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Salem's Psychedelic Atmosphere
Salem
Salem by MATT TARKA is an evocative and genre-fluid listening experience, capturing the ease of indie rock while exploring the psychedelic influences of artists like The Velvet Underground. Standing on the shoulders of musical giants, they still put their own spin on the tonal palette. The acoustic guitar feels like a guiding light, defining the sound while also introducing us to a rhythmic component. It lays the foundation for the track and allows the other melodic aspects t
Sinking/Floating
Sinking/Floating MAIJAH is an alternative pop power pairing that works like strawberries and cream, delving into the duality of the human experience. As we go through change there are these moments of extreme highs and lows and sometimes the only difference between these states is the way we feel, as opposed to anything external. The nice thing about the poetic way the tracks are written is that they become deeply personal to MAIJAH while also being universal to many people’s
New Music Spotlight
Power Up Review
I always found the confidence that a lot of rap music explores interesting. The same kind of people who bash visualisations will listen to tracks with choruses about beautiful women and money and find it energising. This style is so much more than bragging, it’s a hypnotic and confident attitude that makes people feel good. Sponsored Power Up by Cris Cain, produced by Serbian Smile, is a hyper-confident rap track exploring the lifestyle with energy and vigour. Cain's deliv
2 min read
A View From The End of A Dream Review
A View From The End of A Dream is one of the best-named tracks I’ve listened to. The mix of the psychedelic instrumental and esoteric lyrics, created by In Plain Air , feels exactly like the moment a dream fades. You can feel the track drifting in and out of reality, fusing this complex dreamscape with elements of nature peeking through. Sponsored The track speaks to the artist’s home in Colorado. It conveys the icy breeze of the frigid winters and the arid sunbleached str
2 min read
Real One Review
Real One balances steezy party energy with more serious themes that add depth and texture, providing contrast and important context to the easy listening vibe and leaning into BREON S.Y.N.D.E.L’s work hard play hard mantra. Sponsored The track utilises layers of violins in its beat. Together, the strings give the low register of the rhythm some high register juxtaposition that adds tension throughout your the track. The violin runs fade in and out of each other, creating thi
2 min read
Holy Night Review
Holy Night by Kete Bowers is an emotive, acoustic, folk track full of soul. The foundation of the song is Bowers’ emphatic vocals; something about their softness immerses you deeper in the lyrics. He evokes the quiet sensation of a winter night through the subtleties in his performance. The space in the mix also helps develop that quiet. Sponsored With a track so firmly rooted in melancholy and introspection, the quiet moments feel like self-reflection where the speaker con
2 min read
You Dance In The Club Review
You Dance In The Club is a spacey dance remix that manages to maintain its cool, calm, and enigmatic charm while also building a beat you can’t help but nod your head to. Remixed by Those Giants , originally by Benedict Sinister, the song’s foundation is his classic gravelly vocals exploring emotionally complex themes. Sponsored The line about being too broke to cry hit home in terms of the way money can trap people in awful situations. It’s an interesting juxtaposition w
2 min read
Alone On Christmas Day Review
Alone On Christmas Day by THE HIGH PLAINS DRIFTERS is a holiday song with an edge of melancholy. It provides a different perspective than the cheery Christmas bangers that can become stale year after year. Sponsored This refreshing outlook, founded on eighties-inspired yacht rock, is built up by layers of synths and subtle guitar work. I love the guitar embellishments and trills that come with the line “Who are you spending Christmas with this year?” it emphasises the anxi
2 min read
Day Off Review
Day Off by Jazzygold captivates with its alternative R&B styling and rich vocal performance. It touches on a fascinating aspect of our culture, discussing our lack of respect for the importance of rest. Sponsored We were all warned about the work-life balance and burnout, yet it is still a trap we all fall into now and then. The other side of working too hard is the expectation to play hard. It seems as if the only acceptable way to unwind is to put energy into the social
2 min read
Isolation Review
Isolation by JODY COOPER is an introspective rock anthem full of passion and emotion, detailing the challenges many have been through over the past few years. As the title suggests, the track references the pandemic and our struggles to grow beyond it. However, I think the message is broader than that specific event. Sponsored The lyrics describe us building palaces of isolation. That tone feels more purposeful than a reaction to genuine risk. The song explores the concept
2 min read
Over You Review
Over You by THE PROJECT is an anthemic track with a killer guitar part and vocals that ooze charisma. The song opens strong. It begins...
2 min read
Le marteau et l'enclume Review
Le marteau et l'enclume (The hammer and the anvil) by SLDGHRAM 1ER is a collection of industrial electronic tracks that use psychedelic soundscapes to build a beautiful and contradictory miasma of sound which is just as engaging during the heat of the chaos as it is during the brief moments of clarity. Sponsored The opening track, Battre l'enfer tant qu'il est chaud, opens the album by diving in at the deep end. The track focuses on building layers of rhythm and counter rhyt
2 min read
Turn Review
Turn by MARTYN SCOTT is an electric indie pop banger with confidence and charisma that defines its retro sound. At its core, the foundation is beautiful vocals and guitars. However, what SCOTT decides to do with that foundation differentiates it from other tracks trying to capture that magic of the sixties with a modern flair. Sponsored The track opens boldly with an exciting guitar riff, evolving into this complex and articulate lead performance that interacts beautifull
2 min read
White Christmas Review
White Christmas by NINNI is a refreshing cover of a Christmas classic. I love its ingenuity in its interpretation of such a traditional melody. NINNI allows his personality and style to come through without changing the track beyond recognition. Sponsored There is a lot of love and respect for the joy of the holiday season and the original that comes through his rendition. While sounding quite traditional towards the beginning, the composition evolves as it goes, introducin
2 min read
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