Kashawn – "Dolly (Get Behind Me)"

Hip hop/R&B

This song is really, really catchy. Built on the backbone of a solid R&B instrumental, Kashawn's melodies flow like a rap verse while keeping the melodic core intact. These melodies will work their way deep into your psyche and refuse to leave. The vocal production is layered with sugary elements that make the melodies extra sticky. We particularly love the "oohs" in the background. They really fill out the sonic space. Top to bottom, this is simply a well crafted song. Great chord progression, great synths, great everything.

 

SOZI – "Seconds"

Indie Pop

This track is so interesting! While on one hand it's a perfectly solid indie-pop track, there are also all these little moments bubbling under where it feels like the song is about to burst into something avant garde and utterly weird. That sort of anticipation kept us on the edge of our seats from start to finish.

While the track never dropped into a crazy hyperpop breakdown or something, the pleasantly uncanny sensation of the chamber pop reverb over incredibly dry percussive elements won us over. SOZI definitely has the chops to explore fringe, weird sounds if she wanted, but she's also great at writing accessible indie pop tracks, and "Seconds" is a perfect example of the latter. We love her voice.

Casey Frazier – "The Shelf"

Country

This rustic song weaves gritty, soulful country vocals with the haunting cry of a lap steel guitar, evoking images of dust-covered roads, warm saloons, and weathered hearts. The raw, unpolished delivery adds an emotional weight that feels both lived-in and timeless. Every note drips with authenticity even as the upright piano enters to reinforce the bouncy classic country groove. It's a beautifully rough-hewn piece that's as heartfelt as it is fun.

 

colby! – "Fine"

Alt Pop

The title track from her new EP FINE!, this is a perfrect introduction to colby!'s sound. Full-throated vocals with a touch of delicacy, daring textural choices (the fuzzed out guitars that pop in and out are EPIC), and catchy melodies wrapped in atmosphere. "Fine" is one of those tracks that are so visceral you can almost touch them with your fingertips. 

 

 

Gary Cubberley – "The Beast"

Folk

The guitars on this folk track are MAGICAL. They swirl and reverberate, wrapping you up in a twangy shimmer that's enhanced by the gritty organs peppered throughout the composition. All of this serves as a mysterious and heartfelt harmonic bed for the lyrics, which lean into religious imagery to interrogate the anguish of romantic isolation. 

The vocal performance on this one is also well done. It borders on a country vocal without ever crossing into full-on country delivery. This makes the performance feel quaint and earthy without being contrived. That authentic delivery is enhanced when harmonies enter for the last chorus, slightly out of sync with each other on line changes in a way that makes it feel live, spontaneous, and organic. It's captivating.