Pop & Indie
CONCERT: 6/21 – James Blunt @ Foxwoods
Lorde released a single off of a possibly upcoming fourth album. Nothing has specifically been announced yet but fans are hoping for more new music. “What Was That” is a post-breakup pop song with a catchy beat. This is the first major release from Lorde since her album “Solar Power” in 2021. I really enjoyed this song and I think Lorde fans will be happy.
Jensen McRae released an album called “I Don’t Know How But They Found Me!”. I have previously listened to the single “Praying For Your Downfall” and loved it so I had high hopes listening to this album. I really only liked “I Can Change Him,” “Novelty,” and “Massachusetts.” I just didn’t like the other songs very much and overall the album wasn’t as good as I wanted it to be.
Pop artist Benson Boone released a single titled “Mystical Magical” which has gained popularity on TikTok through a trend over the line “Moonbeam Ice Cream”. This single is from his upcoming album “American Heart” set to release June 20. Previously Boone has released three EPs beginning in 2022. I like Boone’s songs a lot and I think he’s a fun performer as seen during his Grammys and Coachella performances. He has fun performing and has catchy upbeat songs. I think this album will be great and I’m excited to hear more from him.
Lauren Spencer Smith’s “IF KARMA DOESN’T GET YOU (I WILL)” is an angry pop song with some fun country moments. This is the second single off Smith’s upcoming second album “THE ART OF BEING A MESS” which will be released on June 27. I think this song sounds like driving down a highway with open windows and screaming along to the lyrics, it was definitely a good choice to have the title in all caps. The beginning sounds like a Carrie Underwood song but once the chorus hits the song has its own sound. I think this song is the perfect addition to any breakup playlist.
“My First Heartbreak” is a slow sad song by Myles Smith. Smith’s voice is similar to Dean Lewis and Forest Blakk. The person causing his heartbreak is his dad and I think it’s cool to write what originally sounds like a breakup song about being left by a parent. I think this is a good slower song.
Punk & Alternative
CONCERT: 9/13 – Autoheart @ Brooklyn Bowl (Brooklyn, NY)
The last time I covered Spacey Jane was in late January, when the band released its single, “All the Noise.” I’m back again in late April to cover the band’s most recent single, released on April 7. Titled “Through My Teeth,” the track is the third track released to promote the band’s third studio album, “If That Makes Sense.” The song itself has this dreamy quality, like you aren’t completely there. The song feels sad, but the lyrics aren’t particularly clear, or meaningful. Many fans—and foes, are begging the band to evolve its sound, to take a risk with its music. Fans just want the band to try something different. Right now, Spacey Jane is really a clean slate, a very one dimensional indie band without any substance behind them. That’s not to say the track isn’t good—it is, but I don’t get much out of it other than it not offending my ears.
I’m back again with another single from Linkin Park. Released on April 25, “Unshatter” is the second single Linkin Park has released from its upcoming deluxe version of its newest album, “From Zero.” While the last single wasn’t anything to write home about, this track features more unique aspects that set it apart from the tracks on the initial album’s release. This single really highlights the rasp in the lead singer’s voice, elevating her performance. Fans are comparing her performance to that of “Dead Sara”—the band Emily Armstrong was in prior to joining Linkin Park last year.
Momma finally released its full album, “Welcome to My Blue Sky” earlier this month, April 4. I covered the band’s single, “I Want You (Fever)” a month or so back, and have been invested in the album’s release ever since. I can’t accurately describe what makes this album and its songs work, it has this sort of ethereal, unbothered personality to it that I love. Of course, not every song is an absolute winner, but Momma is very good at navigating the space between alt-rock and indie-pop—with great songs from both perspectives. The band has been able to evolve and change while still upholding their identity and sound, something unheard of recently with all of the new flop projects coming out.
It feels full circle ending my time as a genre manager by covering the release of Knox’s first studio album. The first song I ever covered during my time was Knox’s release of “Not The 1975,” which actually ended up as the last song on the album he released on April 4, titled “Going, Going, Gone.” I waited a while to cover this album on the Weekly, but it felt important to finish my time with Knox. Through the release of each single, the album has slowly leaned more towards the pop side, but Knox certainly has pop-punk influences, citing inspiration from Fall Out Boy. Even though the album feels a bit more pop, I think it helps it overall. So many of the songs feel like they would fit right in on a summer playlist, played out loud with the windows down on the highway. Despite the poppier sound, Knox is still a perfect fit for Waterparks fans, the stylization, lyricism, and effects sound like they’ve been pulled right from “Double Dare.”
Folk & Country
CONCERT: 5/30 – Kate Stephenson @ Space Ballroom
Jesse Welles’ latest single, “Red”, released on April 16, offers commentary on the absurdity of life. Welles critiques prevailing political ideologies and the complexities of human relationships. The song opens with a series of objects transforming from blue to red, a metaphor for the rapid shifts in political and personal allegiances. This transformation mirrors the precariousness of identity in modern society, where affiliations and beliefs can change as swiftly as the colors of a flag. “Red” is a reflective track that challenges listeners to confront the complexities of identity, power, and societal absurdities. Through sharp political critique, Welles paints a portrait of a divided society, shaped by power and ideology. Welles has once again proven his ability to craft songs that not only entertain but provoke critical thought.
