Sudanese and Scottish singer/songwriter Eliza Shaddad is building a catalogue of intricate, intelligent rock songs. Her latest single "The Man I Admire" finds her in a dream, standing in a burning home, waiting for this man to "save her from the smoke, but he takes off his shirt instead." The sincere intersection of desiring protection and mutual affirmation from a man, all the while understanding your own legitimacy and ability to protect yourself, is a subject rarely broached in feminine songwriting. Eliza executes this masterfully here. This song is an empathetic peek into the heart of a woman standing in front of a man and asking him to adore her with no caveats. It's true vulnerability, and the lyrics of the first two verses—feeling scared of the dark and being alone in a burning room—illustrate this beautifully. The theme is so succinct and yet totally complete. That's what makes Eliza's poetry so excellent. 

Shaddad's first LP, Future, was released in 2018. "The Man I Admire" is one of four singles released this year ahead of her second album The Woman You Want. Pre-order The Woman You Want here, and look out for the UK-based singer on tour this summer. Photo by Flore Diamant.

Contrary to what the title may suggest, Faerie’s “White Noise” is far from static. A sonically lush and textured synth-pop delight, the song comes out of 2am, her short but sweet EP debut. The song balances an intimate, electro-pop sound of the likes of Caroline Polacheck with a contrasting sense of dramatic, colorful synth-pop reminiscent of artists like CHVRCHES or MS MR. “White Noise,” which delves into getting over a past relationship, doesn’t lament but instead celebrates being satisfied with one’s own space. By the time the song’s hook comes in, “Give me a minute / My space to breathe,” you’ve already stood up to dance. Filled with synths, background vocals, and satisfying beats, the song takes whatever space it needs. The title is then a possible reference to that dreadful silence heard when a phone call goes unanswered, but Faerie turns that around, coveting that silence rather than fearing it. In the end, she pulls through triumphantly, “I don't need your love to feel at ease,” she concludes. 

Behind Faerie, there’s Christine Joyce Lam, a promising NYC-bred singer-songwriter whose combination of imaginative, colorful songwriting and powerful, cunning vocals make for an ideal artist to look out for. The song is co-written by two collaborators: Christian Young (ImTrying) and Jonathan Atkins (wavcat). Together, they make this deeply enjoyable and satisfying track, which makes for an ideal quarantine listen—a fun and perfect dance party for one. Photo by Brian Scagnelli.

Dorvin Borman’s latest single “Pressure Valve” carves a unique sonic space somewhere between Blue Öyster Cult and Real Estate; dream-pop with a timeless, yet loose, psych-rock energy. Self-written and recorded in isolation, Borman’s hazy vocals wrapped in hypnotic lo-fi riffs capture the essence of the days we have all wasted, at one point or another, on the couch with takeout, wrapped in our own existential dread. Halfway through, the beat picks up and mirrors the feeling of racing thoughts as it takes on a groove slower yet similar to Peter Bjorn and John’s “Young Folks.” The last lines of the song hear Borman echo a sentiment familiar to anyone who’s experienced this kind of hours-melting anxiety binge, with a sigh of resolve: “I’d be happy to be fine.” On days when it feels like there’s not a lot to celebrate, having no complaints can be more than enough. Somedays, simply neutral emotions are welcome—and so is the music that reminds us of this. Photo by Felicia Lim.

Crafted from an analog of songs originally written over a decade ago, Bird Fight has dropped a five-track EP called Hugshake. It's a vibrant and experimental collection of intelligent production and intricate vocalization. Using household, commonplace items for varied instrumentation and percussion, the producer and vocalist duo of John Katona and Christian Ohly make music that feels progressive and kinetic. "Traffic Lights" in particular possesses an ethereal and haunted energy. It's a delicate embodiment of their self-proclaimed genre "folktronica;" The song's movement and sound have a more pronounced electronica element, while the subject and tone contain folk sentiments. This track is a lover's lament that frustratingly pleads with its subject to reciprocate the speaker's efforts in the relationship. Hugshake dropped on February 12. Give it a listen wherever you stream!

Turbulent times call for self-discovery on "Peace At Last," the first 2021 single from California-bred Tim Atlas. Syrupy-sweet vocals soar over fine-tuned retro production while LA-based duo honeywhip lend their lo-fi sensibility to the track, laced with new wave synths and a bouncing bassline. On a blind listen, "Peace At Last" is a joyful exploration of personal identity when Atlas sings, "Just trying to be myself / But who is that?" to open the song's chorus. But these lines run deeper than that, as Atlas alludes to the events, perceptions and external pressures that have shaped us in the year 2020. We wonder if we'll ever see the end—to COVID, to senseless systemic violence on the Black community, to collective political anxiety— and the future is daunting. While many of us have fought for distractions and felt forced to stay productive, "burning the candle at both ends," Atlas insists that it's always possible to come out stronger. "Taking [my mind] apart to the first draft" is an invitation to start over, and "Peace At Last" is Atlas' reminder that we are more than the pains we've endured. Photo by Tim Atlas.

A tale of two boroughs. Harlem-based producer Air Volee and Brooklyn-based indie artist GOLDEN pen a bright story with "Eye." While the original version carried a more airy sound, the inclusion of Air Volee brings a fresh retro pop flare to a track where we're taken into a new tier of self-reflection. Both artists are distinct in style but balance each other well. There’s a sense of levity one can feel with the heavy percussion that defies space, capturing motion into a song that pleases the ear and sends an almost chilling sensation through the veins. There’s a saying that eyes are the gateway to the soul. With this track, that element plays out to make one discover a moment within that they weren’t even aware of, that there’s no authenticity in themselves. The question of "who am I living for and as," essentially. It’s a personal moment for GOLDEN, almost written as an autobiography, and Air Volee amplifies all the right focal points of her narrative. Photo by Kevin Condon.

Right off the bat, Texas-based Katy Kirby’s wit gleams through on her new single, “Portals." The track begins with some ambient synth, quiet bell-sounds and the clarity of Kirby’s voice wringing out irony: “I’m an alternate universe in Target lingerie." Soft pawing at the piano throughout the song creates a gentle effect, which draws out the thematic elements of weaving through questions of two people walking away from one another and what that might mean for the individual. Kirby ponders whether separation will strengthen the two, and if they reunite, will they recall their original purpose for one another? Not to be “boxes, doors, or borders," but to be “portals.” Clothed in prickled strings, matched with the warmth of Kirby’s powerful voice, this track contains a flickering hope against the odds of separation. Photo by Jackie Lee Young.

With his natural homegrown charm, Uruguay-born Juan Wauters releases yet another true-to-life track, this time including none other than, indie-crowd favorite, Mac DeMarco. While all of his music feels honest, this one is especially mimetic as it is a part of a collection of songs that will appear on his upcoming album Real Life Situations, due to be released on April 30. This track begins with the simplicity and clarity of Wauters’ voice above the delicate finger-picking of an acoustic guitar, drifting along timelessly, allowing for almost a minute to pass until the energy changes. What was once an intimate, delightful drawl transforms into a foreshadowing of the atmosphere of the rest of the song, which includes a commentary on the selfishness of people and what they will do to get their own, all wrapped up in sunny California sound. Photo by Laura-Lynn Petrick.