The Ambient Light – “Will You Be Alright?”
-If ambient chill music is your thing, you need to know about this band. The Ambient Light have an incredibly comforting sound. Synths can be so frustrating when you hear them all the time, but here they work like a black light to illuminate all other things. It is by this track we can see max chill. Get it.
Ethan Fiske – “Bring Me Down”
-The comparison with Bruno Mars almost makes itself if you hear more than about 10 seconds of this track. But beyond that, Fiske brings a swagger that we just love. It’s a danceable groove, yet somehow manages to still be a chill track. The lyrics are definitely connected to a specific personal situation, but I bet before the chorus you’ll be thinking of someone you know. It’s got that special quality about it.
Lizzy Gunn – “Seasons of You”
-It’s a song about how hard it is to get out of bed when you’re with someone you love. I mean… c’mon how cute is that? Then you hear Gunn’s voice and inflection and overall sweetness. It’s pretty much love at first listen with this song. The Ingrid Michaelson comp is there to be made, but this is definitely a sweet and emotional singer songwriter track that stands on its own.
Noah Peterson – “My Name is Burns”
-Good jazz is hard to find. What I mean by that is that there’s a lot of jazz musicians, but seldom do they approach the art with a style that respects the past while moving forward with some unique turns. I am not a jazz expert (or any kind of expert, most would say), but clarity on this melody (which I assume to be a soprano sax) cuts through the air like a hot knife through butter. The stand up bass keeps us all honest. It’s an engaging track and I invite all jazz doubters to give this a shot.
Elyse Cizek – “Not the Girl For You”
-This might not be the message that a guy wants to hear, but honestly it’s a welcome one sometimes. Guys that try and try to “win the girl” just need to hear this. She might not be the one for you and that’s okay. The sultry, jazzy energy of Cizek’s performance here is absolutely engaging. The lyrics are repetitive because they are so necessary; shut up and listen, will you? That’s the message here. But then she has this line, “I’m hoping you’ll ask me to stay…” So she’s direct and she’s confused about what she wants? This is real talk right here.
