In “Who Do I Turn To?,” Joy Oladokun takes deep-rooted pain and pushes it to the surface, creating a poignant tune with only her voice alongside a piano. However, it’s not a simple song at all—hearing her meditate on repeated, unanswered questions is like hearing an echo in an empty home, only finding security in the fact that you are present, yet completely alone. 

“I’m tired of turning on the news / And wondering why it happened again,” she sings, expressing her exhaustion. In a society where systemic racism is only now becoming prevalent for the comfortable majority, Oladokun asks her listeners: “Tell me who’s gonna make it right / When the good ones are to blame.” Her words are not masked by any intense instrumentation, but rather come fully exposed: “If I can’t turn to God / And I can’t turn to you / Who do I turn to?” A portion of her publishing royalties will be going to Launchpad Nashville, a shelter that LGBTQ youth can turn to in times of need.

Swedish outfit Hater make an emotive case with their recent release “Four Tries Down,” the first of two new singles on their forthcoming 7” due out next month and the follow up to their magnetic, sophomore 2018 album Siesta. The tender track is a reminder of the band’s ability to shift your mindset from a dream-like state into something more grounded with their poignant take on indie-pop. Lead singer Caroline Landahl guides you through a storm of difficult times with her steady, whole-hearted vocals as the punchy, rolling production marches close beside. It’s a kind of plea to find what’s left over when you’re at the end of your rope and out of options, felt as Landahl states “No one knows their limit / till the limit is near.” As the instrumentals lead you out, you’re left wondering if she ever found what she was looking for to begin with. Four Tries Down / It’s A Mess 7” will officially be out on September 6 via Fire Records.

Brooklyn indie-pop band Barrie strips back their sound to its dreamy, glistening essentials on “Chinatown (Alt),” one of two new singles they released as alternate versions of the more upbeat retro-pop originals on their debut album Happy To Be Here, which came out earlier this year via Winspear. “Chinatown (Alt)” relies mostly on nostalgic, twinkling keys and singer-songwriter Barrie Lindsay’s clear, wistful soprano. The song is a gorgeous dream-pop lullaby, making strategic use of bare, plinking instrumentals and airy harmonies to transport the listener to a place amongst the stars. The raw intimacy of the production proves that sometimes, less is more. Lindsay’s soothing vocal reverberates at the front of the arrangement, so it sounds like she’s whisper-singing into your ear. The lyrics are equally fitting: “Oh, the light in Chinatown tonight/ Those are weaker days / When I talk to you when I say your name / I can't tell if I fell back asleep.” Listen to “Chinatown (Alt)” to wind down after a long night, and you’ll be instantly relaxed.

New York-based singer-songwriter Fay Liew, performing under the moniker FIG, has released a new track about "leaving things which feel like home to you." "Stamped With Love" transports listeners to those final moments before departing, as depicted in the dreamy cover art by moosepopcorn, when the scenes are fresh, playing back like a film reel. The nostalgia permeates through her nonchalant vocals gliding over a retro R&B-influenced beat, with bittersweet lyrics like "Catching fireflies / Jumping oh so high / Imprinted in my head" reminding us of the things we all hold onto. Whether it's an old flame or a city you've left behind, FIG lets you know that even when change is imminent, memories and lessons learned are souvenirs to take along as you move forward.

“Was it something I said… oh fuck.” MyKey's new song "Was It Something I Said" begins with these softly spoken words right before bursting into sound. Though rhythmically upbeat and melodic, the song’s lyrics convey a sense of bitterness and resentment. Coupling the beat with the lyrics produces an underlying tone of nostalgia; it’s almost as if there is a dreamy memory washing over the bitterness. Introspective, soft, and bubbly— it’s the perfect song for a summer night.

“Not How It’s Supposed to Go” by Ashe is the closing track off of her most recent EP Moral of the Story: Chapter 2. Beginning with a calmly rising piano that stands alone for a moment, Ashe begins to relay an increasingly invasive set of societal expectations. In defiance of these expectations, a chorus swells beneath her achievement of clarity against these impositions. Our narrator “makes a wish into a fallen eyelash,” perhaps to find some understanding or solace within this life she finds herself in, but the eyelash “flies away and so [she] takes [her] life back.” Musically and thematically, the conclusions reached throughout this song’s journey are perhaps ‘not how it’s supposed to go’, but listeners ought to be glad that it did.

Mini golf’s single “Audrey” is harmonious in an unorthodox way. Leading in with cautious strings and what sounds like a slowly rushing waterway, the song moves quickly and boldly from the outset. In an amalgamation of synthetic, acoustic, and resonant natural sounds, the thematically chronological progression of the lyrics lulls the listener into a sort of subdued bystander role. Hearing but not fully participating in everything thanks to the paradoxically calming and exciting collection of instrumentals, eventually to be contented with the conclusion: “Sunlight gets brighter, at just the thought of you.”