“Worry” is the first single from Norway-based artist Beharie's upcoming sophomore EP, due later this year. Although this is a break-up song, you probably wouldn’t get that from a first listen. This genre-bending tune feels cheerful and fun, as it shifts smoothly between R&B, soul and a bit of indie pop. 

An arpeggiated guitar plays gently before a groovy beat and lively vocals kick in, making it feel like a windows-down type of song. However, upon listening closely, it is evident that Beharie sings about a moment most of us have gone through, when it finally settles in that we’ve actually broken up with someone who was very special to us. In the verses, he invokes the heaviness of loneliness and the strangeness of navigating who we are as individuals once a relationship ends. 

The instrumentals slow down and build beautifully between sections, echoing the uncertainty and the “two steps forward, one step back” process of getting over someone. This culminates in the chorus where a deeper understanding arises as Beharie sings optimistically, “Don’t worry child / It soon will end / We’ll be alright.” Beharie is firm in reminding us that the key to growth is to face your heartache head-on, leaving us hopeful that everything will be ok in the end. Photo by Malin Longva.

“Womxn” is a song for every womxn. This fresh release from British singer-songwriter Låpsley tells a coming-of-age story meant to give hope to those experiencing doubt or going through a time of transition and change. She has gone on to say that the choice to use the womxn spelling was to be inclusive of the LGBTQ+ community which she is a part of. Being in your 20s is a weird and often frightening time and this song was written at a period of just that for Låpsley. She released the track alongside a statement that it was written about “having trust in the passage of time.” Through quite a personal narrative Låpsley is able to capture messages of strength and self-belief that can be shared and understood by a great range of audiences. "Womxn" is the first single from her upcoming album Through Water which is set to be released on March 20, 2020.

Following the announcement of their collaborative album, respected artists/instrumentalists Tom Misch and Yussef Dayes have released their first single in anticipation of their LP. “What Kinda Music” is actually a perfect title for the track, which explores the type of sounds that these two will be putting out in their album. With Misch’s smooth vocals and production style and Dayes’ drumming mastery and experimental touch, the combination is inevitably hypnotic and sleek. The execution feels jazzy and modern, with an electronic heavy influence and flicks of addictive drum beats that could play on repeat, deep into the night. Misch’s voice creates a sweet, breezy environment and perfect backdrop for Dayes’ creative flow to live in. It’s a perfect synergy of experimental and well-executed hooks. You can look forward to more of this on their LP, which has features from Freddie Gibbs and Kaida Akinnibi, set to release on April 24 via Blue Note Records.

Pluck an acoustic guitar. Gentle. A little funkier. Good, loop it. Keep going. Start clapping. Throw in a whistle—like an actual referee’s whistle. Hit record. Dan & Drum are all over the place in the most fascinating way. They’re spending the first half of 2020 releasing an EP every month, each showcasing a different genre from their eclectic palette—genres like Suffer Funk and Bubble Rap, to name a few. The first single “Curious George” is what they call, aptly, a Wonder Jam. Built on top of one continuous loop, it still refuses to sound the same twice, expanding and contracting with wide eyes and an open mind. Try to spot the different sound effects as they pop up or try to locate every vocal backing track, like an audio version of I, Spy. Dan Schechter, the Dan half of Dan & Drum, takes the manic energy of a seasoned freestyler spitting five fingers of death and bottles it up, pockets it and doles it out in measured proportions. He sits pleasantly on the very fine line between a thoughtful crooner and an auctioneer selling street corner newspapers on the radio like the side effects will make your eyes fall straight out of your skull. “The customer’s always right,” he sings knowingly, but he can sell anything.

“All Yours,” the latest single from Los Angeles-based songwriter Jane Holiday, offers a modern spin on classic soul. The swift-tempo track revolves around Holiday’s rich, fervent vocal delivery, which anchors an irresistibly glittering beat and effervescent synth-pop sounds. It’s the combination of these elements that allow the song to sound timeless, as Holiday showcases his vocal firepower and ornate melodic touches amongst a flurry of towering synth hooks, warm bass lines, and kaleidoscopic rhythms. Holiday’s raw emotion and whimsical cadence allow you to follow the song’s story of unrequited love closely, feeling the heartbreak in his voice that eventually morphs to elation. The story behind the tune is familiar to many, including Holiday, as it chronicles the emotional spectrum of letting go of someone you love, and the elated relief experienced when they return—making the track timeless in both its sound and theme. Jane Holiday is performing at our next dinner party on April 6 at Woon Kitchen in Los Angeles. Tickets are available now and the price of admission includes food!

