Frank Ocean - DHL
Hypnotizing listeners back into his universe yet again, Frank Ocean returns with highly hyped new single “DHL” from the artist’s first studio album release since 2016. The track dropped unannounced at the end of Ocean’s most recent blonded RADIO session, giving a taste of what is rumored to be a thirteen-track LP. Ocean teams up with electro-house producer Boys Noize on “DHL” and delivers swirling sounds and carefully casual lyrics. The song begins with his signature, stylized ambient noise—reminiscent of a more somber, slow version to the introduction of “Nikes.” He raps about a lover, things he’s bought, and attending fashion week in camping gear, “Look like I’m dressed for a hike / But I really look like I’m in Paris.” A mundane tone, almost droning, takes over the beats of the song and paints a portrait of Ocean in his day to day life—as normal as it can be. Following the announcement of “DHL” came the news of two other singles, “Cayendo” and “Dear April." Both were premiered at Ocean's new club PrEP+, where the artist played some remixed snippets. Both old and new Frank fans alike can look forward to new content being released in this era of activity.
— Julie Gentile on October 31, 2019Erin Durant - Islands
"Islands," the title track from New York singer-songwriter Erin Durant’s recently released sophomore LP, is an open-windowed summer lullaby that captures the emotional dissonance that simultaneously experiencing beautiful weather and heartbreak can bring. Swelling piano melodies, the hiss of jazz-tinged percussion, and Hemingway references alight the tune, while Durant coos with the kind of quiet gravitas that harkens the greats of the folk revival. Durant seems to find some comfort in lyrical escapism, lines that paint images of drinking champagne on the Californian coast are informed by the ones that imply tension—“the islands are calling / the islands are calling / you told me to go and have a good time.” Durant’s narrator never settles on the ground, but even as the islands call and heartbreak looms at home, the tune shifts and expands like a kaleidoscope of swooning piano and summer breeze.
— Emma Bowers on July 5, 2019Mini Trees - Thinking of
"Thinking of" by Mini Trees is as smooth and melodic as you'd expect from the artist. Kicking in a drum beat after the second verse, this silky synth song is interrupted tastefully with just the right speckling of angst and nuance. Mini Trees is the project of L.A.-based drummer Lexi Vega, who released her first EP under the moniker earlier this year. The five tracks are sweet sounding but still cut to the genuine anxiety of self-discovery and loneliness. It's all at once airy and drenched in meaning. The artist's conflict seems to meet at a pinnacle coming-of-age crossroads of self-expression or self-denial. "Thinking of" embodies this confusion and anger with subtlety and mastery. Mini Trees’ breakout EP Steady Me is out now.
— Hannah Lupas on July 5, 2019Kate Davis - rbbts
On "rbbts," jazz-prodigy turned indie folk-rocker Kate Davis comes to terms with the heart-aching tension of endings and explores the implications of holding on a bit too tightly. With a title that pays homage to a recently shuttered coffee joint in lower Manhattan that Davis once frequented, "rbbts" highlights Davis’s keen narrative and melodic sensibility—one that allows her to remain open and empathetic as the world around her falls to rack and ruin. The instrumentals are low and looming, and a drowsy folk-tinged verse blooms into a chorus that is almost anthemic in its expansiveness and tension. Davis’s voice is both the salve and the wound, her deft lilt carries the emotional core of the song through the changes in cadence with an artful swiftness. Davis’ debut LP Trophy is out on November 8 via Solitaire Recordings.
— Emma Bowers on July 5, 2019Frankie Cosmos - Windows
“Windows” is Frankie Cosmos aka Greta Kline's newest, artful endeavor. The track explores refraction and nuances of the self, as well as the reinvention of other objects that act as life’s anchor holds. "Windows" shares the same freedom and swelling spirit as Kline's previous works—creating space to reflect, but also dance. A golden-hour peer into the bigger picture in song form, Kline draws all things together, leaving each of us as one glimmer adding our own bit to the whole of the light. “Windows” is a tender romp tune with the lyrical grace of a deep breathed coming-to-self.
— Laney Esper on July 3, 2019Metronomy - Lately
"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.
— Monica Hand on July 3, 2019Delilah Montagu - Next to Me
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.
— Anastasia Philabaum on July 2, 2019Ashe - In Disguise
With the inviting sway of twangy guitar, Ashe urges listeners into a zestful anthem advocating for self-awareness and pleading for the recognition of true friends with her latest single “In Disguise.” Ashe is a gleaming, down-to-earth California dream queen with the humble aspiration to remind us that our truest self is the one that will be loved and truly known by those that are genuine. She sings with vibrancy—“I’d rather be hated for who I am / Than to waste it all giving a damn”—reminding listeners that the noblest thing that can be done in a human life is to elevate your truest self, and steer clear of those who want to harm the sacrality of self. “In Disguise” is the self-aware summer anthem with a classic-sounding melody that will fuel your freedom— giving you space and strength to fight insincerity.
— Laney Esper on July 2, 2019Snail Mail - 2nd Most Beautiful Girl In the World
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.
— Hannah Lupas on July 1, 2019Kaycie Satterfield - Women's Fiction
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.
— Hannah Lupas on June 28, 2019Bridal Party - Jukebox Cutie
“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.
— Daniel Shanker on June 28, 2019