Empty Pinata – remember LA Rodriguez? – serves up the single "Bonfire," and honestly, the air changes slightly when you play it. It’s less like passively listening and more like discovering a singed diary page fluttering down a quiet street. The music itself is this curious contradiction, wrapping harrowing emotional shrapnel in the comforting gauze of indie-pop, flecked with soft rock warmth. A strangely...

The second you hit play, you know exactly what kind of energy you are dealing with. It is the sonic equivalent of rolling your eyes at someone who just tried to explain your own job to you. The guitars kick in with a sarcastic bite, and the drums immediately set a pace that refuses to slow down for anyone. This is the sound of pure,...