“Life on Fire” is the twangy second single off Mapache’s forthcoming album From Liberty Street, out March 20. Mapache’s sound infuses the various cities across California and Mexico that its members Clay Finch and Sam Blasucci have at different points called home, and the atmospheric quality of “Life on Fire” further cements their knack for using music to create environments. The backdrop for From Liberty Street is east-LA, where the folk duo currently live and create. Prior to releasing “Life on Fire,” Mapache put out their cover of the classic bolero ballad “Me Voy Pa’l Pueblo,” a track originally performed by Los Panchos which the band revived in celebration of their neighborhood’s rich Latinx heritage. Where “Me Voy Pa’l Pueblo” is aching and romantic, “Life on Fire” is lighthearted and airy—with the pairs’ easy harmonies and stripped-down strumming perfectly evoking the sun-soaked southwest. With two strong singles already under their belt, the bilingual From Liberty Street is slated to be a charming and dynamic exploration of place.

Lush and hypnotic, “Deep Sea,” the debut release from Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Rose Upton, is as enchanting and darkly dreamy as a siren song. The arrangement is full and atmospheric, and losing yourself in it feels like being submerged in mystical waters where music sounds sweeter and mermaids exist. The instrumentation is vivid and wet: Reverberating guitar gives the track a base that feels fluid and consistent, while crisp, satisfying percussion hits like the heavy crash of a wave against rocks. The lyrics take you down a journey of discovery, and Upton’s lovely, light voice is enchanting and beguiling. She sings with a conviction that, were this a fairy tale, would surely lure any sailor to his death. Thankfully this is real life, and for Rose Upton’smusic career, it’s only the beginning: she plans to release her debut EP later this year.

“I didn’t want to give myself time to overthink,” says Eric Cannata about the process of recording his upcoming EP. He decamped to a studio outside of Los Angeles with session musicians he had never met and recorded five songs, mostly live, in just two days. “Lonely Beast” is a product of that simplicity and spontaneity, a quiet weekend morning kind of song. Cannata, in his lullaby voice, is most moving when describing minor details, the types of things we pay such close attention to ourselves but would never dream of letting anyone else know the extent of our awareness.“Windows cracked / I’ll hear you when you come right back,” he sings, and you can imagine him counting the seconds. Everything in the track is gentle, from the steady fingerpicking to the wavering pedal steel, from the chord changes to Cannata words. But it’s so hard to tell, as it always is with loneliness, if that gentleness is a sign of contentment with a quiet weekend morning or resignation that it will be yet another quiet weekend morning.

Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker spent his 2015 album Currents exploring the intricacies of his already-tight relationship with psychedelia, aiming to take us on a spiritual journey through his subconscious. Five trips around the sun later, Tame Impala is still continuing to navigate through life's full range of emotions by exhaling a little with “Breathe Deeper,” off of Parker’s smooth yet vitalizing new album The Slow Rush. “Breathe Deeper” explores one of the more complex human emotions: matters of the heart. Parker discusses themes of self-confidence while persuading the song's subject to unwind a little, over six-and-a-half minutes of soaring dance grooves. Tame Impala still has one foot in the psychedelic door; his beloved roots are flowing under the surface of “Breathe Deeper,” reminding us it's possible to stay true to ourselves while experiencing positive self-growth over jovial sounding grooves.

Indie-pop duo Tennis released their fifth album, Swimmer, on Friday, and it’s a glitzy, atmospheric fever dream you’ll never want to wake from. Full of vibrant, emotional tracks that emphasize the deep musical synergy between husband and wife Patrick and Alaina Moore, all nine songs are rich with explorative arrangements, groovy hooks and inquisitive lyrics. The most impressive song on the album though, and perhaps of Tennis's entire career to date, is “Matrimony II,” a grand, sweeping ode to love and the ten-year musical journey that Patrick and Alaina have shared together. “Matrimony II” highlights all of Tennis’s strengths while weaving in sonic elements the two haven’t previously experimented with: Patrick’s cool guitar riffs over Alaina’s classical piano meet lush strings and a harpsichord; tight, full drums and groovy bass make you feel like you’re swaying on a beach in 1972; and Alaina’s voice, gorgeous and ephemeral at the top of her register, sounds like a hypnotic and cozy lullaby. The arrangement makes for a unique ballad with production that’s crisp and shimmering, like the evening sun hitting the ocean, and the lyrics are just as warm and wondrous: “I could never find something better / I even changed my name / By my side in every kind of weather / I'll never be the same.” Honest and vast, “Matrimony II” is bewitching, and it will make you believe in the power of love.