Now Listening: This Week's Tracks
Juniper Honey - “Why Did You Call?”
Beginning with gentle twangs of guitar and synth sounds that feel like a wistful soft rock track from a hazy age-old Californian scene, Juniper Honey don’t leave listeners hanging on for too long when their jangly indie-pop melody kicks in. “Why Did You Call?” explores the fading optimism that heartbreak brings through lively guitar pacing and pulsing percussion. As the band wanders down the road of indecisive thoughts and unrequited feelings, a cryptic phone call keeps the hope alive. Thanks to their Southern Californian roots, Juniper Honey are never too far away from home through their music. Whether it’s the darker context that compliments the sweet strumming in their melodies or their laid-back style, “Why Did You Call?” is a stand out single full of promise.
Cal in Red - “Habits”
It’s a song you frantically search for as summer afternoons approach. “Habits” by Cal in Red is like a breath of fresh air, with its bright guitar lines and woozy bass. The indie pop rock duo from Grand Rapids, Michigan, have produced a jangly anthem to help you find comfort in the haze of sunny and overthinking days. There is beauty in simplicity, and the brothers Connor and Kendall Wright master this with pure sincerity. “Habits” ends with a memorable chorus as their vocals soar over a gentle fanfare of horns. In the distance, Cal in Red lament self-deprecating habits and patterns that torment us all as the song ends and seamlessly begins again.
GLOB - “Hope Fool”
Melbourne, Austria-based band, GLOB present a thoughtful and refined sonic world on their latest single, “Hope Fool.”
Beginning with a breezy guitar riff, the track has a dense production that reveals additional layers on each listen. The chorus is soaring, and instantly memorable. Lyrics deal with allowing nature to take its course and allowing chaos to pass over. “Hope Fool” wraps up with a guitar solo that functions as catharsis; when the lyrics’ meaning can only go so far and give way to visceral playing.
The track was produced, engineered, and mixed by Michael Badger (King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, Amyl and the Sniffers) and mastered by Steve Smart (King Stingray). GLOB will be releasing more singles soon.
Divers - “Security”
“Security” is the kind of gem that you find staying up late at night, looking for music on your laptop.
Its arrangement recalls bedroom pop at its peak. The loops are early Passion Pit-style: deceivingly simple with labored details, like texture-enhancing horns. Vocals are delivered from a distance during the verses until it hits a pitch-shifted, infectious chorus. The track’s genre exists somewhere between indie, psychedelic, and rock. A drum loop anchors everything, allowing synths to experiment. “Security” suits both late-night solo listens or dancefloor contemplation.
Divers, based out of Melbourne, are set to release an EP, Economy Class (featuring “Security”) in the near future.
smythy - “Good Time”
The first lick of smythy’s upcoming EP, “Good Time” explores the emotional toll a reliance on instant gratification takes on our mental wellbeing. Conjured up amidst the aftermath of a night of heavy drinking, “Good Time” intertwines summery indie sounds with sparkling pop notes. The track sits upon the intersection of relatable angst and hopeful optimism, juxtaposing an upbeat and perky melody with much more downbeat and heavy lyrics. Featured alongside smithy on “Good Time” are fellow bandmates Shane O’Connell, Liam Watt, Tadhg Gleeson, Eoin Hynes and Rory Ryan.
Josephine – lost?
Weaving soft and gentle sounds with tender vocals, Josephine’s latest EP lost? is a six part offering that places a unique spin on the indie genre that incorporates pop, electronic, folk and jazz sounds into its atmosphere. The EP captures Josephine’s journey from solitude in Los Angeles, to building her dream future in the south of France with a lover. Injecting self-aware commentaries on self-love and finding love amidst the turmoil of dating apps into the safety of dreamy, hazy sounds, Josephine’s lost? is equal parts contemplative and reassuring; at once encouraging listeners to remain critical of the world around them and soothing the hurt experienced in the fallout.
