The latest from California-based band Widows Gold, “Throw It Away” is described as “about finding inner joy and letting go of all the burdens that aren’t yours to bear.” Madeline Star’s vocals are gripping throughout, bolstered by melodic guitar lines and driving percussion while singing: “Strip away the things that don’t belong to me, throw it away.” There’s a palpable sense of shedding tumult and trauma, in the hopes to find a “sense of bliss.” “The past will drag you down, every time,” Star launches into another riveting chorus, inducing replays with each entry. “Throw It Away” is another ..read more

Observing rampant greed amongst politicians within a laid-back rock enamoring, “Senator Senator” is a resonating new track from D. Marin Perez. The Cuban-American artist presents a poignant thematic pursuit within a twangy, warming sound — bolstered immediately by lyrical references to a “culture war,” and raising “interest rates.” “How is that civil servants become millionaires?” Perez asks, bemoaning the “money class,” and their stronghold — though also expressing hope for a future with more equal representation. The expressive vocal lines and percussive thumps, at moments like 01:30, invi ..read more

A pleasant, harmonious blend of pop and rock shows on “Go Easy,” the new single from Canadian act Paper Crowns. “Go easy on me,” the breezy vocal refrain exudes, with backing vocal reflections adding a punchy energy amidst the jangling guitar serenity. The band’s second release, “Go Easy” balances an amiable accessibility in its familiar vocal hooks and fluttering guitars with deeper lyrical meanings, eluding to the tendency for intimate, one-night relationships to dissipate into a stranger-like meeting the next time, whilst emotions still linger. “Go Easy” is a memorable success from Paper ..read more

A consuming rock mystique compels on “Favourite Ghost,” a single out today from London-based act Blitz Playhouse. “Don’t give me anything to worry about,” the confident vocal refrain exudes, as twangy guitars and a steady rhythmic backbone strut a timeless-sounding allure. “My family has a lot to say about you,” the vocals let out during the more bass-heavy verses, comparing fondly to Wolf Alice in the range between rhythmic introspection and anthemic rock heights. “Favourite Ghost” has us firmly anticipating whatever’s next from Blitz Playhouse. — This and other tracks featured this month c ..read more

“Making Moves’ is a melodic new single from Vero Strange, the project of Brooklyn-based artist and musician Dan Fisher. Debonair guitar lines and sharp synth elements drive into the confident vocal delivery, complemented by a bass-y immersion as the 9-to-5 lyrical introspections arrive. The “c’mon let’s make moves,” vocal proclamation enamors alongside the swift guitar jangling and sporadic buzzes, driving into the bass-fronted verses with cohesive enamoring. The track plays with a stylish, infectious suaveness with shades of The Cars, and marks another success from the project, first catchi ..read more

Soaring vocals and lush synth pulses align with a warming bass presence on the fantastic “Sleep It Off,” a recent single from BALBOA. The ambiguous project exudes a soulful, hooky appeal that melds funk-touched rhythms, trickling guitars, and atmospheric synths — resulting in a sound that resembles a laid-back Unknown Mortal Orchestra. The elongated vocal presentation drives into the “it’s been a decade,” sequence, where the instrumentation’s elements converge with more charismatic appeal. “Sleep It Off” is a strong showing from BALBOA, whoever they are. The track comes via the VHG EP: — Th ..read more

Impressing in suave, funky intrigue and spirited pop hooks alike, “Sunburn” is a new single from Maffa Rico, a project based in west Los Angeles. Singer and multi-instrumentalist Bradley Giroux blends funk and jazz influence alongside a clear ear for pop hooks, and the result is a sound that’s instantaneous while also being intriguing in a structural and tonal sense. Giroux is also notable for his mixing and engineering work for a variety of musicians, ranging from Bon Jovi to The Doobie Brothers. “Sunburn” represents the third single from Maffa Rico’s upcoming album, Honeymoon Phase. Bass-h ..read more

Embrace Form showcases the gripping jazz fusion sound of Joan Torres’s All Is Fused. The album is described as exploring “the relationship between experimental instrumental music and popular music.” The San Francisco-based project channels a stylistically eclectic charm on a consistent basis here, from lounge-friendly jazz to hard-rocking fervency — in addition to various structural pursuits, in both the conventional verse-chorus and improvisational realms. Opening track “Cotati Reset” enthralls in its climactic development, weaving in warming brass, pit-pattering percussion, and gentle guita ..read more

San Diego-based project Sluka muses on the plights of modern polarization with new single “Sunset Screamer,” a poignant success that serves as the second single from forthcoming album Cautionary Yell. The act’s chamber-pop inclinations were evident on previously featured single “Saving It All,” and “Sunset Screamer” continues that aesthetical engagement — building with a theatrical, baroque-feeling pop whimsy and hook-minded charisma. Elegant strings collapse quickly into a bustling bass-fronted intrigue. Geographical references, and a unified sense of tumult, add enjoyably to the hectic rhy ..read more

A track out today from Former Lives, “Some things never change is inevitable” presents an absorbing, serenely melodic allure. The project’s founder, Sean Joseph Klassen, describes the output as “a love letter to overdriven guitars, analog synthesizers, and arcane pop music.” Indeed, its dreamy mixture of alt-rock, new-wave, and pop nostalgia makes for a riveting sound, particularly as the lush vocals push into heavy guitar distortion and spacey synth arpeggios past the two-minute turn, firmly showcasing the Burlington-based project’s eclectic reach — also evident on previously featured succe ..read more