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 impression on them, within the second.
This week’s weekly roundup options music by Jordan Hawkins, Filth Flirt, Alex Porat, Jessy Blakemore, Claire Guerreso, Occasion Nails, MARLEY, World Information, Susannah Joffe, Chris Chu, gabby rivers, Mutual Shock, Geo Baddoo, Evalyn, Tristan Tritt, Stephan Hogan, Cory Cullinan & Riley Max, Chayne, Pink Skies, BOY SODA, Imbermind, Ash Pink, Foxtails Brigade, Staci Gruber, Telebox, PARK RD, Large Concern, Altameda, Jake Thistle, & he’s tall.!
•• •• •• ••
comply with WEEKLY ROUNDUP on Spotify 
•• ••
:: “Off Them Medication” – Jordan Hawkins ::
Mitch Mosk, Beacon, New York
Tright here’s no cooling off in Jordan Hawkins’ “Off Them Medication” – from the primary guitar lick to the ultimate vocal flare, the LA-based artist’s newest single simmers with unfiltered ardour and smoldering stress. His voice cuts by like smoke in a darkish room, charged with want and disillusionment. “You bought me burnt out / You should be tweaking out / You should be off them medicine,” he sings, leaning onerous into the ache and absurdity of communication gone sideways. What begins as seduction unravels into confrontation, with Hawkins’ bluesy guitar enjoying each balm and accelerant.
“Off Them Medication” feels virtually voyeuristic in its intimacy – a late-night argument caught on tape, or the tail finish of a excessive when every thing out of the blue turns sideways. Hawkins describes it as “impressed by the backwards and forwards of a heated argument with my girl,” including, “Oftentimes in arguments we might lose our tempers and speak over one another to the purpose that nobody was being heard and nothing was making sense. Once I felt my girl was tripping about one thing I might inform her she was off them medicine. If we had been consuming or smoking it will solely amplify the difficulty and take us additional away from resolve. In a deeper sense it’s additionally a self-reflection of how substances can alter choice making and readability typically to the detriment of efficient communication.”
That stress thrums by each second – within the clipped voicemails, the dissonant chords, the sharp stabs of frustration, and the pleading within the bridge: “Ache has been a instructor / and we nonetheless haven’t discovered our lesson but.” However for all its battle, there’s a cathartic edge to the observe – a way that Hawkins isn’t simply venting, he’s excavating. Each observe is tethered to one thing uncooked and actual. The track itself ends in a fiery guitar solo that highlights not solely Hawkins’ virtuosity as a participant, however the guitar’s central position in his expression – a ultimate burst of feeling that reminds us that when phrases break down, music takes over.
With “Off Them Medication,” Jordan Hawkins continues to carve out his house within the trendy soul-rock panorama – one which’s rooted in dwell instrumentation, emotional urgency, and uncompromising fact. It’s messy. It’s sensual. It’s human. And it hits.
:: Filth Flirt – Filth Flirt ::
Danielle Holian, Galway, Eire
On her self-titled debut EP Filth Flirt, London-based alt-pop power Package Eaton-Kent delivers a uncooked, unflinching portrait of queer id, heartbreak, and the attractive chaos of rising into your self. As Filth Flirt, Eaton-Kent dismantles the partitions between vulnerability and pop precision, crafting 5 sonically numerous tracks that hit like diary entries wearing synth and distortion. From the bruised honesty of “Necklace” to the jagged self-awareness of “Dramatic,” every track is a standalone vignette: messy, magnetic, and gut-wrenchingly actual. It’s the form of file that doesn’t simply invite you in; it calls for you are feeling every thing, suddenly.
Produced by Redshank and powered fully by Eaton-Kent’s writing and efficiency, Filth Flirt wears its emo roots proudly whereas pushing towards a future-facing alt-pop sound. Touchstones like The Japanese Home and 070 Shake echo by the manufacturing, nevertheless it’s Filth Flirt’s confessional voice and emotional daring that really set her aside. “Boyfriend” unpacks queer longing by candy-coated ache, “Bodycount” turns post-breakup guilt into an anthem, and nearer “Don’t Go” leaves you haunted, lingering within the silence of issues left unsaid. It’s no marvel the EP is catching hearth throughout Spotify playlists; Filth Flirt is the sound of somebody claiming house, scars and all.
:: “Blueprint” – Alex Porat ::
Josh Weiner, Washington DC
I’m celebrating 10 years with Atwood Journal this month, and over the last decade that’s ensued since I first hopped onboard this fantastic publication in June 2015, there have been loads of cases the place I’ve gotten to find numerous new artists, after which rediscover them as soon as they get pitched to me once more months and even years later. Alex Porat is one such instance– I used to be first launched to this teenage Toronto singer again in August 2020, when lockdown was nonetheless in impact and, though the worldwide temper wasn’t fairly as gloomy because it had been 5 months prior, issues had been nonetheless fairly dreary. Fortunately, her bouncy and lighthearted single “by no means say ily once more” was in a position to decide my temper up significantly, one thing I nonetheless recognize her for 5 years later. And now, it’s nice to get caught up in Ms. Porat’s progress– she has since continued to place out loads of music, together with her 2021 debut LP, MISS SICK WORLD, and now could be again with a model new single entitled “Blueprint.”
