Artist: BENEE

Album: STELLA & STEVE 

Record Label: Republic Records

Recommended Tracks: Track 3 – “Monsta”, Track 5 – “Blu”

New Zealand singer Stella Benee, who goes by the moniker Benee, is a new pop-artist that people should look out for. She released her new EP titled STELLA & STEVE which is a short but entertaining sample of her talent. It’s a great starting point for people to dive in and listen to if they’re unfamiliar with her other fairly-recent releases. This release has clean production and smooth rhythms that lean on mellow guitars and use of electronic beats that add a fun layer of depth to each track. Lyrically, the EP focuses on themes like loneliness and leaving your youth behind. Vocally, Benee has a unique voice that’s really pleasant to listen to, and I think she’s going to grow in the music industry as she continues to release more music. I rate this EP a four out of five.

The first recommended track, “Monsta” is a catchy song that instantly commands your attention with the electric guitar and steady drumming. She approaches the song in a story-telling manner through the lyrics, and sonically, she creates an atmosphere that allows the listener to imagine a monster taking them away from their safe place. It metaphorically represents anything in life that interrupts your happiness or comfort. 

The second recommended track, “Blu” is one of the strongest songs on the EP. Her echoing harmonies on this track add a mesmerizing touch to the song and small details like the soft rain in the background at the end of the song makes it even more dreamy. It’s subtle behind the drums beats and funky guitar but once they fade out, the rain is more apparent. The best part of this song is her breathy and extended vocals that are supported by the solid instrumentation. The last minute of the song includes impressive guitar rhythms before giving way to her voice. In “Blu,” Benee sings about her lack of judgment in a relationship and wrongly believing that it would work out. Looking back, she sees that the relationship was toxic. She sings, “I thought I found the one… we always fought…But clearly I was blue…” STELLA & STEVE is a great EP to listen to if you’re interested in indie-pop and need a new artist to listen to. She has a lot of potential and I’m looking forward to checking out what she releases in the future.

Artist: ROLE MODEL

Album: oh, how perfect 

Record Label: Interscope Records 

Recommended Tracks: Track 5 – “say it first”- Track 6 – “thank you for coming”

Up-and-coming artist who goes by the moniker, ROLE MODEL, released his new EP on November 13, 2019. His songs on oh, how perfect, revolve around themes of loneliness and the struggles and experiences that come with the emergence into adulthood. He writes and co-produces his own music and takes inspiration from his own life to create a more personal dialogue between him and his listeners. The six tracks on the EP have dreamy and honest undertones. His style pulls from indie-pop and rap, blending both to create a sound that balances upbeat rhythms with gloomy lyrics. ROLE MODEL is one of the many new DIY-indie artists who gravitates toward the idea of being vulnerable and allowing listeners to connect with the music that they put out. I rate it a three-and-a-half out of five. 

The first recommended song, “say it first,” starts off with plucked strings before his raspy vocals. It has a simple start production-wise, but once you get to the chorus, the beat is layered with a drum beat and electronic accents that make the song really catchy and addicting. Lyrically, he’s singing about someone reciprocating the feelings that he has for them but they’re both afraid to acknowledge it, so the other person ends up taking the initiative because he’s nervous. 

The second recommended song, “thank you for coming,” is a great way to end the EP considering the content of the song. ROLE MODEL is singing about the people in his past who were mean to him and judged him for being himself. It’s a triumphant song that provides closure and acceptance of what he has gone through in his past as he acknowledges the fact that he is the person that he is today because of these experiences. It has a simple melody and uses simple guitar rhythms, putting the lyrics at the main focus of the song. He expresses a positive outlook on these negative memories and turns them into learning experiences instead.  ROLE MODEL’s oh, how perfect is a solid collection of songs that all have catchy musical elements with a deeper layer of lyrical content. I recommend everyone to give it a listen.

