“Witches” from Alice Phoebe Lou is magical. Boldly incessant synth cascades over every word, hypnotizing and enticing. This song weds the cosmic and the terrestrial as Lou’s entrancing vocals cast spells, proclaiming “I'm one of those witches, babe / I'm one of those witches, babe / Just don't try to save me, 'cause / I don't wanna be saved." Listen as this track pulls you in and out of a lovely dream, and makes your body sway in that “golden way." When the things that make us worry are far beyond our control, songs like these are a wonderful gift. We can surrender for a moment to kindly hypnotic music like “Witches” and be at ease.

"Lately" is the first peek into what Metronomy has in store for their 2019 album Metronomy Forever. Known for keeping every album a mix of unique experimentation with sound while still never failing to evoke endless lo-fi synth vibes, "Lately" is the perfect first single. The steady beat seems simple at the start and the airy vocals capture the ear as the track builds with flashy synths and abstract textures. Even the lyrical rhythms make the song dynamically addicting. Though the lead vocalist, Joseph Mount, sings of a love that can’t be, the track itself is bittersweet with its ever rapid beats weaving together. Released with a music video that shows a mini version of the band climbing out and playing on top of a cassette marked Metronomy 4 Eva, "Lately" is just as light and nostalgic as it is sonically intense and raw. We can’t imagine how dynamic the rest of the album is going to be.

You may recognize British singer-songwriter Delilah Montagu’s crystal clear voice from Black Coffee and David Guetta’s single “Drive.” While her personal style is in a completely different vein of music, Delilah’s debut EP In Gold showcases the same distinguishable voice. The EP is a beautiful collection of songwriting—showing a person discovering more about themselves, reminiscing on past loves, and taking the journey of self-discovery that comes with falling in love, heartbreak, and loss. The third track, “Next to Me,” has a mournful air of melancholy that somehow also feels light and breezy. With striking vocals, a funky prominent bass line and a more jazzy feel, the song chronicles someone reminiscing on simple memories with a past lover, as they’ve moved on and are reliving similar experiences with a new person. The chorus ruminates on old memories and questions, “Now I’m driving through the tall trees / Someone else is in the front seat / But only for a minute / Only for a minute / Why can’t you be? / Next to me.” Only for a minute, she wonders what it would feel like to have her old flame by her side but ultimately knows that the past is in the past. She’s resigned that everything is how it’s meant to be. She continues with a definitive jab, “If I were you / I would have begged me to stay / Well you’re too late.” This killer track is a haunting and impressive display of lyricism and showcases amazing things to come from Delilah Montagu. “Next to Me” leaves you wishing there were more than four songs to keep playing on repeat.

Snail Mail's debut EP Habit was re-released on Spotify last week, featuring a cover of Courtney Love's "2nd Most Beautiful Girl In the World." Rereleasing Habit might almost seem inessential, considering that the 20-year-old indie rocker has been making crashing waves in the female-led tide of melancholia rock in recent years. A pluckier and spunkier Phoebe Bridgers or Liza Anne, Snail Mail holds her own as a rock authority. Studying guitar from a young age, Jordan released Habit at the age of 16. Though a few years younger than the other artists mentioned prior, her music is as mature as it is listenable (and it's frankly fantastic). Lush, her first full-length album and sophomore release, claims your attention from start to finish without it ever feeling like the artist is trying hard to do so. Track-by-track, Snail Mail is unstoppable. I can't wait to hear more from this artist.

Kaycie Satterfield is a lot of things: a curly blonde, an indie darling, an all-around badass, but most of all, a rock'n'roller. Her latest release, "Women's Fiction," which premiered today, is everything we love about evocative, female punk(ish) rock: it's melodic, lyrically driven and honest as hell. While her vocals are very reminiscent of Canada's indie sweetheart Alvvays, her musicality is less silky and more brash and garage rock, like Snail Mail or Soccer Mommy. "Women's Fiction" addresses an undeniable and poignant feminist dilemma: "I don't need you to listen to me, but I really want you to" (i.e. "I keep telling my stories and begging someone to listen"). It's a tough balance, empowering yourself AND being vulnerable enough to admit that you don't feel powerful all the time. But Satterfield seems to strike this balance beautifully through the texture and phrasing of this song. It's a headbanger that makes you stop and consider your own desperation, insecurity and listening skills, and that's all us weirdos are ever really seeking from indie rock.

“Jukebox Cutie” is the soundtrack to a daydream. Victoria, British Columbia’s Bridal Party, helmed by the collaborative songwriting pair of Suzannah Raudaschl and Joseph Leroux, has been blessing the provinces with their soulful summer jangle since 2015’s Hot Daze EP, but their debut album, Too Much, is finally due out August 23rd. The second single, “Jukebox Cutie,” follows the imagination of the lovestruck Leroux as he thinks up the life inhabited by the enchanting person requesting classics from the DJ. The nonchalant airiness of the arrangement hides how meticulous the singer’s thoughts are, allowing an offhand comment to spark a whole world of imagined possibility. “He says that you sing / And when you do are you an alto?” wonders Leroux. “Jukebox cutie hanging around / Silver necklace in her mouth,” he sings, noticing the tiniest details. The ending of this love story isn’t particularly important, and Bridal Party leaves the question open with a beautiful instrumental vamp right where a resolution might go—choosing instead to focus on the endless possibility that comes before.

Eric D. Johnson, one-time member of The Shins and current member of the supergroup Bonny Light Horseman with Anais Mitchell, has been at it for more than 20 years under his Fruit Bats moniker, and Gold Past Life may be his finest work yet. The new album largely adds his characteristic funky edge to his folk-rock influences, but “Ocean” is the soothing acoustic product of a seasoned songwriter. A love song that could soundtrack the closing scene of even the most heartfelt Scrubs episode, the track opens with a delightful hammer-on riff reminiscent of Vampire Weekend’s “Harmony Hall” as Johnson recognizes his immaturity, that he’s “still waiting around for some mystical shift in the winds.” Johnson was quick to admit that “Ocean” is a sappy song dedicated to a love that helped him grow up but its heart is so big that its authenticity is never called into question. The song is littered with pleasant little nuggets—surprising chord changes and his momentary lapse into falsetto as he sings the title lyric, to name a few—like pearls in the ocean.

Singer-songwriter Noah Gundersen touches on life’s impermanence in his newest single “Robin Williams.” The Seattle artist makes a return to his folk roots with a nod to the alt-rock sound of his last album White Noise—combining sentimentality with tasteful production. The simplicity of the instrumentals allows the focus to land on the message that “nothing lasts forever / and every other trope.” It leads with buzzing electric guitar, creating an atmosphere before paring down to just an acoustic guitar and Gundersen’s signature ardent vocals. “Robin Williams” is about love, life, and the difficulty of making art in a consumerist society ending with the self-aware and almost dismissive line “Who the hell are we fooling / no one buys records anymore.” The track is the first single from his upcoming fourth solo album Lover due out via Cooking Vinyl on August 28.