New Adds Reviews:
Valentine’s Day Freestyle ‘25 - JPEGMAFIA
JPEGMAFIA's new track "Valentine's Day Freestyle '25" stacks prominent 90s R&B sounds with his politically and culturally charged lyrics. As expected, the production and sampling on this track outshines his rapping. The looped sample of SWV's "I'm So Into You" pays homage to the iconic vocal group, while his musical fingerprint is clear in the almost out-of-place guitar and genre-bending beat. There is nothing particularly genius in his lyrics, rather it seems to be a hodgepodge of timely references from his first verse opening with a diss to Drake to later calling out Biden, "I slipped and fell up in that pussy like I'm Biden / Your ex is pushing me out, this bitch is riding." Regardless, "Valentine's Day Freestyle '25" is yet another example of his artistry in chopping up intricate samples and beat-making.
Another year - Edith Frost
Edith Frost takes you into a dream state with her new song “Another Year.” The isolated organ tones on which the acoustic guitar is layered are at once melancholic and whimsical, cradling her voice as she sings, “Can you hear me? / Can you hear me?” In line with the album’s title, “In Space,” Frost seems to be singing into the void, the melody pulsing around the vocals — very Men-I-Trust-adjacent. The long organ notes lend themselves to the monotonous feeling of life, never-ending, while the guitar picks up and signals a kind of optimism, a reminder of the company we have amid the despair, “I’m so glad you made it home / Made it to another year so what should we do with it?” Frost’s vocals split into two toward the end of her track; in an almost call and response, she ends her song hauntingly, a perfect opening track.
By Anya Motwani
BLACKEST - The Raveonettes
The Raveonettes’ “BLACKEST” is a testament to the rock group’s status as a key influence on the garage rock revival in indie music thanks to the jam-sesh vibe that brings listeners to their feet. The song eases into its rock tonality with canny, warm guitar riffs and chords along with distant percussion as if you’re listening to a band tune their instruments in between songs at a grunge basement show. As the track builds, its melody comes across as inquisitive, as if it’s urgently asking the listener a cheeky question in a suspended series of verses, though the tension ultimately breaks with some lovely isolated vocals.
Earthstar - Hannah Cohen
“Earthstar” inherits the greater thesis of Hannah Cohen’s upcoming fourth full-length album, “Earthstar Mountain,” which will center around her experience in the Catskill Mountains. Its instrumentation evokes a green, vibrant environment with tropical, colorful woodwind synths that Cohen’s producer and collaborator Sam Evian interspersed in the other singles preceding the album’s release March 28. Cohen’s charming vocals are comforting, complementing the track’s nostalgic chorus as it weaves a lilting tapestry of an ambiguous relationship. The song’s dreamy vibe behaves like a lovely Frankenstein of Wolf Alice and Men I Trust with a sleepy, groovy spin, an intentionally laidback and introspective track that begs to be listened to.
By Anna Jordan
Lovesick Blues (Radio Transcription) - Patsy Cline
There is something so undeniably charming about Patsy Cline’s country-pop sound that I so heavily associate with an endearing, simple image of the 1950s and 60s. “Lovesick Blues (Radio Transcription)” aptly begins with a radio transcription, but it’s not a great sign that the intro is the best part of the song. I take a particular liking to Patsy Cline’s yodeling, but I think it thrives in slower tempos when the listener can drink it in like honey. The fast-paced instrumental and her voice’s up-and-down rhythm leave a tense impression, kind of dulling the beauty of her sound and what could be a song that’s easier to grasp.
quiet considerations - la lune
‘quiet considerations’ fuses elements of alternative rock and shoegaze to create a sound that is both melancholic and urgent, with a pulsing, writhing guitar and resigned, atmospheric vocals. The blaring electric guitar and consistent rhythm portray a sense of tightly wound internal aggression, articulating everything the surrendered, muted vocals want to say but don’t. This paradox makes for a reflective sound and interesting song, though it’s nothing groundbreaking. I had never heard of la lune, but I heard the obvious influence of iconic bands like My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, The Cocteau Twins, and more. There’s nothing wrong with that, but I’d probably just listen to them instead.
Cataract Time - Destroyer
“Cataract Time” feels like a spiritual reassurance for a lost soul, a light and dynamic sound that is rich, colorful, subtle yet hypnotic. At eight minutes flat, it almost feels like a meditation, a vibrant landscape to move through as you’re ushered by a voice telling you “You’re tired of pretending” and “You don’t know what you’re doing”. The vocals are passive, talkative, and yet empathetic – they’re soft and understanding, and it makes the delivery of such emotionally charged lyrics all the more devastating. The title “Cataract Time” posits the duality of the song: cataract as in a condition that blurs your vision, misguides you, as the lyrics confirm, and cataract as in a huge waterfall. The intersection of these is something beautiful.
By India Brown