Everyone has a story to tell. Andrina Bollinger tells us the story of her journey back to music after years of exhaustion, and she tells it with a structure that feels almost novelistic.

There’s a moment near the end of Island of Way Back where Andrina Bollinger sits down with her late grandmother and just... talks. “Oh Anne” is raw, unadorned, and so quietly intimate that it stopped me completely the first time I heard it. In a way that few songs manage, it pulls you entirely into its environment. It’s the kind of closer that reframes everything that came before it.

That everything is a six-year journey. Island of Way Back, the Swiss avant-pop artist’s second LP, is built as a four-act narrative: Disconnection, Listening Inward, Surrender, and The Return. It documents what happens when the body stops cooperating and your own sense of self starts to feel unfamiliar. As someone who makes music myself, that particular kind of creative burnout hits close to home. I suspect it will for a lot of you too.

What makes the album remarkable is how fully the music commits to the concept. Bollinger’s production approach is woven into the listening experience at every level: dream recordings whispered into a phone become effervescent soundscapes, bowed guitar strings morph into cello-like textures, and her voice shifts fluidly between melody, rhythm, and bassline.

The centerpiece of Act 3, “Mind Needs Body,” is where the album’s thesis crystallizes. Bollinger has described living almost entirely in her head during this period, disconnected from her body and ignoring its distress signals. The track is her reckoning with that: a polyrhythmic, groove-driven meditation that builds slowly and deliberately, like something waking up. Mantra-like vocals weave through interlocking guitar and bass while the drums pulse with an almost physical warmth. And then “Oh Anne” arrives, and she returns to her lineage, bringing us with her into a moment that’s so beautifully reflective.

Island of Way Back is patient, brave, and genuinely moving. In an industry that rewards constant output, Bollinger spent six years making something that needed time. It shows.

Written by Ayden Bristol
Edited by David Nathaniel

If you’ve been waiting for a vocal trio that rings the Tiny Habits bell, Safehouse just released their debut EP “Sure Thing,” and it’s exactly what you didn’t know you needed. There’s something about their blend that makes you stop whatever you’re doing and just listen. It’s the kind of harmony that doesn’t happen by accident.

They open with a live cover of The Beatles’ “The Long and Winding Road,” which tells you everything about their priorities. This isn’t about showing off. It’s three voices finding each other in the space between notes, letting the blend do all the work. By the time you get to the originals, you already trust them.

“BPM” kicks things off with “Twenty-seven breaths per minute / Got a wine-stained sock to prove it,” grounding anxious infatuation in the kind of detail that makes you feel seen. The song asks whether feeling too much too soon might actually be worth it, and the way their voices layer on “Maybe it’s sweet that you make me sick” captures that paradox perfectly.

“June” shifts into reflective territory, tracing a character through childhood to adulthood with remarkable tenderness. “Clean My Room” uses post-breakup mess as metaphor without getting cute about it. But it’s the title track “Sure Thing” that really got me. The song catalogs all these certainties (winter ending, movies finishing, stars burning) until you realize the narrator has been holding onto comfort so tightly they can’t see past it. The final “I know it’ll be there for me / Surely” hits different when you understand growth doesn’t mean abandoning safety, just knowing when to expand beyond it.

The whole EP is spacious, guitar-driven acoustic pop that gives these voices room to do what they do best. And that blend? Gosh, that blend. Each singer shines in their solo moments, but when they converge, it’s something else entirely.

Written by David Nathaniel

I’ve written for different music blogs pretty much since I came to Boston, over 4 years ago now. Being “in the scene” for that long, you start to develop favorites, even if you never admit them. Well today I’m admitting one of mine — Boston’s very own banshee, Pleasure Coffin. In what has almost become her tagline in my mind, her social media all declare “screaming is good for you”, which if taken seriously must mean she’s the healthiest person in the city. Most of her music is electronic with a screamo focus, releasing some of the most consistently cool projects I’ve come across. And I say projects intentionally — Pleasure Coffin is a conceptual artist through and through, crafting many of her performances around their live elements, such as using a sound mixer crafted out of a bra (coined her “noise bra”) to live mix her sound.

Her newest album, “NOISE NOT LOVE” leans away from her screamo roots, though. Not that they aren’t still present — specifically heard in “Carny”’s breakdown. Her live performances, too, tend to stray from an exact replication of what she records. But this album allows more space for the lyrics to breathe for what I feel is a particularly intentional reason. Every song has a laser focus on the senses of the scene it paints, transporting you directly into the headspace Pleasure Coffin emulates. The opening track (and my favorite!) “Kick”, describes a relationship built exclusively on the sensory experience of being with that person. She describes, “All I’ve ever known is your sound… ear to the ground. An ache that’s audible and true, memories that shake the room.” And the chorus repeats how “every city every night, the kick drum sounds just like you”, accompanied by an electronic pattering mimicking the mentioned instrument.

