Each Friday, Atwood Journal’s employees share what they’ve been listening to that week – a tune, an album, an artist – no matter’s been having an impression on them, within the second.
This week’s weekly roundup options music by Doechii, Naesia, Arcy Drive, Thomas Thomas, Lily Talmers, Midwife, Karley Scott Collins, LYRA, The Froot, O’Phantom, Azul Kechi, Alexia Religion, Kameron Marlowe, Buboy, Blue Capricorn, Jaidson, PANIK FLOWER, and Siblings!
•• •• •• ••
observe WEEKLY ROUNDUP on Spotify 
:: “Nosebleeds” – Doechii ::
Brian Denney, Los Angeles, CA
On Sunday night time, Doechii collected the Grammy award for Finest Rap Album for her masterful mixtape Alligator Bites By no means Heal – making historical past as solely the third girl to ever win the class because it was launched in 1995. Whereas she tearfully accepted her award, her victory lap had already begun.
Instantly after the Grammy Awards, Doechii dropped “Nosebleeds,” an immediately iconic, blatantly boastful, hype monitor declaring her place as rap’s queen of candor – riffing line after line about the way you’ll by no means know what would occur if she misplaced, due to course – she didn’t.
Stepped out the swamp to the stage
Lower my mic off ’trigger I’m ’bout to misbehave
“Will she ever lose?”
Man, I assume we’ll by no means know
“Will she lose hеr cool?”
I assume we’ll by no means —
I hopped out the swamp, gave the bitch props
Doechii, the place you been?
“Doechii went pop”
“Will she ever lose?”
Man, I assume we’ll by no means know
“Will she lose her cool?”
I assume we’ll by no means —
“Nosebleeds” is greater than only a assertion – it’s a success. Beginning off with Doechii’s signature melodic gasps for breath, the monitor builds and builds with excessive vitality and catchy lyrics till the tune tapers off over an sudden pop outro. It’s an ideal file, of a star proudly owning her second and her place in historical past, whereas concurrently reminding you that that is just the start.
:: Indecisive – Naesia ::
Danielle Holian, Galway, Eire
Naesia’s debut EP Indecisive is a mesmerizing debut that appears like a late-night dialog along with your deepest ideas – heat, intimate, and not possible to disregard. At simply 25, the German-born, London-based singer, songwriter, and producer carves out her personal lane with a sound that seamlessly blends Entice, Neo-Soul, R&B, and Hip-Hop. Her sultry beats and introspective lyricism don’t simply make for simple listening; they pull you right into a world of emotional push-and-pull, the place love, self-discovery, and uncertainty collide. Whether or not it’s the hypnotic pull of “Mr. Mysterious” or the golden-hour glow of “Golden,” Naesia masterfully balances vulnerability with an plain groove.
The standout second arrives in “Indecisive (Interlude)”, the place she strips every thing again, inviting listeners into an area of reflection and uncooked emotion. It’s an ideal pause earlier than the plush, passion-filled trip of “Take Me Excessive”, a monitor that sways between longing and ecstasy. With this four-track journey, Naesia isn’t simply showcasing her versatility—she’s redefining what it means to be an unbiased artist within the fashionable music panorama. “Indecisive” serves as an announcement of intent, proving that Naesia’s artistry is one to observe. Stream it now, and let her sound wrap round you want a well-recognized, but thrilling, embrace.
:: “Oak Tree (Daydream)” – Arcy Drive ::
Mitch Mosk, Beacon, New York
Somewhere alongside the road, the so-called ‘Info Age’ advanced into an age of data overload. The fixed entry to every thing, in all places, on a regular basis, mixed with nonstop notifications, inevitably fried all of our brains, destroyed our consideration spans, and made life, on the entire, extra poisonous and fewer pleasant.
However all hope isn’t misplaced, and I’m a agency believer that artwork can save us – particularly music, and particularly songs like “Oak Tree (Daydream).” Arcy Drive’s first single of the yr is a smile-inducing folks rock reverie basking in heat mild. It’s three minutes of sonic sunshine – an acoustic jamboree embracing life’s easy pleasures and reminding us that true pleasure and satisfaction gained’t come from any doomscroll, however they may simply come from logging off, going outdoors, and touching grass.
