Essential Songs — New Tracks You Need to Hear
1. Electronic artist Knapsack, a recent performer at Open Pit production Lavapalooza and genre synthesizer has released yet another album single titled “sleepyhead.” Dialing back the indietronica of many of his past efforts, Knapsack opt for an airy, infectious r&b accompanied by his classic electronic production style. The combination of the singing style and vocal editing cause the thin-sounding vocals to cut like glass, a nice touch that helps Knapsack stand out even further. The emotive vocal delivery of the verses accompanied by the bubbling instrumental make for yet another duality that makes the song applicable to a number of situations instead of cornering it into one “vibe.” The track is catchy, engaging and emotional, a complex mix of styles and feelings that further demonstrate the potential Knapsack has already proven to have.
2. Dying in the Cut innovator Demxntia is back with a new single from his upcoming album, “lost.” While the album experiments with emo, post-hardcore and even shoegaze, “lost” returns to the days of “sadboi pop punk” with a memorable upbeat riffs contrasted with emotional vocals. While the track is certainly wholly on the “rock” side of the spectrum, demxntia’s vocals are appropriately peppered with r&b stylings. The track is catchy, yet introspective and confessional, a trademark of the inspiration genre. ‘Maybe I should just be stronger,” sings the Florida creator as he opens up about his struggles to meet expectations and the mental turmoil most everyone faces. Lyrically relatable, musically nostalgic and yet unmistakably demxntia, “lost” is just a primer for the full-circle album that will make a significant splash in the genre when it arrives.
3. “Soundcloud rapper” Oliver Francis has come full circle, harkening back to his emo-hip hop roots with recent single “VIOLENCE.” While the somewhat trap instrumental certainly feels very Oliver Francis, the emo-inspired melodies and vocal delivery prove to sound very different from the rest of his recent output. Once a hip hop vocalist recognized for his particularly talented flow and extremely catchy chorus melodies, “VIOLENCE” certainly builds on those talents, but is a different beast altogether. Moments like the delivery of “see you creeping like a spider crawls down your throat” are straight out of the Myspace catalogue, while the vocals are accented by a high technical skill and moments of more singsong r&b or smooth rapped delivery. It’s certainly cohesive, spanning an entire discography and proving Oliver Francis can dip his toes in a variety of pools and still come out with a strong, cohesive single song.
4. Misery Club and If I Die First member Zubin has released the second single from his collaborative member with Gothboiclique producer YAWNS. The album is yet another installment in YAWNS’ discography of collaborative albums, such as the collaboration with Cold Hart, which ranged from nostalgic emot to gritty post-punk as well as the collaboration with Horse Head who expressed his influences over midwest emo and pop punk guitar. Unlike previous single “Nauseous,” new single “Rot” scales back the guitar, returning to a more classic Misery Club sound for Zubin, with dark, spacey r&b beats provided by YAWNS. The sweet-yet-melodramatic crooning of Zubin does draw parallels to an angsty Weeknd, but Zubin’s vocals are unique. They are perhaps the most saccharine vocals in his scene, yet convey an immense amount of emotion without having to delve into the lyrics. The collaboration truly allows both artists to shine, and is a promising second single for the third installment of YAWNS’ project.
5. Often lofi and downtempo, internet extraordinaire Tom Verbene returns with a bedroom pop anthem, “You Last Night,” incorporating the sounds of pop rocker friends like Harry Teardrop into the spacey soundscapes he’s used to painting. Textured luscious synths and low fidelity guitars cuddle the ambient vocals of Tom Verbene, especially the simple chorus of “you last night,” which manages to burrow itself within the ear of the listener in only three words. With vocal editing, variation in tone and even a jangly ending, “You Last Night” is somehow both minimal and complex, keeping the listener engaged throughout the three minute experience. With this kind of progression, it’s easy to see the potential Verbene has, and what that could spell for the future of his musical success.
6. Drain gang member and increasingly successful solo artist Ecco2k has debuted his first single since release of groundbreaking debut album “E,” titled Pollen. With guitar and production from associated electronic producer Mechatok, Ecco sings over ambient acoustic plucking, further accentuating his high-pitched vocal delivery. With the vocals becoming even more light and airy, they’re a perfect match for the instrumental, which has been compared to the ambient European folk sounds of Grouper. Like much of the recent Ecco output, there is a heavy “art pop” vibe, with the aesthetic being as important to the understanding of the music than the sound itself. The new age atmosphere surrounding the guitar propels Ecco’s sound to the previously unexplored, feeling less and less like his cloud rap contemporaries and more like an exclusive internet-age pop sound desperately needed in this era of music.
7. “Anti-pop” artist Colliding With Mars dropped his two side singluence “TWILIGHT PRINCESS,” perhaps his most cohesive work yet. With intense electronic-based production and low, processed vocals, the “anti-pop” side of CWM is clear. This is further shown by the contrast of catchy, pop/r&b melodies contrasted with darker, confessional lyrics, a trademark of the subgenre. However, bright guitars thrown into the mix give a nod to his major chord past. “I don’t want to hurt you but I can’t control myself,” admits the genre-blender, giving insight into the battles of his mind and focusing on the themes of aggression and mental health which have received airtime in other recent singles. B-side, “THE BALLAD OF THE MAN IN 2ND PLACE” is a similarly electronic-based song that continues to expand on CWM’s mental state and features nearly rapped vocals and plenty of distorted singing. Both songs feel extremely authentically Colliding With Mars, infectious sad ballads that synthesize the various styles attempted in the bulk of his discography.
