Talker on “Summerlin” and Her Artistic Evolution
Talker’s new single “Summerlin” is an aching victory. It’s three minutes of soaring grunge pop, a track that leads the listener into the small town of an ex-lover. Celeste Tauchar, the Clark Kent of Talker, shows in “Summerlin” how loss and place are hopelessly intertwined. Talker injects loss and longing into the song’s setting descriptions, […]
“Never Know Me” by Uma Bloo: Dark, Defiant Indie Rock
You wanna know what makes me weary/ What makes my eyes all teary/What went wrong /I’ve got so many songs Uma Bloo’s latest release “Never Know Me” is a dark, unsettled song about the ways in which we look, and don’t see, one another. The four minute track is fiercely furious. It’s infused with throaty […]
“Edge of Heaven” by Mietus Touch: Shimmering, Kaleidoscopic Psych-Pop
The Mietus Touch beckons listeners into shimmering, psychedelic waters with his new song “Edge of Heaven.” The three minute track feels like the breathless adrenaline of new love; like a pond that ripples with kaleidoscopic reflections; like a moonflower sprawling open after days of hibernation. It’s the third track on Mietus Touch’s hypnotic album, Transcendental […]
“Fallen Star” by Laura Rafetseder: A Love Both Grounded Yet Cosmic
Singer-songwriter Laura Rafetseder describes herself on social media as a “Marxist musing ’bout the loneliness of our times and the oceans and fires below the surface.” This description hones in on one of Rafetseder’s greatest strengths as a songwriter: an unapologetic depth. Rafetseder is not afraid to plunge into the “oceans and fires” that live […]
“I Lie In The Sun” by Eliza Lovise: Luscious and Mellow
Eliza Lovise’s debut song “I Lie in the Sun” may have been released on Halloween, but there is nothing spooky about this youthful track. “I Lie in the Sun” is three minutes of relaxed, crooning vocals, cushioned in laid-back instrumentals and a feel good soundscape. Lovise’s song is the child of Tonetic Records, a youth-led […]
“Calle Easy” by Johnny Payne: Relaxed Tune with More Under The Surface
Johnny Payne seems to serve up a love song to laziness in his single “Calle Easy.” But don’t be fooled by its twinkling sheen and unbothered tone. Although the four minute track rivals even Jimmy Buffett in its cheerful soundscape, the lyrics allude to a loneliness that the speaker is desperate to escape–even while he […]
Jason Sill’s “Hometown”: A Sweet, Sincere Expression of Homesickness
I grew up in a tiny rural town in North Carolina, nestled in the hollows of a blue mountain. Growing up, I fantasized about going away, about finding myself in a bustling city with new people and new ideas. I moved to Boston when I turned eighteen—and even though I was ready to go, when […]
Gregory Ackerman’s “Seasonal Living”: Evocative Autumn Music
Here is a list of three things that Gregory Ackerman’s song “Seasonal Living” reminds me of. But don’t worry—I’ll explain myself. 1: Brick walls. Specifically red brick walls, splitting down the middle, and the way it feels to run your hand up the cracks that look like a spiderweb. “Seasonal Living” opens with a fairly […]
“Shrine Song” by Joe Levi: Expertly Crafted by a Songsmith
Perhaps the easiest way to summarize Joe Levi’s unique dedication to craft is in how he self-identifies his career: not as a singer, but a “songsmith.” A singer vocalizes stories. A singer nimbly slides across notes and tones to communicate a message. A songsmith creates the message. A songsmith synthesizes many elements of music making, […]
“Most Things” by Jackson Driscoll: A Song of Strange Hope
Music is a love language, no doubt about it. When I was an angsty kid in high school, I would often send people songs instead of confessing what I was feeling to them. And can you blame me? Feelings are hard. Music bridges that gap of vulnerability. Feeling sad? Send a wrenching ballad. Happy? A […]
