Letrainiump – “Go!”: Many critics will say this is a bit too close to The 1975 for comfort. I say The 1975 does not have a monopoly on all electric guitars that sound that way (you know what way I mean). For real though, this is a really fun track. It takes a lot for me to listen to a song three times in the first day I hear it—that happened with this one. Get ready for more throwback vibes brought into the present and put your dancing shoes on; it’s going to be one colorful neon synth-filled party. For real though, why is this so freaking infectious?

Emarosa – “Don’t Cry”: This doesn’t have as immediately infectious of a single as their previous single, “Given Up.” That doesn’t make the song any less fun, though. The band continues down the road away from the “scene” and into the land of alt and pop radio. This sound progression has a lot of parallels with the change in Acceptance’s sound in Colliding By Design in 2017 (a great album, by the way).

Goldë – “Mirror, Mirror”: I took notice of this track because it blends the worlds of sad-girl indie rock and indie pop. She’s like a modernized Complicated-era Avril Lavigne without the eyeliner (and better vocals). Goldë is “not taking any of your shit,” but she communicates that in such a nice way. Still, you had better watch out! This song was the first of this evening of browsing music submissions that really made me sit up and take notice.

Jackie Venson – “A Million Moments”: The email pitch for this song quotes another publication, ORVLD, as saying that this song represents Jackie Benson as a “soul’d up St Vincent.” Those are very bold words, but I can see where they’re coming from. Many artists have come and gone over the life of Tuned Up, yet I continue to see Jackie’s name come up in our inbox as an artist on the rise. This perseverance and the quality of this song ought to propel her to the next level. It has a nice bouncy quality to go along with it’s aforementioned soul and Venson’s guitar prowess.

Nancy Layne – “Water”: Be warned, this is a melancholy one. However, sometimes it takes a song like this one to remind you of just how wide the spectrum of feeling is when listening to music. I would describe what I’m feeling right now as “sad ethereal.” I’ve felt similar things when listening to music that is more orchestral. Maybe it’s the winter outside that’s influencing me. As I’ve said in the past, I do some of my best music listening and discovery in the dark, cold months. It’s artists like Nancy that make me appreciate these times of year and help me see the beauty in the less desirable emotions.