Instructed my toes, I’m sitting by the massive oak tree
Cardinal’s, jay’s all singing for the yellow bee’s
Sitting by the massive oak tree,
yelling ollie oxen free
The crimson swing chair they’re saying it’ll by no means break
I do know I don’t ever need to go away this place
Dreaming of the massive oak tree,
and yelling ollie oxen free
So excessive I really feel I believe like I’m grounded
Solar shines mild, strikes life, surrounded
So take me greater and better
“‘Daydream,’ ‘Oak Tree,’ no matter you need to name it’s by far the weirdest tune Arcy Drive has made collectively up to now,” Nick Mateyunas tells Atwood Journal. “The tune has taken such a journey in its time and has linked me with folks I by no means thought in my wildest goals I might meet or see once more. I wrote the tune in Buffalo, in my grandpa’s yard the place I spent most of my finest childhood recollections with my brother, sisters, and cousins. I used to be on a visit alone visiting my grandpa for his birthday. Throughout the gradual days I might sit outdoors within the solar wanting round reflecting on all these inexperienced years that gave the impression to be gone. I felt my youth slip a bit on that journey to Buffalo.”
“I truthfully didn’t assume a lot of the tune, however for some purpose it was the primary one the band pulled out of me after we went to write down collectively this final winter. All of us sat round by the piano and jammed the tune, and within the spur of the second I began singing, ‘What a day for a daydream’ over a brand new part. I knew what I used to be doing, however for some purpose these phrases felt so proper for the tune and that second in time.”
Sometime I’ll return to
taking part in kids’s video games
I’ll take my child to cardinals
and the yellow days
I’ll take him to the massive oak tree
and train him ollie oxen free
What he’s speaking about and we’re listening to – what Mateyunas and his bandmates skilled in writing and recording this tune – is genuine cathartic launch. It’s the acknowledgement that instances are all the time altering, however we don’t must lose ourselves throughout the chaos of that change; we now have the power to ‘decide out’ and chase that ever-elusive bliss.
“‘Oak Tree’ is a dreamy tune,” Mateyunas provides. “After I sing it I can really feel my childhood and film my future… It was the primary time as a band that I felt like we achieved one thing nice. After I heard one line within the tune, it made me consider my grandma, and that combined with every thing was an excessive amount of to deal with – I needed to go away the studio as a result of I felt myself breaking apart… I’ve by no means felt so weightless in actual time. The solar had such a singular mild to it, like how you’ll image it in an outdated reminiscence when it’s all hazy. I simply bear in mind drifting by means of the fields laughing and crying, telling my gram I liked her and missed her.”
“That was one of many happiest days of my life. I bear in mind coming again into the studio and simply liked each individual standing in there.”
So excessive I really feel I believe like I’m grounded
Solar shines mild, strikes life, surrounded
So take me greater and better
Oh take me greater and better
Launched January 10th, “Oak Tree (Daydream)” is the candy, sun-kissed celebration 2025 wanted. We’re solely a month in, however that first month felt like a full-on yr. It’s going to be a protracted one, and we’ll want music full of love, mild, and laughter to assist see us by means of. Arcy Drive – along with particular visitor John Sebastian (founding father of The Lovin’ Spoonful) – have, with this tune, given us not only a balm for the arduous instances, but additionally a information again to our personal happiness – the locations and areas that heart us, giving us that means and function. Tune out the noise, activate “Oak Tree (Daydream),” and discover your euphoria.
And what a day for a daydream (so he mentioned)
What a day for a daydream (yeah)
What an evening for a daydream (so he mentioned)
What a day for a daydream (yeah)
I rise up, I rise up, I rise up
I rise up, I rise up, I rise up once more
:: “One Lone Candle” – Thomas Thomas ::
Mitch Mosk, Beacon, New York
I’ll be hitting ten years in my relationship this yr, and I’m glad I get to have fun that love with songs like “One Lone Candle.” Thomas Thomas’ first launch since 2021 is a dreamy, playful indie pop ode to these intimate connections that preserve burning brighter and deeper with each passing yr.