On this track, Porat displays a couple of previous lover of whom she’s two minds about. On the one hand, issues didn’t actually work out with them. Alternatively, they’ve given her invaluable impressions as to the best way to strategy romance that she’s benefitted from ever since. So… what to make of such an individual? Laborious to say, nevertheless it does make for an intriguing thematic idea, and the mild ethereal beat and Porat’s ever-alluring vocal strengths make “Blueprint” an entire package deal. She’s additionally obtained loads extra of all that developing along with her new EP, crushed!, which she describes as “the kind of music somebody would dance round their room to once they get a textual content from the particular person they like.”
:: “burna” – Jessy Blakemore ::
Rachel Leong, France
London-based singer/songwriter Jessy Blakemore has launched her debut observe, “burna,” alongside bonus single ‘shiloh kind beat.’ Having already made a reputation for herself with opening slots at SZA’s Hyde Park present final 12 months, Blakemore’s personal music has been a very long time coming. The long-awaited new music blends soulful vocals with an unforgettable presence, solely a peek of what’s to return for the artist.
“burna,” notably, shines with its tender energy – the observe attests to Blakemore’s expansive songwriting skills, in addition to her reward in transporting you elsewhere along with her artistry. “burna” speaks to infidelity from a perspective outdoors of her personal, as she shares, “’burna’ is written from a man’s perspective of a eager to be with somebody who’s unavailable. it’s not a love track, however relatively a illustration of a projection of potential, after which blame for the sentiments of battle that comply with.”
With competition slots and extra music to return, Blakemore is simply set to go upward from right here.
:: “Cross My Coronary heart”- Claire Guerreso ::
Chloe Robinson, California
Sometimes it may be troublesome to totally let go and simply be your self. Claire Guerreso’s single “Cross My Coronary heart” is about embracing who you really are, taking daring leaps, and shedding the burdens that maintain you again. With glistening melodies, catchy rhythms, and lyrics that ignite a spirit of journey, the observe embodies the exhilaration of self-discovery and the pure pleasure of being current. She makes use of the idiom “cross my coronary heart and hope to die,” cleverly altering the expression to “fly.” The road completely sums up her message of seizing possibilities.
Guerreso blends a variety of types – reminiscent of indie-pop, rock, digital, and soul – right into a sound that’s uniquely her personal. She gravitates towards music that faucets into uncooked, highly effective emotion, with a voice that feels each ethereal and weightless, seamlessly uniting each observe. Past performing, she focuses on creating music for movie and tv, in addition to collaborating with different artists as a songwriter. She strikes between moody, atmospheric releases, high-energy dance anthems, and soul-searching ballads, infusing every with emotional depth. “Cross My Coronary heart” showcases that very same passionate high quality.
:: “Set off Warning” – Occasion Nails ::
Julius Robinson, California
Elana Carroll brings her skills as a singer, songwriter, producer, musician, and engineer collectively in her electrifying venture, Occasion Nails. She has simply launched her compelling new single and video coping with the aftermath of relationship abuse. Titled “Set off Warning,” the shimmering, synth-driven single channels the nostalgic attract of Chromatics and the moody depth of The Weeknd. Directed by Elinor Howells, the visuals carry a vivid mix of surrealism and emotional depth to the music video. Bathed in a classic hue, the footage appears like a light reminiscence. The narrative touches on themes of working away, constructing connection, interior reflection, private evolution, and rising above.
Earlier than adopting the moniker Occasion Nails, Carroll was a guitar-wielding preteen acting at each open mic she might discover round her hometown of Chatham, New York. At dwelling, she started experimenting with Storage Band, sparking a ardour for music manufacturing that also drives her right this moment. Occasion Nails formally emerged in 2015 with the discharge of “Break”. She has totally honed in on her craft and “Set off Warning” shows her talent seamlessly.
:: “Good Instances” – MARLEY ::
Joe Beer, Surrey, UK
London-based Dutch artist MARLEY reminds us that cash can’t purchase happiness in her newest single, “Good Instances.” With silky pop-soul manufacturing from PENGWIN and a voice that instructions consideration, Marley delivers a modern, glittery anthem that questions the phantasm of success. As an alternative of glamorizing opulence, MARLEY invitations listeners to look inward, relating themes of self-worth and emotional honesty. Written after a interval spent working intently with rich people, the songwriter realized that beneath the glitz and the glam, issues weren’t at all times so shiny. She confides, “I used to suppose they’d all of it discovered, nevertheless it wasn’t true. Happiness doesn’t come from Bentleys or marble flooring. It comes from inside.”
With an attractive bassline, soul-soaked vocals and a fab beat, “Good Instances” is the final word ear-worm, harking back to Amy Winehouse and Stevie Surprise. MARLEY sings, “I’m not right here for a very long time, only a good time,” a lyric that shimmers with optimism, reminding us to hunt out the enjoyment within the on a regular basis, even when life feels heavy. It’s a message of lightness that lands with explicit resonance within the midst of unsure instances.
:: “Don’t Wish to Know” – World Information ::
Mitch Mosk, Beacon, New York
World Information make escapism sound like an artform on “Don’t Wish to Know.” Soaked in glimmering delay and a gliding, ever-climbing guitar line that channels the widescreen marvel of Achtung Child-era U2, the Brighton-bred, London-based band’s newest track is indie rock constructed for movement – stressed legs, blurry skies, cities passing by in a trance. However the place the sonics are light-filled, the sentiment is heavy. “No I don’t wish to know what it’s gonna be like / Don’t wish to know simply go away me be,” frontman Alex Evans sings, his voice cool and indifferent in opposition to the observe’s euphoric swell. That push and pull – sonic brightness wrapped round lyrical bruises – proves a strong, immediately and endlessly alluring stress.
