Processed with Lensa with AC1 filter A recent single from Tallahassee-based act Once Great Estate, “Right Outside Your Door” presents a small-town mystique amidst a haunting, twangy folk arsenal. The track represents the first single from their upcoming album, Goodbye Cody Scarp. Flickering acoustics and sporadic twangs reflect a grim lyrical disposition — “hide the bruises from the night before, when he was pushing you around,” — with hints of escapism. The central chorus — “this town is good for hiding all the things you can’t ignore,” — concludes with a haunting character: “If you ever fee ..read more

Boulder-based artist Kwolek struts a captivating rock sound on two-part single “Ronnie Stole This Riff / Kim Is Desperate.” “The first is about the love of making music and the second is about discovering the song that saves your life,” Kwolek explains. A charismatic rock sound with ’80s nostalgia, courtesy of melodic guitar bustling and spacey synth interplay, complements a narrative-friendly sound. “I’ve recently been inspired by Richard Dawson’s story-driven songs,” Kwolek notes, an influence that feels notable here. The hooky range of guitars, synths, and confident vocal drives depict an ..read more

“I’m just unemployed because robots stole my job,” the melodic vocals lament on “Robots Stole My Job,” a compelling convergence of anthemic rock and synth-pop from Hyper Lion. The quainter verses exude an electro-minded minimalism as an effect-laden vocal pitchiness commiserate the robotic dominance, gearing with seamless vigor into crunchy guitar distortion and a chirp-y lead alongside a deeper title-touting hook. The infectious vocal refrain and slabs of distorted guitars fully enamor in the chorus, and an especially magnetic sequence arises in the effervescent synth-pop shift past th ..read more

Emphasizing the role of one’s body within the human experience, HANUSSEN: The Enigmatic Clairvoyant is a riveting new album from Mortal Prophets, the NYC-based project of John Beckmann. Impressing with various albums over the past year — including GUITARWORKS and the Sleeping In My Bed EP — Mortal Prophets continue to showcase an inventively atmospheric take alongside moving thematic pursuits. HANUSSEN: The Enigmatic Clairvoyant is considered an opera, specifically in the context of the Italian meaning: “a work, labor, composition.” The album explores especially “the nuance of labor,” within ..read more

DANBEATS‘ new single “Vacation Home” explores themes of escapism, and aptly crafts a soundscape that lures with such temptations; its Brazilian Tropicalia inspirations pair with a dreamy pop mystique and hooky vocal rise for a climactic sense of detail. DANBEATS describes the release as “about a digital nomad, enamored with a beautiful paradise, grappling with escapism, envy, and identity, loosely inspired by the Lotus Eaters (from Homer’s Odyssey).” “Don’t make me go back to my home,” the vocals let out, then declaring they’re “on vacation,” as glistening guitar effervescence complements a ..read more

Steven Gudino traverses from serene pop contemplation to twangy vigor on “Sardonic Suburb,” a single that impresses in its melodic display of tonal range. Twinkling, dreamy keys arrive into a bursting guitar line, then cohesively incorporating Gudino’s alluring vocals in the title-touting hook — “I can’t wait to finally be rid of this place, this sardonic suburb.” The trickling guitars and jazzy, sporadic pace combine with the breezy vocals for a sophisti-pop aesthetical captivation in the moments between, capped off by an electrifying guitar emphasis and final vocal refrain. — This and othe ..read more

A dreamy captivation enamors on “Anyway,” a recent track from Nashville-based act Sundaes. “I could never handle you,” the vocal repeat amidst trickling guitars and starry-eyed synths during the central chorus, crafting a hypnotic engrossment. Illuminated, caressing vocal layers re-emerge in the second half during the refrain’s reprisal, swirling with a magnetic, weightless charm. “Anyway” represents the first single via the band’s upcoming album, call me when you get there. They describe the track as “a ballad to frustration over wasted love and time.” — This and other tracks featured this ..read more

“Goodnight Nobody” explores the power of choosing acceptance over bitterness, following a relationship’s demise. Home Remedies recorded their upcoming debut album, Goodnight Moon, at Headroom Studios in Philadelphia — and the consuming “Goodnight Nobody” represents the album’s third single. Taking heavy inspiration from Elliott Smith, the track evolves grippingly from more acoustic-set contemplation — ruminating on positive memories — into a rousing rock arsenal, which complements the lyrical decision to move on. The reference to a past beloved as “a former future,” in the chorus proves cath ..read more

Harmonious vocal layers and a pulsing range of melodic instrumentation adorn “Your Old Ways,” a stellar new single from Central Florida-based band Lou’s Rendezvous. Neil Carlson adds backing vocals. “You try so hard to find a way to keep it together,” the vocals unify, depicting a time of strife, when times are hard. Wordless backing vocal lushness and string-laden charm inject with cohesive allure, building into twangy guitar delights. “Your Old Ways” is a compelling success. — This and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spoti ..read more

A gripping new prog-rock single from Philadelphia-based band Chewy, “Rubber Unfamiliar” unfolds with captivating variety — reminding of a cross between Black Midi and XTC. The track marks the opening effort on their new EP, Ostranenie. Pulsing guitar shimmers and a breezy brass convergence lead into a debonair one-minute turn, where crunchy guitars lead into a decisive vocal lead; the shift from art-rock experimentation into a delectably raucous fervency, and then into a psych-friendly wooziness, is exemplary of the project’s dynamic range. The gorgeous brass components re-ignite at the mid ..read more