“I like the picture of a candle that refuses to exit, and that’s how I really feel in regards to the love we had been attempting to seize on this tune,” frontwoman Shannon Thomas shares. “It’s the gradual burn, the one which sticks with you lengthy after the flash of a fiery second has handed.”
You say
Darling you’re going gray
I’m in love, so in love,
nonetheless in love with the one I’ve
Youth fades
Oh in mysterious methods
I’m in love, so in love,
nonetheless in love with the one I’ve
Collectively, Shannon Thomas and her bandmate Thomas Englund (therefore the identify ‘Thomas Thomas’) sing a heartwarming back-and-forth, their voices accompanied by jumpy guitars, a dynamic drum beat, and glistening keyboard chords – all of which add to a way of candy cheer, pleasure, and appreciation.
“The tune is an ode to the often-unsung long-term relationship,” Thomas provides, diving deeper into the monitor. “It romanticizes beginning to see the odd gray hairs in your associate’s head and being lucky sufficient so as to add extra candles to the birthday cake. The tune’s vocal hook, ‘one lone candle / one girlfriend’ is an allusion to the superstition that failing to blow out all of your candles will end in a relationship this coming yr. A single candle left burning felt like an ideal image to the concepts we had been exploring. The songwriting and association closely reference early pop music of the 50s/60s with its honest direct lyrics and lady gang vocal hooks. However the sonics are all fashionable indie-rock: jangly guitars and warbling synth leads.”
Don’t say it out loud
Or it gained’t come true
All I’ve ever wished for was you
Candle depend could have elevated
However I nonetheless image the identical face
After I blow ’em down I all the time go away one
So that you say “oooh one girlfriend”
One lone candle
One girlfriend
One lone candle
On a deeply private stage, what makes “One Lone Candle” so particular is how expresses, in tune, what I’ve thought and felt daily for the previous ten years. It doesn’t get any higher than love, and whether or not you’re 1, 5, 10, or 50 years in, that love is – all the time and endlessly – price cherishing. Songs like this solely serve to amplify that everlasting reality.
You keep
For yet another birthday
I’m in love, so in love,
nonetheless in love with the one I’ve
Don’t say it out loud
Or it gained’t come true
All I’ve ever wished for was you
Candle depend could have elevated
However I nonetheless image the identical face
After I blow ’em down I all the time go away one
So that you say “oooh one girlfriend”
One lone candle
One girlfriend
One lone candle
:: It Is Cyclical, Lacking You – Lily Talmers ::
Josh Weiner, Washington DC
I had a protracted trip again from a ski journey to Vermont this previous Sunday night, however entry to some poppin’ new tunes all the time make prolonged journeys of this nature go by extra simply. On this case, it was a pleasure to make my method by means of all of It Is Cyclical, Lacking You in a single go whereas driving residence to Boston.
The album’s writer, Lily Talmers, is initially from Michigan however now resides in Brooklyn, New York. She formally began recording music within the late 2010’s and has been mighty prolific throughout that interim, having launched 5 LPs since her 2019 debut, all whereas working full-time as a literature instructor. Every of the 13 songs in her new batch was recorded in a single take, and no fewer than 20 visitor musicians cease by to contribute a wide range of devices (one, Konstantinos Revelas, even performs the bouzouki, in honor to the Greek heritage that each he and Talmers herself share).
The frequent narrative thread these songs share, in line with Talmers, is the theme of Hope. All through the album, this emotion is imagined as an individual, and every tune particulars “the triumphs and depressing disappointments that end in saying ‘sure’ to her as she extends her hand to you.” Hope is as Greek a theme because it will get (as you’ll recall from the story of Pandora’s Field, maybe) and for it to be elaborated upon musically is sort of the intriguing prospect. It Is Cyclical, Lacking You pulls it off remarkably properly.
:: No Melancholy in Heaven – Midwife ::
Noa Jamir, Lafayette, Louisiana
Madeline Johnston, finest recognized below the moniker Midwife, is an unimaginable one-woman present. From taking part in a number of devices, to audio engineering, to including backing vocals on Ethel Cain’s most up-to-date undertaking, in addition to releasing 5 of her personal albums below the ‘Midwife’ identify since 2017, Johnston is a fragile and charming power to be reckoned with.
