Days Like These – “Something Ain’t Right”
-I appreciate the up tempo rock energy once the guitars enter this track. The production allows for the lead vocal to cut through cleanly on this one. There’s a grittiness underlying the main melody that makes the song cut through the crowd of indie rock styles currently. The acoustic guitar on the break also creates a nice sense of space, allowing the listener to “breathe” in the midst of the rest of the rock-heavy style. The lyrics are about the feeling of being unsettled, a feeling of a lack of hope. It’s a really fascinating aspect and if you’ve ever been “down” but still seeking hope, then this song will resonate.
Larlin – “Sondheim”
-There’s something about striking that perfect balance of distortion that can make a song really connect for me. This song has that right from the start. Once the lead vocal enters, the song feels moody and expressive in all the right ways. Something about the effect on the vocal for the first chorus reminds me of artists like Maggie Rogers and even Billie Eilish. There’s a captivating energy to this song and the dynamics highlight the peaks and valleys of the melody’s unique characteristics. Once that chorus comes back around, it’s impossible not to bob your head along and really feel the grittiness. It’s a wonderful balance point between soaring pop rock sections with grungy, emotional bits as well. This is what alt rock is all about and I’m glad to be supporting such a promising, rising star.
Dirty Beau – “Stella”
-I’ve often made the joke that any song with the title of a woman’s name is either a heartache song or a love song. This one feels like it’s more the former, with a dash of hope toward the latter. There’s an extant hopefulness that maybe things with Stella will work out. There’s an underlying blues rock style here that works really well. The song overall has an attitude that’s visceral, almost like something you’d hear played in a smokey bar. I’m trying to think of a good comparison artist and I’m not sure there’s a simple parallel, but if you like the blues rock of the 60s and some of the production developments of the past decade, you’ll find a lot to like here. The production isn’t all clean; some of it is intentionally full of distortion and grind, but it suits the mood of the song. It’s not for everyone, but if this hits for you I think you’re going to want it on heavy rotation. It’s great at what it does.
Image courtesy: Larlin IG
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