Evans wrote the lyrics after a tough touchdown in Brighton: “I wrote the lyrics not lengthy after shifting to Brighton; a brand new chapter that didn’t precisely go to plan,” he explains. “I obtained fired from a bar job for calling in sick with the flu, and that was form of the tipping level. I shut down, went full hermit mode, and couldn’t face anybody. The track got here out of that headspace – if you’re caught in a fog of despair, struggling to do even primary duties and pushing away the individuals who really care.” It’s a track of isolation disguised as a banger – self-sabotage set to a glowing beat.
That distinction is a part of what makes World Information so compelling. Their music wears classic influences on its sleeve – suppose The Smiths, The Remedy, even Dire Straits of their dreamier moments – however there’s a contemporary malaise baked into each chorus. The road “don’t wish to know your title / however darling gained’t you continue to be mine?” is virtually a thesis assertion: Prickly, romantic, and confused in probably the most human approach.
With “Don’t Wish to Know,” the British band discover readability by catharsis, spinning collapse into one thing you may dance to. It’s moody. It’s magnetic. And it lingers lengthy after the final observe fades.
:: “Horses Can’t Outrun Me” – Susannah Joffe ::
Josh Weiner, Washington DC
I was launched to Susannah Joffe a couple of months in the past by her track “Sofia Coppola,” and it’s tremendous to see her come out with one other track, “Horses Can’t Outrun Me” (meaning she will be able to probably high 43.71 mph– take that, Usain!). Within the artist’s personal phrases, “‘Horses Can’t Outrun Me’ is a cinematic dream-pop observe that blends nostalgic ’80s pop with shoegaze textures, telling a narrative of emotional escape by Americana-laced imagery and vivid, surreal longing.” It’s a track that’s mainly about being free to pursue your personal path, no matter that could be and wherever it might lead you, and it makes for an uplifting and pleasant pay attention.
Each “Horses Can’t Outrun Us” and “Sofia Coppola” are to be included on Joffe’s upcoming EP, Cult Chief. After a strong two-part pattern of that venture, contemplate me wholly prepared for the full-course meal afterward this summer time!
:: “Carrying On” – Chris Chu ::
Mitch Mosk, Beacon, New York
Warm and wondrous, candy and smile-inducing, Chris Chu’s “Carrying On” drifts in like daylight by gauze – tender, weightless, and quietly breathtaking. The POP ETC frontman’s first solo single feels virtually impossibly mild given the trauma that birthed it: A near-fatal bike accident, a damaged backbone, a traumatic mind damage, and 6 months of misplaced time. And but, from that darkness got here one thing radiant – a dreamlike track about reminiscence, mortality, and the quiet, on a regular basis choice to maintain going. “Took my bike out for a trip / awoke respiration by a tube,” he sings, his voice feather-light, tethered to a fragile sense of marvel.
“Final summer time I went on a motorbike trip and by no means got here dwelling,” Chu shares. “I awoke in a hospital room with a damaged backbone, a traumatic mind damage, and had f*ed up my face so badly I might barely communicate. Each physician I noticed stated I used to be fortunate to be alive. I can’t bear in mind something concerning the accident. I’m nonetheless attempting to piece collectively a few of it from desires and what others have informed me. From what I can inform, there’s a interval of round 6 months there, the place I’ve little to no reminiscence in any respect. However I suppose someplace in the course of recovering from all that, nonetheless carrying a chest brace and floating by some unusual drugged up dreamlike existence, I began making music once more. Listening to songs in my head about dying, concerning the trauma and the ache. And songs about gratitude. Selecting to dwell. I later found that I had recorded a complete album throughout this time that I’ve no reminiscence of creating.”
“Carrying On” is the primary glimpse of that unintended, unconscious album – a group of songs that clearly wanted to be made. And whereas among the lyrics lower deep (“now I can’t cease all this crying / simply crawling up that hill”), the track itself feels something however heavy. There’s a smooth pulse within the rhythm, a refined swell within the synths, a hush in Chu’s supply that makes it really feel like a secret being handed hand at hand. It’s not a lament; it’s a lullaby for the residing.
“Once I first re-discovered these songs it was form of disorienting,” Chu says. “It was virtually as if another person fully had written and sang them. A number of the lyrics are fairly bleak and intense on paper. However the feeling I get from listening to the album now is definitely fairly hopeful. It seems like somebody who’s impressed to create one thing within the face of all that ache. It seems like somebody who needs to maintain on residing.”
In a world that not often slows down, Chris Chu’s “Carrying On” is a delicate invitation to pause – to really feel the burden of what we’ve survived, and to maintain going anyway. It’s not loud. It doesn’t demand consideration, nevertheless it leaves a mark, smooth and shimmering as a bruise. It’s an ode to life; an intimate homage to being alive.
:: “Lipstick Karma” – Gabby Rivers ::
Danielle Holian, Galway, Eire
Gabby Rivers returns with a sonic firecracker in “Lipstick Karma,” a fierce and fearless evolution that sees the Suffolk-based artist faucet right into a darker, extra cathartic register. This isn’t only a single; it’s a press release. Edgy, emotionally uncooked, and sonically gripping, Lipstick Karma struts into the alt-rock house with sufficient chew to go away a mark, and sufficient coronary heart to make it linger.