Her newest file, No Melancholy in Heaven, acquired essential acclaim and was named Paste Journal’s 66th finest album of the yr in 2024. Singing by means of a phone receiver to create a whispered and heat sonic impact, Midwife delivers a hypnotic efficiency on No Melancholy. It creates a sense much like dissociating whereas driving on the freeway, the place instantly, half-hour have passed by, and you may’t bear in mind the place the time went or what you probably did with it. It’s a peaceable type of detachment from area and time.
The album’s melancholic temper, nostalgic melodies, and mantra-like choruses have a therapeutic impact on the noisy thoughts. Identical to light sounds in ASMR can assist loosen up the physique, or how singing bowls would possibly put somebody relaxed throughout a bout of tension, No Melancholy serves as a balm for the weary soul. With every tune, one falls deeper and deeper right into a state of tranquility and wholeness. It’s a blissful, somber, and tender soundscape to fall into.
:: “Runner” – Kaley Scott Collins ::
Emily Algar, Oxfordshire, UK
This week nation musician Karley Scott Collins launched her first tune of 2025, “Runner,” a story of what your first actual heartbreak can do to you and the way it can inform all of the relationships that come after.
Born with an innocence
Raised in a picket fence
Again when ignorance was bliss
I gave you all of me
The sunshine in my eyes without cost
You sealed my destiny with a kiss
And I curse you by identify
For what I grew to become
And I couldn’t even inform my very own mom
“They all the time say the primary minimize is the deepest and on this case it was true – it took me all of seven years to search out the phrases to explain that feeling, of somebody hurting you so deeply that you simply search for the worst components of them in everybody else you ever attempt to love, and the way somebody can affect the way in which you have a look at love and vulnerability for a very very long time whether or not they need to or not,” Karley Scott Collins tells Atwood Journal.
The tune begins with an innocence and a primary love that doesn’t final. Every verse strikes by means of the wreckage and examines the scars of what that first heartbreak has carried out to each relationship since, “Hold my coronary heart in a vault/ These partitions are ten years tall/ There ain’t foot-holes to climb ‘em.” Every refrain is a reminder of what the very worst heartbreak can do to an individual.
Like all of her music, the tune blends her two loves: nation and steel collectively. The music is heavy and has a repetitiveness because the piano chords unfold from the start to the top of the tune. Scott Collins’ voice is regular till we hit the bridge,with the bitterness and harm spilling out.
A breaker
A cry about it later
I don’t give ‘trigger I as soon as liked a taker
I used to be a truster
You ripped the rug from below
The toes of a lady who as soon as was a lover
“Runner” is much less about the individual that harm her or the heartbreak that modified her, and extra in regards to the lack of who she was, the individual she ought to have been.
:: “Freak” – LYRA ::
Joe Beer, Surrey, UK
Irish pop artist LYRA unleashes her wild aspect in her playful new single, “Freak.” Serving up an anthem to have fun each inch of who you’re, the songwriter urges you to by no means conceal your inner-freak, including, “This can be a tune about being a horny ass highly effective girl. As a lady I’ve been informed “be horny however not too horny” properly f* that. This tune is all in regards to the energy of a lady’s sexuality. Deliver your ego to the dance flooring.”
The daring and unapologetic monitor enters with moody synths and hard-hitting beats pulsing with a darkish, edgy vitality. Casting a sinister vibe, “Freak” could have you below its spell, fully hooked from begin to end. Along with her music beforehand detailing tales of affection and heartbreak, 2025 sees LYRA getting into a brand new period, as she focuses on self-love, empowerment and embracing who you’re.
:: “As Good As It Will get” – The Froot ::
Mitch Mosk, Beacon, New York
The Froot’s first tune of the yr is a heavy, psych-soaked fever dream filled with hazy sonics and hearty feelings. Launched January tenth, the achingly intense “As Good As It Will get” channels a well-recognized intrusive thought into heavy, hypnotic music, because the Hull, UK-based band invite us to affix of their meditative reverie – a rumination on what it means to be, to need, to have… are we ever happy? Do attaining our targets really end in happiness, or is all of it a fallacy?
