The Green House Band – “Faded lines”
-From first listen, this track got me with the groove. It’s a little soulful, a little chilled out, but has some really good elements that make it stand out from the crowd. The lead vocal is outstanding. The chilled out electric guitar riffs sound effortless but most assuredly are not. The crispy production makes the whole track feel really good. The lyrics are about handling your own business. It’s about confidence and self assurance; I can’t help but think Aretha Franklin would appreciate the inherent self respect at the core of the track’s message.
Ryann Barnes – “Bitter rainbows”
-The song starts off with a calm almost “indie pop” vibe to it, but the guitars definitely give it a bit more of an edge. The crooning energy on the chorus takes it to a nice poppy place, but the combination of influences in the composition give it that real sense of bitterness in some aspects. The self awareness of not being able to identify love shows wisdom in the song. I appreciate the stylistic blend and the inherent risk taking of the song’s composition. It’s an interesting tune for fans of alt pop.
Ravine – “Repeat”
-We’ve heard a lot of synth music over the years, so it really takes something special to make it stand out. The energy of this track from Ravine has that infectious pop energy while still propelling the song along with its own path. There was a band I featured a few years ago called Eleventyseven. Ravine remind me a bit of the vibes that band gave me. It’s a song that feels like it’s more than the “sum of its parts.” The vocal, guitar, and synth all work together for a truly synthetic and tight production mix. I can imagine rocking out to this at a live show where everyone is jumping and feeling the energy. It goes to show the amazing versatility of unconventional rock music.
Image courtesy: Ryann Barnes IG