Each song has this sensory center, like “Pixel”’s parasocial voyeurism or the taut romanticism of “Tattoo”’s abusive dynamic. Being an artist with such a focus on the live experiences of their work, this project feels like the end result of her thesis. There’s not much processing of these emotions throughout, just their most base sensory translation. And for Pleasure Coffin, that’s all that’s needed. Just like the title suggests, it’s most important for listeners to get lost in the noise of the album, not the love.

Written by Izzy Astuto

Randomly one day, I stumbled across Daniel in my Spotify shuffle. His music sounded so unorthodox yet familiar: a considered, vintage nostalgia with a Latin backbeat and a voice that sings as soft as a lullaby. Something about it felt like I had heard it before, which made it no great surprise to discover that Daniel Noah Miller is one half of Lewis Del Mar. What is more surprising is how much his solo project has flown under the radar.

In 2024, Miller branched out to explore more vulnerable and deeply lyrical territory on his debut solo album titled Disintegration: a personal reckoning with the loss of his father, the dissolution of relationships, and the quiet aftermath of private upheaval. The lyrics read like a diary you weren’t supposed to find. Yet it seems Miller still has more to say. His new double single, Copio, suggests the conversation is far from over.

The title Copio is Latin for “I copy” or “I reproduce,” and it acts as a window into the lens of identity after loss. It suggests that although we cannot resolve grief, we can respond to it honestly through replication. We carry forward the people we’ve lost by copying them incrementally, like cells dividing or branches growing. “Angelito” is the other side of the double single, and it operates in a different register entirely. It is Spanish for “little angel,” which is a term that carries particular weight in Latin American culture, where it is commonly used to refer to a child who has died or as a term of endearment for someone lost. “Angelito” feels like the desperate need to be seen in moments of total exposure. Where “Copio” is about how we move forwards, “Angelito” is the experience of loss itself.

Together, the two tracks feel like two sides of the same question: How do we carry forward what we’ve lost? And how do we reckon with what we couldn’t protect?

If you have any love for indie folk music, Miller’s work is well worth your time. Whether through his solo project or Lewis Del Mar, there are all kinds of emotional experiences waiting to be uncovered, and with Copio, it feels like he is only just getting started.

Written by Ayden Bristol
Edited by David Nathaniel

My favorite new album of the past few weeks, so much so that it finally prompted me to get tickets to their tour, is underscores’ U. To me, underscores feels as big as 100 gecs in 2020, having curated a TikTok of people posting just as excitedly about her as me. But when mentioning the San Fran-based singer to certain hyperpop fanatic friends, they had no clue who I was talking about. And while she has 1.3 million monthly listeners on Spotify, her Instagram followers don’t even break 200k. It seems like while many have heard at least one of her songs, her diehard fans are much fewer and far between. So today I am taking it upon myself to educate the masses on my favorite not-niche niche artist.

April Grey began releasing music under underscores in 2018, but really broke out with her debut album, Fishmonger, in 2021, when she opened for 100 gecs on tour. I became familiar with her, though, through her second full-length project, Wallsocket. A concept album (my favorite kind!) following three Gen Z girls in the fictional town of Wallsocket, Michigan. Wrestling with gun violence, capitalism, and class divides, the album is a masterclass in storytelling, expertly coloring each of these stories with a detached, fly-on-the-wall sensibility that lets her really dig into these topics from every angle.

U is almost the antithesis of Wallsocket. Where her previous album created a whole universe to dissect the 21st century situation, this album leans into the concept of exploring Grey’s own psyche. Much of underscores’ music has soundbites sprinkled throughout, but each album tends to have its signature sound. Wallsocket‘s was a computerized “Good luck!”, like some ambivalent narrator mockingly commenting on the tragic happenings of the depicted characters. But U‘s is appropriately an almost childlike “It’s you.” Multiple tracks open with it, like “Hollywood Forever,” depicting a plasticky Los Angeles landscape that the disaffected singer is “so” a part of. On a different album, this designation would seem a death sentence for their attempted vulnerability. But instead, Grey loves it, demanding to be buried “in Hollywood forever.”

