Ayoni - The Patriots
Navigating her identity as a young Black woman in a world that actively works to put you down has long permeated Ayoni's music in songs like "Unmoved (A Black Woman Truth)." It's a uniquely transient perspective informing the songwriting of the Barbadian-born performer and producer, who has spent time in both Singapore and Indonesia but now calls California home. And it's with her observations and experiences in the US that Ayoni hits her stride in her newest single "The Patriots," holding nothing back as she denounces institutionalized American white supremacy. Simple acoustic guitar chords and minimal production allow her vocals, oscillating between layers of choral harmonies and powerful belts, to shine as she recounts incidents from the murder of George Floyd to Trump supporters' protests to "stop the count"; "If hate is what's required," she sings, "I don't want to be a patriot." With this anthem, Ayoni rises as a voice we need now more than ever. In a statement, she said, "I felt my ancestors in the room the profound night I wrote this song, and they have guided me since." "The Patriots" is a beautiful protest piece that challenges not only the present-day America she describes as "very bloody, very white and very blue," but generations of trauma and violence that are so deeply woven into the fabric of a colonized world. Photo by Domia Edwards and Caleb Griffin.
— Ysabella Monton on February 5, 2021slenderbodies - superpowerful (feat. Crooked Colours)
Indie pop duo slenderbodies join forces with Crooked Colours for the uplifting tune "superpowerful," sending forth positive vibes to start 2021. Taking the soulmate theory to another level, slenderbodies sing of a connection to another human that surpasses earthly means; the illusory string of fate, "tinted red" and "tugging heartstrings." slenderbodies have always existed in a haze, but these celestial sounds take it to an otherworldly level; gossamer guitar licks and airy, whisper-like vocals are balanced with a breezy, homegrown California charm for a feel-good tune that warms this winter right up. The duo just launched a campaign on Propeller where fans can take action to support The Trevor Project and, in turn, be entered to win a virtual meet and greet, signed vinyl and more. Photo by Alex Parker.
— Ysabella Monton on February 4, 2021CARM - Song of Trouble (feat. Sufjan Stevens)
37d03d, the fledgling Bon Iver-associated label, has put together an eclectic and exciting roster in their short time as an entity, with previous releases spanning everything from art house rap to a self-proclaimed folk supergroup. Their latest release comes courtesy of multi-instrumentalist, producer and arranger CARM, and his self-titled debut album is a meticulously constructed musical soundscape. Album opener “Song of Trouble” is assisted by Sufjan Stevens, and his typically profound and plaintive lyrics are a welcome accompaniment to the deliberately subdued instrumentation that backs him. The icy synths and horns that serve as the track’s foundation are a testament to CARM’s unique approach as a producer, and the triumphant swelling of strings and horns that complement Sufjan's trademark croon towards the end lends a meditative, almost religious quality to the song—and like any good prayer, I have been returning to this track on a daily basis. Photo by Shervin Lainez.
— Alec Bollard on February 4, 2021BOYO - Analyze This
The creative mind behind BOYO, Robert Tilden (they/them), has yet again fashioned tracks that balance uplifting beats and grounding lyrics in their second LP of 2020, Alone Together in Los Angeles. This record further illustrates their sonic development and growth as an artist. Emotionally, this record comes with a much desired brighter feel, a contrast felt to the anxiety, albeit beautiful, that was so prevalent in their first LP of 2020, Where Have All My Friends Gone? which pulled so much from their experience of dealing with the uncertainties of facing a 2017 medical scare.
For Alone Together in Los Angeles, that anxiety seems to have slipped away while still keeping the lyrics that question and comment on the nostalgia and realities of life. In "Analyze This" specifically, a light but stirring chord adds an extra layer of playfulness to the bit of comedic commentary that the lyrics themselves give. Tilden’s interest in social anxieties is felt as they sing on our day-to-day interactions and the way one might look back on moments and scrutinize the minute details – something we all found ourselves doing while stuck in quarantine. “You could laugh, choose to laugh / Analyze this, analyze that,” a reminder that it can all be a joke and a memory unless you let it keep nagging you in the back of your mind until you go mad.
Tilden has even said they drew from Stephen Malkmus for this song, and it’s an influence that’s easily heard in the pairing of the socially observational lyrics paired with the upbeat and catchy chords reminiscent of Malkmus’ "Juliefuckingette" or "Ballad of a Thin Man." Photo by Tanner Lemoine.
— Monica Hand on February 3, 2021French Cassettes - City Kitty
Some people find joy in the electric buzz of city lights at night, pleasant company and the serendipity of figuring out what happens as you go. Others prefer to ride that midnight roller coaster more on special occasions than every weekend. Oftentimes, though, those two people are friends. Or lovers. Or significant others. French Cassettes' "City Kitty" is a slick groove that stands at the precipice of both, weighing the glamorous tug of the nightlife against the equally strong desire to curl up with someone you love on a couch for a nice night in. The track opens with washy guitars and an enigmatic vocal line that’s hard to distinguish under reverb and a fuzzy telephone vocal effect. Soon the bass comes in like a siren coaxing your body into moving with a will almost its own. The lyrics, meanwhile, beg the listener to consider spending a night at home. But how could you, when there is dancing to do and music to groove to? So what if you end the night feeling a little bit too old for this, trading every sunrise for a few hours of sleep? But sung to the right tune, staying in sounds tempting and pleasurable in its own way. After all, you can dance without inhibitions in your living room just as easily as any bar out there—or at least, you can with "City Kitty" on the radio. Photo by Nikki Neumann.
