Latest Reviews

The Black Keys recently dropped a fresh track titled “This Is Nowhere,” and let me tell you, when it comes to tunes outside the realm of Pop, these guys nail it. Their tracks aren't just catchy for the sake of it; they strike a perfect balance, avoiding any hint of annoyance or overproduction. Instead, they're the kind of tunes that make you nod along, filled with just the right selection of sounds.

Laufey has recently dropped her latest track, "Goddess." In recent years, she's ascended like a shooting star. Back in 2020, she shared her aspirations of gracing NPR's "Tiny Desk Concert" concept, and now she's fulfilled that dream. From social media sensation to releasing full-scale albums, Laufey has garnered serious attention from music aficionados. Her newest track has been met with widespread adoration from her fans. It's a velvety piano ballad, intertwining her soulful vocals with the elegant simplicity of timely arpeggios in the background. The track unfolds beautifully, with a mesmerizing culmination that I'll leave for you to experience firsthand. Needless to say, the ending ties everything together seamlessly. Laufey's vocal style is enchating and evocative, drawing listeners in with its allure.

Artists Fred Again.., Lil Yachty, and Overmono have just dropped an absolute gem of a track. One of the standout features of this tune is how distinctively each artist's voice shines through. If there were a way to quantify the sheer "vibe" a song exudes, this one would be off the charts. It's almost like it boasts dual hooks, with Yachty's mesmerizing "You've got a life, stay in it" refrains and Fred's infectious drops. The instrumentation is incredibly fresh, drawing inspiration from a myriad of electronic music subgenres from both the UK and US scenes. The synergy between Overmono and Fred is palpable in this collaboration, leaving listeners eagerly anticipating more from this dynamic duo.

Cigarettes After Sex have just released a new dreamy banger titled “Tejano Blue.” The track is low-key, with soft, sultry, whispering vocals. I would say the track is very much in line with what the band is already known for, with their signature ambient and emotional style. Someone who is used to conventional pop might comment on this and say it sounds dull or lifeless. In the eyes of a fan, however, that is part of the charm. The lead vocalist of Cigarettes After Sex (CAS) says the track was inspired by his upbringing in El Paso, Texas. Also, as for musical influence, he mentions artists like Cocteau Twins and Selena. If you go listen to the album “Heaven or Las Vegas” by Cocteau Twins, for example, you might find some similarities in the sound.

Faye Webster has released her fifth album, “Underdressed at the Symphony.” This album is a great new project for her, and the overall shift in sound compared to her previous works marks a more naturalistic sound. I think Faye has thought about the fact that people seem to be craving these acoustic sounds. The tracks were all produced by Faye Webster and Drew Vandenberg. Now, Drew does not have a lot of info about him online, which he might want to keep that way. In any case, we can say that he and Faye have created one heck of an album, together with the other contributing acts, of course. "Underdressed at the Symphony" features collaborators such as Wilco’s Nels Cline (guitar solos) and Lil Yachty, singing on “Lego Ring.” I think Lil Yachty is particularly interesting in this case because he is really doing some pure wizardry. Not just with this song but if you look over how diverse his catalog is, it is really amazing how well it works every time he collaborates with someone. The track “Lego Ring” is infused with his greatness.

A new track has been released from Charli XCX, titled “Von Dutch”! This song is happily blending genres and influences. It has elements of hyperpop, bloghouse, electroclash, pop, and club. I mean, with any list regarding genres, you can add 50 words that don’t really mean anything; this is just to give you a gist, but best to have a listen yourself. The production is done by “Easyfun”, a producer Charli has worked with before. One thing that I personally love doing is that if you find a track you really like by a popular artist, see who produced it and look into all the other tracks they have produced. It might actually be a more direct way of finding the particular sound that you’re after. In any case, Von Dutch is a really cool track.

Justin Timberlake, one of the absolute kings of music, has released a new track titled “Drown.” This track follows the release of his previous single “Selfish” and is set to be part of his upcoming album “Thought It Was.” This whole album is set to be released on March 15, 2024, which, to a lot of people's happiness, is very soon. The mood of the track is an absolute pre-bedroom banger. It has a lot of dark sounds with modern R&B/Pop elements and Justin Timberlake’s ever so catchy vocal lines. Reaching for a certain sound, his latest single “Selfish” did not do as well on the billboards as one would expect. However, does this really matter? For the artist it might, but as the audience it is better to just listen to the tracks for what they are. Something that is interesting is that if you remember some of the absolute great hits from Justin like “Mirror,” for example, you still hear a very similar choice of melody in his song. He has found his way to greatness and managed to stay in that zone for so very long.

Jacob Collier, known for being one of the great virtuoso musicians of our time, has also become well known for releasing really solid solo-written tracks. This latest release is a cover of the classic Simon & Garfunkel song "Bridge Over Troubled Water."

Donny Benét just released a new 3-track single titled “Forbidden Love” with previously released tracks "American Dream","Multiply," and the new track being "Forbidden Love." To many indieheads, Donny Benét is sort of a godfather figure. He is not on the same level of popularity as many other indie acts; some would argue undeservingly so. I think so too. As for his fans, I think they are a very dedicated bunch.

Ramati is an artist who, in just two years, has gathered over 100k monthly listeners on Spotify. Remarkably, she's achieved this without relying heavily on collaborations, with only 9 singles under her belt. What's more intriguing is her minimalist online presence—no artist website to boast of, just a modest footprint on Tumblr and Twitter. It's evident she isn't pouring resources into heavy marketing campaigns. This serves as a testament to the belief that an artist's true success lies in their raw talent, and Ramati is living proof of that.