Usually I try to not conflate the singer with the artist themselves. Grey especially is no stranger to playing a character in their music. But this project is begging for it. With references to a music career and a press circuit for the release that Grey only ever talks about in the first person, this is allegedly April Grey’s tell all. But with the constant references to products and the social landscape, like in the supposedly heartfelt “Lovefield”’s reference to angel numbers, I’m reminded of media like American Psycho. The depiction is all self-preservation, a caricature of vulnerability. In defining themselves through commercialization, underscores becomes consumed by the market. This doesn’t seem to bother the artist, though. Instead, they throw themselves in completely. After all, “I feel the music… [and] it’s everything to me.”

Written by Izzy Astuto
Edited by David Nathaniel

Born in Austria but based in Manchester, Felix Nyajo, better known under the stage name of salute, has been making monumental waves over the last 2 years, to the point where he’s poised as one of the most exciting up-and-comers in the house space. While this rise seems meteoric on paper, mainly off the back of 2024’s “TRUE MAGIC” and its deluxe version which included features from Rina Sawayama and Disclosure, Felix’s career as salute started over a decade ago, and prior to that he was breaking through with remixes he made at 16 years old from a pirated copy of FL Studio. The amount of time he’s spent honing his craft is very apparent and explains this rise to prominence fully.

There’s a cathartic motion in the background of a lot of salute’s work, especially in “TRUE MAGIC.” This feeling really comes to life from understanding a lot of Felix’s life experiences. From heavy racial discrimination and having to uproot his life several times to many tough experiences with higher-ups in the music industry, these challenges recontextualize the very uplifting ethos seen in salute’s work, not only in the actual sound but in inclusion rider initiatives too, which have been put in place to uplift those who may have been disadvantaged like he was. It is this emotional undercurrent that makes salute’s output easy to gravitate to, and that’s before we get into the actual music.

EDM arguably has the most interesting set of packagings that up-and-coming artists pick to hang their hat on in order to make a name for themselves in the space. For every abrasive and grand personality making you know that this is their song, you have deliberately low-key DJs who try to make their way into your heart via solid hooks and comfy vibes. I think salute has done an admirable job at splitting the difference in these areas. His tracks are incredibly pristine. You really feel in a different league as the instrumentals go on, yet at the same time the presentation is so effortlessly confident. Salute lands in the more synth- and sample-heavy end of house, and the way he goes about it is so lush. The songs carry an inherent joy which is uplifted by the soaring bounciness of the backbones he creates. For a genre that can often be labeled as repetitive by design, Felix cemented himself as being one of the most ambitious DJs around when it comes to musical structure, with tracks that are packed with dynamic switches, from subtle but noticeable to deeply memorable. Add a strong knack for working with featured vocalists, and you’re left with an outstanding final product.

Through years of work and struggle, salute is reaping the rewards of plenty of years of excellent music. I’m looking forward to seeing what his next step will be.

Written by Fernando Corral
Edited by David Nathaniel

When it comes to experimentation, Magi Merlin is a master of her craft. She takes R&B and pulls it somewhere entirely her own: interjecting eclectic sounds and samples from unexpected places, then setting them against a lyrical depth that feels genuinely considered. The result is an art pop sound that doesn’t feel constructed so much as inhabited.

What makes her music so arresting is the detail beneath the surface. Her harmonies add dimension in a way that rewards repeated listening, and when you sit with her lyrics long enough, you begin to notice just how much thought has gone into every line. There is an intentionality to her work that is rare.

Her newest release, “POPSTAR,” brings that intentionality into sharp focus. The track engages directly with the modern political climate, exploring what Merlin believes a pop icon should actually stand for. Pop icons exist not just for entertainment, but with a responsibility to inspire. In her vision, the pop-star is a messenger, and music is a vehicle for collective change. It’s a bold idea, but she wears it with conviction, marrying these musical ideas with her visual storytelling as she takes on the lead for the art direction of the project.

With an artist this deliberate in everything she touches: the sound, the words, the visuals, it’s hard not to be excited about where she goes next.

Written by Ayden Bristol
Edited by David Nathaniel

Say what you want about TikTok, but it’s a hotbed of talent. The amount of aptitude that I scroll past daily and promptly forget about is overwhelming and an unfortunate side effect of the instant gratification app. Which is why when I stumbled upon Satin Puppets’ newest EP, Lace and Sword... Locket Tarnished, I didn’t make the connection that they were the same talented twins known for their haunting covers on TikTok.

These girls are Julia and Joanna Araujo, who have gone viral for their syncopated covers of songs like “Tonight You Belong To Me” and “Tiptoe Through The Tulips.” Going by satin.rat and satin.doe on social media, respectively, each girl has an alternative, Tim Burton vibe that only adds to their lilting, breathy voices that can perfectly harmonize instantly.

