Libby Johnston - Right Person, Wrong Time

Right Person, Wrong Time - Libby Johnston (Pop) Libby Johnston’s anthemic new track is a perfect example of how to craft a build to both keep the listener engaged and carry them through to the end of the song. The instrumentation feels unique and at times completely unexpected—while the pulsing, moody synths permeate the entire track, there are so many unique percussion switchups and new synths weaving in and out that just when you think you know where you’re going, there’s a delightful diversion into something new. Vocals wise, Libby is a strong storyteller with a real authority to her voice—we sense a theatrical background here due to how she delivers her lyrics. Sonically, we catch little glimpses of Alanis Morissette’s later work here and there. In sum, Libby’s new track is a journey—one we recommend you take.

Best Lyric: “Defending behavior and romanticizing lies.”

Rogue FX - American Dream

American Dream - Rogue FX (Pop/Synthwave) First off, the second the song kicks off we get a real Sweet Dreams vibe which we think occasionally veers into Blinded Me With Science inspirations. This retro 80s synthwave sound carries through the entire track, from the synths and percussion to the vocal production. Vocals wise, the layering is smooth and ear pleasing, reminding on us of some early George Michael in the diction and intonation. But what sets this song apart—and marries it to its retro theme—is the third-person storytelling. It’s rare these days we get a song narrating the lives and emotions of characters and we really appreciate the return to form in American Dream.

Best Lyric: “Can’t stop the wheels in motion.”

Ben Kelly - Senses

Senses - Ben Kelly (R&B) Instrumentation wise, this new track from Ben Kelly feels like something Jazmine Sullivan might hop on. It’s a unique vibe, pairing a driving guitar with distorted percussion and a retro synth pluck that really sticks in our head. Ben’s resonant baritone rides this beat perfectly, blending seamlessly into the mix, paired with some pleasant tight harmonies chiming in at just the right time. The entire track is a moody affair, Ben croons that he finally understands that love is indeed real, and that he’s in love with his lover. But the melancholy imbued by Ben’s vocal delivery suggests that it it might be too late for him, adding a layer of context outside of the lyrics that really elevates the artistry of the song. This one goes on your chill vibes playlist.

Best Lyric: “You can touch and feet, but you touched my heart.”

Sharod Virtuoso - Favorite

Favorite - Sharod Virtuoso (R&B) There’s something about this new Sharod Virtuoso track that reminds us of early John Legend in the vibe. The entire affair has a retro R&B feel, 00s we’d say, and we appreciate the time travel. The warbly keys paired with an impeccably tight production makes for quite the bop, but the star of the track is certainly Sharod’s honey vocals. His delivery is understated, focused and intimate, and he really chews his lyrics which shows his connection to the material. The track has a melancholy vibe as Sharod wonders if his love interest considers him their favorite amongst all the other guys they might have around. The standout of this track that makes us want to keep this on repeat is Sharod’s use of harmony punches throughout, which provides a bounty of ear candy that makes us smile everytime they make an appearance—certainly making Favorite one of ours.

Best Lyric: “Don’t wanna disagree and I don’t wanna fight, don’t know if it’s the truth or not but it’s alright.”

Mase J - Head//heart

PHOTO: Iyisha Rose Williams

Head//heart - Mase J (Rap) We really appreciate when a rap artist’s flow perfectly straddles than line between rap and sung melody. Mase J does just that, navigating between those two types of vocals seamlessly, with a focused reedy and resonant vocal that sits perfectly in the melancholy of the instrumental. The instrumental is paired down and set on a loop, which effectively sets the mood while taking a back seat to the lyrics, passing through an EQ filter throughout to give the necessary track movement and structure. Our only complaint is that we want it to be longer—there’s too much good in this track to not give us even more.

Best Lyric: “She said she loved me and I believed that.”

Clare Easdown - To The One's I Love

To The One’s I Love - Clare Easdown (Pop) Clare’s back with another poetic number paired with a fresh trap percussion. In our prior review of her track “Wrap Me Up,” we said her lyrics could easily double as an entry at a slam poetry reading, and we can confidently say the same about these haunting lyrics. With a quivering vulnerability, Clare calls to the ones she loves that she needs to be seen. It is a heart-wrenching plea that we think any family’s black sheep or misunderstood misfit can relate to. What’s special about Clare’s music is how deeply personal it appears to be—specific and yet still managing to be universal at the same time. Put this one on repeat, you’ll need to really unpack these lyrics to truly appreciate the depth of songwriting.

