Reviews

Toronto-based solo artist Plastic Handgun returns from a five-year hiatus swinging for the fences with Operation Avalanche, a fascinating instrumental record that feels like a lost PlayStation-era RPG soundtrack dragged into the middle of a political uprising. Inspired by legendary composer Nobuo Uematsu, the album embraces the nostalgic textures of…

Swedish indie-folk artist Klas Jonsson has always thrived in the space between sincerity and eccentricity, and Versions feels like the perfect showcase for that beautifully odd balancing act. Rather than simply revisiting older songs, this four-track EP reshapes them into entirely different emotional experiences, hopping from playful folk-pop to reflective…

Some artists spend decades helping other people tell their stories before realizing they still have one of their own left to tell. That’s the case with AJ Babcock, whose debut solo single “Lazarus” arrives after years spent in the industry—playing bass for House of Heroes, writing songs in Nashville, and…

Latvian duo Mediante breathe elegant new life into the French pop classic “Jo le taxi,” transforming the familiar hit into something softer, richer, and far more intimate. Based in Valmiera and performing together for over a decade, the classically trained ensemble has built a reputation for emotionally layered performances that…

Casey X. Waits steps into deeply intimate territory on “inside this song,” a raw live-recorded piece that feels less like a polished studio release and more like stumbling into somebody’s private reckoning at midnight. Floating somewhere between blues, spoken-word confession, jazz-tinted folk, and hip hop soul-searching, the track carries the…

Social Treble’s “Crowded Silence” is less a conventional song and more a full-blown cybernetic descent into a surveillance nightmare. Clocking in at exactly 224.57 seconds, this cinematic concept piece throws listeners headfirst into a dystopian Bengaluru of 2031 where human beings have become monetized “Persistent Cognitive Tokens,” their thoughts, movements,…

tcr! dive headfirst into emotional wreckage on “On Vancouver Island,” a gritty lo-fi indie rock cut from their 2026 EP Dear Rabbits that collides hypnotic spiral, drunken confession, and emotional autopsy. Built around a post-punk backbone with bluesy acoustic guitar, rough-edged vocals, and a repetitive groove that sticks like static…

Julie Paschke approaches songwriting with striking solitude and sincerity, and that quiet intimacy seeps into every second of “Flying Above.” Written, performed, and recorded primarily by Paschke herself at home before being refined with producer Dan Duszynski, the track comes as a private meditation accidentally drifting into public view. “Flying…

Melbourne-based artist Eamonn Conor throws open the curtains and lets the sunshine pour in with “Last Chance Romance,” a slick funk-pop gem dripping with charm, groove, and old-school dancefloor smugness. Built on glossy hooks, sparkling guitar licks, and vibrant brass sections, the track feels like a neon-lit throwback to the…

Los Angeles-based indie folk project Remora Beach dives headfirst into emotional burnout and overextended empathy with “Tired Heart,” a reflective single that lingers like late-night thoughts you cannot quite shake off.  Drawing inspiration from the lush melancholy of Fleet Foxes, the dreamy atmosphere of Beach House, and the confessional songwriting…