From the outset, the observe buzzes with stress, angular guitars and tight, boxy drums create a nervous vitality that mirrors the story behind the track. Rivers’ vocals are compellingly unguarded, shifting from processed vulnerability to full-throttle defiance because the refrain explodes with distorted textures and an addictive melodic punch. It’s equal elements angst and anthemic, the sound of somebody reclaiming their narrative with grit and elegance.
What units “Lipstick Karma” aside is its emotional readability. The observe channels a private, painful expertise into one thing triumphant and common. It’s within the refined manufacturing selections, the eerie vocal results, the rising depth and within the confidence of an artist who is aware of precisely what she needs to say, and the best way to say it. Gabby Rivers is not only one to observe; she’s one to comply with intently. With “Lipstick Karma,” she’s not simply discovering her voice; she’s amplifying it.
:: Nervous Programs – Mutual Shock ::
Danielle Holian, Galway, Eire
On Nervous Programs, Dan Powers – beneath his shadowy solo alias Mutual Shock – emerges as a significant new voice within the darker fringes of digital music. Increasing on the promise of 2024’s “Stimulus Development” EP, Powers plunges headlong right into a ten-track descent by the psyche of a world teetering on the sting. Fusing chilly wave minimalism with synthpop’s glimmer and post-industrial grit, the album evokes the strain of cities at evening and the gradual hum of existential dread. It’s a haunted, cinematic panorama the place analog heat meets digital detachment, channeling the likes of Boy Harsher and Drab Majesty whereas carving out a definite emotional register all its personal.
However Nervous Programs isn’t nearly aesthetics, it’s deeply thematic, a treatise on alienation within the period of hyperconnectivity and the psychic weight of recent life. Powers delivers lyrics like whispered confessions from the top of the world, confronting the psychic toll of labor, media saturation, and the quiet collapse of which means. Songs like “Destroyer” and “Physique Collectively” pulse with urgency, whereas tracks like “Bore Me” simmer in ennui, capturing the blurred strains between intimacy and isolation. The result’s a file as emotionally gripping as it’s sonically immersive. “Nervous Programs” doesn’t simply soundtrack our fractured actuality; it dares to really feel its each crack.
:: “Look At Me” – Geo Baddoo ::
Rachel Leong, France
Geo Baddoo is a British singer, songwriter and producer who’s at the moment making waves on the scene. The British artist returns along with her ethereal new observe, “Look At Me,” a rhythmic and eclectic exploration of resonant feelings. Mixing jazz, deep home, and R&B, the observe calls for your ear in a approach that stays with you lengthy after you’ve heard it.
“Look At Me” embraces genre-bending textures and fusion soundscapes, mirroring the tensions of current being and exterior perceptions. Baddoo shares that the observe was written from her emotions on these polarities, and what arose was a dynamic personification of launch. Main with tender vocals and style expansivity, “Look At Me” is a defiant new chapter of her music.
She shares poignantly, “‘Have a look at Me’ captures the sensation of being in full bloom – open, grounded, and prepared for no matter comes subsequent. It’s a celebration of interior energy and resilience.”
:: “The Feeling”- Evalyn ::
Julius Robinson, California
Alluring artist Evalyn’s new single and music video delivers an unimaginable electro sonic rush. Referred to as “The Feeling,” the observe is a high-octane blast of nostalgia, drawing from the euphoric soundscapes of early 2010s pop. The piece is an ode to surrendering to the chaos of existence and diving headfirst into one thing uncooked, wild, and instinctive. The music video options Evalyn in a warehouse, dropping herself within the music and dancing freely alongside a bunch of associates. The visuals are a flawless reflection of the track’s vitality.
For greater than ten years, Evalyn has reworked her private struggles into deeply shifting pop songs. Based mostly in Los Angeles and with over 130 million streams on Spotify, she’s again along with her most daring venture but – A Quiet Life – an album exploring the complexities of recent consciousness by the lens of quickly turning into a mom. She has established herself within the music scene by collaborations with trade heavyweights like Dillon Francis and RAC.
:: “Wannabe” – Tristan Tritt ::
Julius Robinson, California
Tristan Tritt delivers a singular fusion of Southern rock and various sounds. His single “Wannabe” serves as each a heartfelt tribute to his roots – honoring his father, Grammy-winning nation star Travis Tritt – and a assured enterprise into broader musical landscapes. The soulful track is a honest dive into who he’s and the place he comes from. Tritt reveals, “There’s a very particular place in my coronary heart, regarding the relationship between the Father and his Son.” Sweeping guitar riffs, entrancing rhythms, and hovering melodies convey a timeless emotion of want and freedom.
The singer tells the story of America by his music, valuing simplicity and at all times pushing his inventive boundaries. As a proud Southern artist from Georgia, he embraces his true self and the musical influences which have formed him. His sound is a singular mixture of Southern rock, nation, blues, and various, reflecting his private journey and inventive development. By crossing style strains, he honors the legacy of his musical position fashions like The Black Crowes, Koe Wetzel, Colter Wall, and Tom Petty, whereas injecting a recent, cutting-edge really feel.
