Tender on the ears lyrically and instrumentally, James Blake’s newest single in over a year “You’re Too Precious” touches on the inevitable warmth and care you might feel for a lover. Isolated piano opens the curtains and allows us to peer in on how “precious” Blake finds his lover. Little lines like “I’d take the calls you don’t want to / I’d take the hair in your food” are invaluable details on how much care he views the object of affection with. The mundane things that make the descent into adoration swifter. When the rush of falling and the excitement of newness flickers in and out, there is always that lingering tenderness of real love. Instrumentally the song feels stripped of big gestures and instead relies on the natural and effective things–gorgeously delivered vocals and simple claps to fill the tune. The song feels like a slow Sunday night, “Div[ing] into diamonds / scratched and you’re smiling,” held in the glow of wonder–in bloom and just sweet enough.

"Who Are You" is the third single from Diet Cig’s latest album, Do You Wonder About Me, and it’s a song that you know is going to be fun to hear live. The track opens with some classic early 2000s cheerleader clapping, and it’s not hard to imagine a crowd getting really into those off beats before vocalist Alex Luciano hits you with the hook. From the start, the song is direct and anthemic. The first line you hear is “Who Are You," accented by snappy vocal leaps that are so catchy the line would get stuck in your head even if it wasn't repeated about 20 times. Like a good rom-com or coming of age flick, "Who Are You" is full of charming quips that balance out the heavier elements of the narrative. My personal favorite is “My moon is in Cancer, I wish I was a better slow dancer." Overall, the "Who Are You" is a perfect anthem for frustration over the end of a relationship you ultimately feel better letting go of. It acknowledges the anger and frustration; however, there are enough rhymes tinted with a feel-good pop campiness that it’s a sure mood booster. Diet Cig's call out anthem perfectly articulates what we wish we could all tell an ex or two. If you can’t be better, at least be honest, and don’t waste my time.

Building on the success of her 2019 EP, You’re A Dog!, Remi Wolf is back with "Woo!" showing no signs of slowing. A perfect summation of Wolf’s one-of-a-kind music, "Woo!" has it all. Funky production and stunning vocals, filled with songwriting that’s somehow deeply insightful, wildly goofy and completely relatable. The production plays the perfect partner to Wolf. Setting the mood and complimenting every move made. Refreshingly groovy and just as playful as the lyrics. A voice full of so much heart unleashes a remarkable performance from start to finish. Even as the chorus opens subdued, the seams quickly begin to burst and set Wolf free to soar. Pondering the complexities of love, only Wolf could deliver the stellar, “and I don’t know what I really wanted / and fuck I think I lost my wallet"—floating between the heaviness and the light of life. The versatile young artist is an undeniable hitmaker, each release bringing more to the table, winning over more ears. No one will put you in a good mood faster.

Summer is inching closer, and Laszlo and the Hidden Strength’s latest album came just in time to accompany picnics in the park and late night drives alike. Their Weezer-meets-Fall Out Boy sound is passionate and relaxed all at once while maintaining the perfect amount of post-punk ambiance. In the track “Chastity Seatbelt” the NYC-based band puts a specific imagery in the minds of listeners—one of vintage automobiles and cruising the open road. Songwriter Laszlo Horvath who is also on vocals and guitar has a way of taking the religious virtue of refraining and using it as an oxymoron. The song gives an overall feeling of escape and needing to break free. In times like these when many feel isolated and in desperate need to get away, this song delivers what present-day listeners need.

Hope Waidley’s new release is intimate and contemplative, inviting you into the sweetness of young, carefree love. “It Rains in Michigan” is aptly named—it's the perfect song for gazing out a window on a rainy day. It's full to the bursting with that feeling of comfort you get when you find someone who feels like home. “It's no longer a secret like it was,” she almost whispers to us, “I'm in love. I don't know what I'm doing, do I?” Waidley’s simple guitar arpeggios, amid layers of hand percussion and a grounding folk-rock beat, all speak of an incredible ease. The whole arrangement cradles Waidley's stunning vocals—she somehow brings the powerful grunge of Amy Winehouse and the chill indie warmth of Cat Power—like a nest. “I fell too fast for 20 years old,” she sings and we can't help but fall too fast as well.