Their aesthetic is reminiscent of a horror variant of Pixie Hollow, or a creepy video game I discovered on Steam in high school, like Fran Bow. It’s not meant to be simply unsettling, but also in touch with the natural world. It’s the type of unnerving that stems from knowing that what you’re seeing is perfectly in touch with its surroundings, lurking beneath the surface of our world. With lyrics like “The Ballet”’s, “Laces stitching up our open wounds, hidden in the shrine,” the twins perfectly fit the aesthetic of a teen girl’s Tumblr dashboard.

Don’t take this as something demeaning, though. Not only will I always look back on my Tumblrina days fondly, but Satin Puppets don’t thrive on aesthetics alone. Their lyrics, which once were relatively formulaic, pulling from common horror tropes like a haunted toybox, now craft entire worlds through whispered, ritual-like verses. The title track, “Lace and Sword… Locket Tarnished,” leans into a sort of Poppy-type sound, with listeners becoming stand-ins for these cursed objects mentioned in the title. “Exoskeleton,” on the other hand, describes us as bug royalty, with the twins as our attempted usurpers. With the horror genre being so oversaturated, the art that truly stands out is these types of out-there, wholly inventive concept pieces that fully believe in the world that they’ve created for their consumers. Satin Puppets have only gotten better with time, and they are certainly ones to watch as they continue to marinate in their gorgeously grimy paradise.

Written by Izzy Astuto
Edited by David Nathaniel

As early as 2019, when I was first getting into 100 gecs and hyperpop was still mostly a foreign concept to me, I had friends who would incredulously ask me, “how can you listen to this???” Now, hyperpop is much more mainstream and “money machine” can be found playing in frat houses. But there’s still taboo associated with electronica, particularly that which leans full tilt into the experimental element.

Los Angeles based alt-rock artist SIIICKBRAIN’s latest single, “PALO SANTO”, fits into this category, with glitches galore and a thrumming backing track that feels like it’s seconds away from bursting through your speakers. After listening to it for a couple of weeks, though, getting used to the undeniable dance quality, I started to wonder about a trend I’ve noticed not just in this track, but many hyperpop songs — a longing for a changed brain chemistry. Whether it be Jane Remover talking about pumping brains out or underscores referencing lobotomies in “Locals (Girls like us)”, hyperpop is interested in what’s going on in both the minds of its listeners and singers.

As a queer kid, I was no stranger to this concept, often wishing that my thoughts were more in line with the conservative community around me. In a genre that’s so heavily populated by the LGBTQ+ community, I have to imagine this is a part of it. But further than that, hyperpop is a genre all about merging with technology, pushing music software to its limits. So why wouldn’t that extend to the physical body? SIICKBRAIN’s aesthetics are all cutting-edge, from her shaved head to her cyber sigilism tattoos. She’s the exact type of role model that I needed in middle school, and the exact type of influence my parents would have done everything in their power to steer me away from. And maybe that’s the throughline — so much of learning to love yourself not just as a queer person, but any type of person who doesn’t fit into society’s rigid standards, is having to unlearn societal expectations. A slow unraveling of what the public consciousness has taught us to think is attractive and moral our entire lives.

If someone whose favorite artist is, say, Benson Boone, or a dime a dozen country artist, listened to “PALO SANTO” with no context, they might be utterly appalled by this call to “rewind your brain.” But everyone has had at least one moment that they wish they could rewire their brain around, whether it be a one-off embarrassing moment at work, or your entire identity. Hyperpop is just more willing to admit to it.

Written by Izzy Astuto

Kanako Yamamoto is a very intriguing personality. Currently based in London, she initially began her musical journey learning to play the guzheng in Japan. Eventually, she transferred this eastern musical heritage into the guitar, where she embraces her audience with such a unique indie folk sound. I admire Yamamoto’s work as she has turned rootlessness into a creative strength. It’s almost as if not quite belonging directly to one culture has given her music a universal emotional quality that feels ever personal.

Her most recent EP, In Transit, feels like a natural follow-up to her debut EP Unfold, continuing on themes of self-discovery and emotional resilience as she explores the weight of connections in relationships. If I were to describe her songs, I would say they are characterised by a guitar soundtrack that transcends the present moment, with vocals that draw you into something deeply introspective.

Overall, what is clear is that the theme of her work is something a lot of young adults can relate to, with the volatile nature of moving between stages of life, places, or even cultures. Combine that with an intimate indie folk vibe that feels effortless, and you have a perfect recipe for intentional solitude.

