Each Friday, Atwood Journal’s employees share what they’ve been listening to that week – a music, an album, an artist – no matter’s been having an impression on them, within the second.
This week’s weekly roundup options music by Rihanna, chrysalis, Vukovar, Teenage Priest, PREP, NewJeans, Wellingta, Rachel Baiman & Anthony da Costa, Rebounder, Luna CLIPSE, M. Byrd, The Nice Indoors, & Mel 4Ever!
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:: “Carry Me Up” – Rihanna ::
Josh Weiner, Washington DC
Half her life in the past, in 2005, seventeen-year-old Rihanna first entered the scene along with her dancefloor-ready debut single, “Pon de Replay.” Over the last decade that adopted, it appeared like there was nary a second wherein RiRi didn’t have one hit single or one other on the radio– particularly since a staggering 14 of them went to #1 and 31 of them made it to the High 10. At no level in that interval of dominance would we now have ever thought we’d be the place we are actually– with Rihanna six years faraway from her final album and 5 years faraway from her final huge solo single (“Love on the Mind”). But sadly, her paucity of latest materials since 2016’s ANTI has certainly left Rihanna in such a state, one that will have been inconceivable whereas she was in her prime.
With “Carry Me Up,” the Barbadian star is about to make her comeback on an exceptionally grand scale: on the soundtrack to Black Panther: Wakanda Endlessly. It’s the sequel to a film that grossed $1.4 billion worldwide and was nominated for seven Oscars, so it’s completely cheap to anticipate that “Carry Me Up” might be reaching a substantial viewers as soon as the movie hits theaters later this month. On high of all that, it positively helps that this music is elegantly sung, layered with absorbing manufacturing, and buoyed by transferring lyrics about reconnecting with misplaced family members. As each a return to kind for Rihanna, and a tribute to deceased Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman, “Carry Me Up” achieves appreciable weight.
:: “Handprints” – chrysalis ::
Sophie Severs, Boston, MA
Caught in a stage of eternal transformation, Boston-based singer/songwriter chrysalis’ latest single “handprints” is a poignant lesson on rising, residing and letting go.
Launched on Oct. 21, 2022, this dreamy acoustic ballad whisks listeners away right into a perpetual state of eager for somebody who they’ve already misplaced. Thus far, the musician’s discography has been marked by an overarching sense of melancholy layered over the peaceable plucking of their guitar strings. This stays true throughout the context of “handprints,” because the buoyant swells of chrysalis’ acoustic guitar slides intertwine with their brilliant vocals as they nearly ashamedly admit: “You’re in each dream / I really feel most awake when I’m / Deep into sleep / That’s once you kiss me / Then actuality hits / I’m going chilly turkey however I / Can’t appear to stop / Give me only one hit.”
Pushed by uncooked emotion, chrysalis fights in opposition to the assorted ‘what-if moments’ that their thoughts creates, desperately making an attempt to erase the reminiscence of this person who they as soon as cherished so dearly. The music nearly reads as a diary entry, a cathartic upheaval of the phrases that they so badly wished to say to their ex-lover’s face, however maybe by no means had the chance to specific. And thus, they as an alternative plead with the universe for closure, begging: “I wanna overlook your title / Let each a part of you fade / Don’t wanna recall your face / So if I see you along with her I gained’t ache / Let me have my manner / My manner.”
chrysalis will proceed to undergo metamorphosis after metamorphosis with each music that they put out into the world. Their journey is much from over; and whereas they definitely hope to someday achieve their wings, they’re completely content material embracing change because it comes within the current second, therapeutic slightly extra as every day passes.
:: “Place to Relaxation” – Vukovar ::
Mitch Mosk, New York
Much of Vukovar’s music might be described as “stunning post-punk reckonings with grief and loss,” and the glistening, gut-wrenching “Place to Relaxation” isn’t any exception. “It’s all in your thoughts,” the British experimental band sing of their new album’s lead single. “To the pure, all issues are pure; it’s all within the eyes. One final look after which there may be nothing extra, it’s all in your thoughts.” Dwelling in deep emotional caverns, the radiant, synth-soaked and cinematic “Place to Relaxation” vacillates between accepting dying’s finality – and the nihilism that accompanies such a mindset – and cherishing the life we now have, whereas we now have it.
