Reviews

Evil Jake’s Be My Ex-Girlfriend is the kind of rock album that understands the power of a great hook. Blending power pop, alternative rock, and classic American songwriting, the record is loud without losing its melodic instincts, emotionally candid without taking itself too seriously, and packed with choruses that seem…

Reetoxa’s “Gown” arrives like a dream you cannot quite shake off. The emotional centerpiece of Soliloquy, the Melbourne-based project, turns one of Jason McKee’s darkest periods into something strangely beautiful, cinematic, and deeply intimate. Recorded with an accomplished ensemble including Jet drummer Peter Marin, Robbie Williams bassist Kit Riley, Men…

There is something wonderfully unhurried about Dariusz Hasiak’s musical world. Living between Belgium, Germany and Poland, the pianist, composer and independent philosophy researcher brings an intellectual curiosity to his minimalist compositions, drawing on years spent studying philosophy, mathematics, history and music across Europe. His work is shaped by New Polish…

Love can be a funny thing: sometimes the most meaningful gesture is simply giving someone room to breathe. Sri Lankan-Australian melodic rapper and R&B artist iRAV explores that quieter side of romance on “A LETTER 4 U: INTERLUDE,” a late-night Trapsoul confession about desire, emotional scars and the patience required…

Ann Arbor native Reale$tGold is stepping up to flip the script with her fierce, boundary-pushing EP, R.A.P. Hailing from Michigan and recording at her longtime Ypsilanti studio since age 15, this 100% independent power-player is carving out her own lane. Tired of stereotypical, watered-down mainstream narratives, she crafts introspective rap…

Mark Cee may have spent roughly three decades writing songs before stepping properly into the spotlight, but Ghost Talk Show sounds less like a delayed debut than an artist finally opening the door to a room he has inhabited for years. The Long Island-based indie folk/Americana singer-songwriter records entirely at…

If you ever stumbled through a neon-lit spaceport in a future that never quite happened, surrounded by obsolete machines and signals you cannot decipher, you would be experiencing something roughly the atmosphere Max Macready conjures with “The Hunt,” the latest single from the UK duo. Blending darkwave, synthwave, electronic, and…

Brazilian-born, France-based art-rock singer-songwriter Dan Szyller is putting a fresh spin on a legendary classic with his cover single, “Woman.” Originally penned by John Lennon for his iconic 1980 album Double Fantasy, the track stands as one of the most tender, heartfelt love songs in music history. Known for his…

Seattle-based outfit Pete Keating and The Renslow Trestle are bringing heart and soul back to the Pacific Northwest with their heartwarming single, “Tenderly.” Recorded at Seattle’s legendary London Bridge Studios, where grunge icons like Pearl Jam and Soundgarden made history, the track taps into mid-century Americana, drawing inspiration from legends…

Not every apocalypse comes with fire, sirens, or the end of civilisation. Sometimes, the world looks exactly the same while yours falls apart. “April Apocalypse,” the first single from Toddy Tang’s forthcoming album, turns that intimate catastrophe into a haunting electronic requiem. Created by Hillg, the track explores the collapse…