“This tune is influenced by our heroes and one of the best songwriters of all time – The Beatles and all different Nineteen Sixties songwriters which are near our coronary heart who helped form us as a band,’ The Froot’s Louie Donoghue explains. “The tune is carefully impressed by Rodriguez’ tune ‘I Consider You,’ and Paul Weller’s tune ‘Above the Clouds’ extra particularly and identifiably influenced this tune, subconsciously, with a sprinkle of ‘fashionable’ synth sounds.”
“‘As Good As It Will get’ was written on my Nineteen Sixties 12 string guitar in my bed room at my mum’s home. The tune is about actual life and my actual life and actual residing,” he provides. “We name it Dreamgaze. Dream pop and Shoegaze, rolled into one. We purpose to ship a timeless sound with actual, timeless songs.”
I take heed to “As Good As It Will get” and truly hear Pink Floyd – which is a reference I don’t get to make fairly often. The sheer dreamy warmth of The Froot’s guitars, mixed with the uncooked aching in these vocals, are very harking back to Pink Floyd’s late ‘80s and early ‘90s work on A Momentary Lapse of Purpose and The Division Bell – these last publish–The Wall studio albums that, for my part, make up their most neglected period. Over six minutes, The Froot entrance and enchant our ears, immersing us of their spectacular ‘dreamgaze’ world as they ponder the very nature of our fleeting human existence.
:: “Shadowpain” – O’Phantom ::
Mitch Mosk, Beacon, New York
Tright here’s an untamed, unfiltered high quality to O’Phantom’s “Shadowpain” that makes it completely irresistible. From their sonics to the subject material, the Hull alt-rock collective’s second single is unapologetically uncooked – a feverish eruption of raging riffs and heavy drums, mixed with emotive vocals that ache in and out. Launched January 17th, the follow-up to final October’s debut single “Chilly Name” places the nascent band’s abilities – to not point out a definite penchant towards post-punk rock – on full show.
“For me, ‘Shadowpain’ actually grew to become a turning level for us as a collective,” keyboardist Rose Barker, who performs in O’Phantom’s core lineup along with bassist Rowan Foster and vocalist Daniel Mawer, explains. “It was the second tune we recorded with Matt Peel, whose deep information of synths and digital music actually helped to push these sounds ahead within the monitor, and inspired us to step out of our consolation zone and develop. We nonetheless discover ourselves coming again to this tune as a touchstone after we’re writing new materials.”
Darkish, churning, and charming, O’Phantom are undeniably beginning 2025 on a excessive be aware. “Shadowpain” is totally enthralling, making certain we pay additional shut consideration to this band over the months to return.
:: “Nada Más Solo” – Azul Kechi ::
Danielle Holian, Galway, Eire
Azul Kechi’s newest single “Nada Más Solo” is a radiant testomony to self-discovery and creative freedom, weaving collectively components of neo-soul, R&B, and jazz with seamless finesse. From the opening tight drum groove to the shimmering piano prospers, the monitor exudes heat and class, drawing listeners into its intimate but expansive soundscape. Azul’s vocal supply is effortlessly assured – her clean, expressive tones dancing between sultry croons and rhythmic spoken phrase, reinforcing the tune’s empowering message of individuality and self-acceptance.
Past its lush instrumentation and smooth manufacturing, “Nada Más Solo” thrives on its emotional core, capturing the essence of letting go and embracing one’s true self. Azul Kechi’s lyricism is as poetic as it’s daring, carried by a efficiency that feels each private and common. The monitor stands as a shimmering introduction to her world – one the place wealthy, textured melodies meet fearless self-expression, leaving listeners longing for extra of the soulful storytelling she’s poised to ship in “Celestial Love.”
:: “Butterfly Lady” – Alexia Religion ::
Grace Holtzclaw, Los Angeles, CA
Alexia Religion is a debut single from rising pop meets R&B sensation Alexia Religion. As a songwriter, Religion captivates with infectious melodies and vibrant hooks that breathe life into her heat, soulful vocals. Her debut launch, “Butterfly Lady,” is about remodeling into your finest self and hovering to new heights.