:: “You or the West Coast” – Stephan Hogan ::
Chloe Robinson, California
Stephan Hogan’s “You or the West Coast” is a stirring piece oozing with uncooked sentiment. The observe displays on these moments if you’re torn between the solace of somebody you like and the leap towards one thing higher and unsure. With a easy piano melody and heat, emotive vocals, the track’s coronary heart instantly bursts by. Evoking the vibe of Morgan Wallen, Hogan possesses that very same expressive ardour. His lyrics are extremely vivid, portray a robust image within the listener’s thoughts.
Hogan is an acclaimed musician, podcast host, and media entrepreneur. He recurrently performs at Nashville’s legendary Bluebird Café and was personally acknowledged by Vince Gill – nation music’s most-awarded Grammy winner and present guitarist for The Eagles – as one among his high 5 favourite guitarists. His accomplishments are spectacular, and this single is a exceptional addition to all he’s achieved.
:: “2025 Alive” – Cory Cullinan ::
Chloe Robinson, California
“2025 Alive” is a cutting-edge, revolutionary musical and visible expertise from musician, commissioned composer, writer, award-winning educator, speaker, and studio proprietor Cory Cullinan, that includes singer/songwriter Riley Max. This high-tech, improvised efficiency displays the chaos of residing in 2025. The eccentric, experimental instrumentation is deeply fascinating and profound.
Cullinan reveals, “2025 Alive has vocals all through however just one lyric: ‘Take a look at.’ This phrase is straight away deconstructed and splintered into items, like a lot in our trendy world. Whether or not present occasions are testing your resolve in a tradition you really liked, otherwise you help those that are testing simply how far we will break or reform our norms, this premise is apropos of what you’re experiencing in 2025.”
Cullinan’s latest work, 2025 Alive, is a deeply expressive, multigenerational multimedia collaboration. The avant-garde piece is carried out by famend singer-songwriter Riley Max, and the accompanying movie – a vivid cinematic dreamscape – was directed by his daughter, Sidney Cullinan. A Stanford music graduate, Cullinan possesses a robust sophistication as a composer, and you may hear that refinement all through this riveting work.
:: “It’s Gone, He’s Gone” – Chayne ::
Joe Beer, Surrey, UK
17-year-old British alt-pop artist Chayne proves that standard is boring along with her new single, “It’s Gone, He’s Gone.” Based mostly within the South of France, the younger musician defies genre-norms with the quirky launch, injecting enjoyable and lightheartedness into her sound. The observe speaks about strolling away from one thing (or somebody) that not serves you.
Chayne shares, “I hear bizarre tales about what folks put up with and I’m amazed how crap they really feel. I simply needed to be as nonchalant and sardonic as I want to be after a break-up! Actually, I’d hope that this track may make folks suppose they will see the positives in a break-up. It might not really feel prefer it, nevertheless it’s in all probability for the very best – so be robust and have fun!”
Her zest for all times and carefree angle is infectious, with “It’s Gone, He’s Gone” showcasing her skill to show heartbreak into empowerment, all wrapped in a playful, offbeat alt-pop package deal that refuses to take itself too significantly.
:: “Eternally” – Pink Skies ::
Mitch Mosk, Beacon, New York
Pink Skies’ “Eternally” appears like freedom bottled up and set to music. It’s upbeat, energetic, and euphoric – a rush of open air and unfiltered feeling, made for backseats, balconies, and nights that by no means appear to finish. “Can we keep like this perpetually?” Arieh Berl sings, his voice breezy and shiny over a backdrop of dusty guitars and kaleidoscopic synths. It’s the primary single off Pink Skies’ upcoming album, and a becoming reintroduction to Berl’s psychedelic-pop venture – one rooted in his Bay Space upbringing and formed by a genre-blurring mix of indie rock, chillwave, and cosmic nostalgia.
“Eternally” was born accidentally, within the afterglow of lengthy days on the street. “[It] kinda simply fell out of me,” Berl shares. “I used to be engaged on a manufacturing for another person and by accident stumbled into this track. I pulled out my cellphone, recorded a tough model, and the verse and refrain had been simply… there. It was proper after we had been touring nonstop – driving everywhere in the nation, by scorching summer time days in Texas, Tennessee, the Southwest. Discovering swimming holes in Austin and Phoenix, simply chasing the solar and residing free like a band will get to do generally.”
That sense of escape pulses by each observe – not simply within the lyrics (“Each day feels just like the 4th of July / sneaking out singing in the course of the evening”), however within the feeling that this track might stretch on endlessly. Berl explains, “The track is about these moments that really feel like they may final perpetually. Like using at the back of your good friend’s truck to the lake, or a 4th of July on Lake Tahoe. You neglect the world exists – simply you, somebody you like, and the open sky. However behind that bliss is the quiet fact: nothing actually lasts perpetually. That’s what makes these moments so particular. They’re fleeting. They usually’re the rationale this nation, for all its chaos, nonetheless feels price combating for. I would like folks to blast this on street journeys, sing it at household barbecues twenty years from now, and bear in mind a time when life felt excellent – even when it was only for a minute.”
In simply three minutes, Pink Skies encapsulates these candy, fleeting emotions that go us by too shortly, however dwell a lifetime in our recollections. “Eternally” is greater than a track – it’s a time capsule, a sun-soaked snapshot of pleasure in movement. And in capturing the sensation of an ideal second simply earlier than it slips away, Pink Skies reminds us why we chase these recollections within the first place.
