate, unhappy and at instances, darkish, however above all, it’s trustworthy.
I’m very new to Marlowe and his music so I wasn’t positive what to anticipate. Nevertheless, after I heard he had coated “Burning Home” by country-pop artist Cam and had written with Sales space, I knew his music wasn’t going to be the run of the mill nation music.
“Right here Lies the Idiot” is without doubt one of the saddest songs I’ve heard from a male artist shortly. Marlowe likens to being left, to being buried deep within the chilly earth. The narrator is aware of he’s guilty for the top of a relationship, however nonetheless he sits on the bar, hoping she’ll decide up and wake him up.
Nights are gettin’ lengthy
and I’m gettin’ stressed
I’m callin’ your line,
hearin’ the dial,
rattling it, I’m determined
And I made this mattress
and I gotta lay right here
with out the girl I like
So right here lies the idiot
:: “Darling” – Buboy ::
Mitch Mosk, Beacon, New York
The angst of youth comes at us full-throttle in Buboy’s first track of the yr. Independently launched January 8th, “Darling” is tender and turbulent, charming and churning: A gritty and glistening eruption of charged indie rock that speaks to an ocean of feelings inside and with out. Change comes at us quick, particularly in that lengthy transition from childhood into ‘maturity.’ Navigating these murky waters isn’t simple, and in “Darling,” 19-year-old Buboy unveils among the trials, and tribulations of his personal teenage years.
Inform me child, how does this finish?
I’m attempting my finest to get used to
Perhaps simply possibly we’re not the identical
We’re not the identical
Inform me child, how does this finish?
I don’t really feel similar to I used to
Perhaps, child, that is the way it’s meant to be
Are we meant to be, cus
“‘Darling’ is the second single off my upcoming debut EP Sixteen, which is concerning the messy uncertainty of being that age,” he explains. “I wrote this track in Might of 2023 as I used to be graduating from highschool. ‘Darling’ began off as grieving how somebody I was shut with had modified a lot, into somebody I didn’t know anymore. I felt a variety of nervousness about rising distant from folks I wished to maintain shut. However over time, as I continued to put in writing and produce he track as I began faculty, it advanced right into a extra joyful, triumphant celebration of progress.”
“It initially felt like a cry out to the individual I wished to nonetheless know, however ultimately it felt like I used to be extra so speaking to myself. Telling my youthful self that it’s okay to develop up and switch into somebody totally different. I nonetheless held the time we spent collectively warmly however I’ve grown up somewhat bit, too. Now I’m celebrating that I’m not the identical as I used to be.”
Time hasn’t been so type to us now
And I do know you’re totally different, darling, oh
You’re totally different now, darling
You’re totally different now, darling, darling
You’re totally different now, darling, darling
They don’t let you know this whenever you’re younger, however the challenges by no means cease; you retain hitting increasingly of them as you age, and hopefully expertise makes you a greater navigator – however not at all times. “Darling” is thus an evergreen anthem of overcoming challenges and celebrating our adjustments – an intimate eruption, rife with roaring guitar licks and evocative vocals, that speaks to one in all life’s fixed truths.
:: “Hear Me Out” – Blue Capricorn ::
Danielle Holian, Galway, Eire
Blue Capricorn’s newest single “Hear Me Out” is an electrifying dive right into a sonic world the place digital, indie, and synth-driven beats collide. From the opening moments, the monitor exudes an emotional rawness that feels each intimate and common—a craving for connection, love, and understanding. Serving because the lead single from his forthcoming EP, “Hear Me Out” is a press release of intent. Blue Capricorn’s fearless strategy to mixing shimmering synths with intricate samples creates a soundscape that’s as daring as it’s tender, setting the tone for a mission destined to push boundaries.
The monitor’s backstory provides one other layer of intrigue. Initially conceived as a collaborative effort with Michael Briggs, “Hear Me Out” unexpectedly morphed into one thing deeply private—a bit solely Blue Capricorn might personal. Its creation was fueled by improvisation and spontaneity, with the artist aiming to evoke particular feelings by every ingredient. Lyrically, it’s a poignant exploration of vulnerability and the longing to be actually seen. Blue Capricorn describes it as one in all his heaviest and most introspective works, and it exhibits. Each observe and lyric feels imbued along with his relentless drive to innovate and join. For followers of Ela Minus or Nicolas Jaar, “Hear Me Out” is a transformative pay attention that leaves you looking forward to what’s subsequent.
:: “Smoke Screens” – Jaidson ::
Danielle Holian, Galway, Eire
Jaidson’s newest providing “Smoke Screens” is a testomony to the rising star’s revolutionary strategy to pop and R&B. The one, fastidiously crafted as a part of his formidable Unburdened Impact mission, showcases the artist’s signature sound to perfection. With Voix on manufacturing duties, the monitor boasts an added layer of depth and dynamism, making it inconceivable to get out of your head. Jaidson’s charming lyrics and infectious melodies have already earned him a loyal fanbase and important acclaim, and “Smoke Screens” is certain to additional cement his standing as a standout within the business.
As Jaidson gears up for his subsequent studio mission “Retro Emotions” it’s clear that the way forward for pop and R&B is in good fingers. Along with his distinctive mix of romance-infused melodies and revolutionary manufacturing components, he’s redefining the style one electrifying launch at a time. “Smoke Screens” is a masterclass in fashionable pop, with Jaidson’s artistry shining brighter than ever. If that is only the start, we will’t wait to see what’s subsequent for this gifted younger artist.