“Butterfly Lady” radiates with putting electronics, gripping percussion, and effervescent but rooted vocals from Religion herself. She sings, “Step away from the darkish / Come into the sunshine / You’re a butterfly lady / Don’t you realize you’re a shining pearl.” The tune encourages listeners to rediscover themselves by means of uplifting lyrics and touching metaphors that resonate deep with the guts. “Butterfly Lady” is an anthemic celebration of self-love that reminds us all of our true energy inside.
Alexia Religion is dedicated to empowering girls by means of her songwriting. Her new single “Butterfly Lady” was produced by Printz Board. Exterior of music, Religion is an actress who has appeared on Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, Fox Soul, and Sky Information London. Religion is a multi-faceted artist and “Butterfly Lady” is simply just the start for her.
:: “Right here Lies the Idiot” – Kameron Marlowe ::
Emily Algar, Oxfordshire, UK
“I made this mattress, if this barstool was a gravestone, right here lies the idiot” is considered one of my favorite lyrics. It’s intelligent, evocative and paints the right image of drowning your sorrow in a bar.
Nation artist Kameron Marlowe co-wrote “Right here Lies the Idiot” with fellow nation artist Laci Kaye Sales space and producer Ben West. The tune is the most recent single from Marlowe’s EP, Unhappy Music for the Soul. The file has a vibe not dissimilar to Chris Stapleton’s breakout album file Traveller with its soulful, bluesy sound and gradual, nation drawl. Nonetheless, it’s also totally distinctive to Marlowe. His songwriting is delicate, unhappy and at instances, darkish, however above all, it’s sincere.
I’m very new to Marlowe and his music so I wasn’t certain what to anticipate. Nonetheless, after I heard he had coated “Burning Home” by country-pop artist Cam and had written with Sales space, I knew his music wasn’t going to be the run of the mill nation music.
“Right here Lies the Idiot” is without doubt one of the saddest songs I’ve heard from a male artist shortly. Marlowe likens to being left, to being buried deep within the chilly earth. The narrator is aware of he’s in charge for the top of a relationship, however nonetheless he sits on the bar, hoping she’ll choose up and wake him up.
Nights are gettin’ lengthy
and I’m gettin’ stressed
I’m callin’ your line,
hearin’ the dial,
rattling it, I’m determined
And I made this mattress
and I gotta lay right here
with out the girl I like
So right here lies the idiot
:: “Darling” – Buboy ::
Mitch Mosk, Beacon, New York
The angst of youth comes at us full-throttle in Buboy’s first tune of the yr. Independently launched January 8th, “Darling” is tender and turbulent, charming and churning: A gritty and glistening eruption of charged indie rock that speaks to an ocean of feelings inside and with out. Change comes at us quick, particularly in that lengthy transition from childhood into ‘maturity.’ Navigating these murky waters is rarely simple, and in “Darling,” 19-year-old Buboy unveils a few of the trials, and tribulations of his personal teenage years.
Inform me child, how does this finish?
I’m attempting my finest to get used to
Perhaps simply possibly we’re not the identical
We’re not the identical
Inform me child, how does this finish?
I don’t really feel similar to I used to
Perhaps, child, that is the way it’s meant to be
Are we meant to be, cus
“‘Darling’ is the second single off my upcoming debut EP Sixteen, which is in regards to the messy uncertainty of being that age,” he explains. “I wrote this tune in Could of 2023 as I used to be graduating from highschool. ‘Darling’ began off as grieving how somebody I was shut with had modified a lot, into somebody I didn’t know anymore. I felt plenty of anxiousness about rising distant from folks I wished to maintain shut. However over time, as I continued to write down and produce he tune as I began faculty, it advanced right into a extra joyful, triumphant celebration of progress.”
“It initially felt like a cry out to the individual I wished to nonetheless know, however finally it felt like I used to be extra so speaking to myself. Telling my youthful self that it’s okay to develop up and switch into somebody totally different. I nonetheless held the time we spent collectively warmly however I’ve grown up a bit bit, too. Now I’m celebrating that I’m not the identical as I used to be.”
