“Honeysuckle” is a dark folk masterpiece in balance from Austin-based Margaret Chavez (Marcus Striplin). The track opens with hypnotic guitar arpeggiations that draw you in like waving wildflowers drawing honeybees. Then come the lyrics, which paint vignettes of tragedy that seem initially at odds with the cheerful guitar melody. As the song progresses, the track unfolds into a retrospective of loss and love. Each verse relays another heavy anecdote of someone the narrator has loved and lost in some form. The stories that hit the hardest are underscored with dark, warbly synths that make you feel as though you are being teleported into the world of memory. The lyrics are so heartbreaking, it would be easy for the song to sink into sadness as deep as Striplin’s beautiful baritone voice; however, the buoyant guitar lines keep the song in the realm of bittersweet. It will be exciting to see what else Margaret Chavez has in store on their sophomore album “Into an Atmosphere," due to release July 31, 2020, via We Know Better Records.

British indie-alternative quartet, Mosa Wild launches back onto the scene with their newest single “Night.” The familiarity of a guitar-driven summer anthem is made fresh by the fullness of Jim Rubaduka’s smooth and lilting vocals. His jazz influence adds a complexity that elevates the track to be something special. The entire song has an immersive quality aided by Jim Abbiss' rich production, which leaves no dead space within the track. The anthemic youthfulness of "Night" would feel at home in a festival setting or a blockbuster movie soundtrack as Rubaduka repeats, “This night is long and this fire is burning out / help me be strong / help me be strong.” It's a rallying cry that is meant to be blasted in the car with the windows down. "Night" is a strong follow-up to the band’s 2016 debut single "Smoke, "and is the perfect first taste of their debut EP Talking Circles due out this summer.

Everything that MorMor touches turns to gold. "Outside" is another example of how this indie newcomer puts the kind of heart and soul into his work that make his songs noteworthy. Hailing from Toronto, Seth Nyquist has been releasing music since last year—including his debut EP Heaven's Only Wish. MorMor has a keen sense of crafting melodies that sonically waft through his songs. In "Outside," Nyquist sings of dark times that seem not to have any light. Instead of finding hope on the outside, it just begets more distress—there, the sky is dark and the sun seems to have hidden itself. The bleating vocals sit on top of a bed of synths and a heavy-hitting drum, showing us even though things are dark they are not stagnant. There is movement towards the sun, whatever it may be.

Hatchie trades in shoegaze guitar for upbeat dream-pop synth in her newest single “Stay With Me.” The Australian singer-songwriter explores the contradictory nature of moving on as she sings, “It’s all better now you’re gone / It’s all better on my own” then switches to “why won’t you stay with me / why don’t you stay with me / ‘cause I’m not done.” This back-and-forth perfectly encapsulates the feeling of wanting to hold onto a relationship even if it’s bad for you. The sentiment works well with the almost overwhelmingly lush production. It’s like she is trying to convince herself she is ok by putting on a brave face, but sometimes the mask slips off. It follows in the footsteps of other dance-while-you-cry anthems like Robyn’s “Dancing On My Own.” There is a tinge of hopefulness in the production and the verses even if it is forced, but hey, fake it ‘til you make it is a mantra for a reason. “Stay With Me” is the second single from Hatchie’s debut album, which comes out on June 21.

Meg Myers’ rendition of the Kate Bush classic “Running Up That Hill” is invigorating—Myers’ hints of electronica lend new power to the message that the song has pondered in many covers over the past three decades. This version sets itself apart with firm vocals and a busy but not overbearing blend of instrumentals. Myers' arrangement reinforces and pays homage to the best aspects of the original, while still remaining distinctly contemporary and drenched in her distinctive sound.

Singer-songwriter Adam Melchor meanders through memory and nostalgia in his single “Plan On You.” The song is about Melchor’s father reconnecting with his own ailing father after 40 years of distance. With all the emotional tension that likely permeated this experience, it could easily have just been sad and angry. Instead, it hangs onto a level of hope as he sings, “But if you make a plan to love and let me in / My only promise is to not let go again / I won’t need a plan I’ll just plan on you / I'll just plan on you.” This hopefulness is aided by the gentle and sweet timber of Melchor’s voice, which allows the song to experience melancholy without reveling in it. The production also lends a hand as his vocals are doubled, which creates a sense of detachment that comes with time. The song itself resembling a memory as the buzzy guitar, ambient noise, and well-placed piano come together to fill in the track. “Plan On You” is the first single and title track of Melchor’s sophomore EP, which came out on March 22. He will be playing a string of headlining shows this May in support of the release.

