New talent and comeback kids
What happens when you add together a pandemic, new releases from new artists (with one of them being a phenomenal local talent), and the rise of the underdog? If you guessed “a really good new music Friday” you’d be right.
Local
Elijah Jalil, Birds in the Sky
“Birds in the Sky” make us feel warm. Elijah Jalil’s voice is comforting, and the mix of acoustic guitar and soft piano with that voice creates something that is truly special. This track feels like a best friend telling you everything is going to be okay.
New Albums
The Chicks, Gaslighter
If you looked up “comeback kid” in a dictionary, you would find a picture of The Chicks. They’ve dropped the “Dixie” and kept the harmonies and girl power. Our inner kid who listened to “Ready to Run” every day while getting ready for school is stoked, and our college self isn’t surprised in the slightest by how much we still love them.
St. South, Get Well Soon
Ok, imagine the ambient/experimental music that a freshman would make in their dorm room? Got it? Ok, now imagine if a very talented girl was doing that, but with killer vocals and a quarter-life crisis.
Oliver Tree, Ugly is Beautiful
Oliver Tree is here for his debut (!!!) album, and it exceeds our expectations. Releasing a debut after touring and having a relative amount of success can sometimes be a flop, but “Ugly is Beautifull” has the vulnerable lyrics and fun production, mixed with slight anger, that we’ve grown to love.
Lime Cordiale, 14 Steps to a Better You
You know the bands you listened to in high school that you absolutely LOVED, but then outgrew as soon as you graduated? Lime Cordiale is like that, but this time they DO grow with you and make music for every era.
Ellie Goulding, Brightest Blue
Ellie Goulding might not be who we think of immediately when we hear the word “underdog” but “Brightest Blue” sounds like a triumphant return. We couldn’t walk around five years ago without hearing an Ellie Goulding song, and we wouldn’t mind going back to that if it sounds like this.
New Singles
Troye Sivan, Easy
Feeling weird about pandemic stuff? Need a pick me up? Want to have a dance party in your apartment? “Easy” is the song for you. The beat moves it along with vigor, even though it feels light. It’s *easy* to listen to, if you will.
San Cisco, On The Line
“On The Line” has a sort of Twin Peaks feel to it. Not the one-eyed Jack’s part, but the, “I’m so young and in love and the word will rise or fall based on that love,” part. It’s sweet and kind of sad, but mostly it’s just hopeful.
Matt Maltese, hi
This retro, almost Motown-inspired, track makes us nostalgic and wistful for romance. It seems to float, drifting in and out of the aura of a 1950’s prom. It doesn’t shove love down our throat, but teases it just enough to make us think about it.
L.A.B., In The Air
“In the Air” is one of those songs that we start grooving to without even realizing it. The guitar slides over this track, combining with velvety vocals to create something that is almost perfect. It’s fun and funky and an absolute delight to listen to.
Alfred Duncan, BLM Plaza (feat. Steve Roy)
Black Lives Matter is not a trend. The lives of Black people still matter, and they always have. “BLM Plaza” is an R&B/hip-hop track inspired by the BLM protests happening just a few blocks from the Whitehouse. This track doesn’t just sound good. It carries weight.
Assembled by music director Meghan Jonas