The new EP from LA-based Scarypoolparty (solo project of Alejandro Aranda), Doom Hologram, opens with “Return2Sender”—the first of an eight-track story, meant to be played in order. Lingering just under five minutes, “Return2Sender” encapsulates the feeling of watching raindrops roll down the window, as golden candlelight flickers and once-fresh flowers on the table slowly wither away. Throughout the ethereal track, the scent of broken promises is as fragrant as wilting roses, leaving the listener to once again taste the words they wish they’d said to someone (“You take my words and break me down / I wrote you letters just to say ‘I love you’ / And now I know that you would tear them all apart”). The track allows Aranda, an American Idol alum, to flex his pop sensibilities and brings to mind the exact inspirations referenced in the release’s press statement—that he “channels the prodigious dexterity of John Mayer overlaid with the ethereal pop of The 1975.” Aranda’s hurt is undeniably palpable, and this candor is the heartbeat that drives the song through its melodic turns and an aching acoustic interlude. But, as great art is so often made, Aranda turned heartache into a glowing and visceral connection with his listeners — and one they won’t soon forget. Photo by Nicole Busch.

Known for drawing inspiration from the street music and culture of their native city of New Orleans, Sweet Crude creates songs that deftly merge their culture’s unique Cajun elements with indie pop and rock. Like their hometown, Sweet Crude’s songs are vibrant and colorful, flush with energy, spirit, and adventure. The band’s latest single, “Sun Sept,” continues to exude these key characteristics, while also representing the natural next step in their sonic progression, as they deliver an expansive, sprightly track that’s made for moving, shaking, and singing along. Loaded with feel-good harmonies, the song has a fresh spontaneity that’s passionate, contagious and hook-filled. It’s tight, lively rhythm and steady, strong percussive elements are ear-worm worthy, while the track’s exuberant chorus and echoing melodies are both mood-enhancing. “Sun Sept” is quite literally brimming with joy, and Sweet Crude is daring you not to smile and bop along.

Kate Bollinger sinks into a contemplative mindset in her latest single “A Couple Things.” Flowing through mellowing electric guitars, velvety keys and gentle drums, she explores the concept of failure, but in a way that makes it feel as though even if she did, in fact, “Fuck up a couple things,” the world would still be okay. With a shrug of the shoulders, she sings to someone who used to overcorrect her flaws, while basking in the freedom and fear of finally letting go. This smooth indie-folk-pop track, which is the second single following the release of Bollinger’s latest EP I Don’t Wanna Lose, maintains the balance between vibey and insightful that this thoughtful songwriter has established in her previous work. “A Couple Things” is a compelling continuation of this style that is sure to satisfy longtime listeners and newcomers alike. Photo by Michael DeCristo

“Bittersweet” is Lianne La Havas’ first solo studio single since her 2015 album, Blood, and her fans should be pleased. While her vocals make this track feel like standard La Havas fare, it’s decidedly more retro than her previous releases. Ironically, this helps to update her music for 2020. The lyrics paint a brooding, cinematic picture of classic long-distance relationship struggles over a heady, swaying, soul groove. La Havas starts out singing in her lower register. Her soft, honey-sweet voice has a lullaby effect on the listener. In all her trademark sultriness, she croons: “Bittersweet summer rain / I'm born again / All my broken pieces.” She then repeats, “Bittersweet summer rain / I'm born again,” this time an octave higher, immediately intensifying its meaning. La Havas continues to vocalize, delivering what she’s best known for: a powerful, well-trained belt with a slight grit around its edges. In the second verse, she returns to the lower octave, lulling us back to a still, urban coolness. Once again, the siren has us fooled. With a slight growl, she sings, “This shit's goin' nowhere, baby,” snapping us out of our dreamlike state. By the second chorus, we’re elevated once again, empathizing with her agony. The aptly titled “Bittersweet” pairs well with a dark and restless summer day, watching the world go by through rain-streaked window panes.

Héloïse Letissier, or simply known as Chris, of Christine and the Queens, continues to release music that feels uniquely in tune with her own introspective search and identity. Almost as a sequel to last year’s success on Charli XCX’s hot track “Gone,” Chris follows up this year with “La vita nuova,” off her newest EP of the same title. The track is a sleek, sexy duet that features singer-songwriter and producer Caroline Polacheck. “La vita nuova” has its roots in both electronic and theatrical pop and creates harmony within the different energy of their voices—Letissier is high and pent up in conversation while Polacheck is warm and dark. Lyrically, they weave in and out of Italian and English, with the words they sing conjuring up longing for touch and love. It brings the track a bodily quality that comes to a climax during the instrumental breakdown at the very end. Chris will play a few festivals in Europe over the summer, but in the meantime you can listen to La vita nuova, streaming now.

