Alex Banin, ANT ENOCH, Caroline Kingsbury, deary, DIME, Gel, Woman Scout, Gore., Hans Williams, Her New Knife, Isaac Dunbar, Kaitlyn Olson, Lee Lewis, mary within the junkyard, Medium Construct, Moody Joody, Nathan Ball, Night time Tapes, NOEL, sacha, Stevie Invoice, Talia Raye, TEE, The Brook & The Bluff, The Volunteers
From all of us right here at Atwood Journal, we want you a contented and wholesome new yr!
2024 has been an inspiring yr for music. Residing legends have additional solidified their legacies, while contemporary faces have turn into new favorites.
Atwood Journal has at all times had at its core the mission to have fun music of all genres, and this yr we continued our objective to be an area of inclusivity and illustration by consciously highlighting artwork and artists from around the globe. The yr in music was made all of the extra thrilling due to the broad vary of music we featured and targeted on – from these acquainted names within the Prime 40, to creatives in essentially the most underground, indie, and different of circles.
For therefore many of those artists, music is greater than a mere technique of self-expression; it’s a vessel filled with superior potential. In recent times, it has felt more and more vital to acknowledge and elevate those that use their artwork as a voice for the disenfranchised; the oppressed; the underrepresented; and the underprivileged. This yr, we proceed to acknowledge those that communicate for extra than simply themselves, whereas on the identical time indulging within the acquainted, timeless themes of affection, loss, hope, connection, braveness, change, and the endless pursuit of happiness.
Because the yr involves a detailed, our workers took a step again to honor the songs, albums, EPs, live shows, and artist discoveries that had the best impression on our lives. With out additional ado, Atwood Journal is proud to current our curated checklist of 2024’s EPs of the Yr, in alphabetical order by artist.
These are our favorites – the EPs that influenced and impressed us essentially the most. Please be part of us in celebrating 2024’s contributions to the music world!
Mitch Mosk, Editor-in-Chief
,
Atwood’s 2024 Music of the Yr
Click on on the artist’s title to skip proper to their EP’s entry!
Alex Banin, ANT ENOCH, Caroline Kingsbury, deary, DIME, Gel, Woman Scout, Gore., Hans Williams, Her New Knife, Isaac Dunbar, Kaitlyn Olson, Lee Lewis, mary within the junkyard, Medium Construct, Moody Joody, Nathan Ball, Night time Tapes, NOEL, sacha , Stevie Invoice, Talia Raye, TEE, The Brook & The Bluff, The Volunteers
The most intimate, ambient, and weak report I heard this yr was, definitely, Alex Banin’s achingly dreamy Since Winona. “And to be someone’s somebody; to really feel like I used to be one thing for as soon as…” she trails off within the EP’s opening minute, her voice a lightning rod of uncooked emotion in a sea of seductive drum work. “I can’t keep concerned with your selections. I can’t afford what you do in boredom these days.” It’s a spine-chilling introduction, and one that completely units the tone for the subsequent fifteen minutes because the Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter pours her coronary heart out, bringing listeners into her inside sanctum with soul-stirring finesse. Private highlights have included the intoxicating, completely mesmerizing “Doc Whiler,” the tender and turbulent “IN FEAR, ETC.,” the loss and longing-fueled “FKA Passat,” and the superbly gut-wrenching, hypnotic, and heartrending “From a Totally different Life, It Appears” – every of which stands by itself, however is made higher by the songs round it.
Like all the perfect information, the true energy and energy of Since Winona comes out if you hearken to the report in full, permitting Alex Banin to take your thoughts, physique, and soul on a sweetly spellbinding journey that, whereas fleeting, proves immediately memorable and irresistibly transferring. – Mitch Mosk
Some artists select to introduce themselves by glimpses of triumph and celebration. Australian singer/songwriter Ant Enoch has ostensibly accomplished the other; his first steps into this world replicate his lowest lows, and fairly frankly, we wouldn’t have it some other manner. A breathtakingly stunning exhale of affection, loss, grief, and development, the artist’s debut EP Huge Discuss Huge Celebration aches with the load of life-altering change. Launched in Could, it’s a smoldering, soul-stirring report of intimate connection and unfiltered vulnerability: The Sydney-based singer/songwriter and producer spills the contents of his heavy coronary heart out in six diaristic and dreamy songs that really feel as if they had been wrenched from his innermost depths. He approaches every observe with a mild, cautious contact, constructing ambient, all-consuming soundscapes stuffed with sonic warmth and visceral feeling.