:: “alkaline” – PANIK FLOWER ::
Mitch Mosk, Beacon, New York
It’s the inescapable aching on the core of PANIK FLOWER’s new track that hits me hardest – which is absolutely saying one thing, as a result of every little thing about “alkaline” hits arduous. The New York Metropolis dreamgaze (shoegaze + dream pop) band channel uncooked feelings right into a darkish, heavy, heated, and hazy ambiance – exhaling inside rigidity and turmoil as a cathartic and all-consuming musical fever dream.
Inhale the tide
the waves wash over
Arms are tied
To be the place you lie
However the mattress’s been made
And the effectively is dry
Alkaline…
“Jordan introduced this to us a very long time in the past, and I keep in mind being extremely persistent about having to flesh it out,” Mila Stieglitz-Courtney tells Atwood Journal. “There’s something concerning the chords which can be so fantastically haunting and are begging to be heard. What began as a enjoyable grouping of chords that Jordan was noodling round with quickly advanced into an emotional winding highway with peaks and valleys.”
“We spent a variety of time perfecting the wall of sound at the start of this monitor – we wished to seize a sure depth with this half whereas additionally having or not it’s fuzzy and heat. The dynamics swiftly shift right into a extra pared again, sparse instrumental which actually performs with this push-pull juxtaposition that a variety of the EP encompasses. You’re then thrust into this tremendous driving refrain. The entire track actually has this sense of craving from instrumentals to lyrics.”
Burnt in my thoughts
Scorched reminiscences
I can’t deny
Undo the time
Crimson chemistry
Now blue in dye
Alkaline…
Launched January 14th, “alkaline” is the lead single off PANIK FLOWER’s upcoming sophomore EP rearview, out April 30th. The follow-up to 2023’s debut EP Darkish Blue guarantees to push the band’s sound and subject material additional, exploring “identification, specifically the double-sided nature of uncertainty and self-acceptance,” and “transcribing this self-exploration into a luxurious and emotive soundscape” (per the band).
What’s clear, for me, is that the five-piece of Sage Leopold, Mila Stieglitz-Courtney, Jordan Buzzell, Max Baird, and Marco Starger have discovered their dwelling in a hauntingly emotive, achingly evocative area the place sound itself blankets not simply the ears, however the thoughts and the soul. “alkaline” is a daring, masterfully hard-hitting eruption, and hopefully the primary of many extra to come back.
:: “The Backyard” – Siblings ::
Mitch Mosk, Beacon, New York
Tright here’s a candy, jazzy, sun-kissed, and soulful heat about Siblings’ first track of the yr that proves each irresistible and soothing. Launched January 17th, “The Backyard” is a beautiful embrace of life’s limitless ebbs and flows; of the tides that come and go inside us and round us; and of our very personal cycles of renewal and revival. Lush piano chords, spellbinding melodies, and lead singer Theo DW’s heated, soul-stirring vocals create a fascinating ambiance of dreamy, golden-hued marvel.
Good morning mentioned the kiss of day,
The world is altering in so some ways,
Model new birds on the sky,
And we’re on the lookout for a purpose why,
I ponder why we got here,
On the wave of all our days,
On the ocean of affection inside,
We spill over to the opposite aspect
Discover me within the backyard,
Discover me within the mild,
Discover me within the backyard,
Oh river of time,
Discover me within the ocean,
Within the seas and within the soil,
Life is within the backyard,
On the wishing tree I’m free
“Lyrically, it’s about rebirth; the backyard is a young place of innocence and unconscious change,” the band shares. “The musical thought is predicated on a chord development that Rob wrote years in the past and had been rearing its head on the piano at our rehearsals sometimes. Theo got here up with the refrain hook and from there the track developed to the place it’s now with some reference to a demo that Rob had made. It took a short time to get the vibe proper for the recording till we stumbled upon this distorted drum sound with brushes and delay which was a turning level after which the remaining got here simply.”
Blow a kiss mentioned the solar to earth,
At all times turning since your delivery,
At all times watching as you develop,
As one comes one other goes,
I’m a mountain you possibly can see,
You’re the wave that flows in me,
All of the love so deep inside,
We roll over to the opposite aspect
“The Backyard” is the lead single and title monitor off Siblings’ upcoming sophomore EP, and a putting take a look at the South London band’s wealthy musical expertise – their capacity to deftly construct timbres and textures, harmonies and melodies collectively right into a singular, expressive outpouring. From Theo DW’s hot-on-the-mic singing and Rob Fenner’s radiant guitar soloing, to the deep grooves fashioned by the Matthew Willett’s piano, Michael Webb’s bass, and Ben Andrewes’ drums – and every little thing in-between – this track is a veritable wellspring of inspiration – a supply of refreshing sonic mild that I’ll inevitably preserve coming again to within the lengthy days, weeks, and months forward.
Discover me within the backyard,
Discover me within the mild,
Discover me within the backyard,
Oh river of time,
Discover me within the ocean,
Within the seas and within the soil,
Life is within the backyard,
On the wishing tree I’m free
Discover me within the backyard,
Discover me within the mild,
Discover me within the backyard,
Oh river of sunshine,
Discover me within the ocean,
Within the seas and within the soil,
Life is within the backyard,
On the wishing tree I’m free
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