:: “Lil’ Obsession” – BOY SODA ::
Mitch Mosk, Beacon, New York
BOY SODA’s “Lil’ Obsession” is the form of observe that leaves a mark lengthy after its ultimate observe – a searing, soul-slick slow-burn that glows with each readability and restraint. The Australian artist’s voice is a magnetic power all through: Uncooked, husky, and wealthy with feeling, churning over feverish drums, radiant harmonies, and kaleidoscopic keys. It’s a sound each grounded and expansive, jazz-tinged and pop-smart, steeped in heartbreak however by no means consumed by it. He doesn’t wallow – he rises, singing by the smoke of a love that’s already burned out.
Launched in late January, “Lil’ Obsession” is the primary glimpse into BOY SODA’s subsequent period – a daring, live-instrumentation-heavy chapter crafted within the Blue Mountains of New South Wales, alongside a neighborhood of classically educated musicians and culturally wealthy co-writers. “‘Lil Obsession’ is about letting go, and surrendering to the fact of a relationship that’s been ruptured, or served its goal,” he shares. “Making it introduced self validation and launch, and helped me actualise emotions I used to be struggling to articulate, as music typically does. It’s not a ‘f* you’ track by any means – extra of a private recount primarily based on true occasions. I’m actually excited to introduce these dwell parts, and tone of voice to those that discover it, as a result of it marks the start of a brand new period, creatively and spiritually for me.”
That duality pulses by each line – half closure, half confession. “If we go no-contact, I don’t take no pleasure / and the remaining is as much as future at her discretion,” he sings, letting go along with grace, however not with out edge. There’s a chew within the supply, however by no means bitterness. As an alternative, it’s self-possession – the sound of somebody reclaiming their energy with out erasing their previous.
For all its complexity, “Lil’ Obsession” by no means overreaches. It simmers, sways, and in the end surrenders – a breakup track with brains, a groove, and a heartbeat. With this observe, BOY SODA doesn’t simply flip the web page – he units the tone for every thing that’s coming subsequent.
:: “By no means Ending” – Imbermind ::
Danielle Holian, Galway, Eire
Tright here’s a pulse beneath “By no means Ending” that doesn’t simply transfer, it breathes. Imbermind’s debut appears like nightfall stretching into daybreak, a meditation in movement, the place silence is simply as essential as sound. Synths glide like passing clouds, rhythms arrive like reminiscence, gradual, sure, and unusually acquainted. The album doesn’t shout; it shimmers, providing a world not constructed to impress, however to immerse. It’s music that catches you off-guard, not with spectacle, however with stillness.
Every observe unfolds like a whispered confession, wrapped in velvet textures and weightless manufacturing. Vocals drift out and in of focus, like ideas half-formed, but totally felt. There’s a form of bravery within the restraint, the way in which emotion simmers as an alternative of boiling over. The electronics don’t dominate; they help, improve, and dissolve. This isn’t a soundtrack for the membership or the gang. It’s for the in-between moments, the afters, the alone, the awakenings.
In a time when immediacy typically wins, “By no means Ending” is unafraid to take its time. It invitations you to lean in, to get misplaced, to really feel one thing quieter and deeper. Imbermind hasn’t simply made a debut: they’ve crafted a residing soundscape, one which lingers lengthy after the ultimate observe fades. It doesn’t finish. It echoes.
:: STUPID EP – Ash Pink ::
Danielle Holian, Galway, Eire
Ash Pink’s STUPID EP, launched through Blowtorch Information, is a putting doc of a band caught mid-evolution. It’s really a restlessly shifting, but rooted in a sound that already feels distinct and warranted. The trio, identified for his or her darkish, bass-driven post-punk, haven’t misplaced their edge. If something, they’ve sharpened it, wielding it with extra intent and management than ever earlier than.
What’s most compelling about STUPID EP is its ambiance, without delay brooding and electrical, it appears like the strain earlier than a storm breaks. The manufacturing avoids polish in favor of immediacy, capturing the crackle of live-room vitality with out sacrificing sonic depth. There’s a way of house right here, reverb-drenched and moody, the place influences like Pleasure Division and The Remedy hover just below the floor, whereas the band’s personal id continues to push ahead.
This EP doesn’t simply mark a transition; it celebrates it. Ash Pink enable tough edges to point out, trusting the listener to seek out which means within the mess and sweetness within the noise. The result’s uncooked, very important, and thrillingly sincere, a daring prelude to a debut album that now feels stuffed with promise.
:: “Gimme a Signal” – Foxtails Brigade ::
Mitch Mosk, Beacon, New York
Foxtails Brigade’s “Gimme a Signal” hits like a cry at nighttime – uncooked, aching, and dazzling suddenly. A standout from the band’s not too long ago launched Pink Album, the track captures a form of existential limbo: The aching query of whether or not it’s time to carry on or let go. “Gimme an indication / one thing I might acknowledge, a clue / one thing to carry on to,” Laura Weinbach pleads over glistening guitar strains and a hovering refrain. There’s a pulse of desperation in her voice, but additionally resilience – a want for which means, for proof, for one thing actual to consider in.
Whereas previous releases leaned into baroque thrives and theatrical edges, “Gimme a Signal” is a pop/rock anthem in full – modern and melodic, however by no means dropping the band’s off-kilter appeal. Constructed on nylon-string riffs, unpredictable percussion, and massive, cathartic hooks, the track channels Foxtails Brigade’s signature mix of darkish whimsy and sharp precision. It’s a track for anybody hanging by a thread – and questioning if the thread is even actual.