The beating coronary heart of Vukovar’s lately launched new album The Physique Abdicator (out June 25, 2022 through Different Voices Data), “Place to Relaxation” aches with the discharge of a profound, deep ache.
It’s all within the thoughts
To the pure all issues are pure
It’s all within the eyes
One final look after which there may be nothing extra
All of the numbers i hallucinate
All of the coordinates I dream
There’s nothing to counsel they’re incorrect
There should be someplace that they lead
Loss of life turns into the absence of The Self
“Though we don’t wish to share the best way we work, for our personal causes, we’ll say about ‘Place To Relaxation’ that the music itself is a superb emotional anchor to us, as is the entire of the ‘Eternity Ends Right here’ triptych, which this album finishes off,” Vukovar inform Atwood Journal. “The suicide of expensive/dead-friend Simon Morris was devastating and his ghost has graced the whole lot we now have performed since then.”
“With this music and video – which was filmed on the river the place his physique was recovered – we will now be freed from his weight and transfer on in sure methods. We all know these phrases will fail to get throughout what all of it means to us, however so long as the route might be understood and the music might be loved.”
A five-piece band from Todmorden, UK (which they readily consult with as “a crumbling placefiller of a city”), Vukovar is a five-piece band making typically wondrous synth pop, and typically caustic, churning industrial noise. They describe “Place to Relaxation” as “death-pop;” musically, the music remembers a cross of The Smiths and LCD Soundsystem, while the lyrics ruminate on the premature 2019 dying of shut good friend and typically band member Simon Morris, described in a single obituary as “the driving power” behind Blackpool DIY avant punk band Ceramic Hobs. Vukovar’s previous three albums – 2020’s The Colossalist, 2021’s The Nice Immurement, and 2022’s The Physique Abdicator – have all centered round Morris’ life and his dying, and now with “Place to Relaxation,” the band say a robust, poignant goodbye to their cherished one.
All who’ve felt dying’s impression are certain to resonate with Vukovar’s bittersweet death-pop poetry.
It’s all within the thoughts
To the pure all issues are pure
It’s all within the eyes
One final look after which there may be nothing extra
All this time I’ve been unthinking
Each second I spend unaware
All this depart of absence I’ve been taking
All I would like is my very own nowhere
Nowhere, nowhere, nowhere…
Loss of life turns into the absence of The Self
It’s all within the thoughts
To the pure all issues are pure
It’s all within the eyes
One final look after which there may be nothing extra
Loss of life turns into the absence of the self
:: New Denims – NewJeans ::
Sam Franzini, Washington, DC
It looks like a whole lot of latest Ok-pop teams debut each week, so maintaining with them lately has been a battle. I used to be an enormous fan of LOONA once they had been beginning to get huge, I nonetheless tune into the whole lot Pink Velvet does, and am anxiously awaiting YUKIKA’s comeback, nevertheless it feels uncommon that I hearken to a brand new Ok-pop single that excites.
All this modified with NewJeans, a newly fashioned group whose 4-track EP New Denims is infectious and progressive abruptly. Combining the grooves of R&B with beautiful and new manufacturing, the 5-member group glides over the silky pop perfection of “Consideration” and “Hype Boy,” the ballad of “Damage”, and the playfulness of “Cookie.” Innovation is actually baked into their title (it’s a play on ‘new genes’), and this debut EP gives one thing listeners seemingly haven’t heard of earlier than.
If Lorde’s success at 16 wasn’t sufficient to humble you, NewJeans’ common group age is 16.6 – with the youngest being simply 16. And with every group member being closely concerned within the writing course of, it looks like all are proficient in their very own proper. With their second EP launch slated for December, NewJeans appear poised to take over the world.
