Here are five brand new tunes worthy of adding to your playlists

Plasi – “Remember”
-I don’t know how Plasi keeps doing this, but he just writes music that connects with me. If you’ve ever reminisced on the early days of your relationship or (gasp!) perhaps one from the past, this song will resonate with you. It’s a peaceful, enlightening piece that seems befitting of a film score. I just adore the way Plasi consistently creates this moving, genuine music that puts a smile on my face every time.

Penny and Dime – “Ketchikan, AK”
-This is an upbeat, high production folk song that won me over right away. The vocal harmonies are the highlight, of course. But the charming, reflective sense of identity from the two singers is really easy to enjoy. The full composition really pulls me in from the start. I’m excited to hear where Penny and Dime go in their promising early career.

Luke Clerkin – “Stones”
-I don’t always support this lyric heavy style, but Clerkin is really good at it. The sparing musical arrangement seems to allow the vocal to shine through. You can hear every word, almost like a spoken word poem. The atmospheric sounds do set the mood, especially in the space between the verses. I found this to be a truly unique submission and one that I wanted our readers to have a chance to experience as well.

Michael Kurowski and Travie Austin – “Take all my sorrows”
-The song follows conventional blues styling yet the message is about accepting someone else’s sorrows. It’s a really interesting lyrical convention. The overall piece is a bit higher production than what I typically feature with the blues, but the guitar work is really nice. I like the balance of meaningful lyrics, gruff vocals, and quality guitar work. The full composition just works for me.

Aleksander Waaktaar – “Stranger”
-The gentle, easy going acoustic work on this song won me over right away. Waaktaar’s vocal then comes in and works perfectly. If you’re patient enough to make it to the vocal harmonies on the chorus, you’ll be glad you did. The full composition is quite relaxing. It’s an unhurried song that’s perfect for a time in which we all need to be sheltering in place. I adore this style.