I firmly believe that there is a special place in the world for upbeat breakup songs, and that place is a car radio. "Losing My Grip" by Junior Mesa is a high energy reclamation of control by acknowledging that you’re not fine, actually. The song riffs and rolls through two and a half minutes that validate your need to briefly disappear with just a car, sunshine, and your thoughts. “An escapist road trip is a totally reasonable reaction to heartbreak,” the track speaks, with equal parts serious lyrics and lighthearted production touches. Each verse is supported by steadfastly syncopated rhythm guitar, paralleling the feeling of hanging on by a thread—but still hanging in there. A whimsical flute line dances between stanzas, which conjures the aesthetic of Noah and The Whale and The Boy Least Likely To. Mesa’s voice playfully stretches syllables, crafting a vocal line that, somehow, feels a lot like a rainbow slinky. Overall, the track sparkles with wit, humor, and technical finesse. Dripping in optimism yet leaning into vulnerability and heartache, it’s a song that is sure to fit whatever headspace you’re in.

Indie singer-songwriter Arlo Day has arrived on the scene to break your heart. Arlo Day, a moniker for London-based Alice Barlow, has released her second track, “This Love” from her upcoming debut EP, Bad Timing. In her new song, Barlow invites us to follow her down the rabbit hole that is a toxic relationship, describing the addictive nature of a love you can’t quit. Gloomy, electric guitar strums and grounding, hypnotic drum beats play underneath yearning vocals—creating a mesmerizing sound that has you feeling like you’ve stumbled into a private and painstaking moment. “This Love” combines dark, enchanting melodies with a knack for storytelling to pull you into an inner turmoil before you can realize it’s happening. Barlow returns again and again to her mantra, “This love, I won’t do, I don’t want to be apart of it,” seemingly trying to convince herself just as much as her audience. Her voice climbs and wavers and fades on every “This love,” making the word entirely inescapable throughout the song. In the last line, Barlow makes a slight edit and sings, “wish I didn’t want to be apart of this,” suggesting a relapse that leaves us aching as the song ends quietly. Arlo Day’s Bad Timing EP is out this Friday, May 31st via Domino and is sure to be a bewitching debut if “This Love” is any indication.

HÅN’s latest single “Gymnasion” is wistful and enchanting. The Italian synth-pop artist named the song after the Greek word used for high school in Italy, which ties in the nostalgic feel of the track. "Gymnasion" is an homage to a certain person from her past, but also the past itself. Even though it's brooding and mysterious, the mid-tempo brightens it up a bit. It is the perfect song for driving at night with the windows down. Reminiscent of a Lorde track, it ebbs and flows as 22-year-old Giulia Fontana sings, “you can go ahead and tell me what I used to be / but who cares.” "Gymnasion" is a song about being only slightly detached from youth. You can still remember the people and the places from back then and they aren’t so far away, but they are starting to drift. It is soft yet upbeat, nostalgic without being sad, and hopeful without feeling trite. The tone of Fontana’s voice allows for emotion without succumbing to it. “Gymnasion” is HÅN’s first single of 2019 and the first track from her upcoming sophomore EP, which will come out this fall.

“A Lonely Shoulder to Cry On,” the smooth new single from slack-rock quartet Brother Son, pulls from a variety of classic indie influences to evoke an entirely new genre of easy listening. Two years ago, four very different dudes bonded over the likes of Mac Demarco and Alabama Shakes and then decided to start a band. Since then, they’ve developed their own sound, but their favorite bands will always continue to influence it. Such is the case in “A Lonely Shoulder to Cry On.” The light, pinging keyboard and soft, intricate percussion are reminiscent of Mac Demarco and give the track its gliding feel, while the guitar’s bluesy rock influence is all Alabama Shakes. Vocalist Francis Harrington’s voice is easygoing and pleasant; he holds a subtle but certain command over the lyrics and your attention, even when what he’s singing is just “La di da di da.” More than just a mashup of good sounds, “A Lonely Shoulder to Cry On” is a catchy, genre-bending slow jam, and you’ll want to play it on repeat all summer long.

Dublin singer-songwriter Sorcha Richardson downplays her own emotions in her newest single “Don’t Talk About It.” It starts small with just a simple beat, electric guitar, and Richardson’s smooth and mysterious voice. She lilts seamlessly into the refrain where everything builds as she sings, “hey ok we don’t have to talk about it/ it’s only love / I guess we’ll live without it.” Richardson has come a long way from her bedroom-pop days with this certifiable indie-rock track meant for blaring and shouting along to. It’s anthemic in both its composition and central message. Sometimes speaking feels impossible like it will ruin everything. Maybe love is too scary. Maybe the other person isn’t ready. They may never be, but Richardson seems to want to keep them around even if it means the most important things are left unsaid. Maybe it will all be ok if we just don’t talk about it. “Don’t Talk About It” is the latest single from Richardson’s debut album First Prize Bravery out this fall.

In their latest release, "Is It Too Early? (Kilmainham)," Irish duo Morgan MacIntyre and Gemma Doherty, known as Saint Sister, use unlikely sounds in their just-a-little-unnerving soundscapes, like the hubbub of a party and the plucking of Doherty’s harp. The empty space and floating vocal harmonies point towards Bon Iver influences, and the start-and-stop syncopated percussion could form the backbone of a Chance The Rapper beat. After the 2015 EP Madrid, Saint Sister toured extensively, sharing bills with The National and fellow Irish hitmaker Hozier. In a handwritten note posted to Twitter, Macintyre describes the duality of the touring lifestyle, the vast difference between perception and reality. “I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was supposed to be having the time of my life but all I wanted to do was go home,” she writes, struggling to make peace with the never-ending days “in the back of the van not getting to explore the different places [they] passed through, coping with the stress of a hectic new routine.” The song’s chorus frames this conflict in terms of a social gathering, designed to be fun but in all likelihood equally stressful. “Is it too early / To leave this party?” sing Macintyre and Doherty in harmony, and the takeaway of the song, MacIntyre’s note and the band’s body of work is a reminder of the power of a strong friendship, a statement made bolder in harmony.

Harmony Byrne’s newest single, “Smoke Inside,” is a robust, romantic ballad about celebrating who you are and not settling for anybody who doesn’t let you shine. Produced by Jim Eno of Spoon, the blues-inspired rock track sways to a catchy and gripping pendulum beat. Behind Byrne’s gorgeous, smoky vocal, a hip-swinging sample is played on repeat to hypnotic effect, sucking you into the rhythm of the song immediately. The classic sound of the electric guitar works well with Byrne’s husky vocal, simultaneously energizing the track and giving it edge. Once again, Byrne delivers the lyrics with raw emotion: “Honey if I burn sometimes will you let me smoke inside / If I die tonight will you set my soul on fire.” “Smoke Inside” is a soulful track with a sensual beat, and Harmony Byrne is a powerhouse. Look out for her debut LP, Heavy Doors, this fall.