Artist: Beabadoobee

Album: Space Cadet

Record Label: Dirty Hit 

Recommended Tracks: Track 1, “Are You Sure”, Track 2, “I Wish I Was Stephen Malkmus”

Indie-rock artist Beabadoobee released a new EP titled Space Cadet on October 15, 2019. It follows the release of her previous EP Loveworm, which came out earlier this year. This new collection of songs leans more toward a grungy sound which she experimented with on Loveworm. You really get a sense of how much her sound has developed with Space Cadet especially with her experimentation with instruments. It’s guitar-heavy with touches of distortion that make it reminiscent of 90’s rock. One of the many great things about Beabadoobee is that when you listen to her music, you get the feeling that she’s creating music that she’s excited about and not just following a specific brand-friendly formula that can make artists come off as lacking transparency with their audience. She’s authentically herself and Space Cadet is a strong EP in all areas of music production. Her soft vocals float effortlessly over the crashing drums and distorted guitars that buzz throughout each track. Beabadoobee’s lyrics pull you in with personal anecdotes and catchy choruses that will stay in your head after you finish listening. Overall, I rate this EP a five-out-of-five and I also recommend checking out her entire discography.

The first recommended track, “Are You Sure,” opens the EP and immediately pulls you in with its grunge-inspired buzzing guitar and Beabadoobee questioning, “are you sure, are you sure?” that drenches the song with feelings of uncertainty and anxiety. At the forty-second mark, the guitars and drums match Bea’s change of tone as she begins to sing with more urgency in her voice. There’s a super impressive guitar and drum break toward the middle of the song that powerfully compliment each other. It’s fast-paced and unrelenting as it completely captures your attention. This occurs right before a shift in the song where it becomes softer as Beabadoobee’s vocals become the focus as she expresses, “you think you know my brain…are you sure?” before the instruments come crashing down again followed by Beabadoobee singing, “it’s funny for you…” 

Track 2, “I Wish I Was Stephen Malkmus” is a tribute to one of Beabadoobee’s favorite bands, Pavement. Their lead singer Stephen Malkmus is one of her music inspirations and Pavement’s influence on her recent releases is pretty clear. Lyrically, she’s expressing her feelings of wanting to be like the person she looks up to as well as referring to her own evolving identity as she navigates young adulthood. She mentions her new blue hair, the new sense of fame she has been experiencing as her career is gaining more traction, and accepting the idea of being a pariah as she sings, “I’m from outer space… think I kinda like it…” Instrumentally, the drums and strings fluctuate in going from calm to erupting in sound, layered perfectly with Beabadoobee’s vocals.  Beabadoobee’s Space Cadet is filled with fun songs that will quickly capture your attention with her songwriting and the adrenaline-filled production. She’s an up-and-coming artist that definitely has a lot of success coming her way. Personally, she is one of my favorite artists and I think everyone should check out her music.

Artist: FINNEAS

Album: Blood Harmony

Record Label: OYOY

Recommended Tracks: Track 4 “I Don’t Miss You At All” , Track 5  “Partners in Crime”

Finneas O’Connell, known by his moniker FINNEAS, released a brand new EP on October 4, 2019. His sound as a solo-artist establishes his own unique and contrasting style that separates him from his collaborations. The EP is titled, Blood Harmony, and it has seven tracks resulting in a total listening experience of twenty-three minutes. When listening and soaking in the lyrics, you get a sense of how personal and thoughtful FINNEAS approaches these songs. Each track tells a story that stand alone among each other, but they have common themes of loss, love, and growing up. Sonically, the production of the EP is very impressive. FINNEAS turns to using low, rich-beats that create an atmospheric sound at the core of this EP. They compliment his vocal range and layer nicely underneath the softer tones of his voice. Overall, the EP has a satisfying variety as it opens with an emotional and personal track and then transitions back and forth from fast-paced songs to slow-burning melodies. As a whole, I rate the EP a solid 3.5 out of 5. 

