Florida’s Zach Ryan Haller, known to the scene as ZRH, aims high this year with the launch of his exotic album Shirtless. From this, the single Rendezvous showcases the limitless creativity of the ZRH sound – a unique take on English-language reggaeton, built out of collaboration with Spanish composer Alex English.
Alt Pop
Dreamy surf-rock akin to shoegaze but with a blissful clarity – Alice Asara brings together instrumental prowess and soulful, poetic songwriting, for the impressively creative EP SLEEPLESS.
Structurally uninhibited by industry expectation, the song follows a single verse melody line throughout the extent of its 4.5 minute lifespan – an ode to Faith repeating and looping, just two notes across seven syllables, consistently grounding an otherwise unpredictable and boldly diverse production.
“Fun fact, my mother (for some reason) held headphones with music playing to her stomach when she was pregnant with me. I pretty much have been involved with music my whole life. My father plays instruments in his different Latin bands so since an infant, I always would play for example the drums with him just as a way to bond. “
Creatively eclectic to its core, the new album from Pennsylvania songwriter Monti Korbelle encapsulates freedom of play and curiosity of concept.
When In May carve out an emotive and genre-fusing pathway, programmed rhythms juxtaposing the organic and crisp guitar, with a breathy vocal somewhat blurring the lines between emo-rap and The xx.
Offering both uncertainty and longing, satisfaction in the progression and particularly the drop to the hook’s repeat, Emotions is a song that feels perfectly capable of making its way up through the rankings this season.
This idea of you and I both having scars is strangely comforting, and the warmth and simplicity of the music reinforces that comfort. But elsewhere, the lyrics present a sense of having lost our way, and of there being no tomorrow – no second chances.
Always resolving with the simplicity of a poetic and tuneful chorus, Space Meat falls somewhere between the likes of Courtney Barnett, Deftones and PJ Harvey, but makes sure to blend in a subtle twist of mainstream familiarity just in case.
Pretend You finely captures the essence of existing somewhere between the familiar and the unknown – a quality apparent in both style and topic. The folk-esque freedom is refreshing, the guitar-play is stunning – and all the more impressive for its humble placing in the mix – and the songwriting is genuinely original.
“I’d choose Leonardo Da Vinci. I’ve always loved Renaissance history and Virgin of the Rocks is one of my favorite paintings. I’ve studied his life in great detail. In fact, a few years ago I attempted to learn how to read sheet music from that time period so that I could sample the requiem that was hidden in ‘The Last Supper’.”
Deeply atmospheric trip-hop production meets with breathy and soulful vocals, for an RnB-fusion single that’s as evocative as it is mood-setting and ultimately uplifting. Vironnica delivers a seductive and catchy anthem of longing to connect, for the poetic and immersive Mirage.