Time hasn’t been so type to us now
And I do know you’re totally different, darling, oh
You’re totally different now, darling
You’re totally different now, darling, darling
You’re totally different now, darling, darling
They don’t inform you this if you’re younger, however the challenges by no means cease; you retain hitting an increasing number of of them as you age, and hopefully expertise makes you a greater navigator – however not all the time. “Darling” is thus an evergreen anthem of overcoming challenges and celebrating our adjustments – an intimate eruption, rife with roaring guitar licks and evocative vocals, that speaks to considered one of life’s fixed truths.
:: “Hear Me Out” – Blue Capricorn ::
Danielle Holian, Galway, Eire
Blue Capricorn’s newest single “Hear Me Out” is an electrifying dive right into a sonic world the place digital, indie, and synth-driven beats collide. From the opening moments, the monitor exudes an emotional rawness that feels each intimate and common—a craving for connection, love, and understanding. Serving because the lead single from his forthcoming EP, “Hear Me Out” is an announcement of intent. Blue Capricorn’s fearless strategy to mixing shimmering synths with intricate samples creates a soundscape that’s as daring as it’s tender, setting the tone for a undertaking destined to push boundaries.
The monitor’s backstory provides one other layer of intrigue. Initially conceived as a collaborative effort with Michael Briggs, “Hear Me Out” unexpectedly morphed into one thing deeply private—a bit solely Blue Capricorn may personal. Its creation was fueled by improvisation and spontaneity, with the artist aiming to evoke particular feelings by means of every aspect. Lyrically, it’s a poignant exploration of vulnerability and the longing to be actually seen. Blue Capricorn describes it as considered one of his heaviest and most introspective works, and it reveals. Each be aware and lyric feels imbued along with his relentless drive to innovate and join. For followers of Ela Minus or Nicolas Jaar, “Hear Me Out” is a transformative pay attention that leaves you longing for what’s subsequent.
:: “Smoke Screens” – Jaidson ::
Danielle Holian, Galway, Eire
Jaidson’s newest providing “Smoke Screens” is a testomony to the rising star’s progressive strategy to pop and R&B. The one, fastidiously crafted as a part of his bold Unburdened Impact undertaking, showcases the artist’s signature sound to perfection. With Voix on manufacturing duties, the monitor boasts an added layer of depth and dynamism, making it not possible to get out of your head. Jaidson’s charming lyrics and infectious melodies have already earned him a faithful fanbase and significant acclaim, and “Smoke Screens” is certain to additional cement his standing as a standout within the business.
As Jaidson gears up for his subsequent studio undertaking “Retro Emotions” it’s clear that the way forward for pop and R&B is in good fingers. Along with his distinctive mix of romance-infused melodies and progressive manufacturing components, he’s redefining the style one electrifying launch at a time. “Smoke Screens” is a masterclass in fashionable pop, with Jaidson’s artistry shining brighter than ever. If that is just the start, we will’t wait to see what’s subsequent for this proficient younger artist.
:: “alkaline” – PANIK FLOWER ::
Mitch Mosk, Beacon, New York
It’s the inescapable aching on the core of PANIK FLOWER’s new tune that hits me hardest – which is de facto saying one thing, as a result of every thing about “alkaline” hits arduous. The New York Metropolis dreamgaze (shoegaze + dream pop) band channel uncooked feelings right into a darkish, heavy, heated, and hazy ambiance – exhaling internal rigidity and turmoil as a cathartic and all-consuming musical fever dream.
Inhale the tide
the waves wash over
Fingers are tied
To be the place you lie
However the mattress’s been made
And the properly is dry
Alkaline…
“Jordan introduced this to us a very long time in the past, and I bear in mind being extremely persistent about having to flesh it out,” Mila Stieglitz-Courtney tells Atwood Journal. “There’s something in regards to the chords which are so superbly haunting and are begging to be heard. What began as a enjoyable grouping of chords that Jordan was noodling round with quickly advanced into an emotional winding street with peaks and valleys.”
“We spent plenty of time perfecting the wall of sound initially of this monitor – we wished to seize a sure depth with this half whereas additionally having it’s fuzzy and heat. The dynamics swiftly shift right into a extra pared again, sparse instrumental which actually performs with this push-pull juxtaposition that plenty of the EP encompasses. You’re then thrust into this tremendous driving refrain. The entire tune actually has this sense of craving from instrumentals to lyrics.”
