Three new tracks in the indie and alt pop realm that you’ll want to hear

dearest – “Playing it out again”
-This is a song about endurance. It’s a song about perseverance. This is a song about hope. The acoustic guitar and vocal work really well for the core of the song. There are plenty of additional production elements, but the song at its core is wonderful. I was drawn to this song right away because it feels like the natural intersection of folk and indie pop, two genres I cover often. I also love the opening line, “over and over I’m loving a version of him.” I can relate. It’s always beautifully unsettling when someone writes a lyric that captures an emotion you experienced personally for so long. This is a good song from lyrics to melody and performance.

Megan Winsor – “Sure”
-We tend to think of toe-tappers as being songs that are up tempo, but honestly I tap my toe to this song with every listen. There’s something inherently cathartic about the way the rhythm sways on this song. It’s not too fast, not too slow… it moves along with this positive energy about someone moving on. The harmonies on the line “there goes the sound of the gun” at the beginning of the chorus is absolutely magical. This is an outstanding song with some really wonderful production work. In terms of genre, it brings together a lot of what I like about folk acoustic storytelling with beautiful indie pop production – including some stunning vocal harmonies – for an excellent total package.

Harris Hills – “Hate”
-I usually don’t like music when the vocal turns into these rapid near-rap style runs; it’s not something that we curate here. But this song – WOW. Okay, so the majority of the lyrics just roll from one idea to the other. There’s an almost-poetic vibe to the songwriting that makes it really easy to support. There’s a palpable sense of heartbreak in the songwriting that also makes it super interesting and relatable. While a lot of music out there pretends to reflect heartache, it really comes across as whining. This song rolls that pain into something cutting, something that feels true. This is an artistic expression of a raw and real emotion. I dig it.