Jay Moussa-Mann - Indiana Tonight

Indiana Tonight - Jay Moussa-Mann (Pop Rock) It’s a nostalgia fest with Jay Moussa-Mann’s latest, “Indiana Tonight.” The driving pop rock track is chock full of tension, giving flavors of old school Top 40 jams of the late 80s and early 90s. We get a lot of Belinda Carlisle solo hit vibes with this one, but with the modern feel of a HAIM record. Catchy and easy breezy for sure, the standout element here, beyond the crystal clear production, is actually the storytelling. Jay conjures specific imagery and utilizes unique and memorable lyrics to tell a tale of romance from the third person, a point of view we don’t see much anymore in modern music. Classic vibes abound, dig into “Indiana Tonight.”

Best Lyric: “Says I hate snakes, it’s my fatal flaw.”

CATDADDY - Disco Love

Disco Love - CATDADDY (Disco) It’s an ode to the genre with CATDADDY’s latest, “Disco Love”, a big band number and jam session sure to spin you around on the dance floor. It’s an old school sound for sure, complete with a soaring guitar solo in the bridge, with a super catchy chorus and beautifully layered, R&B tinged vocals. The genre celebration here is similar to what Bruno Mars has done with respect to the motown genre, a pure resurrection of the style whole cloth. There’s no confusion here as the song itself clearly states what the music is doing—reminding you how much you love disco and that this record is going to groove you, plain and simple. CATDADDY’s vocals are strong and emotive and, you know what…he has us convinced. DJ, spin the disco.

Best Lyric: “Cuz I’ve got what it takes to take you away with the music I play.”

Loulita Gill - Drifted

Gifted - Loulita Gill (Easy Listening) In “Gifted,” Loulita Gill processes her trauma in a echo chamber of melancholy. The vocal is that of an ingenue who’s been dealt a blow: you can hear the lost innocence in the performance overlayed with a newfound maturity and grounding that trauma can often bring. Loulita is close an intimate, which works well to pull the listener into the story. Overall, it’s a minimalist and reserved production serving to highlight Loulita’s careful performance; it’s a patient song using guitar plucks to give momentum through the miasma of synths which set a sort of “limbo” atmosphere in which Loulita floats. It’s a weighty track, and will leave you adrift, and with a heavy heart.

Best Lyric: “What I remember still haunts me.”

Rachel Davie Lee - Found My Way Here

Found My Way Here - Rachel Davie Lee (Singer Songwriter) In her latest track, “Found My Way Here,” Rachel Davie Lee gives us a cabaret-styled piano ballad about looking at her past as she appreciates her present, struggling with the emotions that kind of recollection often brings. The track is featured on a new compilation release 'Connexion' by French label Noussanseux, Rachel selected as one of only six international artists to contribute, and we can see why. On the track, her vocal is strong and mature, grounded and confident, and we wouldn’t be surprised if this was a live track done in a single take. Tonality wise, Rachel gives us moments of Annie Lennox. Strong performance all around.

Best Lyric: “Can you remember that there was a time when we never ever let go?”

Izzy Pingrey - narcissus

narcissus - Izzy Pingrey (Pop) Izzy, get away from this person! In the beautiful and bittersweet “narcissus”, Izzy Pingrey paints a haunting and compelling picture of what it is to be in love with, then walk away from, a self absorbed, gaslighting narcissist. Now, songs like this can quickly turn into straight diss tracks, but Izzy’s maturity in analyzing not only the love interest but also her own decisions that kept her with them is captivating. What’s also captivating are Izzy’s Top 40 vocals over a heartstring pulling instrumental—those glistening hits of keys got us every time. And while there is so much to love about this track, what makes it stand above its peers is the absolutely brilliant storytelling and lyrics—from the word choice to the phrasing to the specificity, this track is pure poetry. A real standout.

Best Lyric: “Say you’re sorry just to listen to yourself while you talk.”

Abz Winter - Wasted Energy

Wasted Energy - Abz Winter (Rock Pop) In her latest record, Abz Winter is done wasting her energy on a frustrating relationship that can’t seem to find it’s peaceful center, or at least stay there for long enough to be worth it. In short, “Wasted Energy” is a perfect pop bop infused with rock sensibility and feels perfectly at home on today’s Top 40. It’s incredibly catchy, anthemic and rousing, with a great build throughout, reminding us at times of a Charlie XCX cut. We particularly enjoyed the strength of Abz’s vocals—strong and mature with some serious power behind them. They also showcase versatile, ranging from up close and personal to a big belt. This is a sing along in the shower type of jam.

Best Lyric: “We’d argue all the time, and then we’d never speak at all.”

Maclayne - Out of The City

Out of the City - Maclayne (Rock Pop) With a sunlight drenched, roadtrip evoking track, Maclayne lets her listeners know it’s time to get “Out of the City.” For this New Yorker, it’s certainly relatable, as Maclayne showcases her storyteller prowess in longing to get out of the shoebox she’s in and away from the rain and dreariness of urban life. The instrumental is anthemic, the strumming guitars out of the gate providing tension that carries you through the song, eventually joined but some real tub thumpin drums. What makes the song unique is the theatricality of the strong and versatile lead vocal, which at times brings the song into “the heroine/protagonist song in an animated feature” territory, which makes the track quite singalongable.

