Ed The Dog – Everybody, I Love You
Through his brand of self-deprecating indie pop, Ed Wetenhall, aka Ed The Dog, assures himself as a voice for a broken-generation. ‘Everybody, I Love You’, catalogues his success and how a stint of touring unexpectedly lead to Wetenhall feeling alone during his early success. ‘Everybody’ builds like a sense of chaos simmering underneath existential dread that you’re not quite ready to deal with, until it burst out in the form of high energy guitars, screaming with anxiety and emotion yet aspiring to be nothing more than purely uplifting.
Kopano – Lovin’ on the Low
Chicago based artist Kopano, channels ’00s styled R’n’B with classic Chicago house beats with ‘Lovin on the Low’. The queens of ’00s R’n’B are present throughout Kopano’s latest as similarities to Aaliyah or Alicia Keys ooze out of Kopanos voice and beats, sharing her unreciprocated love while coming to terms with the fact that she shouldn’t be doing the chasing. Nostalgia and power flow throughout ‘Lovin on the Low’ and is a truly killer R’n’B track.
Máni Orrason – I Go Up
Máni Orrason returns following his “Baby Angel” EP from last year, now blasting out stereo speakers on his thrashing new pop banger, ‘I Go Up’. Placing his pristine pop style on hold for jutting, killer garage pop, the Icelandic artist throws caution out the car window and picks up a hammer and smashes it to pieces instead. There’s an endless supply of energy on ‘I Go Up’ which will find Orrason’s single thrive throughout the whole year ahead.
Forever Honey – Christian
It feels like I’ve been transported back to the ’90s and The Cranberries are storming across Ireland as The Troubles end, or that I’m rewatching Derry Girls and Forever Honey are perfectly capturing the sound of ’90s alternative rock with ‘Christian’. The video of bouncing prom-goers and endless swaying is suited to a tee once the dreamy rhythms of ‘Christian’ let loose. Shoegaze, alt-rock and dream-pop are all nailed perfectly on Forever Honey’s latest and a true triumph for the Brooklyn based group.
Skott – Kodak & Codeine
Scandinavian artist Skott follows up ‘Midas’ with another successful single in the form of ‘Kodak & Codeine. The magic of her earliest releases returns on ‘Kodak’, capturing the rise of her anthemic writing and her penchant for crafting supreme pop melodies. The track’s structure succeeds in sounding completely lucid and free, while meticulously following Skott’s tried and tested strategy of enticing verses and killer choruses.
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