Burnt in my thoughts
Scorched recollections
I can’t deny
Undo the time
Crimson chemistry
Now blue in dye
Alkaline…
Launched January 14th, “alkaline” is the lead single off PANIK FLOWER’s upcoming sophomore EP rearview, out April 30th. The follow-up to 2023’s debut EP Darkish Blue guarantees to push the band’s sound and subject material additional, exploring “id, specifically the double-sided nature of uncertainty and self-acceptance,” and “transcribing this self-exploration into a luxurious and emotive soundscape” (per the band).
What’s clear, for me, is that the five-piece of Sage Leopold, Mila Stieglitz-Courtney, Jordan Buzzell, Max Baird, and Marco Starger have discovered their residence in a hauntingly emotive, achingly evocative area the place sound itself blankets not simply the ears, however the thoughts and the soul. “alkaline” is a daring, masterfully hard-hitting eruption, and hopefully the primary of many extra to return.
:: “The Backyard” – Siblings ::
Mitch Mosk, Beacon, New York
Tright here’s a candy, jazzy, sun-kissed, and soulful heat about Siblings’ first tune of the yr that proves each irresistible and soothing. Launched January 17th, “The Backyard” is a beautiful embrace of life’s limitless ebbs and flows; of the tides that come and go inside us and round us; and of our very personal cycles of renewal and revival. Lush piano chords, spellbinding melodies, and lead singer Theo DW’s heated, soul-stirring vocals create a fascinating ambiance of dreamy, golden-hued surprise.
Good morning mentioned the kiss of day,
The world is altering in so some ways,
Model new birds on the sky,
And we’re on the lookout for a purpose why,
I ponder why we got here,
On the wave of all our days,
On the ocean of affection inside,
We spill over to the opposite aspect
Discover me within the backyard,
Discover me within the mild,
Discover me within the backyard,
Oh river of time,
Discover me within the ocean,
Within the seas and within the soil,
Life is within the backyard,
On the wishing tree I’m free
“Lyrically, it’s about rebirth; the backyard is a young place of innocence and unconscious change,” the band shares. “The musical thought relies on a chord development that Rob wrote years in the past and had been rearing its head on the piano at our rehearsals sometimes. Theo got here up with the refrain hook and from there the tune developed to the place it’s now with some reference to a demo that Rob had made. It took a short time to get the vibe proper for the recording till we stumbled upon this distorted drum sound with brushes and delay which was a turning level after which the remaining got here simply.”
Blow a kiss mentioned the solar to earth,
At all times turning since your delivery,
At all times watching as you develop,
As one comes one other goes,
I’m a mountain you may see,
You’re the wave that flows in me,
All of the love so deep inside,
We roll over to the opposite aspect
“The Backyard” is the lead single and title monitor off Siblings’ upcoming sophomore EP, and a putting have a look at the South London band’s wealthy musical expertise – their means to deftly construct timbres and textures, harmonies and melodies collectively right into a singular, expressive outpouring. From Theo DW’s hot-on-the-mic singing and Rob Fenner’s radiant guitar soloing, to the deep grooves shaped by the Matthew Willett’s piano, Michael Webb’s bass, and Ben Andrewes’ drums – and every thing in-between – this tune is a veritable wellspring of inspiration – a supply of refreshing sonic mild that I’ll inevitably preserve coming again to within the lengthy days, weeks, and months forward.
Discover me within the backyard,
Discover me within the mild,
Discover me within the backyard,
Oh river of time,
Discover me within the ocean,
Within the seas and within the soil,
Life is within the backyard,
On the wishing tree I’m free
Discover me within the backyard,
Discover me within the mild,
Discover me within the backyard,
Oh river of sunshine,
Discover me within the ocean,
Within the seas and within the soil,
Life is within the backyard,
On the wishing tree I’m free
— — — —
Connect with us on
Fb, Twitter, Instagram
Uncover new music on Atwood Journal
:: Weekly Roundup ::
observe WEEKLY ROUNDUP on Spotify
:: This Week’s Options ::