The ensuing expertise is unavoidably cathartic and soul-baring, as the sunshine of Enoch’s humanity shines by the darkness in his midst. The hazy, moody nuance and confessional upheaval of EP opener “Pure Mild” units the tone for the whole EP. “Tv” invitations audiences to dwell with him in sweltering swimming pools of profound heartache as he sings a few good friend’s home burning down, reaching out to a liked one in want. “Tunnel Highway” is a shiver-inducing seduction of intimacy’s depth (and fragility) that includes fellow Aussie (and Atwood’s Editor’s Decide) Moreton, aka Georgia James Potter. “With each breath they take, each candy lyric, each delicate exhale, each line they ship in soul-stirring concord, all of it feels autobiographical, which makes experiencing this music that rather more intense,” Atwood wrote in our observe premiere, honing in on the provocative, emotionally potent lyric, “All the things that makes you’re feeling, makes me really feel” – a line that speaks to the magnetic, majestic, empathetic power when two hearts beat as one. Becoming a member of the above three songs are new, beforehand unheard tracks “Rookies,” “Huge Discuss,” and “Huge Celebration,” every of which is as irresistibly catchy as it’s heartrending.
Enchanting, entrancing, and altogether impassioned, Huge Discuss Huge Celebration is a seductively soothing masterpiece. Simply certainly one of this yr’s finest debuts, Ant Enoch’s EP treats listeners to spellbinding snippets of life’s lows, and even a couple of of its highs (taking a look at you, “Tunnel Highway”), all wrapped in a smoldering blanket of wondrous, soul-soaked sound. It’s a young tempest; a mild big of emotionally-charged, musically nuanced self-expression that lingers on the ears, and on the center, lengthy after its nineteen-minute runtime. – Mitch Mosk
Caroline Kingsbury’s new EP opens on an plain, irresistible excessive be aware – each actually and figuratively. “What if I advised you there’s a paradise right here on earth? Child babe it’s you and I,” the indie pop artist sings over pulsing drumbeats and strutting bass guitar traces. Inside seconds, she creates in her music an area for connection and freedom, the place all are welcome and embraced for who they’re. “In our home, simply you and me,” she proclaims in a blinding refrain, “They are saying we’re loopy, however child we’re free!” It’s a celebration – an easy euphoric embrace of herself, her group, and the broader world as she is aware of it.
Life isn’t at all times straightforward, however there are nonetheless loads of causes to smile – and on I Actually Don’t Care, Kingsbury pours her coronary heart and soul into 5 sparkly, cinematic pop songs that categorical simply how a lot she actually does care. Launched in October, the five-track report delivers fifteen nonstop minutes of daring and breathtakingly passionate indie pop that may have audiences dancing like nobody’s watching, singing like nobody’s listening, and smiling uncontrollably from ear to ear – as a result of this isn’t simply feelgood music; it’s feelgreat music. I Actually Don’t Care is identical Caroline Kingsbury followers have adored for years now, and but it’s not like something we’ve heard from her earlier than. The songs pull from ‘80s dance pop, new wave, indie rock, and extra as Kingsbury asserts herself not simply by her gorgeous vocals, however by a shimmering, spellbinding array of devices that steal the highlight in one of the best ways attainable. Merely put, this report feels totally realized not simply from a singer/songwriter’s perspective, however from a full band’s perspective. – Mitch Mosk
Haunting and heavenly, delicate and dramatic, deary’s sophomore EP is a spellbinding dream pop seduction. The British duo naked their souls in a cathartic, all-consuming soundscape soaked in candy vocals, dazzling reverb, and dreamy sepia tones; moments of nostalgia, craving, connection, and wonderment collide and coalesce into one because the soul-stirring six-track Aurelia dares us to be daring, to dream huge, to be true to ourselves, and are to without end put on our hearts unapologetically on our sleeves.
