Music

Wrestling with Resilience: The Report’s “Everything Life Throws” EP

A toddler clutching a kaleidoscope probably doesn’t fathom the full extent of the beauty whirling inside it. That’s a bit like encountering The Report’s latest EP, “Everything Life Throws”. Just when you think you've pieced together what’s happening, you shift it slightly, and new patterns emerge, forcing you to sit with its intentions a little longer. Hugo Allen and Jo Rogers didn’t craft an...

Stadium-Sized Catharsis: Sonic Rade Unveils “Berlin”

For their fifth studio album, the Geneva-based indie rock outfit Sonic Rade shares "Berlin", an intensely resonant record heavily steeped in the aura of its namesake city. Relocating to the legendary Meistersaal the former Hansa Studios where acts like Bowie and Depeche Mode once operated the band allowed the physical walls of the room to hijack their live tracking. You feel those historical reverberations...

Mercy Kelly Brings Noir Atmosphere to “Out in the Night”

Mercy Kelly presents "Out in the Night" as a sonic artifact that feels strangely heavy in the hand, possessing the density of a brass...

“Pas de Danse”: A Profound Exhalation by Riccardo Pietri

When Riccardo Pietri sat down to record "Pas de Danse", I suspect the air in the room was heavier than usual. Marking his return...

Jacob Chacko Embraces the Holiday Hustle in “Over The Top”

Jacob Chacko’s new single "Over The Top" hits with the specific intensity of a crowded escalator on December 23rd, but thankfully minus the existential...

Warmpth – “Fame Us”: Glitz, Glamour, and Dread

With the release of "Fame Us", Warmpth, the solo operating vehicle of Isle of Wight native Chris Smallwood, has constructed something that feels less...

Jimmy Eff and the Sundogs Deliver a Promise with “Better Like Before”

There is a peculiar alchemy happening with Jimmy Eff and the Sundogs on their new single, "Better Like Before". It sits in the air...

Battling Inner Wars: T-RAN Drops “Don’t Stop the Fight”

Listening to T-RAN and his new single "Don’t Stop the Fight" creates the sensation of finding a frantic heartbeat returning to a steady, confident...

Mick J. Clark Pops the Confetti with “It’s Christmas Party Time”

There is a specific kind of atmospheric pressure that descends in December, and with Mick J. Clark dropping his single "It's Christmas Party Time...

A Perfect Vocal Braid: Gavin Fox and Lilirose on “Where I Belong”

There is a particular heavy gravity to December afternoons, a specific slant of light that Gavin Fox manages to shoulder and inspect closely in...

Shake Off the Static with “Shout!” by d’Z & Bernadette Dengler

When d'Z & Bernadette Dengler (featuring Chris Korzec) unleashed "Shout!", it hit me less like a typical single and more like a sudden, necessary...

My State Delivers a Sonic Exorcism on “Its Whatever”

When the Malaga-based duo My State unleashed "Its Whatever", I half-expected my speakers to start smoking—or at least demand an apology for the sudden...

Ferdinand Rennie Brings Theatrical Depth to “The Prayer”

There is a specific variety of artistic audacity required when Ferdinand Rennie approaches the microphone for "The Prayer". Most of us associate this David...

The Digital Soul of CMD.EXE: Inside “love.language.model”

There is a specific kind of cold that burns, like dry ice pressed against a fingertip, and that paradoxical sensation pervaded my entire weekend...