Best Lyric: “Locked up in this box for months now, it’s been raining nonstop now.”

Ben Freeman - Long Distance

Long Distance - Ben Freeman (R&B) This track drips soul from the jump, wasting no time to get right into the main affair. In Ben Freeman’s “Long Distance” we get a rousing duet that evokes classic R&B while delivering a clean, modern production. The approach of the instrumental is restrained; the song is careful, patient, and slowly simmers as Ben’s lilting voice commands the listener’s attention with its vulnerability. He has a beautiful instrument, and quite the range—from reedy baritone to delightful falsetto pops. He is perfectly complimented by guest artist Nora Rothman’s equally soulful, and powerful, vocals. This beautiful blending of rich maturity makes the track special. We’d love a copy on vinyl.

Best Lyric: “Babe I want you but I don’t know how to ask for it.”

St. Niklas - Comfy (ft DØSSI)

Comfy - St. Niklas featuring DØSSI (Pop) Equal parts catchy and soulful, St. Niklas and DØSSI deliver an impactful Top 40 bop with “Comfy”. The record tackles a specific and relatable subject matter—sitting in the stillness of a dying relationship wondering when communication will begin to take you out of love limbo. The melody is perfection, with the layered duet proving the adage of “greater than the sum of its parts.” The lyrics are clever and captivating, with the first line being our favorite because of the way that it gut punches and immediately grabs you. Once it does, the driving instrumentation carries you through, with expert storytelling that uses specific imagery elevating the lyrics to the realm of poetic. While this is certainly a “big” song, the production remains restrained and tension laden which feels perfect for the subject at hand. This one hits your heart.

Best Lyric: “Lately, I’ve been holding onto maybe.”

Domiziana - Psychod!ck

Psychod!ck - Domiziana (Funk) Freshy, funky and outrageous, “Psychod!ck” is an incredible take on the 90s R&B/funk track, with a dollop of jazz sensibility. Domiziana gives us Ceelo “Fuck You” energy in their latest track, with a lush and groovey sonic landscape that evokes what Bruno Mars has done with the retro genre in recent years. In “Psychod!ck”, Domiziana’s lover has revealed themself to be, well, a dick, and so Domiziana is moving out and moving on. The production on the track is meticulous, using foley sounds and sweeping musical shifts to keep the listener engaged throughout by surprising them at every turn. On top of that, you’ve got Domiziana’s heavenly vocals, imbued with the sass and strength necessary to sell such an ‘in your face’ track. We think we have a karaoke destined one with “Psychod!ck.”

Best Lyric: “I do own my shit.”

Tara Hack - Utopia

Utopia - Tara Hack (Pop) In “Utopia”, Tara Hack delivers an homage to the 1960’s era of protest songs. With soaring strings and a driving guitar, the track is a real tub-thumper, barreling ahead right out of the gate and flying to its conclusion like a freight train. Addressing the musicality alone (setting the protest message aside for the moment), the record boasts a triumphant melody that reminds of the lead song of an animated feature—we could easily see our heroine standing on the mountain top belting this track before going on her adventure. But with that sonic quality backing a more adult subject matter, you get the makings of an anthem for those championing social change.

Shannon O'Hara - Wake Up

Wake Up - Shannon O’Hara (Pop) Top 40 gold—that’s what Shannon O’Hara delivers with “Wake Up.” A genre infusing track, this heart wrenching ballad takes elements of instantly recognizable 80s drumkits, a country music melodic sensibility and modern day FX tricks to create a record as catchy as it is anthemic. The vocal is close and intimate, yet soulful and mature, giving us vibes of Kelly Clarkson with a touch of Pink when it comes to the harmonies and counterpoint. In “Wake Up”, Shannon sings about a love so good that if it’s a dream, she’s fine staying asleep. It screams sync potential—you can just see this song played over a love story on TV.

Best Lyric: “You and I ain’t what’s best, but I can’t let go.”

Myky - Fake Friend

Fake Friend - Myky (Pop) WIth an 80s dance beat, Myky storms the dance floor with “Fake Friend” to cut some dead weight out of his social circle. Super-catchy and lead by a thudding kick, this synthpop number is most definitely a personal one for the artist, and extremely relatable to audiences. In the track, Myky points to superficially supportive friends who fawn over his music, but actions speak louder than words—the plight of many an independent artist whose social circles are often plagued by hangers-on who have no desire to help their friend “make it” but will be first in line for free tickets when they do. With a nice little shout out to ‘Nsync with the “bye bye bye,” Myky has crafted an infectious little bop that beckons a repeat.

Best Lyric: “I don’t want no more Judas.”

Mr Macee - Real World

Real World - Mr Macee (Rap) Mr Macee’s latest track “Real World” serves as an introduction as to who he is and what he’s all about as an artist. Exploring his past, his love life, his dreams and ambitions, this well produced record is an excellent opening salvo from an artist to his fandom. The flow of the cut gave us a lot of Jay-Z vibes—not the tonality, but the patter of the flow and specifically the storytelling revolving around the artist’s life. Driving through the track at a rapid fire spit (does this guy ever breathe?), Mr Macee is front and center in the mix, punctuated by the expected trap-inspired percussion. Overall, we think Mr Macee should open his shows with this one.

Best Lyric: “When I got a showcase, another brother’s funeral.”

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.”