An Atwood Journal artist-to-watch, the London-based duo of vocalist Rebecca ‘Dottie’ Cockram and guitarist-producer Ben Easton have been drenching our airwaves with ethereal and soul-stirring music ever since they launched themselves in early 2023. Aurelia follows deary’s lush self-titled debut EP (launched final November), constructing upon the atmospheric, reverb-drenched world they launched us to final yr. While they actually evoke the likes of Mazzy Star, Slowdive, and Cocteau Twins, deary have, from day one, stood out as one thing particular – and their sophomore effort additional units them other than the swathe of recent dream pop and shoegaze bands.
Highlights abound on the journey from Aurelia’s seductively dreamy, scene-setting title observe to its soothing finale, “Dream of Me.” Lead single “The Moth” is immersive, enchanting, and completely fascinating: A feast for the thoughts, physique, and soul, its thick wall of sound engulfing the ears as Cockram invitations us deep into her world: “You possibly can be my universe,” she sings as heavy, reverb-laden guitars swell, soar, and drone alongside pulsing drums. Her golden vocals are a beacon of heat mild in a cool, all-consuming setting. “I misplaced my manner within the hearth, I’m a moth to the flame. Dancing too near want to really feel once more.” Songs like “Selene” and “The Drift” additional construct out Aurelia’s intoxicating, enveloping musical world marked directly by darkness and lightweight, motion and stillness, heat and coolness.
Into the whole lot they make, deary inject their very own unfiltered, unabridged humanity – making these songs, each a dizzying, dazzling rush, all of the extra compelling. Intimacy and vulnerability are however two hallmarks of Dottie Cockram’s songwriting; she pours her full self into her lyrics, as into her efficiency, leading to music that appears to make time itself stand nonetheless. Whereas for therefore many artists the sophomore EP is a steppingstone, for deary it’s a assertion of evolution and intent. – Mitch Mosk
Local hardcore music scenes are usually very tight-knit and protecting communities, with most artists cultivating loyal fanbases concentrated in close by cities and few extending far out. I found Miami’s DIME by happenstance (or was it by destiny?) whereas briefly by my Instagram discover web page, and God, am I glad I did. Although deeply related to their hometown roots, having solely performed reveals in Florida and surrounding states, the band has considerably captured my consideration in San Diego over the previous few months, as I incessantly verify their web page for the potential for a present announcement in Southern California.
The five-piece launched their debut self-titled EP, DIME, in early February, an introspective but larger-than-life five-song undertaking mixing the likeness of post-hardcore and nu-metal, simply commanding ears and minds with vocal, instrumental, and lyrical rawness teeming with emotional complexity. The juxtaposition of pounding guitars with at occasions melancholy vocals permits the undertaking to strike a steadiness between heavy and melodic, packing loads of punch whereas conserving it wholly immersive. DIME builds a powerful, identifiable basis with an excellent stronger musical debut, making a memorable and infectious listening expertise throughout a brief 5 tracks. – Isabella Le
Gel have tightened the screws on their new EP, Persona. It was launched on the finish of this summer time, and it finds the New Jersey-based hardcore band with a extra refined sound than earlier initiatives. The five-track EP was impressed by Carl Jung’s idea of the “shadow self,” and it delves into themes of authenticity, accountability and self-confrontation. There’s an alt-rock sensibility all through the EP that makes it extra accessible to only a hardcore or steel viewers. A standout observe is “Disgrace,” wherein vocalist Sami Kaiser scrapes the perimeters of their very own unconscious to point out us an unflattering view of themselves with a stage of verve and uncooked honesty that borders on self-flagellation. Their screams are a catharsis, a balm over the publicity to facades that folks preserve, notably throughout the hardcore scene. “Disgrace” actually showcases Gel’s skill to mix thick, sludgy energy cords and chugging riffs with dynamic tempo modifications, leading to a cohesive idea undertaking that may be a testomony to the band’s development and attain. – Kendall Graham
One of the most popular acts to return out of Sweden in recent times, Woman Scout mix uncooked, unfiltered indie rock ardour with emotional depth, catchy songwriting, and breathtaking vulnerability with the whole lot they make. Their critically acclaimed first two EPs Actual Life Human Rubbish and Granny Music (each of which have been featured on Atwood Journal) laid a robust, provocative basis, atop which their third EP Headache reckons, rises, roars, and radiates an intense, unrelenting, all-consuming warmth.