Earlier this year, Irish singer-songwriter Rosie Carney released 11 hauntingly beautiful songs on her debut album, Bare. The opening track, “What You’ve Been Looking For,” immediately sets the mood; a gorgeous acoustic melody and Carney’s soothing, reverberating vocal consistently bathe your ears in bliss. As the song builds and Carney’s affinity for piano becomes apparent, so does her talent in front of a baby grand. The instrumental arrangement, which carves out its own genre of indie folk, has a lush, full sound, making for a heavily atmospheric listening experience. You could close your eyes and imagine yourself in a field filled with wildflowers, or sipping cocoa by the fireplace while a snow storm rages outside—there’s no clear imagery, and that was an intentional part of the production. When describing her sound, Carney says, “it’s anything you want it to be.” Even though at its core, it's evident that “What You’ve Been Looking For” is made up of raw, honest songwriting and Carney’s mesmerizing voice. Don’t miss the chance to see her live next month at Mominette for The Wild Honey Pie’s first ever French dinner party! Buy tickets here.

ALASKALASKA’s newest single “Bees” comes in fast and strong in the first few seconds then mellows into a groove that extends throughout the four-minute song. With a seamless layering of instrumentation, the South Londoners build an ethereal and futuristic track without losing touch of reality. This is due in part to the grounding nature of Lucinda John Duarte’s vocals. Their sound is malleable. It ebbs and flows without constraint mixing more electronic elements with a surprisingly sexy saxophone that peaks in and out. Though it is lush with sound, each element is balanced perfectly. No one part overwhelms or even tries to compete with the others. Their experimentation extends past just the sound as there is no defined chorus for the song. This fits with the message of constantly questioning and progressing as it ends with Duarte repeating, “Buy another face, pretend.” “Bees” is the second single from ALASKALASKA’s debut album The Dots out on May 3rd.

Brooklyn residents and lifelong friends, Daniel Alvarez de Toledo and Jordan Dunn-Pilz have been hard at work on TOLEDO’s new EP, Hotstuff, due out today, April 5th. “Some Samurai” is a dreamy track from the forthcoming EP that showcases the duo’s penchant for tight harmonies, soaring production and storytelling through run-on sentences. The song ties these elements together at every turn, like the feeling of time grinding to a halt and zooming in behind the line, “It’s hard to watch you want to understand,” before jumping into a shimmering chorus, hiding the duo’s doubts behind a veneer of dream-pop. It’s unclear whether or not leaving your “shoes lying in the hall” really qualifies you as “such a mess,” but if you feel that way, is there really a difference? Constant battles with inner demons can lead to constant battles with others. “Some Samurai” reminds us of the ways in which this kind of isolation can be so paralyzing — “Still I can’t stand to be alone / No, I can’t seem to stand at all.” There’s so much to unpack in TOLEDO’s vivid writing style, but it’s easier to get lost in the joyous choruses.

A whirlwind of sound and feeling, Chris Cohen’s “No Time to Say Goodbye,” off his brand-new self-titled album, highlights the multi-instrumentalist and songwriter’s lyrical and compositional talents. This track is equal parts lively and somber, and altogether unique. Full percussion, keys, traces of synth, plenty of guitar, and surprise appearances by other instrumental elements in the bridge play with equal rank to Cohen’s vocals, nothing fading or lost in the background. The poignant lyrics, “the fun is over // goodbye my darling,” drive home a particular sadness akin to knowing exactly where you lost something you knew you could never get back. Truly a masterpiece in its arrangement, evident by subtle key changes and a classic, low-fidelity sound, “No Time to Say Goodbye” is just one of many hits from Cohen’s latest project.

The stormy, unconstrained sound of Berlin-based, protean singer-songwriter and producer, Mogli truly comes alive in her latest EP, Patience. The brief yet stirring five-track project is a cohesive narrative of personal growth and acceptance in the midst of mental health issues. Mogli's unique upbringing as a child opera singer in a gender-free household in rural Germany with her two mothers is especially reflected in the title track, "Patience." In this song, she hones in on the power of self-empathy, healing, and taking in the moment for what it is. You can hear traces of female folk-rock icons, Cat Power and Feist in Mogli’s tender timbre and emotive melodic structure as she sings, "we should have patience to let the hurt dry out / we should have patience to let our hearts down.” Like much of the EP, “Patience” is soaked in dreamy, somber synths and uplifting percussion that effortlessly carry Mogli’s vocals through calm, patient waters.