:: “As It Was” – PREP ::
Lilly Eason, Nashville, TN
I’ll by no means declare to be a Harry Kinds stan. As a lot as I can take pleasure in and recognize his music for being high quality pop, can assess his work and iconography with an understanding for why his recognition is as it’s, he’s simply not on the high of my favourite artist checklist. PREP’s cowl of Kinds’ “As It Was,” nevertheless, demonstrates the very good roots that his discography is grounded in and makes an already catchy music catchy otherwise,
When endeavoring to cowl any music, particularly one as critically and culturally acclaimed as “As It Was,” the query should be raised of “why is that this cowl mandatory, how does it take the unique music and do one thing new with it?” PREP’s cowl is one which strips away a whole lot of the encompassing noise of the unique, revealing and urgent on its nerves. They preserve the groove of the music, hold that dancey funk, however they slim it down, emphasizing its rhythm. It feels as in the event that they took an icepick to the glacier that’s the authentic and carved a sculpture. To me, that is precisely what a canopy ought to do- take the unique, hold it recognizable, however make it sound just like the group that’s masking it. PREP does precisely that, weaving the funky digital grooviness that the band’s identified for into Kinds’ music. They marry the music with their particular person type that fits the monitor and elevates its bones. So if you happen to’re ever searching for a tutorial on how you can cowl a music proper, it’s this proper right here.
:: “No Goodbyes” – Wellingta ::
Joe Beer, Surrey, UK
Wellingta is again along with her soulful new providing “No Goodbyes.” Amongst her cascading melodies and euphoric rhythms, she blends R&B with dancehall beats to create a sound that’s really her personal. Fuelling her repertoire with the nostalgia of the late ’90s, her vibes and imaginative and prescient come to life in sync to create a rare new tune.
In an observational ode to life itself, “No Goodbyes” encases Wellingta’s humbling authenticity into an addictive R&B anthem. She explains, “This time I went to the studio and informed my producer that I actually wish to do a music for God. I had simply completed listening to Mary Mary‘s music “Strolling” and thought WOW that’s it! I wanna do a dope, danceable music like this for God.”
Enriching vocal vitality and hovering melodies lend themselves to Wellingta’s huge musical influences. Proving that there are really no boundaries with regards to her creativity, “No Goodbyes” soars with euphony. As pleasure, hope and love infiltrate each second, we will’t assist however really feel uplifted by Wellingta’s new providing. What an exquisite new single!
:: “Election Evening” – Rachel Baiman & Anthony da Costa ::
Mitch Mosk, New York
Any music with the phrase “election” in it’s certain to be triggering in early November – I discover myself returning to Brian Dunne’s very good 2020 ballad, “Getting Wrecked on Election Day” increasingly more ths time of yr – and Rachel Baiman’s heated new music isn’t any exception. “And just like the final people on the Titanic, the band was playin’ because the ship went down,” the Chicago-born, Nashville-based singer/songwriter croons from the attention of the storm. “I sprang to my ft and my physique began transferring throughout that dance ground on the outskirts of city.” It’s laborious to disregard the concern and trepidation looming overhead, and but on “Election Evening,” Baiman and Anthony da Costa so effortlessly sweep away the dread and drum up a dreamy reverie. It’s a short lived haven, and in three minutes we’ll be again to the identical previous finger-biting, however this achingly uncooked people music reminds us not simply to stay, however to bask within the second – as a result of really, it’s all we now have.
I used to be excessive as a kite, it was election night time
I discovered myself at Dee’s Cocktail Lounge
There have been too many individuals transferring back and forth
However I used to be simply hooked on the sound
And just like the final people on the Titanic
The band was playin’ because the ship went down
I sprang to my ft and my physique began transferring
Throughout that dance ground on the outskirts of city
“This music embodies the sensation of letting go within the face of uncertainty,” Rachel Baiman tells Atwood Journal. “Written in regards to the eve of the final presidential election, when it felt like a lot was at stake and but I used to be utterly helpless, I discovered solace in dropping myself and dancing to my good friend’s band at our native bar. Anthony was the proper collaborator for this one, with grungy guitar vibes for days. His vocals actually nail the sensation as properly, and I can’t wait to sing this stay with him at Dee’s on this upcoming election night time!”
