![Andy Leon - Breadcrumbs](https://www.thewildhoneypie.com/img/images/_660xAUTO_crop_center-center_70/Screen-Shot-2020-06-29-at-11.37.20-AM.png)
Andy Leon - Breadcrumbs
LA-based singer-songwriter Andy Leon soothes the soul in her latest single "Breadcrumbs." The track begins with a delicate guitar line that is soon joined by Leon's sweet and soothing vocals. Although the song sounds calm, cool, and collected, it dives into feelings of sadness and explores the moment you realize you're tethered to another person. She goes on to sing heart-wrenchingly, "float on, nothing's wrong / the breadcrumbs gone, gone, they're gone / and we're so far from home, so far and so alone." The song builds into an impressively emotional guitar and vocal line, backed with the support of a group of violins and a piano. As soon as the sonic setting reaches its dreamy interlude peak, it soon descends and takes us back to where we started. Leon closes the song describing how she made a wish with an eyelash and felt the fingers of the person she felt tethered to on her face all day.
— Alessandra Rincon on June 29, 2020![Arca - Time](https://www.thewildhoneypie.com/img/images/_660xAUTO_crop_center-center_70/Screen-Shot-2020-06-24-at-12.03.06-PM.png)
Arca - Time
The quiet inside of me could never match the stillness
outside, even on nights like tonight, when the world
stops and offers me a chance to unwind.
Of all the things I carried home
and secrets left behind,
there lives one in the neon chrome
waiting for her right time.
Alone with you, the truth comes soon,
exposed in afterglow.
I'll save it for the perfect moon —
when it's my time, I'll know.
— Amy Lima on June 24, 2020![Tayla Parx – Dance Alone](https://www.thewildhoneypie.com/img/images/_660xAUTO_crop_center-center_70/Screen-Shot-2020-06-24-at-12.16.38-PM.png)
Tayla Parx – Dance Alone
A bassline groove sets the scene for Tayla Parx’s high-pitched glossy vocals to steal the show in this sparkly, nostalgic number as she sings of not wanting to “Dance Alone.” We’ve all been there—the night is nearing its inevitable end, but we’re not quite ready to go home. We want to keep on dancing (just not alone), and we’ll do anything to keep the party going “until the lights come on.” Whether you hear this as a metaphor for clinging to a doomed relationship, or a literal ode to and reluctance to leave the dancefloor, this single by Tayla Parx, in all its glitter and glory, will definitely keep you dancing for at least one more song.
Even if you have yet to listen to her debut full-length album We Need To Talk (2019), you’ve heard elements of her sound and style on some of the most popular songs of the last few years. From Ariana Grande’s “thank u, next” and “7 rings,” to Khalid and Normani’s “Love Lies,” to Panic! At The Disco’s“High Hopes,” to Troye Sivan’s latest release, “Take Yourself Home,” Parx has infiltrated the charts with her poignant melodic and lyrical contributions. These songs all share a polished pop sound, and it is clear in the genre-bending and infectious track “Dance Alone” that Parx sets the same high standards for her own work as a solo artist.
— Maya Bouvier-Lyons on June 24, 2020![Deb Never and Kenny Beats - Stone Cold](https://www.thewildhoneypie.com/img/images/_660xAUTO_crop_center-center_70/Screen-Shot-2020-06-24-at-11.32.28-AM.png)
Deb Never and Kenny Beats - Stone Cold
Backed by a groovy, amble bassline, Deb Never and Kenny Beats craft an intriguing ode to WWE fighter Stone Cold Steve Austin with “Stone Cold.” Simultaneously paying homage while breaking down the concept of toxic masculinity, Deb Never sings lyrics like “Slamming bodies left and right / Just to prove a point / That he’s the strongest man alive / But a lonely boy, yeah” in a cool, detached, and nonchalant manner. Though the man she’s comparing to Steve Austin wants to be perceived as being tough and unbreakable, it’s obvious that she sees right through his delicately crafted facade. He is emotionally distant and unreachable as she repeats “Can you pick up? / Can you hear me? / Can you make up your mind?” Though his tough-guy persona obviously bothers her, you can’t help but believe that she has it all under control. Her charisma is contagious and undeniable on this nostalgic, slow burner of a track. Listen to “Stone Cold” wherever you stream.
