Beck Pete on “Romantic,” Bittersweet Emotions, and Resilience
You can add Beck Pete’s name to the list of artists like Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga who have penned and performed ballads that define a generation. Her new song “Romantic” (co-written with Dan Sadin) covers a far wider emotional range than most pop songs. It’s hypnotic, sad, ethereal, hopeful – in short, it’s about […]
Field Guides on “Margaret,” Literature, and the 19th Century Writer Who Inspired Their New Song
“On 23 May 1810, was born one foredoomed to sorrow and pain, and like others to have misfortune.” A young Margaret Fuller wrote that as a note, which her father saved. It’s unclear what the context of that note was – it could have been a fit of pique, an expression of depression, or just […]
Lucy Roleff and Lehmann B. Smith on “In the Doorway,” Reflection, and Folk Influences
Written by the Australian singer-songwriter Lucy Roleff some time ago before being fleshed out into its current iteration, “In the Doorway” is the kind of quiet, sober reflection on lost love that’s necessary after a heartbreak. Plenty of songs have been written about breakups, and plenty of songs have been written about the triumphant rebound, […]
Ari Dayan on “Love,” Self-Acceptance, and Life’s Messiness
Most artists would get whiplash going from ultra-catchy dance tracks to slow-burn torch songs, but L.A.’s Ari Dayan makes the stylistic leap with ease. Her new single “Love” is a high-energy ode to self-acceptance – and it follows her previous single “Undeserving” that has the smoky feel of torch singers Julie London and Amy Winehouse. […]
Smoking With Poets on “Nothing, With You”, Intimate Vocals, and Long-Distance Collaboration
When I listen to Smoking With Poets’ “Nothing, With You,” I can’t help but think of poets Sylvia Plath and Robert Frost puffing on cigarettes after a tryst while listening to Sixties soft-pop singers like Claudine Longet and Marianne Faithfull. (In Marianne’s case, she smoked with far too many poets and lost her dulcet voice.) […]
Emily Merrell on “Closer to You,” Taking a Different Songwriting Approach, and Something Worse than the Friendzone
There are two things about Emily Merrell’s music that usually remain constant from song to song. The Arizona-born singer-songwriter’s music features lush, jazzy musicianship, with sumptuous piano chords and breezy melodies: most of her songs sound like music for a hotel bar in Heaven. But her music also features dense, wordy lyrics, fitting a lot […]
Robert Leslie on Lockdown Dates, Dream Collaborations, and “My Bananamoon”
“My Bananamoon,” a song by the New York singer-songwriter Robert Leslie, has an unfussy, old-fashioned beauty to it. It boasts the kind of graceful chord sequence that you’d hear in traditional pop standards, and the lyrics have a classic, AABB rhyme scheme. But it’s not exactly a throwback, either: it feels reflective, elegant, and quietly […]
Anya Hinkle on “Eden and Her Borderlands,” Helping Ukraine, and What She Has to Say
The debut song of its titular album, “Eden and Her Borderlands” is a slow, and vibrant trek across the described promised land. Leaning heavily on dusty Southern imagery and a swath of Biblical references, the song serves to establish a mood in the listener for the entirety of the album. Twangy acoustic guitar opens the […]
CARRTOONS on “GROCERIES,” Production, and His Upcoming Album
Producer CARRTOONS delivers a smooth funk sound with vocalist Nigel Hall on the track “GROCERIES”. Off of his latest album, HOMEGROWN, Ben Carr is channeling a vibrant 80’s vibe in the production and is topped off with Hall’s excellent vocal performance. Combined with the visualizer for “GROCERIES”, the duo capture a sliver of a classic, […]
Mousey on “Rachel” and Heartbreak in Friendships
Indie singer-songwriter Mousey’s track “Rachel” propels listeners into outer space, creating a sonic vacuum of simple keys, haunting vocals and reverb-laden production that creates the feeling of floating weightlessly through the ether. Mousey herself likens the song to being in space, stating “there’s no gravity” on the track which appears on her anticipated sophomore record […]
