Remi Wolf - Woo!
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.
— Max Himelhoch on May 11, 2020
Bon Iver - Naeem
From Bon Iver's newest LP i,i comes "Naeem," a track likely named after Justin Vernon's collaborator and co-writer Naeem Hanks. More rhythmic and brimming with vocal warmth than some of the other tracks on this album, "Naeem" feels emotional and omnipresent: a cinematic departure from Vernon's otherwise loftier songwriting. This is not to say that this song is shallow in any sense. On the contrary, it feels more authoritative and defining. During an interview with BBC Radio 1, Vernon describes this particular track as signifying a crucial turn in the album: "I think it’s like the end of the first act. It ends the first side […] It was kind of too rambunctious, too energetic, or too Les Mis to end the record. It’s the end of the first act, the end of the first breadth of songs. It kind of gives you a chance to start over again on the second side." Bon Iver released i,i on August 9, 2019.
— Hannah Lupas on August 29, 2019
FIG - Stamped With Love
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.
— Ysabella Monton on August 28, 2019
MyKey - Was It Something I Said
“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.
— Caroline Peacock on August 28, 2019
Ashe - Not How It’s Supposed to Go
“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.
— Ben Burke on August 28, 2019
mini golf - Audrey
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.”
— Ben Burke on August 27, 2019
THE HARMALEIGHS - DIM THE LIGHT
Within the open-armed, free belts of “Dim The Light” ready ears may find strands of honest self-discovery and powerful utterances. This courageously self-aware track is one of many refreshingly candid pieces from Nashville indie pair The Harmaleighs’ new LP She Won’t Make Sense. “Dim The Light” is a movement-generating shadow-cast of the woes of loving someone while simultaneously holding hands with a lingering toxicity.
— Laney Esper on August 27, 2019
Frankie Cosmos - Wannago
Frankie Cosmos are back and vibrant as ever as they tease the release of their fourth record with a glittering new single. "Wannago" tells the story of two distant lovers through rose-colored harmonies and sugary lyrics. "It's been forever but it's whatever / I'm here for you and I would never forget you" sings lead singer Greta Kline, who said she once "found some of the lyrics embarrassing," but later "accepted the cheesier lyrics as part of the youthful glow of the song." The track captures the serendipitous joy of two humans "with eyes and ears / and dreams and science and love and fears" connecting in an absurd world, being driven apart by life, but earnestly finding their ways back. Fans have bassist Alex Bailey to thank for pushing the band to finish the older tune, and the result showcases the band's collaborative synergy. Close It Quietly will be released on September 6 via Sub Pop Records.
— Ysabella Monton on August 27, 2019
Dizzy - Twist
Born in the suburb of Oshawa, Ontario, Dizzy is the indie dream-pop band composed of brothers Charlie, Alex, and Mackenzie Spencer and their frontwoman Katie Munshaw. “Twist” is the follow up to their debut album Baby Teeth—the single is a breezy heartbreaker that you won’t know whether to dance or cry to. The band members describe Dizzy as a means to cope with small-town monotony. However, “Twist” is a testament to how far the group has come since their suburbia beginnings. The track is atmospheric and swirling, grounded in a rhythmic, smacking drum loop. Small, incremental movements in the vocals and sweeping synths add a glittering texture to the song's bass-heavy foundation. Dreamy elements are weaved throughout via Munshaw’s serene but sincere voice, delicate, twinkling piano, and an entrancing guitar solo. “Twist” navigates the post-break-up, with lyrics like “I beat myself up for feeling let down” showing Munshaw grapple with wanting to see someone while chastising herself for the impulse. The chorus swells around Munshaw’s voice as she sings the tragic lines, “there’s a hole that’s inside of my chest in the place of a heart in the shape of your fist” and as the band grieves, we all feel the pang of our past heartbreaks. “Twist” is the lead single off the Heavy/Twist EP, which will have to hold you over while Dizzy works on their next record.
— Brigid Moser on August 26, 2019
Big Thief - Not
Big Thief’s music has always had an unearthly, ethereal texture to it and the band’s newest single “Not”, the first offering from their forthcoming, fourth record Two Hands, is no exception. The track is an examination of what is bigger than all of us and a look at what people often fail to appreciate. Lead singer Adrianne Lenker makes a heartfelt delivery with her poetically haunting words, “It's not the energy reeling / Nor the lines in your face / Nor the clouds on the ceiling / Nor the clouds in space.” The conviction in her voice and the cruising, confident production further relay the central verdict of the song. The Brooklyn four-piece make existential ideas more easily digestible and appealing to explore. They send a message of clarity—suggesting that we all take a moment to breathe and focus on the bigger picture amidst all the chaos of this world. Two Hands is officially out October 11 via 4AD.
— Meredith Vance on August 26, 2019
Whitney - Used To Be Lonely
Chicago indie-rock outfit Whitney’s newest single “Used To Be Lonely” sounds like a slow summer drive through the country. A blend of folk and indie rock, the song fits in well with the last two singles—building a believable world for their upcoming sophomore album Forever Turned Around. The track starts with minimalistic piano and fingerpicked guitar before Julien Ehlrick’s recognizable voice joins in. It builds to eventually include a more stylized electric guitar, a gentle driving drum, and a chorus of horns that somehow refrain from overpowering the track. In a sea of sad songs, "Used To Be Lonely" lends some optimism without throwing it in your face. It addresses the fear that your current state of happiness may one day disappear—“I’m afraid you’re letting go / cause the only life I’ve ever known / Used to be lonely.” The instrumentals push the song to sound more optimistic than panicked. "Used To Be Lonely" is a languid declaration of a fear that is usually kept secret—something that is hard to escape and ignore but mustn’t be dwelled upon. If you think too hard about losing happiness, it will become a self-fulfilled prophecy. It is helpful to realize that just like leisurely summer drives, nothing lasts forever.
— Corey Bates on August 26, 2019