Although simply seventeen minutes robust, the feverish five-track report feels directly seismic and spellbinding – demanding its viewers’s undivided consideration by spirited sonic seductions stuffed with youthful vigor, earnest aching, and charged, charming, cathartic, stadium-sized refrains. It’s not a lot that Woman Scout’s songs are all-consuming, however moderately, they’re ever-present – each stuffed with magic moments that promise evoke actual emotional responses out of us listeners, all whereas getting caught on repeat in our heads. – Mitch Mosk
Gore. Are a hardcore trio primarily based out of Texas, they usually launched their debut EP, A Bud That By no means Blooms by way of Spinefarm Data. I’ve observed over the previous two years feminine steel, hardcore and heavy rock vocalists getting much more of their due. I need to put Gore.’s EP into the combination, as a result of it deserves the hype that it’s gotten. It’s a implausible undertaking with imagery that’s equal components brutal and delightful. They arrive to the scene with a dynamic mixture of metalcore and industrial with different rock sensibilities, because of guitarist Alex Reyes and bassist Devin Birchfield’s synergy; all of this performs in opposition to singer Haley Roughton’s enrapturing mixture of harsh and clear vocals. “Babylon” is a standout observe, completely encapsulating what’s so nice about Gore. There’s churning and chugging riffs, tempo modifications and sharp, witty lyrics that disarm as a lot as they enchant. It’s a really enjoyable, menacing face-melting experience displaying that Gore. has positioned itself expertly to be a family title within the heavy music scene transferring ahead. – Kendall Graham
With his charming, emotionally charged voice and a litany of heartwarming melodies in his arsenal, singer/songwriter Hans Williams is a surefire selection – and simple favourite – for all followers of the “Stomp and Holler” folk-pop style. The 5 songs off his debut EP Extra Than One Manner House are soulful, sentimental, and seductive – calling to thoughts better-known contemporaries like Noah Kahan, Zach Bryan, and The Lumineers, all whereas standing other than them. It might be a short while earlier than the Vermont-born, New Orleans-based Williams carves out his personal definitive “area of interest” in what has clearly turn into one of many 2020s’ “it” genres, however he’s definitely on the hitlist, with songs like “Pores and skin,” “No Marvel,” and the titular “Extra Than One Manner House” aching with intense, all-consuming folk-soaked fury. – Mitch Mosk
Shoegaze may’ve reached important mass final yr. However not like the Brits — who, by the mid-’90s, had already fled the scene for Oasis — this new wave of younger People remained on indie rock’s innovative in 2024.
Her New Knife banded collectively over Florida’s school airwaves, however that they’ve settled into a distinct segment proper right here in my hometown makes good sense. Although sometimes solely an business chief in the case of carjackings and mascot debauchery, Philadelphia has stood on the frontline of shoegaze’s revival because of native champions Julia’s Struggle. Similar to their labelmates, Her New Knife aren’t dulled by nostalgia. chrome is lullaby polished their pedalboard with aching slowcore, the glint of post-punk and a cartoonish hammering of krautrock.
Zoomers salvaged shoegaze from the cultural dustheap partly as a result of it displays their worry for our collective future, however Her New Knife are sick and bored with dreaming. “That is taking too lengthy“, Edgar Atencio muttered with all of the veiled contempt of a traditional overachiever. Written in an try to hack away at their very own preconceptions for the band, “purepurepure” places a contemporary scare into the time period free spirit. The guitars don’t swirl like pinkish clouds of cotton sweet; they scrape and screech like a protracted and crusty fingernail throughout damaged glass. “Cease f*ing with your self / Simply do what you need.” As if on command, a digital splash of keys ripples above the murky bass line with an identical twinkle to the look in Norman Bates’ eye.
