Joel Sammut - What Happened To The Weekend

What Happened To The Weekend - Joel Sammut (Indie Pop) On ode to post-pandemic emergence, Joel Sammut’s “What Happened To The Weekend” is as intoxicating as it is ethereal—creating a sense of uncertainty and wonder which perfectly matches the subject matter. Bowie-esque in style and performance—it’s equal part groove and avant-garde—the vocals employ that tightly delayed/doubled vocal reminiscent of that “Pumped Up Kicks” telling the tale of the strange and dizzying passage of time we all experienced over the last few years. There’s an 80s style to the track, particularly in the bongos/toms introduced in the second verse, and overall the track is incredibly engaging. This one simmers.

Best Lyric: “I’m still escaping death.”

Lotion Princess - Reassurance

Reassurance - Lotion Princess (Indie Pop) This might be one of our favorite tracks we’ve reviewed his year. Giving some serious Top 40 vibes, Lotion Princess’s genre-blending “Reassurance” is one of those tracks that just beckons being put on repeat. The production is crisp and masterful, allowing the strong vocal to sit alone in vulnerability during the verses, while joined by a driving instrumentation during the super catchy chorus. The vocal reminds us a lot of Stevie Nicks in its reediness, and a little of Ellie Goulding—but less wispy, far more strong and mature—as it tells the relatable tale of self doubt in love and needing reassurance from a partner of their worthiness. The vocal duets with a distinctive warbling synth bell that conjures images of a princess with a bird on her finger. Incorporating R&B harmonies, country instrumental infusions with modern day pop vocals and FX, this gem of a track is ultimately wrapped in warm analog fuzz that begs a vinyl release.

Best Lyric: “All this insecurity goes so deep inside of me, if I could root it out and place it down I’d feel so free.”

Corbin Dooley - Breathe Deep

Breathe Deep - Corbin Dooley (Indie Pop) It’s pretty genius that a song called “Breathe Deep” is musically structured to be a series of inhales and exhales, with Corbin Dooley’s latest track utilizing tension and release to convey his message of connectivity to the universe, and each other. The song is what we would call a “travelling song”—it trots along with a steady guitar strum and the subtle drive of a pad, as the build continues thanks to a continuous addition of more instrumentation. Reedy and resonant, Corbin’s baritone and soothing while crisp, slicing through the track throughout. Our favorite moment was certainly the bridge, which elevates the song with a surprising modulation (the inhale) before the glorious release (the exhale) of that suped up final chorus.

Best Lyric: “Faith is pure emotion.”

Tash Hills - Diamond Life

Diamond Life - Tash Hills (R&B) We are excited every time someone gives us a 90s/00s R&B/funk cut and so we couldn’t be happier to review Tash Hills’ latest—”Diamond Life.” Calling back to the days of Groove Theory, Faith Evans and Angie Stone, Tash sings an upbeat song conveying her own self love and contentment, which creates a contagious positivity that we believe could help any listener find their own diamond life. Retro, fuzzy and analog, the track is a certified groove which sits Tash’s vocals front and center. Her tone and enunciation remind us a lot of early J Lo—like “Feelin So Good” days—soaring above this straight up 2-step of a track. We can see reluctant significant others being drug onto the dancefloor at a family gathering when this track comes on.

Best Lyric: “The cherry on top is mine.”

Raven Ives - Rainy Days

Rainy Days - Raven Ives (Pop) Raven Ives’ latest, “Rainy Days,” is an intoxicating track, drawing the listener in with a silky smooth vocal and pulsing wall of synth strings. The arrangement is understated, which perfectly suits the message of the song—a broody, haunting tale of the end of a romance. Cutting through the synths is a tight percussion arrangement with the crystal clear twinkling of piano occasionally adding a top note to an otherwise dark soundscape. Raven’s vocals are emotive and passionate, while exercising restraint, which help cast the hypnotic spell of this contemplative record. This is one of those “turn off the lights and lay on the floor” listening sessions.

Best Lyric: “The night kills away the moments. Every footstep out of line.”

Yona Marie - The World All Around Me

The World All Around Me - Yona Marie (R&B) Yona Marie delivers a sparkling production in “The World All Around Me”, evoking that classic 90s/00s R&B jam. A serenade to Yona’s love, the vocal has serious Faith Evans vibes in its strength, tone and harmony arrangements. We also get a touch of Mary J Blige’s “Everything” in the main melodic line during the chorus, which certainly made us smile. Warm and fuzzy, the track gives you that analog/vinyl feel so inherent to the style. It’s a cozy record, for sure. Expertly riding this chill af beat, Yona’s seductive and slippery vocals solidify this track’s ability to sit among those references as a peer. Bedroom jam, coffee shop jam or lay around the house jam, this track is a great addition to any playlist.

Best Lyric: “I found my paradise, my soulmate and my prize.”