Written by Ayden Bristol
Edited by David Nathaniel

It’s about time Sophia Stel is on everyone’s radar. The 24-year-old, Vancouver-born artist was recently signed to A24’s music label, and for good reason. Her music is emotionally evocative, catchy, and more than anything, cinematic. I wouldn’t be surprised if Stel ends up scoring a movie or two. Her music sounds exactly like how it was made: in the basement of a club, far past regular working hours. Stel shows clear influences from Ethel Cain, FKA twigs, and Imogen Heap. However, even at such a young age, she has already created a dimension entirely her own, both vocally and through her production.

So far, the only other official artist signed to A24 Music is Mark William Lewis, a bald, South London-born genre-bender who has taken indie music fans by storm with his experimental vocals and production. His music took me a few listens to truly appreciate, but I still felt that pull to come back to it again and again. Though Stel has a completely different sound from Lewis, that is precisely what they have in common: that immeasurable feeling that keeps you coming back to the music. I believe this is the sonic world A24 Music is trying to build, and I am all here for it.

Sophia Stel’s debut album is set to release this year, and her Europe + North America tour begins on April 10. To warm up, go listen to her two EPs, Object Permanence and How to Win at Solitaire.

Written by Capp Gordon
Edited by David Nathaniel

Better known by the one-man band pseudonym Way Dynamic, Dylan Young has been one of the most exciting up-and-coming artists in Australia’s indie scene, all due to the prowess and growth he’s shown across his last 3 albums. Having recently scored a spot opening for Black Country, New Road and announced a European tour off the back of 2025’s “Massive Shoe,” let’s look at the evolution that has led him to this point.

With a background in blues and fusion guitar from an early age which would later blossom into refined multi-instrumentalism, much of Way Dynamic’s first wave of output was informed by an attempt to put his arrangement skills to the test with a blend of folk, soft rock, and indie. After his 2022 debut “So Familiar,” he decided to strip back a lot of the range and refinement on the instrumentals to then embrace a more raw sound on 2024’s “Duck.” Following those 2 records, it seems as though Dylan found a sonic signature, one which could balance those fleshed-out instrumentals, his affinity for hooks and structure, and that raw ambiance captured by the tape he records in, all culminating in “Massive Shoe.”

The package we’ve been left with is a low-stakes, breezy project that can feel so familiar depending on the angle you look from. Young’s M.O.R. Rock influences bleed through a lot of the instrumentals and the motion that the songs carry, but bolstering these classic structures is an ambiance that floats with ease between 60s and 70s artists like Buffalo Springfield and Carole King and more modern contemporaries who also embrace a lo-fi, nostalgic soundscape like Mac DeMarco and Sun Kil Moon. Coupled with the mellow hooks and the tender lyrics and vocals we get from Dylan, and you get a really inviting package that sticks with the listener.

With plenty of action coming in 2026, we will now see this formula be brought to life by Dylan and his live band all across the world in the coming months, and I’ve no doubts that they’ll rise to the occasion. Way Dynamic is the real deal.

Written by Fernando Corral
Edited by David Nathaniel

Thought-provoking club music seems to be becoming its own genre at this point, spun, in many people’s minds, from Charli XCX’s Brat. Club music with a spine, a message that makes it stand out in an era of music ruled by electronica and how easy it is to dance to. With all due respect to Ms. XCX, though, I wouldn’t say she’s at the forefront of this genre. At least not in a post-Brat summer world. Instead, my current biggest fascination in this vein is Mandy, Indiana’s haunting sophomore album, URGH.

The club music evoked in URGH is admittedly quite different from the LA party girl vibe. Instead, this feels straight from some seedy and selective European nightclub. Based out of England with a French leading lady vocalist, Valentine Caulfield, this group feels born from the bowels of Berghain. The album is experimental in every way — electronic rock instrumentals; production that toes the line between fun music you’d hear while out and noise too unbearable to stand; and, most importantly, topics brought up in the lyrics that at times feel like they contradict the sound it’s delivered through.

Plain and simple, this is an album about misogyny and how it’s very quickly choking out this planet. The opening track, “Sevastopol”’s, mythologizes it, telling of powerful, iconically male legends like Hades being given control over the Earth, but only with powers to kill and poison its inhabitants. The rest of the songs follow this train, depicting bloody violence and anger at every turn. Against the bumping backing tracks, I can’t help but think of many of the reasons that people avoid clubbing in the first place. Fears of being roofied, being subject to unwanted sexual advances, or rape twisted through my mind as I listened to this album, making the final track, “I’ll Ask Her”, all the more impactful.

