Monthly Archives: October, 2020

The risk inside a good day gives Biernacki’s “Up & Down” its pulse. The Kraków songwriter and producer places a close vocal over piano, delicate percussion, bass and electronic detail, then lets the pressure collect rather than explode. This is polished alt-pop with a melancholic streak, built for the listener who knows that relief can sometimes make the mind start looking for the next thing...

A breakup can make a person feel certain for a day, then doubtful again by nightfall. Brenna Menz gives that unstable cycle room to breathe on “Shattered Perspectives”, her debut concept pop album. The Seattle singer-songwriter follows a complicated, two-plus-year on-and-off relationship through changing points of view, letting the record move with the feelings instead of forcing them into one final answer. The central story is...