— Paige Shannon on June 24, 2020![Dua Saleh - umbrellar](https://www.thewildhoneypie.com/img/images/_660xAUTO_crop_center-center_70/Screen-Shot-2020-06-23-at-1.42.08-PM.png)
Dua Saleh - umbrellar
Dua Saleh’s "umbrellar" only gives us a few seconds before the storm sweeps us away. Once the first verse pours in, the energy of the arpeggiating synth is frantic, making our whole body vibrate with anticipation. And soon it’s here—when the beat comes in, the song morphs into a hurricane with a full force gale. That’s the point, in a way, that dizzying, hectic, heart-pounding feeling that is hard-core attraction. “Last pint from that last night / I don't know if that was real,” their vocals call out echoey over a pounding beat and a world of synths. It’s a party, and we’re melting into the intoxication. Suddenly the spell breaks, a moment of quiet, twisted vocals give us long enough to gasp for breath before diving headfirst back into the fantasy. “I swear I'm superstitious / 'Bout her sex appeal,” says Saleh even as they lose themselves again in the delirium.
— Mikhal Weiner on June 23, 2020![Banoffee - One Night Stand](https://www.thewildhoneypie.com/img/images/_660xAUTO_crop_center-center_70/Screen-Shot-2020-06-23-at-1.25.55-PM.png)
Banoffee - One Night Stand
“One Night Stand” is a pop-anthem expression of how guilty pleasures become creature comfort. The track is off of Australian-born artist and producer Banoffee’s debut album Look at Us Now Dad, which features the likes of Empress Of and cupcakKe alongside production credits from Yves Rothman and SOPHIE. Rooted in the brutally honest confession of her unhealthy behavior, the chorus sings as an outright admission, “You should have been a one night stand / but now you’re a habit.” I’ve often found myself in this same addictive cycle and reflect on the feeling in my poem below:
Tidal Pools
past lovers
empty
tic-tac bottles —
stranger’s hands
unwashed
Goodwill sweaters —
filth that feels
good.
— Beck on June 23, 2020![Mykki Blanco feat. Devendra Banhart and Falty DL - You Will Find It](https://www.thewildhoneypie.com/img/images/_660xAUTO_crop_center-center_70/Screen-Shot-2020-06-23-at-1.01.08-PM.png)
Mykki Blanco feat. Devendra Banhart and Falty DL - You Will Find It
Mykki Blanco taps Devendra Banhart to craft a sonic meditation to soothe our minds with “You Will Find It.” FaltyDL’s avant-pop production seamlessly meshes the best of Blanco’s flow with Banhart’s psychedelic folk sensibility. Originally intended to be an interlude, after hearing Banhart’s contributions from soft vocals to hand chimes, Blanco and FaltyDL felt it necessary to flesh out a full track. Said Blanco, “[Banhart] is now in the blood of the song, he’s a part of the composition.” They rap of lighting sage and Palo Santo, perhaps not unfamiliar scents in our own homes over the past few months, reminding me of the Palo Santo my roommate mailed to me in a COVID care package. Blanco insists on self-care as an act of quiet defiance in Lady Gaga and mink lashes. “Alice Coltrane and some ganja” sets a scene for a tranquil moment in our otherwise anxiety-ridden days, finding effortless joy: “Yeah, that’s all I need.” Seeking to explore and demystify spirituality, about the track, Blanco declared simply, "I should be able to smoke a joint with God and just chill a bit.” Though no title or release date has been announced yet, "You Will Find It" is set to be on their upcoming second record, likely alongside Soundcloud single "PATRIARCHY AINT THE END OF ME."