9 O'Clock Nasty - Dude, Your Mom's A Squid?

Dude, Your Mom’s A Squid? - 9 O’Clock Nasty (Indie Rock) So, it seems as if the team at 9 O’Clock Nasty has had one hell of a trip, and you’ll feel like you’ve been on one too while listening to their latest release “Dude, Your Mom’s A Squid?” Certainly one of the most avant-garde tracks we’ve heard this year, the record is an ode to the bizarre hallucinations that the mind conjures when you are tripping balls. The track feels very 90s alt rock with some 70s funk infusion here and there. It’s a bold vocal, in your face and heavily verbed, narrating his trippy dream which made us think of the Mad Hatter taking Alice through Wonderland. Matching the subject matter, the band does a great job in creating a hypnotic, dizzying production, perfect for your next house party or, better yet, your next toke with your crew.

Best Lyric: “All I had was a Pepsi and a mushroom pizza. I think I met God.”

Marc Rangel - If You Miss Me

If You Miss Me - Marc Rangel (Soft Rock)  Marc Rangel is back, following our review of previous effort “Song Cry,” with “If You Miss Me,” a bittersweet song of regret and forgiveness. Unlike “Song Cry,” Marc ventures into soft rock/easy listening surprising us with versatility. But similar to “Song Cry”, it’s very difficult to pick our favorite lyric (below) for “If You Miss Me” as Marc is such a BRILLIANT songwriter. Longing for a former lover, March pleads for them to admit they miss them, so that Marc can feel safe enough to say it back. It’s a very unique and compelling tale of vulnerability, delivered with a unique and compelling vocal—a truly distinctive reedy tone that gives us vibes of an older Joni Mitchell. Remember how you felt when you heard Adele’s “Someone Like You” for the first time? This is Marc’s “Someone Like You.” Get into it.

Best Lyric: “I don’t know if it’s for the better, but it’s now or never.”

Lili Joy - She

She - Lili Joy (Soft Rock) In her latest track, “She”, Lili Joy is back with her 70s retro coffee house vibes. Following previous release “DWYCT”, a vinyl R&B cut which we had the pleasure to review, we get another lush production—this one quite hypnotic—that is far more soft rock in genre. The song casts a spell, Lili’s haunting vocals hanging in the air as it proceeds, before pivoting to an almost menacing quality, becoming quite a darker song with the switchup in the melody and entrance of a powerful guitar in the bridge. Lili’s voice rings like a bell as dark clouds roll across the sky, with a tonality that reminds us of the lead singer of the Cardigans (remember “Love Fool”?). Don’t be fooled by this 20 year old singer, she’s an old soul.

Best Lyric: “She does it for you.”

Livi Jacobs - Goodbye

Goodbye - Livi Jacobs (Soft Rock) Well this is an extremely refreshing thing—a unique subject matter! A true story song, Livi Jacobs tells a multi-generational story of loss, moving throughout her life to capture three significant goodbyes in her life—a childhood friend, a spouse and then the passing of her mother. While a beautiful lilting melody and driving instrumental—very Sheryl Crow (think “Picture” or “Good is Good”)—the true star of the song is the superb lyrics and brilliant storytelling. As we move from vignette to vignette, the cuts get deeper, until the very person who taught her about dealing with goodbyes (and there to comfort through them) bids her own adieu. This record stays with you.

Best Lyric: “Mama told where’s the good in goodbye.”

Proklaim - ALL EYEZ

ALL EYEZ - Proklaim (Hiphop) With our fourth track to review from Proklaim this year alone, we wonder if he might need to change his name to Prolific. In his latest, “ALL EYEZ,” we get Proklaim spitting rapid fire verses over an instrumental that reminds us of Fugees meets early Kanye—that chorus actually does give us quite a lot of Wyclef. Proklaim’s lyric prowess is on full display, carrying forward his desire to advance the genre with values based lyrics. Words over bullets, the capitalist underpinnings of social media, and more, Proklaim continues to preach his modern day commentary over infectious beats and we can’t get enough of it.

Best Lyric: “Revelation tucked inside a verse. I seem to have a way with all these words.”

Judy Malka - Let You Go

Let You Go - Judy Malka (Pop) There’s a Bjork quality to Judy Malka’s “Let You Go” with an eclectic construction and an incredibly unique vocal production. The song tackles the topic of a breakup, but specifically the last words said to an ex before finally deciding to walk away and let them go, with Judy recognizing that it’s all just been a game. Among the glistening piano and driving percussion that create an anthemic midtempo is the aforementioned vocal arrangement—a combination of compression, synthetic harmonies and robotic distortion that makes for an incredibly unique and defining sound that is pure earcandy.

Best Lyric: “Just three words to say before I walk away.”

Carson Ferris - Crazy

Crazy - Carson Ferris (Pop) Certified bop, plain and simple. Fresh and modern, Carson Ferris’ “Crazy” is a Top 40 worthy track with a restrained yet hard hitting production that allows Carson’s soaring vocals to sit front and center. Like Justin Bieber before him, Carson passionately croons about being in love and balks at rejection the basis that he is too young, all with an innocent preteen vocal that might betray his message. However, we all remember the days when we were swept up in first love as our hormones raged, and so this track will certainly be a hit with his peers who feel they are ready to jump into the turbulent waters of romance. But with hard hitting tracks like “Crazy,” Carson might just be one of those young pop acts that sticks around for the long haul.

