The new year is a reflective time for a lot of people. Feelings on love, self-love, the world around oneself, and the speed of time are many things that come back into the forefront of processing for many. That’s why Popfad has collected these 8 tracks to listen through and add to some playlists. Each has its own space in exploring a sense of emotional resonance.
Henry Aberson – Call (Featuring Derran Day and Korey Keys)
“Call” stands out as a laid-back groove with a jazz basis and inspiration from modern R&B melodies. The guitars and bass have a nice slap to them, and the bright twinkle of the guitar plays with some great rhythm alongside the softer percussion. This is benefited by the slower pacing that the bass takes. Vically, this track is gorgeous. They have a sweet, breathy tone at times that breaks into a brassier sound at times, and they riff around with great control. The production has a lo-fi sound, which gives a bit of a nostalgic dash to things. Also, each vocalist has some dynamics to add to the sound that take it to the next level. Lyrically, this track provides a tale of love and yearning with potency.
Sara Diana – Is That Blood?
The acoustic piano intro of “Is That Blood?” establishes it as an emotional ballad. However, this sound is quickly cut in by a bass that pulsates along at a moderate pace with a percussive clack interspersed. This is all brought to completion by some higher-toned synths that rest in the background of the mix in a way that adds a lot of atmosphere. Another, more melodic synth cuts in around 2:00, which sparks a slow build into more sounds being introduced. This is all paired well with vocals that rest into an alto range with a soft beauty to then that bend around with a smooth gooeyness, and there’s something haunting about their softer sound mixed with the atmosphere of the instrumentation. In terms of the lyrics, this track tells a tale of romance with darker undertones. This track is like something out of a romance/horror film; there’s love, but there’s also a sense of brooding.
Michael Pinning – ghost
‘ghost’ is one of those tracks that shows how stellar production can bring out the warm buzz of an acoustic guitar beautifully. Its initial singer-songwriter style does well at implementing acoustic and electronic elements to make a full-band sound that centers around a guitar. This comes before a strong, thrashy pickup of a chorus before fading back down, which adds a rock element and keeps listeners on the tips of their toes. This track is loaded with emotion, and this can be shown with vocals that have softer moments with stellar dynamics and stronger, more chanted moments. The lyrics in this track capture feelings of trying to find self-love while struggling with one’s own mental health.
Luna Starborn – Old White Men
‘Old White Men’ utilizes an orchestrated sound with a piano basis to build a haunting presence that’s headed by beautifully soft vocals. Around 01:12, the vocals pick up well. They break out of their softness and hit more of a belt, which then breaks into a soft head-voice. After this, the piano becomes more plucky, and other strings jump into the background to give a driving rhythm to things. The way different elements enter and exit in this track gives an almost cinematic flair to the piece. Additionally, there’s so much prowess throughout every part of this release, and the stellar production helps it to truly stand out. Lyrically, this track is about trying to get away from the chokehold of those who are commonly in power.
Dr. GO – Simple Piano
‘Simple Piano’ is anything but. It has a really gorgeous production with its buzzy atmospheric synths that seem to float around the way that it shifts slowly in the stereo. Then, the primary synths cut in, and it sounds like something straight out of an adventure movie. It’s cinematic and exciting, and the way that it flows and evolves seems to tell a distinct narrative even without any lyrics or vocals present. Though it is electronic, there are piano sounds that build into the electronic basis to give it a bit of a classical influence. This is all benefited by scattered bird and nature sound effects to really bring things to life.
Alexa Kate – Forever
Anyone looking for an acoustic singer-songwriter piece that’s packed full of somber vibes, “Forever” is the place to look. This track starts with a simple acoustic guitar, which does well at highlighting the soft and smooth breathy vocals. Eventually, atmospheric synths enter, then piano, then percussion with a slow build. The way it builds is really well done, and it plays around the chorus, which makes it catchy as well as exciting start to finish. The outro does well at quickly fading back to softness, which builds an extra sense of introspection. Production-wise, it’s on point and delivers an absolutely crisp clarity. The lyrical narrative tackles the fleeting nature of time and how things change so quickly. It captures how, as years go by, a person becomes a person they weren’t before, all while showing a yearning for time to slow down.
Guzzi Gu – She said she loved me. (R&B remix)
The R&B remix of “She said she loved me.’ stands out with a lo-fi production style that somehow stands out with crisp clarity. The start of the track introduces this lo-fi beat with a crackle that sounds like it’s from a vinyl. Then it cuts in with a soft synth line and percussion, giving the vocal quality, riffs, and beautiful melody a space to shine. It has a distinct beat instrumentally, but that beat is laid-back and calm. In culmination, it builds an emotional presence. Lyrically, this track tackles what it’s like being in love with someone and having that love returned. That being said, the other party seems to be confused about love and doesn’t put in what they should be. It comes from the space of someone who feels like their emotions have been played with due to the back and forth of another, all with lies and hurt in between.
Gavin Marengi – Breathing Years
‘Breathing Years’ utilizes a laid-back tempo with beautiful string layers as a backdrop to a story of growing up fast. The mix in this track is on point, allowing the several guitar layers, bass, and piano to all stand out on their own. But, while they stand out, they also fit together beautifully in a way that makes the piece cohesive. At around 02:07, there’s an instrumental portion that picks up the pace before pulling back for a moment, then transitioning to a strong finish. This all works well with the vocals, which play with a bendy brassiness and are loaded with raw emotion. When it comes to lyrics, this track uses picturesque scenes to tell a heartfelt narrative of life, its fleeting nature, change, and feelings of pain.
Written by Sage Plapp
Cover image by Grzegorz