TATYANA arrives from London in spectacular fashion with "Wild Card." A single that is both lush and haunting, "Wild Card" excels in its monumental moments as well as it does in its sparsity. Background vocals welcome with warmth, TATYANA following shortly behind, expertly balancing the moment. The chorus peels back all that’s familiar, allowing for new silence, while the bass and drums breakthrough with an edge. TATYANA also takes the chance to spotlight the harp, fluttering through, sparkling in space. A moment to fantasize about this relationship in the future, TATYANA shares those earnest hopes with the listener, giving more urgency and credence to the passionate chorus. The harp returns, glistening in the sunny bridge, elevating it all to a dream. TATYANA takes that vulnerable moment and smashes right through it, coming back so powerfully with vocals flying in from every direction, each adding such valuable texture and charm to the song. It is a masterful performance across the song but in this final scene, it is undeniable.

Adeline Hotel has a way of putting you at ease. Living on the axis of psych-rock and indie folk, the music is loose and calming, but also entirely intentional. On “Trace,” a track from the upcoming album, Solid Love, Dan Knishkowy leads the project with the strength of his songwriting, telling a tale of transition that is equally driven by moments of love and connection as it is by total unknowing. The band, headed by Knishkowy and joined by guitarist, Ben Seretan, bassist Andrew Stocker, pianist Winston Cook-Wilson (Office Culture), drummer Sean Mullins (Wilder Maker), vocalists Brigid Mae Power & Matt Kivel, and a host of others, come together to blend their unique songwriting practices. As Knishkowy puts it, “Five people with loud playing personalities, playing as quietly as possible,” each musician creating their own moments of tenderness, trusting themselves and the process. Because of this, “Trace” is a slow-building wave and at it’s crest lies a beautifully jagged ending jam. The recipe of musical ambiguity, intimacy and clear warmth earns Adeline Hotel a sound that serves reflection as well as much needed sighs of relief.

This track was released quite suddenly by indie-pop group, Wet. The song was set to be released on their first studio album in 2016, and then again on their second album, but ultimately didn’t fit either project. In my opinion, there is something truly beautiful about this song being released as a stand-alone, as it is an appreciation of the self and where you are in this moment. “This Fog” feels like a gradual understanding that there can be both sorrow and joy in being alone, and that in accepting this fact we begin to experience everything more earnestly. As I listened back more and more to this track, I was reminded of a poem I wrote a couple of years back, in which I reflect on something similar.

Wednesday’s Sermon

The wind hit my back in the way

you would want it to – 

there was no sense of urgency –

it served only as a reminder

that energy is all around.

“Paradise” is a warm introduction to CoCo Zandi, solo project of Alexander Beggins (Wild Child). Cheerful ukulele with an emphatic heartbeat-like rhythm catches your attention and forms the foundation of the whole track. An increasing number of layers wrap around Beggins’s voice, resulting in a song that has a million details to fall in love with. There’s warm bass and strings that sweep you off your feet. Whimsical backup vocals pay homage to every single Disney “awwww they’re falling in love!” song simultaneously. Bells and twinkly keys add sparkle and bright, tuneful countermelodies. Lyrically, the song tells a story of love at first sight and every sight after. It’s a sweet, musically complex track that effortlessly wraps you up in the warm fuzzies. “Paradise” is the perfect soundtrack for waltzing around your room, putting away your laundry, and fantasizing about the day you'll get whisked off on your own romantic fairytale adventure.

Our first Quadio pick of the week is “Warm Bodies” by U of Michigan songwriter Lily Talmers. The track is not only a beautiful take on electric folk—it’s also a wise and winding reflection on the magnetic physiology and mysterious transience of love. Talmers’s voice is undoubtedly the musical centerpiece here, possessing a rare warmth that could combat even the harshest Michigan winter. Meanwhile, her understated versatility on the guitar creates the perfect wistful backdrop for the big ideas she’s singing about. Throughout the song, she frames romantic attraction as the result of seeking something godly. It’s a beautiful sentiment, and it also makes it all the more understandable how earth-shatteringly disappointing it can be when the connection dissipates. It makes you think: is there anything godly in each of us after all? Or are we all just “lonely, aching bodies”? After building tension between these seemingly competing questions through each verse, Talmers finally hints at a bittersweet answer: yes.