“I’ll Ask Her” is far and away the best song from the project, with Caulfield becoming one of the boys she relentlessly dissects, putting on a faux British accent. “It’s just a story about a boy”, as the song starts, detailing an eerily accurate caricature of toxic bro culture. Slowly, rumors start to come out, brushed over at first, then fully spelled out by the end of the song: “His ex went to the police… he brags about getting them drunk… your friends are rapists.” The instrumentals are also fully unhinged at this point, as if they don’t have to masquerade anymore, either. It’s not fun, thoughtless beats anymore, with low, threatening drumbeats and sharp, droning synths. As her gross, fratty persona, Caulfield excuses this all away with a simple “and they’re fucking crazy, man.” None of the allegations actually matter, cause boys will be boys, right? It’s a hard listen the first time, but once you push through, it becomes strangely cathartic. This is the mindset that some of the most powerful people in the world are currently operating under, so sometimes playacting to scream about it is really all it feels like you can do..

Written by Izzy Astuto

About three months ago, I stumbled upon what I thought was an unreleased snippet from a Frank Ocean burner account. The music was excellent: catchy, freeing, and delicate. I was surely convinced it was a Frank Ocean song or possibly Daniel Caesar, only to find out that the track was made by an anonymous artist by the name of “Self Proclaimed Narcissist.” The snippet had gone viral on social media, and the faceless artist had already racked up hundreds of thousands of listens with one singular release.

There is not much public information about SPN. Nobody even knows their name or where they are from, which begs the dreadful question if SPN is even real. With rampant success stories of social media-driven AI artists, who really knows if this faceless artist even has flesh and bones? Personally, I believe there is no chance SPN is an AI artist, but the speculation itself is a genius marketing tactic.

The greatest electronic duo of all time (Daft Punk) never took their masks off. The hottest rapper of 2025 (Esdeekid) has yet to reveal his face. One of the biggest artists of our generation (The Weeknd) didn’t reveal his identity until his first live show in 2011. Needless to say, anonymous artists have been around for decades. However, I believe that now, more than ever, is the time for artists like SPN to remain as mysterious as possible. In a music landscape where artists are required to constantly flood their audiences with content, an artist who speaks with nothing but their music might be exactly what people need. In a world obsessed with exposure, Self Proclaimed Narcissist may prove that the most powerful move an artist can make is to remain unseen.

SPN’s self-titled debut album, “Self Proclaimed Narcissist,” comes out on March 11. Ironic? Or Genius?

Written by Capp Gordon

EDM can be a very hard genre to get right. There is such a big emphasis on the vibe of how the music feels and ultimately the necessity to induce a dance feel in the music. What I love about whisper, the most recent release from dóttir.x, is how free the music feels. Even though it is contained within the familiar structure of ambient house, there is something about Krista Héðinsdóttir’s airy vocals that feels very easy and comforting to listen to. Her Icelandic origins lend her a vocal tone that is rare within the wider EDM scene, such that even though it is early days now, I believe she will quickly build a dedicated fanbase in future years.

The electronic music scene is experiencing a renewed interest in melody-driven EDM, with artists increasingly embracing more emotive and atmospheric sounds. This shift marks a move away from purely high-energy drops toward music that prioritises feeling and connection, offering listeners a more immersive experience. dóttir.x taps into this emotional current effortlessly, which is why her sound feels so invigorating: like a refreshing winter breeze sweeping through the stale air of past trends.

Working in tandem with Krista on her tracks is producer Fil Thorpe (AKA Prblm Chld). Listening to tracks Fil has released on his solo project Prblm Chld, it’s clear to see how his mature EDM production style has translated into beautiful collaborations with Krista on dóttir.x. His masterful future bass sound shimmers beneath Krista’s vocals rather than overwhelming them. It’s a chemistry that feels less like collaboration and more like conversation. Each artist is pushing the other toward something neither could achieve alone. I am very eagerly looking forward to the future of what dóttir.x has to hold. If this is just the beginning of dóttir.x, we’re in for something special. The potential feels limitless.

Written by Ayden Bristol
Edited by David Nathaniel

Ephraim’s “Alone” doesn’t just reference 2000s R&B; it understands what made that era’s heartbreak anthems so devastating. The track channels the emotional precision of artists who knew that the most cutting breakup songs aren’t about rage but about the quiet realization that absence would have hurt less than false presence.