This Election Day, please keep in mind to vote, after which come Election Evening, do one thing good for your self. Past being a young, smoldering singalong, “Election Evening” comes with an essential message. Destiny is coming for us whether or not or not we spend all our time worrying, so stay your life properly, play because the ship sinks, and dance – even when the world is burning.
There have been gold tinsel curtains, and a jukebox filled with locals
Velvet armchairs and darts
Beat up pool tables and reminiscences of lovers
Wedding ceremony nights and damaged hearts
And just like the final people on the Titanic
The band was playin’ because the ship went down
I sprang to my ft and my physique began transferring
Throughout that dance ground on the outskirts of city
:: “Joker” – Luna CLIPSE ::
Josh Weiner, Washington DC
We’ve seen all sorts of portrayals of the Joker through the years– some comical, some sinister, and a few slightly of each. However as greatest I can inform– and I’m an enormous Batman fan– we’ve by no means seen the Joker rapping earlier than. Enter Luna CLIPSE, a New York-based rapper who brings that nifty idea to life in his new music video, that includes himself decked in Joker make-up and visitor singer Tiffani LeBlanc donning the Harley Quinn look.
On high of all this visible attraction, “Joker” has significant lyrics impressed by the creator’s struggles with psychological sickness, and a strong beat achieved by skilled hip-hop producer Jerry Wonda. For these trying to prolong the Halloween-themed enjoyable previous October thirty first, a strong resolution could have arisen.
:: “Victory Lap” – Teenage Priest ::
Isabella Le, Backyard Grove, CA
It’s uncommon that I discover a music on my Uncover Weekly that I grow to be obsessive about on my first pay attention, and it’s even rarer that that music occurs to be from an artist native to me. Teenage Priest pleasantly stunned me in each points this week together with his most up-to-date single, “Victory Lap,” a midtempo, synth-driven indie pop monitor with simply the correct quantity of lo-fi sprinkled in.
When he isn’t making music underneath the Teenage Priest moniker, Taylor Van Ginkel might be discovered enjoying guitar for Bishop Briggs, a stark distinction to the mellow, ’80s-influenced tracks he self-produces. Hailing from Orange County, Ginkel attracts inspiration from and infuses brilliant California essence into dreamy, nearly shoegaze-like bed room pop (as seen most clearly in “Buena Park,” each sonically and when it comes to its title). The mix is weirdly hypnotic, and it’s a operating theme all through the remainder of his discography– Teenage Priest has developed a sound that’s enigmatic and mysterious, concurrently it’s feelgood and groovy.
Launched October twenty sixth, “Victory Lap” is the proper soundtrack to each lazy weekend afternoons at dwelling and late-night drives down the seaside. Hopefully, we’ll be granted the privilege of listening to a full-length album from him within the close to future!
:: “Flood” – M. Byrd ::
Joe Beer, Surrey, UK
Emerging indie-rock sensation M. Byrd has returned together with his newest providing, “Flood.” Having lately signed to Nettwerk Music Group, the Germany-based singer/songwriter continues to encase his ardour for individuals and function into a very dynamic catalogue.
His newest endeavor proves that at his core, M. Byrd is a exceptional storyteller. As he explores the turbulence of life, his fables flip to household. He reveals, “My accomplice’s household is in Denmark. My household is someplace on the French border. My associates are in all places. I’m making an attempt to make sense of letting go and nonetheless being agency with myself and the individuals I like.”
As M. Byrd explores what dwelling actually means to him, he encases delicate narration in elegant indie-inspired rhythms, distinct beats and echoic vocal vitality. “Flood” really takes listeners on a journey, and that momentum seeps into each second of this new providing. For sure, M. Byrd is about on a trajectory that can see him soar. His humbling resonance and indie rock leanings set him aside.
:: “I HATE U” – Mel 4Ever ::
Chloe Robinson, California
Some say hate is a robust phrase, however typically you can not assist however be drawn to rage. Hate is a robust phrase as a result of it’s related to a robust sensation. Whenever you really feel your blood boiling and the extraordinary anger begin to set in, it may be laborious to cease it. Mel 4Ever lately launched her mesmerizing, mechanical single “I HATE U.” The monitor particulars the big hatred you are feeling in direction of somebody who has minimize you deep. With pounding, static preparations and thrashing, prickly vocals, that disdain pierces by means of.
