What happens when producer Max Landry and singer/songwriter Tyler Carlson team up? You get Goldtooth: an electro-pop project that seamlessly blends influences from across the entire pop spectrum: from tropical house and disco to alt pop with big guitars and buzzy synths.

“Spiral” falls on the minimalist, housey side of the duo’s sound. It’s driven by low, plucky, dry synths that bounce around in the crisp space between the kick and snaps on 2 and 4. It's sparse, but it's groovy, and the textures are (literally and figuratively) snappy and fresh. It's like a more danceable version of early Lorde. The melody is really catchy and memorable, and the vocal performance is top notch.

This is an indie pop gem. It’s well written, well performed, and well produced.

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Raleigh-based band Good Deal has a really cool vibe. They have spacious, clean tones and a smooth, understated vocalist in frontman Cliff Johnson. He has passionate, technical delivery while still feeling rootsy and down-home. It’s like if Brady Parks from The National Parks was doing a Ben Folds impersonation in the middle of a Pinegrove cover. I know that’s a wild description, but I promise it’s a compliment. I love every single one of those artists, and that combo works to an astonishing degree.

The band describes itself as alt folk, and that’s a good description. It feels rustic, but the electric tones and the way they’re played have more in common with midwest emo. Soli melodic sections and breakdowns like the one you’ll find at 1:52 will please fans of The Backseat Lovers, and the beautifully executed ritardando at 2:33 is a testament to how tight and forward thinking this band is. This song is a masterclass in indie expression.

This song makes great use of found sounds to create ambiance. While it’s a very trendy thing to do right now industry-wide, the sound of water really helped set the scene, and the filtered intro blending into the airy vocals sold me immediately. “Pull Me Close” has a great mix, great production, and a really catchy chorus.

I tend to think of songs holistically, but I’d be remiss to not dedicate some time to Natalie Auell as a singer. Holy moly. Her voice is SUPER DREAMY. It’s got a delicate-yet-sultry quality, with a slight tremor that makes her short vocal runs really lock in.

One listen and I was a fan. Other people need to hear this song, and they need to hear it now.

“Oh My” by Hunter James and The Titanic is literally everything I love in a song rolled into one. The atmosphere on this track is palpable, opening with what sounds like a distorted mellotron and some spooky synth bass before dropping into a really rustic, gothic folk sound with rich organ and bright guitar. It’s immensely cinematic.

Hunter James’ vocals are heavily effected, with a plate reverb and short delay pattern giving a slight psychedelic edge to his warm, gritty tone. His voice is reminiscent of Strand of Oaks, but more twangy and anthemic. The chorus soars, adding a touch of down-home country gospel vocals that really elevate the entire experience.  The drums are also notable: the engineering is great, and the performance shows a remarkable amount of restraint – particularly in the fill at 3:30. This song is absolutely solid. It’s so cool.

The song features lap steel guitar and vibey tremolo guitars over super dead drums and a groovy bass line. Annie’s voice is super unique and really, truly beautiful. It feels like the indie-girl / cursive singing version of country twang, and I’m here for it. It’s something I haven’t encountered before.

The haunting guitar, tucked back in the mix, pairs incredibly well with the ghostly backing vocals that float over the chorus. That pairing really solidified this one for me as a great song.  It feels like it’s made to be placed in a streaming show. Can’t tell if it’s meant for a modern western crime drama where the stubble-chinned, cigar smoking sheriff is standing over a body, or the lowest point in a relationship drama set in middle America where the protagonist discovers infidelity and wanders out into the rain. It’s fitting for both, tbh.