The opening line sets the tone immediately: “I may be young, but I’m not stupid.” This isn’t defensive posturing but a declaration of self-awareness that runs throughout the entire track. Ephraim positions himself as someone who can recognize manipulation even while experiencing it, refusing to perform naivety just because youth is expected to be synonymous with foolishness. It’s a statement that gives the rest of the song its emotional authority.

Sonically, “Alone” captures the understated elegance of 2000s R&B without feeling derivative. The production favors space over density, allowing Ephraim’s vocals to carry the emotional weight. There’s a restraint here that recalls an era when R&B artists trusted silence and simplicity to amplify heartbreak rather than burying it in overproduction.

The song’s central thesis arrives in its chorus: “You could’ve just left me on my own / It would’ve felt the same and not hurt me as bad.” This captures something rarely articulated in breakup narratives: the unique pain of half-commitment, of someone who stays just enough to prevent healing but not enough to provide actual comfort. Ephraim isn’t lamenting a loss; he’s lamenting the cruelty of being made to believe there was something to lose.

What makes “Alone” particularly effective is how it balances vulnerability with clarity. Lines like “Already hurt that’s why I’m so glad / You couldn’t take me further to that bad place / Cause I’m already in that bad place” reveal someone who has learned to find strange comfort in rock bottom. There’s no salvation arc here, just the honest acknowledgment that sometimes we’re only safe from further damage because we’ve already hit our limit.

The bridge’s repetition of “Stop playing like you care when you’re saying to me that you miss me” transforms from plea to mantra, each iteration stripping away another layer of pretense. By the time Ephraim reaches “Wanted a hug but now I’m so off of you,” the shift from desire to detachment feels earned rather than performed.

“Alone” succeeds because Ephraim treats the 2000s R&B influence as foundation rather than costume. He’s absorbed the genre’s emotional vocabulary and used it to articulate something genuinely personal. The result is a track that honors its inspirations while establishing Ephraim as an artist capable of translating classic heartbreak into contemporary terms.

Written by David Nathaniel

“Life and Death is in the power of the tongue” is a statement I’ve heard ever since I was young, both in religious and non-religious settings. The idea of manifesting, or speaking over yourself and others, is a popular sentiment that I do believe in. The more you say something to yourself, the more truthful it becomes in reality. Similar to some of my other writings, this thought came to me during a mundane task: a 5-hour night of finishing work I waited too long to do. I listen to music more often than not to get my work done. The harder the song, the more encouraged I am to keep going with my assignments.

Trim, the up and coming 19 year old rapper from Charleston, South Carolina, had just released her “Boat” remix featuring YKNIECE and BunnaB. I was probably losing my mind from sleep deprivation at four am, but after having “Boat,” “Bugatti,” and “Taxi” on repeat for a solid hour and some change, I started thinking about how her biggest songs are all related to modes of transportation. It may seem silly to others, but I believe there’s something interesting about her most popular songs being tied to movement, especially movement that has positive connotations. Traveling around on a boat? I’m assuming you’re going island to island, turning up under the stars with a strong sugar-rimmed lemon drop, potential motion sickness, and a pleasurable fling on a proverbial water bed. Riding around in a Bugatti (although Trim prefers a Ferrari, which makes sense as most Bugattis don’t seat four people, so where would the girls go?), you have enough money to both purchase and maintain a vehicle meant for speed and opulence. A taxi may not be the most extravagant of the three, but that doesn’t matter. A working woman has places to go and will get there by any means necessary!

I told my friends and the editor of this blog, “Trim is going places. She’s speaking it over herself, and people are clearly responding,” including myself. I’ve never believed in the limit the media and public try to put on successful women in rap. Yes, resources are finite, but there’s a space for everyone who is hungry, innovative, and bleeds their craft. I’m always in awe of young black women coming into music and putting themselves up for public scrutiny, which is exactly what being an artist is. Trim is just coming into popularity and is collaborating with various other women rappers around her, building off her peers and bringing more fans together. A new wave of female rap is coming, and the undercurrent seems strong, filled with young women willing to work with one another while creating and occupying their own lanes of creativity. Hopefully, a full-length album or mixtape will be on the way, and when it comes, you’ll be sure to hear from me.

Remember to keep it human and creative, work not with wires but with blood!