The fourth song, “I Don’t Miss You at All” deserves praise for its instrumentation and production. He approaches the context in an interesting way when you consider how in the beginning, the lyrics juxtapose the tone of the electronic beats that create a feeling of tension. Lyrically, he sings about no longer missing someone that he was once close to. A shift occurs when he realizes that he actually thinks about this person a lot but he knows that it would be a disaster if they were close again, resulting in him pretending that he doesn’t think about them anymore. The electronic beats are the most captivating part of this song and it showcases FINNEAS’ talented producing skills. 

The fifth song, “Partners in Crime,” is also a song that I recommend people check out. It’s a smooth song throughout as it opens with acoustic guitar and hushed singing. When you reach the 30-second mark, the full production comes together as drum beats are layered underneath, adding a sense of depth and warmth. Lyrically, FINNEAS seems to be reminiscing about the memories that he shared with a significant other before losing contact with them. 

Blood Harmony is a strong EP release and it gives a taste of FINNEAS’ defining sound as a solo artist hints at what to expect on an upcoming album. He has a unique sound and when you listen to the EP, you get the idea that he really pays a lot of attention to detail in his sound to make each track stand out from each other while still sounding cohesive. If you are not yet familiar with FINNEAS, I suggest that you give his music a chance. 

Artist: Sigrid

Album: Sucker Punch

Record Label: Universal Music

Recommended Tracks: Track 5 – “Don’t Feel Like Crying”, Track 7 – “Sight of You”

On March 8, 2019 up-and-coming pop artist Sigrid released her twelve track debut album Sucker Punch. Similar to the title of the album, the Norwegian singer’s album is like a burst of unexpected energy with its upbeat melodies and feel-good rhythms. The majority of the songs feel like they belong on a summer Spotify playlist because they sound playful and stray from cynical tones. Rating the album as an entire body of work, I would rate it a 3.5 out of 5. At its core, it’s an exciting collection of songs for the most part, but it does lack a bit of variety in sound. A few of the songs sound similar to each other and appear to stick to the pop-genre-formula, making it seem as though Sigrid is playing it safe rather than taking risks on this album. However, Sigrid is a talented new artist and there are definitely moments in Sucker Punch that deserve praise and recognition.

Track 5, “Don’t Feel Like Crying” immediately pulls you in with exciting synth and Sigrid’s confident vocals. As you listen to the lyrics, it feels like you are inside her mind as she reasons with herself on the subject of heartbreak. She points out that she can deal with it two ways; wallowing in self-pity, or “at least [for] tonight,” refusing to cry. She goes through a list of expected reactions and coping mechanisms to her own post-breakup experience, but admits, “wallowing in it would be such a waste, that isn’t gonna fix it anyway.” The instruments make the song sound light-hearted and fun with Sigrid’s vocals matching their tone. The synthesized piano beats stay consistent throughout and creates an uplifting base for her voice to soar over.   It’s a song that will have listeners eager to sing along and dance to at her concerts.

“Sight of You,” the seventh track on Sucker Punch is another catchy synth-pop tune that comments on Sigrid’s moments of feeling low. In these moments, she reflects on the positive aspects of her life such as being able to perform on stage for her growing fanbase that she clearly appreciates. It’s like a love-letter to her fans as she expresses her gratitude toward them for bringing her a sense of comfort with their support, which she finds especially helpful when she’s having a bad day. The song has a sweet message and confronts downcast feelings with a twist by remembering the more positive aspects of your life. Similar to the fifth track, the synthesized pianos sound bright with every note. Rather than making a song with solely a sulky undertone, Sigrid manages to create a song that blends the highs and lows of life, perfectly mirroring her personal lyrics to upbeat rhythms and cheerful vocals.

Sigrid’s an artist that I think will definitely continue to grow in popularity. Sucker Punch gives a taste of what she can bring to the pop music genre, and leaves me hoping that the music she releases in the future will be a bit more colorful with sonic variety. Her simplistic lyrics and catchy beats are entertaining to listen to, nonetheless.