Nika Heals Beautifully on “I Deserve to Be Calm”
Czech artist Veronika Boráková performs under the name NIKA – and she’s a conservatory-trained pianist and singer. Her new single “I Deserve To Be Calm” will remind listeners of all-time greats like Kate Bush, Norah Jones and Tori Amos. “I Deserve To Be Calm” chronicles the emotional healing that took place after another artist heaped […]
Laura Musgrave Delivers Pop Perfection on “Play Again”
Laura Musgrave is an artist from northern England who is winning new fans in the U.S. and Australia with her infectious power pop. Laura’s new single “Play Again” has the energetic appeal of New York’s Charly Bliss and UK group Pale Waves. Musgrave is no stranger to ballads, having garnered 2023 Single of the Year […]
Jaryn Jones and Brandon Scott Soar on “Dry Bones”
“Dry Bones” is an impressive new duet from Nashville artists Jaryn Jones and Brandon Scott. Musically, it sounds like the best of seventies rock from artists like Fleetwood Mac and Heart. From the first note to the final harmonies, Jones and Scott vocalize beautifully together, just like Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham back in the […]
Daena Celebrates Her “Lucky Number” from Debut Album
(Photo: Acacia Evans) Nashville artist Dana Rogers goes by the stage name “daena” – and her debut album Alter Ego feels destined to make a lot of “Best of 2024” lists. The new album is a showcase not just for daena’s superb songwriting but for her incredibly versatile voice as well. It’s hard to convey […]
Linda Dunnavant Shines on “Meet Me There”
Nashville-based Americana artist Linda Dunnavant has a great new album called Hidden Lake. Songs like “Meet Me There” and “Me Against Me” are haunting and richly melodic, reminding me a lot of Kacey Musgraves. Dunnavant grew up in Moultrie, Georgia, a region of the South that has given us (among others) Tom Petty, Ethel Cain […]
Paul Nye is Brilliant on “Everybody Wants to Be an Adjective”
Minnesota-based artist/songwriter Paul Nye is a throwback to the days when artists like Dylan, The Beatles and Crosby Stills Nash & Young gave us albums that were exceptionally eclectic. Nye’s new album Songs Well-Traveled has echoes of those artists, plus Al Kooper’s organ whoosh and the guitar stylings of Jeff Beck and Bruce Cockburn. In […]
The Story of Julia Pratt’s “Family Feud” EP
On Family Feud, Julia Pratt does what only the best singer-songwriters can do: she takes her own vulnerabilities, which are bound to specific and painful personal stories, and offers them to listeners to make their own. It’s a beautiful practice in authenticity by which everyone, from artist to audience, finds themselves looking around, teary-eyed, saying […]
Grete Creates Timeless Magic on “How Long”
The Lithuanian-born artist Grete now lives in Manchester, the city in northern England that gave us Oasis and Harry Styles. It’s refreshing to see a young artist like Grete, who doesn’t want to be confined by the bland “bedroom pop” stylings of many artists. Grete loves taking what she calls “nerdy” jazz chords and turning […]
talker Captures the Zeitgeist on “Everything is Something (I Never Saw Coming)”
On rare occasions, a song brilliantly captures a shared societal moment. LA artist talker’s new song “Everything is Something (I Never Saw Coming)” is an emotional distillation of what 2024 actually feels like (for the artist and for the rest of us, too). The song’s hook, sonic texture, and powerful lyrics add up to Song […]
Herine Is Radiant and Insightful on “Best Best Friend”
Herine is a Nashville-based artist whose real first name is Katherine. She used to go by “Kat”, but now uses the even catchier second half. Her music is a reminder that Nashville is now a pop mecca, not just a country music town. The artist’s latest single “Best Best Friend” features an exquisite melody and […]