Best Lyric: “Your radio silence is violent."

The Magic Epic - Player 1

Player 1 - The Magic Epic (Pop) Player 1 is an anthem, to say the least. It’s big, epic even, with glistening keys around a steady kick and crisp top percussion, with an urgency added by the thrumming guitar. But where the song truly shines is in its vocals. There’s a Sting quality to the leads, taking us back to Fields of Gold days, with a dash of the Killers. And the man has quite a set of pipes on him, giving real power to the video game themed lyrics about saving the world. Not to mention a smooth as hell falsetto. Swirling in a haunting reverb, it melds perfectly into the track, sitting extremely well in the mix. Overall, we think Player 1 is a great one for your everyday commute playlist—it’s a driving song.

Best Lyric: “I’d go back for you. Use my extra life.”

AlanP - Ravers and Parties

Ravers and Parties - AlanP (EDM) So at first, we were getting a real Stranger Things feel with the initial chimes of the track, expecting a moody synth midtempo. But it’s a bait and switch with AlanP’s Ravers and Parties as the vibe immediately takes left turn into a pure EDM delight that we feel is destined for the clubs. The lead vocals are modern, strong and are the center of the track, giving us a “One Kiss” Dua Lipa style delivery. The track overall has a great momentum and feels like it would sit comfortably among all of Calvin Harris’ work. Our favorite part of the song by far is at the very end when the distorted vocal is chopped and screwed brilliantly, cutting the song off at just the moment you want more, forcing you to put the track on repeat for another fix. Brilliantly constructed with a hyper-fresh sound, this one goes on your pregame playlist before you hear it again later that night at the club.

Best Lyric: “The girls are looking for someone to explore, maybe it’s your day.”

Orca - Don't Go

Don’t Go - Orca (Hiphop) Orca’s new track Don’t Go takes us back to the days of T-Pain, with the main feature of the track being the intentional lean on the autotune button. In fact, the entire production feels lifted from the late 00s, which is a pleasant return to hiphop’s past, when it more frequently crossed over into Top 40. While the majority of the song is carried by the robotic autotuned leads, along with some tight harmonies that provide great ear candy, towards the end of the track we have a great switch-up with a rap verse that is actually giving us the flow of an even earlier time period—Bone Thugs ‘N Harmony. The production itself is extremely tight, with swirling synths broken up by those hyper-crisp trap drums. For us, this is a track for cruising down the highway.

Best Lyric: “You never knew ‘bout my mental state.”

BIAS - Can't Stand Losing You

Can’t Stand Losing You - BIAS (Cover) We think calling BIAS’s spin on The Police classic a “cover” doesn’t do it justice—this is a complete reinvention. BIAS abandons the easy-breezy reggae feel of the original track and instead transports the song into a haunting melancholy which we think is truly something special. While nearly nothing in the instrumentation is recognizable, something quite surprising happens in the vocal. While BIAS’s leads have an ear pleasing rasp and crispiness quite different from the original, there are some glorious moments where BIAS seems to really channel Sting—not an imitation by any means, but something authentic, surprising and smile inducing everytime it shows up. This reinvention is impeccably produced, with the sharp percussion standing out as the highlight, accompanied by a lightly distorted synth that adds some real mood. BIAS triumphs in this ‘cover’ by making it truly original.

Imelda Gabs - Thieves

Thieves - Imelda Gabs (Pop) Imelda’s smokey, sultry voice grabs you immediately as soon as the track starts and slowly introduces you to a dance-pop track that builds right out of the gate into full dance bop. This is surely a club track that deserves like 100 dance remixes, with the original version we had the privy to listen to sliding comfortably into today’s Top 40. Imelda has a distinct vocal—the closest we can come is maybe a Sade/Shakira/Ariana Grande hybrid, and even that doesn’t do her justice. We also hear some influence of Sonique’s “It Feels So Good” in here as well, intentional or not. The track uses a lot of modern convention—the bouncing bass, trap percussion, crisp claps and vocal modulation punches creating a midtempo that gets you on your feet—married with a great set of house keys and a sprinkling of rhodes to bring a touch of retro dance. SIdenote—check out Imelda’s incredibly produced music video—seriously, it’s really f*cking impressive, plus, she’s a STUNNER.

