“Sun Song” by Natalie Evans: Shimmering Beauty
It’s disingenuous to place “Sun Song” into one genre. A recent release by UK artist Natalie Evans, the song could be called dance, or maybe ambient. But, neither really seems to capture it in totality. Evans uses a beautiful repertoire of instruments on “Sun Song.” The soft and shiny harp arpeggios across the piece, rising […]
Grimson on “Household,” Visualizing His Music, and His Process
Isolation is a funny thing. We’re social creatures, and when we’re alone we have to find ways to cope. Grimson explores this in “Household”, in a drifting, dreamy, sound reminiscent of early 90’s alternative and 60s psychedelia. It’s a track focused on its story, where the rhythm and sound and vocals build towards this central […]
Deborah Stokol on “Gilgamesh” and the Importance of Preserving Stories
Humans have been singing their stories since before the first tales were written. The people of antiquity had one way to carry on the stories and epic that defined them: song. In order to remember long tales such as the Iliad, Beowulf, or The Epic of Gilgamesh, the tales were sung from one generation to […]
Dorota Konchevska on “Gold Goes Out”, the Irish Music Scene, and Raising Morale in Troubled Times
Writing about this track, I was reminded of this moment growing up: the scene is 2008, and I’m walking around Jacksonville’s Museum of Science and History. Between dimly lit exhibits and dioramas, I drift along. The whole time, I had this feeling that there was something impressive around me, but I just didn’t have the […]
Veronica Everheart on “time and time again” and Her Learning Experiences
The travel song is a classic part of the American road trip. The radio helps to create this mood of change and wonder. A sense of exploration and metamorphosis. Memories are made on these trips, and later on when those memories are hazy, the songs we associate with them bring those oft happier memories into […]
“away” by Lucas Stern: Short but Impactful Lo-Fi Rock
If this review seems shorter than most, there’s a good reason for that. “away,” a new song by indie artist Lucas Stern, isn’t a particularly long listen. Clocking in at just 1:41, it reminds me of vocal tracks that flash by in films or games. It’s the one song you hear after a breakup with […]
The Moon Caravan on Collaboration, Process, and “Brand New Age”
To really review a song, you tend to leave it on repeat. You open up an empty document, start researching the band, and let the song soak in. Leaving it on as you pace around and try to bash out an outline while the song settles around you. The Moon Caravan’s “Brand New Age” did […]
Erika Wester on “Novelty,” Songwriting, and Human Connection
“Novelty” feels like it was plucked from the past. It has a sepia tone over the flowing, expressive lyrics and dream pop atmosphere. It’s like a few dusty photographs in the attic, depicting the past of a relationship that just didn’t happen. Erika Wester explores these ideas inside this West Coast, dreamy style. The song […]
“Cotton White Linen” by Deep Blue: Lush, Lovely Music Borne of Chaos
Historical unrest always leave a musical legacy: The rise of protest songs in the 70s, the advent of souls and blues through slave songs and spirituals, and the counter-culture of hip-hop and jazz in the 90s and 00s. At the start of the 2020 pandemic, many of those self-isolating turned to music. On a surface […]
Remy Boccalatte on “Kodama,” Songwriting, and Nature Hikes
Lonely. “Kodama” starts out lonely. It feels empty and bitter and cold, and the track stretches out before you in a way that feels daunting. Remy Boccalatte’s other work is similarly contemplative. It’s music that offers questions, occasionally provides answers, but mostly wanders. “Kodama” takes a contemplation on the natural world and communication and gives […]
