It’s the start of the year, which means now is the time to refresh playlists. The best way to do that is by discovering artists fresh on the scene and indie artists. Anyone who’s looking for some fresh sounds for their playlists. This round-up starts soft and ends with a bang, and it shows a range of how pop can be used alongside other influences.
Emma Rose – Salt House
‘Salt House’ is a beautiful acoustic folk pop piece with a focus on picturesque lyrics with instrumentation built on acoustic guitars, bass, and a raw vocal edit. A percussion, ethereal backing harmonies, and windy synths enter at times to dash in atmosphere. Where this track goes right is that it takes a raw production and uses that to deliver realistic emotion. The vocals work with a soft brightness, but they rest in the forefront of the mix. This meshes well with the buzz of the acoustics in the instrumentation. The mix is great in general, and that carries the track even further. This track seems to use picturesque scenes that include the natural environment to describe a love and yearning like that of a daydream. But, in the latter portion of the track, it seems to find a falsehood in said love and the struggles that come from that. Near the end, a version of the chorus goes, “Salt house collapsed on itself / It is what it is, and it is right now,” which paints the picture of said love and yearning falling apart.
Mellow Noiiz – In My Void
‘In My Void’ plays with a house EDM basis, but it tones the tempo back from what is typical in the scene to develop a sense of haunting atmosphere. The bass flow slowly carries listeners along while the percussion adds that punch of energy to keep things exciting, regardless. Like in much of what exists in EDM music, it does have an exciting flow with peaks and valleys, but it does things in its own way. What really makes it stand out are the vocals. They’re edited to fit the electronic vibe, but the soft emotion that they carry adds a humanness and life to things. Lyrically, this track seems to be about emotion. It’s about getting caught in one’s own void of thought and struggles. That being said, it does so in a very poetic way!
Sadie Ray Hollis – Tasting Stars
Sadie Ray Hollis cooked on her debut single ‘Tasting Stars’ with its addictive energy and pop-driven, rock-inspired idol sound. The guitars in this track have an aggressive thrash to them through much of the track, and the bass lead does well at adding an extra punch. The percussion adds to this point, as it has more complex rhythmic moments that cut in at the higher points of the track. But what really astounds is the vocals. The melody in the chorus creates a really great earworm, and the vocals shift from soft, breathy moments to more growly belts. This track is dynamic in the right ways, but it does well at pulling listeners into the chorus for tons of replayability. Lyrically, this track captures the excitement of the nightlife with the edge of recklessness.
Written by Sage Plapp
Cover Image by Daniel Reche
