The latest roundup switches been indie-folk tunes and pop bangers.
Jessye DeSilva – “Solstice Hymn”
It’s easy to get cozy with your darkness. Since the pandemic first began, millions of people have been tossed into a blender of loneliness, regret, and fear. But Jessye DeSilva encourages that “the days grow brighter from now on,” they sing, soothing the listener down from a state of anxiety. “Solstice Hymn” leaps beyond the barriers set about from the pandemic and emerges as a universal hymn, a deeply confessional and brooding number equally as light and warm. “Candlelight will see us through the storm,” DeSilva reminds us.
Listen to “Solstice Hymn” below.
Nick Fradiani – “Outlaws 2022”
Nick Fradiani is feeling like an outlaw. With his new song, titled “Outlaws 2022,” he muses on the infectious nature of love. He sets his sights on one person in particular. “I still want you,” he coos, breathless and heaving. The arrangement is dusty as all outlaw songs should be; his voice smolders, at times full of gravel and snarling. “We’re some outlaws, baby, worse than Bonnie and Clyde,” he sings, as the song fades into dusk’s chilly slumber. The song, from his new record, Past My Past, relies heartily on mood-building rather than having a distinctive hook. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t good. On the contrary, it’s a fine showcase for different shades to his voice. And it’s intoxicating.
Listen to “Outlaws 2022” below.
Carter Rubin – “time machine”
Carter Rubin gazes through a looking glass. Written sitting in his room, “time machine” depicts heartache and wanting desperately to go back in time to change how things turned out. “I swear if I had a time machine / I’d go back and rewrite that whole scene / Maybe we wouldn’t be a million miles apart,” he sings. Piano accompanies him, both ethereal and wondrous, and highlights the pain hanging thick in his voice. “Seasons change / Time flies,” he muses, allowing himself to get tangled in those emotions again. The past haunts him, but he’s no longer tortured, at least not like he was. As they say, time heals.
Listen to “time machine” below.
Farrow and the Peach Leaves – “Adeline”
Farrow and the Peach Leaves see a relationship implode before their very eyes. With “Adeline,” the Americana band relives the moment it all went to hell. “Call me a banjo ‘cause I don’t mind getting played / As long as it’s your fingers holding the strings,” Graham Knibb sings into the rafters. His voice is scruffy, giving the lyrics even greater weight. You feel every emotion shading his intonation, as he continues, “If I was a liar, wouldn’t I’d tell the truth / There ain’t nothing left here for me and you.” The sunrise crests the horizon, mirroring the heated moment between lovers. “I said, ‘Aint’ it like you to make a man feel small / Do you love anything like tobacco and alcohol / I know life ain’t easy and you had it rough.’” He stabs right in the heart, finally severing the connection that once waxed red hot.
Dove Cameron – “Girl Like Me”
Dove Cameron is an enchantress. “Girl Like Me” beckons a lover into her web, as she promises that she’s not like other girls. “Heathen, I could give you something to believe in,” she puckers her lips. “Got this self fulfilling reputation / Talking like you’re God’s favorite creation…” Tambourine and electric guitar poke and slither in the arrangement, buffering up the pop songs with a strong rock undercurrent. She provokes further on the pre-chorus, singing, “You’ll be my revolver, I got you in my hands / Almost looking taller when I’m leading in the dance.” Cameron circles and ensnares her prey, almost Black Widow in approach. It’s dark and oh-so delicious.
Listen to “Girl Like Me” below.
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