As Weinbach explains, the track got here from a really actual place of doubt: “John Leguizamo as soon as stated of (Latin) artists one thing to the impact of, ‘For some, the door is vast open; for others, they must crowbar it open.’ The sentiment of that message has rung and resonated in my thoughts all through my now decades-long journey as a musician. For me, it has at all times been the crowbar technique – and even then, I’m unsure I’ve ever been profitable at getting the door open… you simply wish to know that the work you do issues – that it’s related and means one thing – and that it gained’t die in a pit of obscurity as quickly as you let it exit into the world… And so one finds oneself asking for an indication. The track emerged whereas Anton and I had been strolling down the road, simply speaking about all this kinda stuff – and from there music just about wrote itself.”
Led by Bay Space songwriter and guitarist Laura Weinbach, Foxtails Brigade has carved out an area for themselves on the crossroads of eccentricity and class. Their music is theatrical however by no means overwrought, exact however stuffed with coronary heart – and on “Gimme a Signal,” all that stress finds launch. It’s a track about combating obscurity, about staying seen, about asking the query each artist (and particular person) ultimately does: does this matter? The wonder is in the way it solutions itself – not with certainty, however with sound.
:: “Be Sort With My Coronary heart” – Staci Gruber ::
Chloe Robinson, California
Infidelity in a relationship is tough to get previous. There are such a lot of feelings left within the aftermath. Nation-meets-Americana artist Staci Gruber’s track “Be Sort With My Coronary heart” particulars the fallout from betrayal or unfaithfulness and the frequent emotions that come up afterward. Her heat, earnest vocals emit deep-rooted ardour. She shares, “Every one among us experiences a lot all through our lives – pleasure, sorrow, love, loss. They assist to outline us and permit us to evolve. We’ve all been heartbroken and felt betrayed, questioning if we’ll make it by. Be Sort With My Coronary heart echoes the sentiment that it doesn’t matter what position we play in misplaced love, kindness is essential.”
Staci Gruber is a Boston-based artist whose exceptional musical expertise and compelling songwriting draw listeners in. She weaves collectively her personal life tales with the feelings of others, crafting music that profoundly explores emotions of isolation, loneliness, and hope. This beautiful ballad is one other launch that grips us.
:: “Shadow of a Coronary heart” – Telebox ::
Danielle Holian, Galway, Eire
With “c,” Galway alt-rock outfit Telebox ship a haunting, richly textured meditation on habit, loss, and emotional decay. The one marks a putting evolution within the band’s sound, weaving parts of shoegaze, post-punk, and alt-rock into an immersive sonic panorama. Fuzzy guitars shimmer with grit and sweetness, melodic vocals carry a heavy emotional weight, and the rhythm part grounds the observe with a pulsing urgency that mirrors the interior turmoil explored within the lyrics. The construction resists conference, unfolding like a descent, gradual, chaotic, and deeply affecting, with out ever dropping its sense of course or energy.
The band present spectacular emotional vary, providing a perspective that’s empathetic, sincere, and unflinching. The manufacturing, helmed in a distant Burren dwelling studio with Daithí Ó Dronaí, captures the intimacy and depth of the observe with exceptional readability. There’s a rawness right here that doesn’t really feel unfinished, as an alternative, it feels intentional and very important, like each imperfection provides weight to the message. Telebox have created greater than a track; “Shadow of a Coronary heart” is a visceral expertise, and it cements their status as one among Eire’s most compelling rising acts.
:: “English Boy” – PARK RD ::
Mitch Mosk, Beacon, New York
PARK RD’s “English Boy” is a headrush – insatiable, feverish, and fully irresistible. The New Zealand indie rockers throw themselves right into a full-bodied emotional upheaval, channeling want, rejection, and self-doubt right into a rousing, overdrive-laced anthem. It’s brief, sharp, and explosive – full of uncooked guitar riffs, thunderous percussion, and a vocal supply that walks the road between weak and unhinged. “You gained’t textual content again / I preserve my cellphone / why does it damage like that,” Tom Chamberlain sings, as if nonetheless catching his breath from the evening earlier than. You’ll be able to really feel the ache in each phrase, however the music barrels ahead like a freight prepare.
The track’s origin story is as instant as its sound. “English Boy got here from a band apply the place it was initially a ten minute lengthy jam, and the primary verse got here on the very starting,” Chamberlain shares. “It was a type of magic moments in music the place every thing simply comes collectively. On the time I had a crush on this woman, and I hadn’t had a crush in ages earlier than that. She didn’t like me again as a lot, in order that’s the place the primary strains of the track come from – ‘you gained’t textual content again, I preserve my cellphone, why does it damage like that?’”
Produced alongside Jol Mulholland (Neil & Liam Finn, Connan Mockasin), “English Boy” marks an exhilarating subsequent chapter for PARK RD – louder, leaner, and extra emotionally uncovered. There’s a fever dream high quality to all of it: Shout-along hooks, movie-scene references (“Watched that film / True Romance / I need a date like that”), and the determined momentum of an evening you’re attempting to neglect. It’s a heartbreak track in movement – an anthem for anybody who’s ever confused ache for ardour, or turned rejection into artwork.
With this launch, PARK RD sharpen their sound and naked their enamel. “English Boy” isn’t only a standout – it’s a siren.
