Hi Unheard Gems readers. There is so much great music out there right now and it is so hard to get to it all so I decided to try and deliver some of the recent best new singles to you right here. When I think of Spring. I think of new beginnings, change, evolution, and bittersweet moments where the sun is still fighting to peek through. This Spring has brought a lot of change to my life personally and these are some of the songs that I have had on repeat:
‘Lay Here in the Dark’ - Tara MacLean:
Starting off, this is Tara Maclean, a Canadian singer/songwriter. “It’s only failure if I don’t feel everything, and when the ground falls beneath me I’m gonna fight”. This line really struck a chord with me. This song is so sad but has this through line of making it through until things get light again. In moments of isolation and change, there are two responses fight or flight and sometimes just embracing the challenges and waiting it out is still putting up a fight. It takes strength and endurance. Tara’s vocals are stunning and the more stripped-back nature of the song really lets her voice shine through. Truly show-stopping.
‘Face and Figure’ - Lydia Luce:
I think indie-folk is the perfect sonic backdrop for spring. This song is such a beautiful narrative of being more than just one thing. Lydia weaves a story of true self-love and acceptance. There is such a pressure to be just a summation of all these small insignificant factors - age, beauty, size, occupation. In reality, we are so much more than that. I am all for a pump-up self-love banger but sometimes I need a softer almost meditative lullaby to become my internalized mantra.
‘You Don’t Think About Me” - girlhouse
You Don’t Think About Me is another single off of the new girlhouse EP. girlhouse is one of those artists in my top ten faves of all time category. Her grungey twist on indie popism is refreshing, the intricacies of her production scratch that hard to reach spot in your brain. I moved to LA this Spring and, trust me, girlhouse is the perfect LA transplant imposter syndrome mixed with euphoria from finally making it feeling. This song perfectly captures the social anxiety spiral I experience when I am trying to read everyone’s mind. News flash, you can’t do that. This is an indie pop anthem for my overthinkers who like to blast the radio just a bit to loud.
‘Potion’ - Emily Fain
Potion is almost earie in its dainty introduction but Emily Fain really shows how a whimsical sound can still pack a punch. I am in love with the way Fain incorporates found songs into her music, it brings in a magical and unique element to a very complex soundscape. She knows how to balance a soft vocal and shimmering piano without letting the track fall anywhere close to flat. Potion is about the daily rituals we take part in to keep ourselves from falling apart. This is creative excellence.
‘Easy’ - Boyhood
Boyhood has woven hyperpopisms into an alternative pop song and I am in love. The intricate drum and bass percussion hyper pop glitches add a refreshing element to a softer song. The vocals are floaty and smooth and ground the track in its emotional core. This track weaves a narrative perfect for our self sabotagers, it is easy to be afraid of disappointing others and pushing people away, but Boyhood also shines a light that there is a possibility of that not happening. boyhood. is an LA based singer, songwriter, and producer originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. As a trans man, the name "boyhood." is an evolving homage to the experience of having had an unconventional one, and an exploration of how a repressed and limited childhood has influenced a full and intentional adulthood.
‘Insult to Injury’ - Deer Fellow
Deer Fellow is always a go-to for me when I just need something soothing and dreamy. For my fans of Still Woozy, you will love this one. The floaty instrumentation, guitar-driven percussion, smooth vocals, and light interjections of strings throughout, Deer Fellow creates indie pop perfection. I have been dancing in my kitchen to this one for sure. This song is a call out to all the negativity that exists in the world and people who just have nothing kind to say. The ability for people to be so casually cruel just makes it even more hurtful. This song pushes to shine a light on social struggles in a really cruel and sad society right now. At least we have music to ease the sting, provide comfort, and create our safe space.
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