Anna Bates – “Last man on earth”
-First lines matter. With a heavy hitting first line worthy of John Prine and the great folk singers of the 20th century, Anna Bates wows us with, “Well I might dig up Elvis…” Uh… okay. That’s… random. Why? As soon as you ask why, you’re hooked for the song. Why is the last person on earth digging up Elvis? Go on. Ultimately the lyrics are about going crazy being the last person in a post-apocalyptic world. The composition style is gloriously fascinating. The mix with the layered vocals are really outstanding. The song is so “out of the box” that I was dumbstruck and completely taken by the song. Striking the perfect balance between glorious songwriting and the delightfully absurd, this is a song for our time.
Maya Abee – “Motorcade”
-There’s a subtle toe-tapping energy to this song that made it stand out for me. It’s got a bit of a 90s alt rock hue to it overall. That said, Abee’s vocal on the chorus feels a bit like a Siren call. However, unlike the myth, it calls out danger rather than causing danger. That said, the smooth and blurry intermingling of melody and harmony, lyrics and inflections, makes for a dreamlike bit of indie pop. This one feels like a jazzed up fever dream and it just… works. Abee’s vocals are enough on their own but the band really brings it all together for something special.
Mark Diamond – “Yesterdays”
-Every once in a while we run across that’s so subtlety beautiful it’s impossible to say no. The cathartic melody of this track from Mark Diamond really stands out in the indie pop crowd. The instrumentation and composition really go down smooth. It’s about taking stock in your past together, both in terms of memory as well as remembering what you’ve been through together. There is hope in being with someone that you’ve been through a lot with. It’s optimistic and sweet.
Image courtesy: Anna Bates IG
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