With this many tips up the sleeve of a single EP, it’s what Her New Knife are able to that’s really horrifying. – Will Yarbrough
To his credit score, Isaac Dunbar has at all times been a “fearless freak” – a singular voice beating to the tune of his personal drum, following his coronary heart, trusting his intestine, singing loud, proud, and unapologetically – but on his new EP, the singer/songwriter sounds particularly free. It’s as if one thing clicked inside as he entered his twenties, and his world went from reds, greens, and blues, to complete technicolor. Such is the dynamic shift that happens when one strikes to the Huge Apple, town that by no means sleeps. Dunbar channels New York Metropolis’s uncooked, relentless (and irresistible) power into Beep Beep Repeat, a daring, in-your-face, and completely intoxicating report of letting unfastened, dancing all night time, dreaming huge goals, and discovering your house within the concrete jungle. If he could make it right here, he could make it wherever – and if these six songs are any indication, then there really is not any restrict to what Isaac Dunbar can do or the place he can go.
Launched in April, Beep Beep Repeat is exhilarating, intense, and – like town that impressed it – completely all-consuming. Isaac Dunbar’s first launch since 2022’s eight-track Banish the Banshee EP sees the alt-pop artist from Massachusetts really coming into his personal whereas channeling the spirits of pop trailblazers earlier than him: Bits of Bowie, Mercury, Gaga, and Jagger shine by breathtaking, soul-stirring, and head-turning vocal performances filled with glitz, glam, and unfiltered, uncompromising ardour. From the fiery beats and celebration environment of “Condominium A” to the extreme, speedy, and emotionally charged power-balladry of “American Excessive,” the cathartic, intimate upheaval of “Backseat Woman” and past, Beep Beep Repeat is the product of a soul unleashed.
And Isaac Dunbar is most actually unleashed. – Mitch Mosk
A
“I put on my coronary heart out on my chest,” Lee Lewis sings in the beginning of his debut EP. It’s the bare-naked reality, and the right introduction to an artistry constructed round unfiltered, unapologetic self-expression. Lewis’ songs had been themselves a type of remedy and therapeutic, and so it comes as no shock that they’re as cathartic as they’re confessional. The Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter dwells within the deep finish of life’s emotional spectrum as he untangles the brutal net of inside battle and turbulence that outlined his twenties, unpacking his identification and lived experiences to find his precise voice as an individual: In different phrases, his humanity.
An Atwood Journal artist-to-watch since his very first single, Lee Lewis holds nothing again on the seven-track One thing Burning, an achingly intimate and all-consuming seduction of easy, sultry R&B and smoldering soul. It’s an unforgettable entrance, and one which immediately units Lewis aside as a singular powerhouse of passionate, breathtaking sound. – Mitch Mosk
Based out of London, experimental alt rock trio mary within the junkyard launched their debut EP, this outdated home, again within the spring. It’s an important illustration of their type and ethos. It’s a bit of bit bizarre, a bit of bit unsettling, you at all times really feel like some large breakdown is true on the verge of many of the songs. Though this type of catharsis is delivered in different methods throughout the 4-track undertaking, the band excels at conserving listeners on their toes in a near-constant state of rigidity, ready for some type of chaos to occur. This EP is actually about managed chaos and what a gaggle of eclectic musicians can do with it. They’ve been described by Dazed as “indignant, weepy, chaos rock” and that looks as if an apt summation of the band’s power. Opening observe “ghost” introduces cyclical drum patterns intertwining with a deep bass line, creating one thing virtually directly mystical and legendary. Vocalist Clari Freeman-Taylor, bassist and viola participant Saya Barbaglia and drummer David Addison have brewed up one thing very distinctive right here, counting on the emotional depth of each the music and the lyrics to focus on their bright-looking path within the different music scene. – Kendall Graham
