The artist April recently released a full album, and among its highlights is the track “Axe To Grind”. While I’m focusing on this one song, I’d highly recommend giving the entire album a listen — it’s worth your time.

The track reminds me a bit of something by The Marías, or a more mellow Men I Trust, mixed with the authentic acoustic feel you’d find in a Vansire song. All of those artists are fantastic in my opinion, and April seems to be aiming for — and achieving — that same level of artistry. It might sound strange to talk about greatness in the context of such relaxed, serene music, but greatness comes in many forms. Anything can be mastered.

There’s a beautiful layering of clean, acoustic instruments paired with reverb-heavy background textures. A common rookie move is to drench everything in reverb, but April shows she’s moved past that — she’s been there, done that, and come out more refined. Her soft vocals blend perfectly with the underwater guitar/piano tones and the laid-back groove. The bass is subtle — barely there — but gives just enough backbone to hold the track together. This isn’t an 808-heavy banger; it’s something more delicate.

Listening to “Axe To Grind” feels like being transported to a quiet house under a purple sky, with a candlelit lantern glowing softly in the window. In a few phrases, I can hear a vein of modern pop in April’s vocals — something that reminds me slightly of Taylor Swift. And yes, that’s a compliment.

Genre-wise, I’d place “Axe To Grind” firmly in the indie pop realm. What stands out most to me is the track’s authenticity, strengthened by its reliance on mostly acoustic instruments. The string section at the end is especially beautiful, and I think I hear an organ playing soft chords in the background. The only “unnatural” element is a brief pitched and autotuned vocal repeating the chorus — but it feels intentional, even refreshing. It stands out in a good way.

That said, go support April and her work. There’s a lot of promise here — and I get the sense this is just the beginning.

Author: Peter Källman

Peter Källman is a writer from Sweden who loves playing in bands, writing reviews and going to live shows!