Mel 4Ever melds hyper-punk and pop to create a method all her personal. She is a self-titled “tranny pop-star” and her tunes are soaked in sharp synths and fuzzy landscapes. Mel’s debut EP Tranic Assault touches on transitioning, sobriety and sexual abuse. There’s a lot uncooked ardour put into that providing and this new music portrays that very same penetrating emotion.
:: “Her” – The Nice Indoors ::
Mitch Mosk, New York
They don’t name ‘em vices for nothing. “I’m making an attempt to make it simple, I’ll come knocking at your door,” The Nice Indoors’ Jared Stilley sings in his band’s second single. “So stroll on in your gilded sneakers and depart them wanting extra.” Launched in mid-September through SevenOhSeven Data, “Her” is a fab, smoldering reckoning with the short-term pleasures that make for long-term lows. Jazz tinged guitar work and suave indie pop melodies, mixed with easy, soulful singing, recall Steely Dan and The Lengthy Run-era The Eagles as The Nice Indoors lull us right into a sweetly seductive hypnosis:
Her thoughts isn’t like mine
However want is insistent
Her mouth appears to talk with out saying something and I converse
She’s right here, like an angel, and so they can’t contact her, she retains all of it apart to assume
Rug burnt arms and knees, it’s easy, i’m taking over the bottom we hold
I could possibly be sayin’ far an excessive amount of
However now i’m previous the purpose of maintaining
I breathe it in as she breathes it out
Far too enamored to be content material now
“The music is a metaphor for recognizing issues inside your individual life, whether or not it’s the web, medication, procrastination, something, which are on the expense of your individual long run happiness,” the band clarify. “It’s a mirrored image on discovering individuality, significantly throughout the interval of life the place societal influences are synthesizing with the apocalyptic emotions of youth. The music’s lyrics use the rom-com-esque cliché of somebody not being true to themselves in a relationship, as a metaphor for one’s personal relationship to existential affect. The irony of the rhythmic, easy-to-dance-to instrumentation and easy vocals serve to the aim of the songs message, that exterior notion mustn’t negatively impact what comes naturally to you, and what feels greatest is being your self.”
Comprised of singer/songwriters Jared Stilley and Mason Marcantel, bassist Carter Rucker, and drummer Christian Verardi, The Nice Indoors are really model new. having solely debuted their first single, the radiant and churning indie rock music “Roses,” in mid-August. Between “Roses” and “Her,” the band have displayed not solely a substantial sonic breadth, but in addition the spectacular vocal vary to match; that smoky refrain in “Her” is scorching sufficient to soften the iciest ears.
I’m making an attempt to make it simple
I’ll come knocking at your door
If I don’t take a backseat
I gained’t be left alone and bored
So stroll on in your gilded sneakers
And depart them wanting extra
Whether or not or not you too are “making an attempt to make it simple” in another methods, listening to The Nice Indoors is a no brainer.
:: “Factoury Lady” – Rebounder ::
Chloe Robinson, California
Songs like Dolly Parton’s “9 to five” and Loverboy’s “Working for the Weekend” specific the stresses of the on a regular basis work grind. Consider these those that work past the common hours. They work tirelessly day in and day trip to help their deepest passions. Rebounder’s new single “Factoury Lady” is about simply that. Member Dylan was impressed by a good friend who works a full time job whereas additionally pursuing appearing. It takes a whole lot of time and dedication to tackle a number of jobs. This wistful, indie, chilled-out single pays homage to that diligence. The laid-back sonics distinction the monitor’s significant message of an exhaustive workflow. The video options New York actress Annie Hamilton whereas she waits tables and you’ll visually sense her stress as chaos ensues.
The band is made up of author/producer Dylan Chenfeld alongside together with his brother Noah Chenfeld in addition to Cobey Arner and Zack Kantor. Collectively they’ve concocted a sound that really delights our ears with a lush, longing high quality. By way of that soothing type they’ve gained a loyal fan base. Now rebounder prepares to set sail on their offered out tour with Solar Room displaying simply how far they’ve come.
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