Written by Savanah Duckworth-Lewis
Edited by David Nathaniel

I’m at the time in my life where every other week feels like a crossroads. Jobs are hard to secure and harder to enjoy, friends are constantly moving away, and my emotional state feels like a nebulous entity more than something I’m supposed to have control over. And sometimes the only thing that can comfort me when life threatens to overwhelm is an indie pop EP about this exact time in life, like dacelynn’s latest.

nine lives is the product of a messy early 20’s, containing stories of self-sabotage and chronic repression. However, it does so with a quiet kindness, a product of dacelynn’s soft vocals and skillful writing, displaying just how much the singer has gone over these events in her mind. In “russian doll”, which dacelynn has referred to as her most vulnerable release, the lyrics are critical in a way you can only be with yourself, saying, “Give me something I can’t take to test the limits of my purpose.” But they’re said methodically, as if stripping away the singer’s layers. Paired with the title, this action is shown as necessary to get to the real person behind the metaphorical “moat” (the track before “russian doll”).

This EP is a lesson in how to be gentle with yourself as dacelynn’s smooth vocals wash over you. Characterized by a dodie-like lofi sound, you can’t help but feel comforted by her voice and begin to map your own experiences on top of the singer’s. If you need some type of balm to soothe that 21st century malaise, dacelynn’s your girl.

Written by Izzy Astuto
Edited by David Nathaniel

Maddie Ashman is an artist I like to consider as a modern experimentalist. In a landscape where much of the pop musicians we know try to pertain to a particular sound of a genre, Maddie is directly experimenting with perception of sounds as we know it.

Many critics have noted that she is creating music which feels fresh in the current era. The only real question is how?

Whilst she is a multi-instrumentalist based in London, she is specifically known for her experimentation with microtonal guitar and cello, with her viral rise in following on her Instagram, gaining support from notable icons: the likes of Caroline Polachek, Jacob Collier, and Anthony Fantano. Coming from an academic point of view, it can be very easy to overcomplicate songs when focusing heavily on atonality and microtonal expression, but Maddie always finds a way to make her songs feel natural through the haze of ambiguity. The unnatural notes don’t feel out of place, just much more human.

In advance of her new project, “Her Side,” we have been given sneak peaks into a few songs on the EP. “Jaded” particularly stands out to me as the perfect proof of concept for her avant-pop style. The vocal harmonies transform in a way that feels as though the song is physically breathing, as it shifts beyond the limitations of 12-note equal temperament in western pop music. She does all of this whilst exploring introspective lyrical concepts that we all think about but don’t always voice: “unmet desires, repressed feelings, the toll of societal expectations.” Allowing her to reach deep into the hearts of her listeners and realise the depth of our individual inner beauty.

Maddie’s work represents a fundamental originality and innovation in music which is becoming ever-increasingly important for artists. There is very much a trend towards homogeneity, with streaming algorithms favouring safe and familiar sounds, creating a greater challenge when it comes to artists looking for unique artistic expression. That’s why I’m especially excited for “Her Side” to drop on February 6th. It’s an album that proves technical mastery and emotional depth don’t have to compete. Instead, they can coexist effortlessly, making this album an increasingly powerful inspiration for musicians who want to push beyond conventional boundaries.

Written by Ayden Bristol
Edited by David Nathaniel

Formed in Halifax, West Yorkshire, by the trio of Esme Dee Hal-Harford on bass and vocals, Sid B. Hal-Harford on drums, and Henry Carlysle Wade on guitar, The Orielles have been on a run that now has them poised to be one of the most exciting and dynamic underground groups in the UK. Starting out with their grand 2018 debut album “Silver Dollar Moment”, which featured the stellar breakout track that was “Sunflower Seeds”, their discography has shown an incredible commitment to flowing between genres with a consistently excellent execution.

The bulk of their output is reminiscent of the early ‘90s alternative scene in the UK that featured groups like Lush and Cocteau Twins, and like much of that scene, they’ve been quick to venture into styles like Dance and Industrial Techno, a trend that has grown steadily with each release.

Through all of these forays across genres, The Orielles have still carved out a distinct sonic signature, consisting of the fuzzy and creative guitar textures delivered by Carlysle, Esme’s dreamy yet poignant vocals, and their willingness to not be boxed in when it comes to grooves or tempos, all making for a package that has excitement at every turn.

“You’ve got to die and be reborn between albums” is the credo we currently have from Henry in the lead-up to 2026’s “Only You Left,” and so far, with the pair of lead singles “You are Eating a Part of Yourself” and “To Undo the World Itself,” they look set to deliver once again. Both of these tracks pursue a dreamy and cozy ambiance with a wait-y structure that we haven’t seen predominantly in the band’s work up to this point, and it should come as no surprise that they stuck the landing. I’m very much looking forward to hearing the full album.

Written by Fernando Corral
Edited by David Nathaniel