— Allison Hill on February 3, 2021Great Good Fine Ok - You Don't Look at Me the Same (feat. Yoke Lore)
Beloved Brooklyn-based pop-duo Great Good Fine Ok and folk-pop soloist Yoke Lore have collaborated to create an enchanting recognition of the trials which come with the risk of love and trusting someone outside of yourself. Gliding in with a few incandescing synth notes and the atmospheric voice of Great Good Fine Ok vocalist Jon Sandler, what is a melancholy concept becomes that of a balmy and gleaming, yearning of hope. Yoke Lore’s signature, diaphanous banjo plucking dresses this track with a refreshing, subtle folk sound. The honest lyrics of “You Don’t Look at Me the Same” paint a picture of a relationship wherein the love has grown tired and is teetering on the line of moving on or putting in the work to sustain unity, and leaning into the latter. Photo by Shervin Lainez.
— Laney Esper on February 2, 2021Su Lee - Wide Awake
Whimsical and sprinkled with cosmic dust, Su Lee's "Wide Awake" is what dreams are made of. Soft keys and even smoother vocals guide you through the verses about longing and trying to reach out for someone who feels the same. It's maybe the universal feeling of being alone together, of "smiling but crying" or the thought that we're all under the same stars, wishing to touch them at the same time. South Korean singer-songwriter Su Lee might be new to our radars but she isn't new to writing about overpowering feelings that connect to people beyond physical distance. Her music is meant to make you feel or to give a voice to all the things you already feel. The artist's first project to hit the outside world like a storm was the music video for the single "I'll Just Dance," which perfectly encapsulated the feelings of millions of people stuck at home, slowly losing their minds. In a way, her new single "Wide Awake" approaches the isolation again but rather than being inside of her own head for too long, the music decides to reach out and reconnect with every other insomniac human out there. Photo by Su Lee.
— Giulia Santana on February 2, 2021Soft Glas - Cyclones
The latest track from Brooklyn-based musician Soft Glas (Joao Gonzalez) sets you adrift in a sonic sea of spaced-out guitars, skittering drums and layered production. From the start, “Cyclones” commits to a buoyant dream pop vibe—the extensive reverb washes and waves throughout while stacks of vocals constantly interweave with one another. The result: a track with a light, floating atmosphere propelled forward by Gonzalez’s crisp drum work. Throughout the haze of the song, Gonzalez grasps for something solid. The chorus, “Holding on feels right / I don’t want to waste more time,” suggests a desire to stop delaying and to latch on to what is important. It’s a resonant sentiment at a moment when days seem to slip into one another. Photo by Jillian Gomez.
— Pablo Nukaya-Petralia on February 1, 2021Misty Mtn - These Lights
Misty Mtn goes deeper and darker as they pull away from the city in their newest single, “These Lights.” After spending the last few years going from Brooklyn to LA, the indie pop duo has returned to the Pacific Northwest. They dive into the melancholy and brooding of the holiday season with change and turmoil seeping into every moment. The song was inspired by the feeling of seeing your home once it’s no longer yours, “these lights, these lights / got me so depressed / cause this ain’t my house / and I had to trespass.” Misty Mtn stays true to their ability to make sad songs that still have an uplifting quality to them. Sometimes they achieve this through the message, but with “These Lights,” the production brings a warmth to the cold subject as it twinkles in the verses and soars when it hits the chorus. It’s not self-indulgent in its melancholy, counteracting the sad visual of the loss of a childhood home with the inferred joy of the holiday as they repeat “Merry Christmas” over soft angelic vocals at the close. Photo by Kelsey Talton.
— Corey Bates on February 1, 2021Phoebe Bridgers - If We Make It Through December
It feels like we’ve always had Phoebe Bridgers; the truth is, we’ve only known her for a few years. In that short amount of time, she has, in the most divinely humble fashion, become the respected leader of a high order of young artists, and one of the most effective storytellers in present day music. She has delivered every marker of her career in a graceful, nonchalant manner that has an air of “I just felt like doing this” and yet, impeccably and meticulously planned. Every move she makes, whether baring her body and soul for Playboy or promising to reimagine a Goo Goo Dolls classic on the condition the sitting president is successfully voted out of office, seems an immaculate artistic statement.
In her latest release, “If We Make It Through December,” Bridgers brilliantly constructs a new perspective on the Merle Haggard holiday heartbreak hit. It’s the same storyline, but instead of getting dressed up in deceptively cheerful western wear, this time it’s chilled by the beautifully haunting cries of the bitter wind, conjuring images of Bridgers’ signature sad ghosts. At the close of perhaps the most collectively difficult year in a generation, the lyrics hit right in the gut. With this frigid account of a single parent struggling to keep the heater burning for her daughter, let alone afford a Christmas tree or gifts, Bridgers reminds us there’s always someone worse off than we are. True to form, she’s donating all proceeds from this track to the Downtown Women’s Center in Los Angeles, in hopes of making life a little easier for women experiencing houselessness in the area this season. “If we make it through December, we’ll be fine,” she croons, with only halfhearted assurance. With Bridgers to soothe our tattered hearts, perhaps we will. Photo by Nona Limmen.
— Karyna Micaela on December 11, 2020Night Flight - It Doesn't Feel Like Christmas
At the close of a year which seemingly dedicated itself to uncertainty, London-based NIGHT FLIGHT voices the honest, coming-to-terms holiday feeling many of us are experiencing. Leading in with an already ruminative melody of light, bell-driven synth juxtaposed with a more cavernous effect from the electric guitar, “It Doesn’t Feel Like Christmas” lives up to its bittersweet name almost immediately. The chorus is wrapped in the subtle, comforting rise of voices joining together, conveying a palatable presence of holiday sentimentality, even in the recognition that there is something different about the season. This track is a commentary on loss binding itself to Christmastime and the desire to once again experience the familiar glee surrounding the season. Photo by Jonny Ruff.
— Laney Esper on December 11, 2020