:: “Mildew” – Large Concern ::
Danielle Holian, Galway, Eire
With “Mildew,” Large Concern step additional into their unsettling, art-pop universe, an area the place magnificence and dread collide beneath a glittering, artificial sky. The observe is a haunting meditation on agoraphobia and internalised nervousness, rendered in dazzling textures: shimmering analogue synths, taut drum grooves, and intricately layered guitars that shimmer like reflections on moist pavement. Alice Edwards delivers a efficiency that’s each operatic and deeply intimate, her voice threading fragility by theatrical poise. It’s an formidable piece of sonic storytelling, half confession, half confrontation – and its ambition pays off.
Working with producer Charlie Andrew, the trio distill existential dread into one thing oddly euphoric, spinning concern into fascination with exceptional management and creativity. “Mildew” doesn’t simply underscore Large Concern’s knack for crafting emotionally resonant alt-pop; it cements them as one of the crucial compelling new voices in UK music. Equal elements spectacle and sincerity, the one captures the dizzying stress of residing in your personal head and the unusual, shimmering magnificence that may nonetheless be discovered there.
:: “Physique Spray” – Altameda ::
Mitch Mosk, Beacon, New York
Altameda’s “Physique Spray” smolders with longing, remorse, and a flicker of defiance — a quietly devastating alt-folk confessional wrapped in lavender smoke and fading recollections. The Canadian duo, made up of vocalist-guitarist Troy Snaterse and instrumentalist Erik Grice, toe the road between nostalgia and renewal as they hint the define of a fractured relationship and a youth spent setting literal fires to suburban entrance lawns. “I bear in mind beginning fires in your entrance garden / with lighters and physique spray,” Snaterse sings, his voice hushed and haunted, suspended within the haze of what was and what is going to by no means be.
“Physique Spray” builds its world from scraps of dialog and cigarette-light exchanges — a narrative informed in fragments, confessions, and too-late apologies. “Are you and Teddy nonetheless residing by the airport? / I wager it will get so loud you may’t hear your self cry anymore,” the narrator asks, determined for connection, for an escape hatch, for something to carry onto. The instrumentation stays mild however regular, a quiet pulse beneath the emotional weight, mixing Americana, neo-folk, and alt-country with a cinematic contact.
“‘Physique Spray’ confronts the confusion that the principal character is experiencing when confronted with mistreatment from their lover, and nostalgia for his or her previous,” Snaterse explains. “Determined to seek out an escape they fantasize about being able to fly away and start a brand new life. The character confides in and reminisces with a previous lover about days of their youth — the place they’d trigger mischief collectively and light-weight fires with cans of physique spray. The lavender clouds of smoke rising from the flames and dispersing symbolizes the fragility of time, and serves as a reminder that nothing lasts perpetually, higher or for worse.”
With “Physique Spray,” Altameda show as soon as once more why they’re amongst Canada’s most compelling voices in trendy Americana. Recent off a JUNO nomination for his or her 2022 album Born Losers, and a standout displaying at AmericanaFest UK, the Toronto-based band proceed to craft music that doesn’t simply sound good — it lingers. Like smoke within the air. Like a reminiscence you’re not able to let go.
`
:: “waterboy.” – he’s tall. ::
Mitch Mosk, Beacon, New York
he is tall.’s “waterboy.” is the form of track that makes the solar really feel hotter, the air somewhat lighter. It’s tender and nostalgic, full of sentimental acoustic strums and delicate affirmations, capturing the essence of a reminiscence so candy it aches. Written as a loving homage to The Waterboy – a film that’s “like jewellery” to the Danish singer-songwriter Troels Thorkild Sørensen – the track is greater than a tribute. It’s a quiet, heartwarming folk-pop serenade to like, presence, and the golden moments that linger in our minds lengthy after they’ve handed. “All I wanna do / is to sit down with you / shut all of it down and really feel the solar by the window,” he sings, and it appears like an invite to exhale.
“Humorous and fascinating, what we get emotionally connected to,” Sørensen shares. “However someway a really dorky American comedy has grow to be like jewellery to me, perhaps even an heirloom. The room you led me into was like a teaser of the longer term, and now I’m past that, lacking you and the way the connection was. Humorous how life is – as a result of now I want there was a door resulting in the previous. All I wish to do is to sit down with you, really feel the solar by the window and listen to you telling me that you simply’ll be there for me – you’re my waterboy.”
Regardless of the lowercase moniker, he’s tall. has been steadily rising throughout Denmark and past. Based mostly in Copenhagen and identified for his weak, heartfelt songwriting, he’s supported artists like Tyler Childers and Brandy Clark, toured by Germany, and earned approval for his 2022 debut EP it’s at all times been you. Now signed to Berlin’s Greywood Information, he brings a singular mix of American storytelling and Northern European heat — introspective, comforting, and at all times honest.
“waterboy.” could also be impressed by a goofy film, however what it captures is quietly profound: the consolation of familiarity, the sweetness of easy joys, and the eager for one thing – or somebody – you may’t fairly get again. It’s a track that sits with you, shoulder to shoulder, and says: I’m right here. You’re not alone.
— — — —
Hook up with us on
Fb, Twitter, Instagram
Uncover new music on Atwood Journal
:: Weekly Roundup ::
comply with WEEKLY ROUNDUP on Spotify
:: This Week’s Options ::
