This round-up is here to usher in your February with new music. It has a lot of folk music that’s perfect for introspection and the changing of tides as the season wraps up. But the last two tracks are some standouts. Every track in this list explores emotion in some way, the highs and lows. So, here are 5 tracks that are perfect for your February playlists.
meka – Tomato Song
‘Tomato Song’ is a beautiful folk song with crisp production that features gorgeous raw acoustics and somber vocals that take the forefront. It has a mid-range tempo, not being too fast or too slow, but it’s loaded with emotion. There’s a bounce and energy, but there’s also a dash of somberness to it. The instrumentation features a full band sound, a buzzy acoustic guitar taking the forefront with some bright piano, soft percussion, and bass. Even with the full band, it has a softness. The vocals are what really stand out with a bit of melancholy, a lot of soul, and filling harmonies. The lyrics use poeticism and imagery and seem to explore the fleetingness of time, the confusion between dreams and reality, and familial bonds. There’s something about it that seems to explore the light and the dark in a poignant and beautiful way.
Chris Wenner – Not Old Enough
‘Not Old Enough’ keeps with the midtempo folk vibe. The fingerpicking riff that things build off of does great as a hook, and the vocals work with a beautiful softness. The sonics in this are great, as they seem natural and raw, but the buzz of the bass gives an electric twang. A lot of the instrumentation is plucky, and the drums have a marching band-like trill. It all seems to dance around itself in such a nice way. The main hook of this track is “I’m not old enough to love,” and the lyrics play into this idea amazingly. It seems to express the idea of getting older but also experiencing heartbreak and feeling like one is not learning from it.
Damn Cisco – Holy Water
‘Holy Water’ has a somber acoustic anthemic sound that captures the beauty of nature in its musicality and musicianship. This track has a twang of melancholy that’s cut with a twang of warmth and sweetness. The verses have more of a melancholic tone with some slower instrumentation and vocals that have a lot of emotion shown through just a bit of a mumble. Then, the chorus picks things up and adds a bit of a bounce to things, adding more electronic elements. Lyrically, it follows this energy. The verses explore harder emotions, such as self-loathing and struggling with one’s own mind. On the other side, the chorus is about a love of water, and how letting the waves crash down can help to get away from harder thoughts.
Kooldrink Ft. Nina Nevra – Show Me
‘Show Me’ has stellar sonics and an atmospheric electronic R&B sound. The instrumentation seems to float around in the atmosphere with clacky drums, held-out bass notes, and some higher-toned piano scattered in. That being said, the instrumentation slowly brings itself more into the forefront as the energy picks up, and it adds an 808 bounce and a lot of excitement to things. Nina Nevra’s vocals in this are stellar, smooth like honey, with a punch of soul and amazing note transitions. This is a song of desire, love, and yearning for the closeness of another. “Show me what your love looks like / In your arms and out my mind,” the chorus rings out.
Mary Jennings – Drown in the Desert
‘Drown in the Desert’ is an electronic pop track with pulsating bass, ethereal synths, and dreamy harmonies. It has a flow that’s almost dancey but not too rushed, and there are parts in the instrumentation that pull away from the dancey sound. Basically, it hits some of the tones of synthy pop idol music, but it also dashes in a lot of atmosphere and a sense of introspection. The vocals hit full tones and soft breathy tones, but the one thing they deliver the whole time is emotion. Jennings wrote this track about her experience at Burning Man 2023, in which mud and rain left those there either stranded or forced to run. But, it also explores hurt, searching for the self, and in general, difficulties but also growth.
Written by Sage Plapp