Medium Construct’s Nick Carpenter tapped his roots, his historical past, and his household for 2024’s critically acclaimed album Nation, after which he went again house in November’s Marietta EP. Named after his first hometown again in Georgia, the five-track shock launch homes songs that didn’t make the lower for April’s full-length album, in addition to some newer tracks that Carpenter refused to take a seat on. From the intimate rush of “John & Lydia” – a dynamic, dramatic, empathetic ode to his personal dad and mom – to the religious hang-out of “Yoke,” which options the one and solely Julien Baker (a longtime, shut good friend), Marietta is a good, turbulent, and masterful work. The hard-hitting opening observe (and lead single) “Triple Marathon” aches on a number of ranges as Carpenter wrestles with romance whereas his profession takes off, singing from each his and his accomplice’s views as steadiness – and happiness – appear to evade or elude him at each twist and switch. Closing tracks “Dad’s 4Runner” and “Pale Blue” are sonic opposites – one an indie rock rager, the opposite a heat, light folks ballad – however each discover the singer/songwriter baring his soul in traditional Medium Construct trend, singing his coronary heart out whereas leaving all of it on the sphere for us to see, hear, and (most significantly,) really feel. – Mitch Mosk
The presidential election outcomes had been made a little extra palatable for me with the discharge of Moody Joody’s enchanting debut EP just some days later – and whereas the sting of American politics stays in my bones, so does this report’s cinematic heat. A radiant, energetic, and emotional 20-minute report stuffed with escapist goals and romantic reveries, Dream Woman is a spirited, sweetly shimmering seduction of indie- and alt-pop surprise. The Nashville-based trio of Kaitie Forbes, Kayla Corridor, and producer Andrew Pacheco dwell in intimate areas of want, doubt, connection, and catharsis on six infectiously catchy, sweaty songs – every of which appears to focus on one other of this fascinating band’s many marvelous sides. The anxious waves of uncooked, stressed power that ripple all through “Floor Management” make for a good introduction, and all that lies forward – be it the drama and warmth of “Dream Woman,” the steamy pulse of “Velvet Connection,” or the glistening glow of “El Camino Excessive” – is pure, unadulterated musical gold. – Mitch Mosk
A
Listening to Night time Tapes’ new EP actually does really feel like diving headfirst into somebody’s goals, and maybe it’s simply as effectively – the aptly titled assisted reminiscences is a seductive soundtrack filled with hypnotic melodies, sultry beats, and sweaty synths. Add to that alluring combine lead singer Iiris Vesik’s celestial vocals, and the result’s completely enchanting, if not wholly mesmerizing: By means of seven spellbinding tracks, the London-based trio create a heat and wondrous cinematic journey filled with heavy feelings and fascinating sounds. Whether or not you’re taken to the report’s extra ambient moments (the softly stirring “straightforward time to be alive” is pure perfection in that regard), or extra moved by the gorgeous electro-pop pulse of tracks like “projections,” “loner,” and the Daft Punk-esque “drifting,” assisted reminiscences proves itself a lovely, assorted wonderland of sound. – Mitch Mosk
I first encountered Swedish singer NOEL when his music “With out Calling” was pitched to me again within the spring. I loved the observe and wrote favorably about it in our Weekly Roundup, concluding that “He’s on an admirable pattern proper now, all issues thought of.” A number of months later, I’m happy to announce that that admiral pattern of which I as soon as spoke has been prolonged into the autumn and manifested in his most up-to-date EP, Mementos. Right here, “With out Calling” is joined by a further 4 tracks that additional showcase NOEL’s strengths within the songwriting division.
“Out of my Thoughts” outlines the mounting stress and strain in his life, maybe attributable to life within the present biz: “My worry will get the perfect of me, it steals away my sanity, I shut my eyes however I can’t sleep… these demons hang-out me each night time.” The remaining tracks paint an extra image of his present psychological state – “Nightmares,” as an illustration, talks about “the insecurities and doubts that may come up if you’re chasing your goals.” NOEL’s abilities as a multi-instrumentalist additionally shine all through, as he could be heard shifting between the piano and guitar, along with his Scandinavian buddies like Kris Eriksson contributing some 808 drum-heavy manufacturing as effectively. In the long run, Mementos ought to give NOEL loads of momentum to take his musical profession even additional within the new yr. – Josh Weiner
A
Stevie Invoice is as charismatic, as charming, and as unfiltered in actual life, as she is in music. The Dutch artist’s sophomore EP I used to be a platinum blonde is a stunningly dreamy, achingly intimate, and superbly weak exploration of self-discovery by a younger grownup’s lens. It’s a spellbinding (re)introduction to the New York Metropolis-based singer/songwriter: A heat and alluring report whose catchy inside reckonings and candid reflections captivate and compel, bringing us ever-closer to Invoice and the wondrous indie pop world she is constructing, each round herself and inside herself, in actual time.