Never failing to create a bright and breezy scene, Papooz's newest release “Figs and Gorgonzola” is a crisp spring day in Paris. The French duo paint a picture of nostalgia chronicling the time spent with lovers, babies, orchids, and views of the park. It’s bittersweet, acknowledging the growth in a relationship, but missing the spark there used to be. Just as figs and gorgonzola are two distinct flavors, they still mesh together and “melt in your mouth.” The relationship described in the song is experiencing a lull or a difference, but nonetheless it continues to work. This moment of relatability is transformed into a sweet sound you’ll want to sway to. Ulysse Cottin on lead guitar and vocals sings: "I still love you but I wanna / Get back to the old days when we glowed in the dark / I'm hooked on forever / It's written on my heart."

There's something a little daunting about the concept of Maia Friedman's angelic voice singing the word "Overlord" several times in two-and-a-half minutes, but the reality is actually much better. For their first single in two years, Dirty Projectors comes back with a sunny single reminiscent of a radio single we might hear in the Summer of 1998; Friedman's beautiful voice singing over a simple acoustic melody, while still tackling tough topics. "Overlord" kicks off with an inner dialogue plea appropriate for, and thought by so many through the seemingly endless election year, "Please don't yell at the train / just get aboard." The politician wants us to all strap in and stay quiet. Never mind we all might be feeling afraid. Other common desires between citizen and candidate are addressed, but for listeners, the relatable subject matter never becomes tense. Friedman makes us feel like we're sitting with our friends over a cup of coffee while endlessly lamenting possible outcomes to a crucial election and facing its potential reality because we know "Those who stay behind / will be left on the shore," and, as she continues in the chorus, the elected leader will inevitably ignore our concerns by begging us to believe "Good outweighs bad / as we approach perfection." Dirty Projectors are currently on tour.

With releases that span at most 16 years apart, Australian band The Avalanches take their time carefully crafting music that feels both grounded and out of body. And their newest single “We Will Always Love You” is just that. The track begins with a sample from Smokey Robinson, tripped out and mixed to introduce a cosmic energy to the song. Additionally, Blood Orange (aka Dev Hynes), contributes soft lyrics that are delivered in both spoken-word and Hynes’ gorgeous falsetto. The hook samples the iconic “Hammond Song” by The Roches, pitched higher for a haunting feeling that takes you floating out of your body as the track comes to a close. "We Will Always Love You" will keep you cozy, contemplative and hopeful through these remaining winter nights, as we prepare for the fabulous spring weather we've all been waiting for.

Contemplate the nuances of shame with “Embarrassing," the second release off the self-proclaimed emo dream-pop artist Ellis’ new album, Born Again. In this deeply confessional slow burn, the Ontario-based artist turns her gaze inward to address the feeling of embarrassment, deviating from the beaten path towards a much harder truth; sometimes we feel shame because we should. This synth-forward, dreamy track is no pity party, it’s a promise to be better in a remarkable coming to terms with accountability. Making concessions like “maybe you were right when you said I love to play the victim” Ellis displays a maturity and self-awareness beyond her years. Despite its vulnerability “Embarrassing” is full of defiance and strength, using a feeling we so easily look away from or blame others for as a tool for growth and self-forgiveness. The purposeful drumbeat and unhurried guitar move steadily towards a power ballad climax and in the closing refrain Ellis repeats in her honey-sweet voice, “some things should be embarrassing” over and over as a reminder not just to herself, but to her listener as well. Born Again is out on April 3 via Fat Possum Records, and be sure to catch Ellis on her North American tour while you can.

“All of the songs on my new record are about people. Individual, real people. Some are strangers I’ve met, but a lot are friends”, explains Hamilton Leithauser in a teaser for lead single “Here They Come” before the song’s official release. That video would lead us to believe that the friend is actor Ethan Hawke (who, upon hearing the song, turns off the stereo and bludgeons Leithuaser with a chair), but in truth it doesn’t matter. Hawke, or whomever the song’s subject truly is, may or may not have hidden from his problems in the darkness of a movie theater, but “Here They Come” is a song for anyone who runs at the first hint of difficulty. Yes, you. The track is an excellently executed return, a chance encounter with an old friend who is just as excited to see you. It features all the hallmarks of a Hamilton Leithauser classic—the lightning-fast classically influenced fingerpicking, Leithauser’s own strained yells, and of course that unmistakable piano sound—but perhaps the most Leithauser-like quality of all, keeping the familiar sound fresh, is his unbridled bandleader’s joy, a smile behind every syllable.

Two packs of cigarettes down, half-Catalan and half-Irish singer Núria Graham peaks into the past on the title track of her latest album. A slow-burning folk ballad warped by airy, chiming guitars and soaring synthesizers, "Marjorie" is built perfectly for dramatic moments of introspection. Keeping watch for a lover as the night draws in around her, Graham lovingly connects the dots between her and the grandmother she never met. Despite being permanently separated by a gulf of time, she pulls herself closer to Marjorie as she chews through painful, intergenerational deja vu; "we seem to be making the same mistakes," she sings out, in the chorus of one of her most direct and powerful vocal performances to date. A window-gazers dream, "Marjorie" pushes a revitalized Núria Graham to new heights.