Hayes Carll’s latest single, “Progress of Man (Bitcoin & Cattle)”, released on April 23, is a commentary on the pursuit of wealth, status, and the illusion of “progress.” Since his breakout album “Little Rock” in 2005, Hayes Carll has built a reputation as a songwriter who can cut through the noise with plainspoken insight, and a deep reverence for the tradition of country and folk music. One of the song’s standout features is the fiddle played by Fats Kaplan. Kaplan’s fiddle work drives the song, adding a raw energy that perfectly matches Carll’s lyrical bite. With Kaplan’s masterful fiddle playing alongside Carll’s razor-sharp lyricism, the song feels both timeless and urgently of-the-moment.
On April 25, Shaboozey celebrated his breakout year with the release of “Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going: The Complete Edition”, an expanded version of his platinum-selling third LP. Building on the success of his March 2024 release, Shaboozey offers fans six new tracks that deepen the album and broaden its sound. Built around the strum of a single guitar, Shaboozey’s voice is weary as he admits his faults. Sierra Ferrell’s verse reflects on the anguish of loving someone who can’t quite change. Their duet is a push-and-pull, and their voices work surprisingly well together. On the expanded album, Shaboozey also collaborates with Jelly Roll on “Amen,” which showcases his ability to fuse country and hip-hop. Other new tracks include “Blink Twice” (featuring Myles Smith), “Fire and Gasoline”, and “Chrome.” In a statement accompanying the release, Shaboozey shared that completing the album felt like “finishing a conversation I wasn’t quite done having.” In continuing to blur genres Shaboozey proves he’s not just riding the wave of his breakout success; he’s crafting a legacy.
Hip-Hop & R&B
CONCERT: 5/30 – DD Osama @ The Webster
d4vd’s debut album, “WITHERED” has finally touched down. This one’s got its fair share of highs and lows, but on the whole I was a fan. I found d4vd back in 2022 when his biggest hit, “Romantic Homicide” dropped. Since then he’s dropped a handful of singles while working on this debut. I actually liked the singles of the album more than most of the other songs. “Feel It” is one of my favorites from him, and as a huge Invincible fan how could I not love that song. I already talked about “Crashing” with Kali Uchis on here, but I was surprised to see her as the sole feature on this album. “One More Dance” is already a pretty iconic piece of d4vd’s catalog. The overall sound of this album is so on point for him. The guitars and pianos are beautiful, filled with d4vd’s ethereal vocals and swelling synthesizers. This album is so full of love, I highly recommend it to the R&B fans.
I’d never heard of tobi lou before taking a look at his newest album this week, but I was pleasantly surprised. As I was browsing releases this week I came across tobi lou, which Spotify apparently recommends to people who listen to Kota The Friend, who was a quarantine favorite of mine. The lo-fi style that hooked me to Kota is here in tobi lou’s album, “Baggy Weather” but it’s so much more. He takes noteworthy jazz influences, especially in the opening track, “If I Fall Please Don’t Catch Me. After a few tracks with busier electronic production, lou strips things down in “Anybody,” which starts with solely acoustic guitar as it slowly builds. I also loved his reflection on wanting to get more popular in “Mansion.” The album is a lot more than any typical lofi hip-hop project, and it only being 30 minutes long should give even more incentive.
“Pack It Up” is the newest single from one of the underground’s most popular artists, ian. I’ve covered his music here a decent bit already, and I’m a big fan of his unconventional trap style production. This song is more from that department, with a truly unique beat that keeps an infectious bounce. Ian’s flow suits the song perfectly, and since he’s been teasing this song on social media a good bit lately, the release makes me very excited for some of his future work.
PinkPantheress maintains her house/edm style on her newest single, “Stateside,” which has me incredibly excited. After “Tonight” released three weeks ago my interest in this sound switch was piqued, and this follow-up does not disappoint. It clearly takes a more British styling, especially in the synth font. PinkPantheress’ vocals are on point as always, which makes for another fantastic song. I think this song would fit perfectly in an international spy thriller scene in a club, and I’m eagerly awaiting a potential album.
Young Thug’s newest single with Future is a solid trap song, but doesn’t do anything too crazy in my opinion. The beat from 808Mafia was pretty good, and I especially liked the alarm-esque synth that blared in the background of Thug’s verses. His melodies didn’t really fit at some points in the song, but his performance ended up sticking the landing once he used a deeper tone. The beat switch using Future’s iconic “She belongs to the streets” line cracked me up, but the horn-led beat put me on my toes immediately. I think the second half of this song definitely saves it, and Future gives one of my favorite recent performances of his.