For Invoice, altering her outer look by going blonde had an impression on the lady inside as effectively. It was an act of transformation, exploration, revolution, and self-discovery. It was as a platinum blonde that she discovered the braveness to take some main life dangers, get away of her consolation zone, and discover herself as a younger twenty-something navigating New York Metropolis. In order her blonde hair grew out and she or he grew to become a brunette as soon as extra, a barely older, barely wiser Invoice determined to embrace creative modifications inside her music – embracing the traditional rock influences and pop-oriented sounds she grew up listening to. The ensuing EP is a sonically and emotionally charged reverie: A fascinating wonderland of guts and development, all channeled by a litany of immediately memorable, simply lovable melodies and intoxicating, infectious beats.
Highlights abound on the journey from tender title observe “Platinum Blonde” by “Hahaha,” the visceral and spirited “Hurts to Maintain On,” and in the end the cathartic nearer, “Our bodies.” “Lalala,” the EP’s ultimate single (launched in early August), is a definitive standout; an irresistibly catchy and carefree anthem (named after the Kylie Minogue traditional “Can’t Get You Out of My Head”), it’s a a seductive celebration of music’s particular skill to empower, encourage, uplift, and enrich our lives. “And it goes similar to this, sing it with my lips like, la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la,” Invoice sings, deep in her personal sun-kissed daydream. “And I swing with my hips and I blow you a kiss like la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la.” And similar to that, we’re hooked.
Then, after all, there’s “Hahaha,” which was named certainly one of Atwood Journal‘s Songs of 2024: Between the celestial heat of Invoice’s gorgeous falsetto, the infectious power of her melodic guitar work, and the uncooked ache embedded deep in her songwriting, the indie pop artist gained me over immediately along with her infectious breakup anthem. As charming as it’s churning – and extremely inventive – “Hahaha” is a type of broken-hearted confessionals that lifts you to higher heights, at the same time as Invoice dwells in her personal achingly intimate depths.
Whether or not you’re singing “Hahaha” or “Lalala” or something in-between, these songs seize a younger artist coming into her personal sound with grace, confidence, and an unapologetic willpower to share her true self by music. What extra may anybody probably need, or hope to listen to? As she unpacks themes of change inside and outside, Stevie Invoice dives into what it means for our most cherished relationships to evolve; for us to let go of family members and depart reminiscences behind us as we develop and evolve; and, after all, for hair itself to rework. – Mitch Mosk
2024 was an enormous yr for Essex-based artist, Thalia Raye. She launched her debut EP, Shadows, which propelled her right into a succession of gigs and festivals across the nation, huge TV appearances – and secured her a function on David Grey’s 2024 single, “Plus & Minus.” Who doesn’t love Grey? The headline observe on the Shadows EP is “Not A Heartbreak,” which I had the pleasure of seeing reside, from a small stage in Harlow, Essex, when Raye was simply getting on her toes in 2022. Even again then, the uncooked emotion, honesty, and vocal expertise blew me away. I count on huge issues from Thalia Raye in 2025 and past. – Hamish Monk
A poet first and at all times, the Liverpudlian born Terell Farrell – identified to the remainder of the world by his artist title, TEE – has, for the higher a part of the previous decade, been one of many UK’s best-kept secrets and techniques. In 2021 – after working alongside the likes of Little Simz, Ghetts, Cleo Sol, and N-Dubz – he grabbed maintain of the mic and stepped into the highlight, formally introducing himself and his weak, visceral phrases by stunning raps filled with breathtaking ardour. VALLEY FM, launched in June, is his third undertaking (following 2023’s LOOP and A Dozen Roses // A Love Story), and his most formidable manufacturing to this point. TEE himself has described the report as his most weak – “the perfect model of myself” and “my assertion to the world,” all of which is born out within the precise music – by achingly intimate, emotionally intense performances on songs like “don’t sleep” and “getaway,” the latter of which is a heated fever dream reckoning with the selection to remain in or depart a poisonous relationship. TEE’s candid lyricism and his distinctive method to songwriting (the person cares extra about storytelling than he does a “catchy” refrain), mixed with the dramatic moments he deftly crafts on each music, assist make VALLEY FM a wide ranging world unto itself – one which aches by and thru with the artist’s personal uncooked, stunning humanity. As TEE passionately sings on EP nearer “make it”: “So right here’s my toast to those on the highway much less traveled, ain’t simply the robust ones that settle for the decision to la and la… That is all I’m manufactured from, each morning, each battle, that is blood, sweat, and tears, the one piece to my puzzle.” – Mitch Mosk
Happy accidents occur if you least count on them – and the outcomes could be really extraordinary. For The Brook & The Bluff, a sequence of recording classes with completely no strings hooked up led to a few of the most fun music of their profession. The Nashville band’s newest EP is a breathtakingly stunning golden-hued reverie: A daydream come to life, filled with sunny, candy tones, sultry, seductive choruses, and spellbinding lyrics that ache inside and outside. A breathtakingly stunning mix of yacht rock, soul, folks, and traditional ’70s pop, This Might All Go Nowhere may very effectively keep true to its title, and turn into a deep lower for the diehards; or it might be the beginning of a daring new period for one of the thrilling indie bands of the 2020s. As a result of that’s the factor about joyful accidents: You by no means fairly know the place they’ll take you.
Launched in November, This Might All Go Nowhere is a spiritually uplifting, smile-inducing kiss of sonic sunshine from a band that wishes nothing greater than so that you can really feel nearly as good as they did whereas making these songs. Highlights abound all through the EP’s 18-minute runtime, with every observe inviting audiences to indulge in a second of sun-kissed heat and dreamy connection. All 5 songs should be listened to in full, beginning with the report’s lead single and opener “Dangerous Dangerous Information,” which kicks the whole lot off with a candy, seductive sonic warmth laced with aching emotion. Wealthy, stacked vocal harmonies paying homage to The Beatles and The Seaside Boys add contemporary layers of depth and feeling to the band’s efficiency, making the rise from light verses to hovering choruses all of the extra exhilarating:
These moments I lay right here,
Staring on the ceiling fan,
the shadows are boxing
They combat with these slippery arms.
It goes on and on and on once more that feeling
It goes on and on and on once more
I really feel like I’m falling aside.
Child, it’s unhealthy unhealthy information,
however you need to let me down straightforward
Darling, it’s unhappy however true you
must let me down straightforward
Songs and EPs come and go on a regular basis, however I’ve bought a sneaking suspicion this newest batch will probably be sticking round for a protracted whereas. As irresistible as they’re completely infectious, these 5 tracks seize the magic of The Brook & The Bluff – a band who, on the finish of the day, are having the time of their lives, whether or not or not we’re tuned in. – Mitch Mosk
With infectious indie rock magic and R&B/dream pop vocals, South Korean different quartet The Volunteers have by no means did not ship a propulsive and thrilling listening expertise. On the band’s newest EP “L”, traditional rock ‘n’ roll guitars and empowering percussions drive the resonant 5 tracks, as frontwoman Yerin Baek’s sweet-yet-haunting vocals ramp up drama and melancholy. Although not essentially the most lyrically intricate, the attraction of the EP lies some other place – exactly, its skill to evoke nostalgia in all its varieties and powerfully salient reminiscences by pure sonic greatnesss. The Volunteers inform an evocative and poignant story throughout a short 18-minute EP, a superbly immersive and dreamy rock undertaking that’s positive to captivate new and outdated listeners alike. – Isabella Le
Hook up with Atwood Journal on
Fb, Twitter, Instagram
Uncover new music on Atwood Journal
Atwood Journal’s