— Ysabella Monton on June 23, 2020![PRINCESS NOKIA - SOUL FOOD Y ADOBO](https://www.thewildhoneypie.com/img/images/_660xAUTO_crop_center-center_70/PN.jpg)
PRINCESS NOKIA - SOUL FOOD Y ADOBO
In the quest for cultural empathy, one of the most essential immersions into learning is, plainly, food. But, this song is much more than just a listing of various foods, it is an invitation into the heart of Puerto-Rican American culture. Leading us in with playful keys, Princess Nokia’s “Soul Food Y Adobo” is a celebration of her Puerto Rican heritage. Starting out with a punchy first verse: “You need to season your chicken, we ain’t like them folks in here”, Princess Nokia assures us that we are being invited into the arms of a flourishing culture with deep interconnected roots in spirituality, food, and lifestyle. “Soul Food Y Adobo” is a song that will leave you craving the warmth and comfort of home, and food that could never be bland.
— Laney Esper on June 23, 2020![serpentwithfeet - This Hill](https://www.thewildhoneypie.com/img/images/_660xAUTO_crop_center-center_70/serpentwithfeet.jpg)
serpentwithfeet - This Hill
"This Hill" is a miniature masterpiece off of Apparition, a new EP by serpentwithfeet— Baltimore-born Josiah Wise. This song is like a Fabergé egg—covered in intricate details, a glow emanating from within, a multitude of secrets held within its simple shape. The foundation is a prepared piano and a humming chorus so delicate and precise. A touch of bass, a few notes plucked lightly on a harp. And Wise’s stunning falsetto vocals singing about his heavy steps up the hill to a place of serenity. “Some days I wanna run,” he sings. Then the chorus comes in, a layering of Wise’s own voice that sounds like heavenly angels in a church choir led by J.S. Bach. “What is the matter? Don’t get no sadder. I’m better now,” the many voices sing, in a Baroque-inspired vocal arrangement. "This Hill" draws on influences clearly grounded within the traditional Western canon but still sounds current and so very resonant. After all, aren’t we all climbing our own hills, day after day, searching for that lightness in our feet that will allow us to just run?
— Mikhal Weiner on June 22, 2020![TORRES - Too Big for the Glory Hole](https://www.thewildhoneypie.com/img/images/_660xAUTO_crop_center-center_70/Screen-Shot-2020-06-22-at-1.26.36-PM.png)
TORRES - Too Big for the Glory Hole
“Too Big for the Glory Hole” is said to be partially inspired by Florine Stettheimer’s painting The Cathedrals of Wall Street, a nod to New York City’s secular shrines. It’s a song about loneliness, and wondering whether you’re cut out for this world and all its capitalistic energies. “I want you to love me forever,” repeats Mackenzie Scott, who performs under the moniker TORRES, in a clear but controlled tone. Despite the minimalist production, it’s an outro that holds weight. It’s simultaneously intense and delicate; it feels private but declarative. It edges into holy terrain.
— Corinne Osnos on June 22, 2020![Arlo Parks - Creep](https://www.thewildhoneypie.com/img/images/_660xAUTO_crop_center-center_70/Screen-Shot-2020-06-22-at-1.12.53-PM.png)
Arlo Parks - Creep
Coming off the heels of her single "Black Dog," Arlo Parks' cover of Radiohead’s “Creep” hits differently than the original. In fact, it feels like a B-side to "Black Dog"- a view from inside out rather than outside in. The song sounds a lot like self-dialogue. Solo piano and vocals fill a cavernous, empty sounding acoustic space. No additional harmonies, vocals, or instruments. No call and response. It’s just Parks’ beautifully expressive voice accompanied by carefully controlled piano arpeggiations. Simultaneously delicate and resolute, she effortlessly transplants the lyrics into a new context. It no longer sounds like a song about yearning for another person and feeling disgusted with yourself. It is wrestling with the fantasy of who you would like to be, superimposed on your own actual body. It’s the song you hum to yourself while staring in the mirror at 3 am, brushing your teeth, and trying to decide if you’re glad you went out. You had fun, you think, but it’s also a relief to come home to your own bed, alone.
— Allison Hill on June 22, 2020