Music

The Emotional Arc of Dylan Forshner’s “Hopeless Optimism.”

Dylan Forshner's new EP, “Hopeless Optimism,” presents itself not so much as a collection of songs but as a series of candid diary entries set to intricately picked acoustic strings. This five-song journey from the Welland, Canada artist begins in a place of palpable internal wrestling, where the lyrics – and Forshner’s delivery – map out the grim territories of being overwhelmed, using substances...

Slicing Through the Noise: The Fine Chairs Return with “Wait To Be Seated”

The Fine Chairs have officially released their new album, "Wait To Be Seated", stepping out of their Hamburg headquarters to drop a dense, cathartic reflection on our era's worst contradictions. Operating out of their own Hell’s Kitchen studio, Sebastian Teufel (lead singer, guitarist, songwriter, and occasionally drums/bass) and Christian Urban (guitarist) tap directly into the melodic swagger of Oasis and late-era Beatles. But instead...

HollyBear Makes Getting Even Sound Smooth And Sweet In ‘OBVIOUS’

HollyBear does not sound heartbroken on "OBVIOUS". She sounds like she already checked the receipts, closed the app, fixed her hair, and decided the...

Nicosongs Turns Panic Into A Glittery Late Night Rush On ‘Insane (sb90 Remix)’

The Melbourne artist's Nicosongs debut single gives anxiety a club-ready pulse 'Insane (sb90 Remix)' without sanding down the ache underneath. Nicosongs comes in hot...

Ferdinand Rennie Turns Closing Night Anxiety Into a Big-Hearted Pop Ballad With “Why Do We Try?”

British singer Ferdinand Rennie gives a theatre character's final bow the kind of emotional punch that feels ready for playlists and late-night replays. Some...

Agnes Fred Makes Grief Feel Glitchy And Beautifully Out Of Reach In ‘After Death’

Some songs feel like opening a message you were never meant to read. Agnes Fred's 'After Death' has that private charge, the kind that...

MOMARZ Unleashes Synthwave Nostalgia on “THE THEORY”

Boston-based indie electronic producer MOMARZ just dropped his new EP, "THE THEORY", delivering a fiercely human reaction to an increasingly automated musical landscape. He...

Forging Trauma Into Triumph: Tahani – “Don’t Come Knocking”

Tahani, the Coleford-based singer-songwriter pulling therapeutic fire from the depths of the Forest of Dean, is stepping fully into the light to deliver her...

Written by T. Brown Finds Peace in the Club on “The Way She Goes”

Written by T. Brown captures a strange, beautiful contradiction on the new single, "The Way She Goes". T. Brown operates as a storyteller obsessed...

Faceless and Furious: OpCritical Ignites on “Not My America”

I don’t know who the people behind OpCritical actually are, but their furious debut single "Not My America" hits with the blinding, aggressive clarity...

“Infinity Fall II” is Watch Me Die Inside’s Brutal Sonic Autopsy

Sometimes you put on headphones expecting a brief escape, but Watch Me Die Inside's new single "Infinity Fall II" actively hunts down your peace...

The Radical Calm of Zióna Maré-Laveaux’s “FOLD ME LIKE SUNDAY”

Southern Louisiana Creole visionary Zióna Maré-Laveaux introduces her new single, "FOLD ME LIKE SUNDAY", and honestly, my immediate physical reaction was a sudden urge...

7Z MAXI Rises From Rock Bottom on “Back From The Dead”

When 7Z MAXI released his latest single, "Back From The Dead", the collision between the unforgiving pavement and the holy pulpit feels surprisingly organic....

A Wild Global Mosaic: Inside Koradan’s “Around the World…Music”

It’s a rare and bewildering thrill to encounter something as organically bizarre and entirely transportive as Koradan’s newest album, "Around the World...Music". The Italian...