Leanna Oki - Imposter Syndrome

Imposter Syndrome - Leanna Oki (Pop) Only an artist would put their self doubt over their craft back into their art. In “Imposter Syndrome”, Leanna Oki expresses her struggles concerning her career and hopes for success into a rousing, anthemic EDM midtempo bop. It’s a dreamy production, the synth progressions and sparkling bells at times making us think of the underlying tension of classics like “Time After Time”, punctuated by a distorted, slamming percussion firmly rooting the track in modern day trends. The star of the track, however, is Leanna’s strong and emotive vocal performance, clearly demonstrating how personal the subject matter is to her. With a song like this, we wonder why Leanna has ever questioned her ability to succeed.

Best Lyric: “Was the last seat taken at the royal ball?”

Carter Lagrant - Follow The Rules

Follow The Rules - Carter Lagrant (Pop) Dark and brooding, Carter Lagrant’s latest track, “Follow The Rules”, is a haunting affair with an 80s sensibility. On the record, Carter sings about defying expectations, breaking stereotypes and making your own rules, all as a hammer-like snare bangs through the miasma of swirling pads to give the track momentum. The vocal reminds us a lot of the Pet Shop Boys—”West End Girls” in particular—which shines among an epic, cinematic instrumental production. We particularly enjoyed the buzzing bass lead and all of the techno effects that pepper the track, which make the listener feel like they are being pulled into the matrix. A vibey track for sure.

Best Lyric: “Build a fortress no one could ever asail.”

Cliffs + Caves - Lost The Trail

Lost The Trail (LP) - Cliffs + Caves (Folk) Mother and daughter pair Lindsey and Claire Justice, or Cliffs + Caves, deliver a poetic musical landscape with their long-awaited 6-track EP “Lost The Trail” full of folk-inspired rhythms and emotional lyrics. The band says the EP is “an ode to the simultaneously beautiful and heartbreaking elements of life, which can be wild to experience both at the same time all at once.” But we think it is a shining example of how expert songwriting can create powerful imagery.

We’ll get into the beautiful vocals, lush instrumental productions and all the sonic goodies below, but we feel it necessary to take a moment to specifically address this band’s uncanny storytelling prowess. We have a saying here that the more specific you are, the more universal you are—it’s a counterargument to "relatability” and efforts to appeal to a general audience. There are millions of songs about love and heartbreak, and yet the poetic lyricism of Cliffs + Caves makes those concepts feel fresh and new by focusing on the details. References to chewing gum, lightning bugs, college sweatshirts, chickens in coops, being barefoot, truck beds…we could go on and on. More than just delivering beautiful music, they paint lush vistas with their songs that make them unique, catchy and memorable. It is that skill that separates the singers from the artists.

This is best exemplified on “Mint Gum” and “The Coop”—the first song about how simple objects evoke strong memories, the latter about gearing yourself up for the journey that is new love. Both songs are packed with specific, memorable and ear catching lyrics that offer something fresh and new to the well worn subject matter. The emotions are big, but the details are small—Cliffs + Caves flourish in the nuance of the everyday. Special shout out to guest David Ramirez, whose resonant baritone makes for a great duet partner in “Mint Gum.”

When it comes to just the pure joy of love, Cliffs + Caves look to the sun. In the EP’s opener “Sunrise", the band eases us into the project with the beginnings of a crush that quickly turns into an “explosive kind of love”—a sentiment married to the instrumentation which gets increasingly more rousing as the song progresses. We get a similar vibe in “Radiant”, comparing using the simple joys of the smell of jasmine and taste of strawberries to describe being in love.

When it comes to style, the storytelling feels like a more mature Taylor Swift who didn’t cross over, while the musicianship feels much more akin to Sheryl Crow. In fact, there were many moments we felt that particular songs would fit easily on “The Globe Sessions.” “The Coop” specifically gave us “Every Day Is A Winding Road” vibes.

We were already fortunate to review “Eso Si Que Es” a few weeks ago—a captivating and mesmerizing track with heavenly vocals. As we said in that review, this “is one of those records someone clings to when going through a trying time, and hearing it will always bringing them back to a particular moment in time when they worked through something difficult. This track is truly, truly magical.”

But by far, our favorite track is the closer, “Knew My Name.” An epic finale to a rich EP, the melancholy heartbreak of this track hits hard, containing the most raw and emotive vocals of the project. While the album starts glorifying new love, it ends with disappointment. “I’m holding onto the days when you still knew my name.” It’s the greatest hits of a Cliffs + Caves song—strong melody, beautiful vocals, driving and building instrumental and picturesque storytelling (“lightening bugs in mason jars”). Bonus, a soaring guitar solo to boot. This is the hit, ladies.

Overall, it was a joy to experience the artistry of Cliffs + Caves and if you are particularly a Sheryl Crow fan (like we are), you’ve just found your new favorite rising artists.