Best Lyric: “Still you think you know it all. You know it all? You know it all, do you?”

Sugar Nova - Touch Me I'm Going To Scream, Pt 2

Touch Me I’m Going To Scream, Pt 2 (Pop) As soon as the track starts, you know it’s a vibe. From the swirling synths, warbly bass and crisp snaps, it sets the mood quickly as a modern groove with a bit of disco influence. A midtempo by nature, Touch Me has got some serious danceability to it. Style wise, it feels like something from the Sam Smith playbook. The production is crisp, incorporating an orchestra of instrumentation, continuing to add something new to the ear every few measures. The lead vocal is incredibly emotive, sliding seductively all over the track, beautifully accompanied by a hazy summertime guitar. Touch Me I’m Going To Scream, Pt 2 seems destined for a chillwave playlist.

Best Lyric: “Human needs, heartbeats.”

Faith Louise - Heartbreak?

Heartbreak? - Faith Louise (Pop) From the muted guitar to the thrumming synth, you know the second you start Faith Louise’s new track—Heartbreak?—that you’re bracing for something with some serious intensity. When the drums it, the proverbial train truly leaves the station at full speed, and you continue to feel a sense of urgency throughout the entire song—say, Since You Been Gone style. But rather than a belty anthem, this track sits comfortably in confectionary bop. Faith’s voice is perfectly in line with modern pop female vocals— focused, pointed, with a nice pure tone at every punch. With a fresh production and a strong vocal, the track screams Top 40.

Best Lyric: “But somewhere deep inside there’s still a little girl too scared to admit defeat.”

Karen Harding - Devil In The Mirror

Devil In The Mirror - Karen Harding (Pop) Oh this one is quite the groove. The drum beat kicks off and gives us a very retro feel, in the way that Adele sometimes dips into. The cadence of the kick made us immediately think of Sha Na Na’s “Blue Moon” or even some “Please Mr. Postman” by The Marvelettes But rather than simply sit in retro 60s, there’s also a really great 80s bass lead that makes the track quite unique, elevating it out of pure throwback nostalgia. After setting the stage, we get a strong vocal that we think would even translate well to the Broadway stage—there’s some real Bernadette Peters moments in here. We also noticed the restraint of the background vocals, letting Karen’s lead vocal be the main feature. If you’re looking for a place to sit this track in your library, we suggest any playlist with, say, Duffy and Amy Winehouse.

Best Lyric: “But the devil in the mirror, oh she knows. There’s no hiding thoughts behind my fancy clothes.”

Magdalia - Great Expectations

Great Expectations - Magdalia (Pop) A shining pop anthem is exactly what Magdalia delivers with Great Expectations . Magdalia’s vocal sits at the center of the track around which all else revolves, strong and focused, with one hell of a belt register. In finding a comparison, we look to Florence and The Machine, especially when she decides to really chew a word, or when her vibrato kicks in on a punch. With a vocal performance like this, you’re going to want to hear this song live in concert—it’s a real “lighters up” moment. The instrumentation is steady and methodical—a swirling ambience and steady beat of the drum serving as mere table setting to a glorious vocal. And while we love a ballad, this track is BEGGING for a dance/club remix.

Best Lyric: “Now in the face of my frustration, with all the life I’ve seen, there’s nothing left to give, nothing left of the old me.”

lilac frog - Flying Without Wings

Flying Without Wings - lilac frog (Pop) We’ve got a double feature with lilac frog’s Flying Without Wings. We start with Happy Ending, a JoJo worthy modern pop bop borrowing a bit from trap with the top percussion. Vocals are front and center with this track, with guest vocalist Mia Robson’s storytelling on full display with a lilting innocence. We particularly love the instrumental changeup in the chorus, which elevates the track to top 40 worthiness. lilac frog takes over on the lead vocals in Friends and Strangers in an anthemic ballad, continuing the innocent purity of vocal delivery but this time with an ear-pleasing, breathy husk wrapping around the voice. We love the distorted elements in the instrumental as well as the dampened piano at the end which really pulls on the heartstrings. All in all, lilac frog’s effort feels deeply personal and does an amazing job of pulling in the listener as a confidant in the melancholy of love lost.

Best Lyric: “Because I can’t bare to face the feeling of flying without wings, of trying out new things.”