Latest Reviews

The Layzies have recently dropped a track titled “Not Yet Out Of The Woods.” It comes with a cool YouTube video that I highly recommend watching the first time you listen to the song. It's a slow shuffle with soulful blues coloration. If we delve into the track a bit, we can gather that it draws inspiration from Angela Carter's short story “A Company of Wolves,” found in her collection “The Bloody Chamber” from 1979. This story explores themes like innocence, temptation, and the animalistic nature of human beings. In the information pane of their music video, The Layzies explain the term “Not yet out of the woods.” It's said to reference the troubled state of today's world, while also making a playful nod to the fairytale and folklore theme of the music and video. It's something we often overlook nowadays. Nestling and hiding meanings within meanings is becoming far too uncommon. That's one of the main reasons many people consume art—to interpret its meaning and draw their own conclusions.

Norah Jones has just released a new full-length album titled “Visions.” This album is full of smooth and relaxing tracks that come together in a blend of many different genres - too many to count, actually. Norah Jones has always delivered soothing songs that are low-key but never low effort. You can always tell she puts a lot of thought and effort into her tracks, constructing and changing her sound. "Visions" has a lot of interesting little things happening in the background of most songs: synths, birdsong, ethereal arpeggios. It is not always easy to pick out a favorite, but on this album, my personal favorite track is “On My Way.” It has so many gorgeous sounds and interesting little vocal things going on. Then the ending, where it slowly blends the voice with a mellotron and the mellotron gets to finish, is just great.

Imogen Clark's latest release, "Big One," has left me pondering its significance as it had me dancing at 6 am mere moments after waking up. It's remarkable how a song can instantly elevate one's mood, and this track is no exception. Scheduled to be featured on Imogen's upcoming album, "The Art of Getting Through," slated for a May release, it holds promise for what's to come. If "Big One" is any indication of the album's direction, I'd say it's essential to keep an eye on her musical journey. Many might listen to this track and wonder why Imogen isn't already an international star. The foundation for a flourishing career seems firmly in place, and beyond that lies untapped potential. Regardless, I really hope she continues to create art.

The Black Keys recently dropped a fresh track titled “This Is Nowhere,” and let me tell you, when it comes to tunes outside the realm of Pop, these guys nail it. Their tracks aren't just catchy for the sake of it; they strike a perfect balance, avoiding any hint of annoyance or overproduction. Instead, they're the kind of tunes that make you nod along, filled with just the right selection of sounds.

Laufey has recently dropped her latest track, "Goddess." In recent years, she's ascended like a shooting star. Back in 2020, she shared her aspirations of gracing NPR's "Tiny Desk Concert" concept, and now she's fulfilled that dream. From social media sensation to releasing full-scale albums, Laufey has garnered serious attention from music aficionados. Her newest track has been met with widespread adoration from her fans. It's a velvety piano ballad, intertwining her soulful vocals with the elegant simplicity of timely arpeggios in the background. The track unfolds beautifully, with a mesmerizing culmination that I'll leave for you to experience firsthand. Needless to say, the ending ties everything together seamlessly. Laufey's vocal style is enchating and evocative, drawing listeners in with its allure.

Artists Fred Again.., Lil Yachty, and Overmono have just dropped an absolute gem of a track. One of the standout features of this tune is how distinctively each artist's voice shines through. If there were a way to quantify the sheer "vibe" a song exudes, this one would be off the charts. It's almost like it boasts dual hooks, with Yachty's mesmerizing "You've got a life, stay in it" refrains and Fred's infectious drops. The instrumentation is incredibly fresh, drawing inspiration from a myriad of electronic music subgenres from both the UK and US scenes. The synergy between Overmono and Fred is palpable in this collaboration, leaving listeners eagerly anticipating more from this dynamic duo.

Cigarettes After Sex have just released a new dreamy banger titled “Tejano Blue.” The track is low-key, with soft, sultry, whispering vocals. I would say the track is very much in line with what the band is already known for, with their signature ambient and emotional style. Someone who is used to conventional pop might comment on this and say it sounds dull or lifeless. In the eyes of a fan, however, that is part of the charm. The lead vocalist of Cigarettes After Sex (CAS) says the track was inspired by his upbringing in El Paso, Texas. Also, as for musical influence, he mentions artists like Cocteau Twins and Selena. If you go listen to the album “Heaven or Las Vegas” by Cocteau Twins, for example, you might find some similarities in the sound.

Faye Webster has released her fifth album, “Underdressed at the Symphony.” This album is a great new project for her, and the overall shift in sound compared to her previous works marks a more naturalistic sound. I think Faye has thought about the fact that people seem to be craving these acoustic sounds. The tracks were all produced by Faye Webster and Drew Vandenberg. Now, Drew does not have a lot of info about him online, which he might want to keep that way. In any case, we can say that he and Faye have created one heck of an album, together with the other contributing acts, of course. "Underdressed at the Symphony" features collaborators such as Wilco’s Nels Cline (guitar solos) and Lil Yachty, singing on “Lego Ring.” I think Lil Yachty is particularly interesting in this case because he is really doing some pure wizardry. Not just with this song but if you look over how diverse his catalog is, it is really amazing how well it works every time he collaborates with someone. The track “Lego Ring” is infused with his greatness.

A new track has been released from Charli XCX, titled “Von Dutch”! This song is happily blending genres and influences. It has elements of hyperpop, bloghouse, electroclash, pop, and club. I mean, with any list regarding genres, you can add 50 words that don’t really mean anything; this is just to give you a gist, but best to have a listen yourself. The production is done by “Easyfun”, a producer Charli has worked with before. One thing that I personally love doing is that if you find a track you really like by a popular artist, see who produced it and look into all the other tracks they have produced. It might actually be a more direct way of finding the particular sound that you’re after. In any case, Von Dutch is a really cool track.

Justin Timberlake, one of the absolute kings of music, has released a new track titled “Drown.” This track follows the release of his previous single “Selfish” and is set to be part of his upcoming album “Thought It Was.” This whole album is set to be released on March 15, 2024, which, to a lot of people's happiness, is very soon. The mood of the track is an absolute pre-bedroom banger. It has a lot of dark sounds with modern R&B/Pop elements and Justin Timberlake’s ever so catchy vocal lines. Reaching for a certain sound, his latest single “Selfish” did not do as well on the billboards as one would expect. However, does this really matter? For the artist it might, but as the audience it is better to just listen to the tracks for what they are. Something that is interesting is that if you remember some of the absolute great hits from Justin like “Mirror,” for example, you still hear a very similar choice of melody in his song. He has found his way to greatness and managed to stay in that zone for so very long.