Leave earth, but rock out while you’re at it to these tunes…

By Ryan G

CHVRCHES – “Get Away”: Everyone’s favorite Scottish dance trio is back with a new single, indicating an album might be on the way sooner than initially thought. Get Away has elements of everything people love about the band – Lauren Mayberry’s confident yet humble vocals, strong male harmonies, and being dang catchy. The song seems to be more layered than usual too, indicating progression. The melody isn’t amazing, but sometimes less is more.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/172986761″ /]

Sabila Sabila – “Settle In”: Paper Garden Records’ Sabila Sabila has a voice that somehow sounds both vulnerable and silky smooth at the same time. A steady beat stays in the background, while the squeaky side effects of the acoustic guitar contrast the slight reverb of the much more polished electric guitar playing. Settle in to this track, indeed. Sidenote – this project is the solo alter ego of Haleh from The Mast!

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/171185402″/]

Chief Scout – “Run Away from Home”: What do you get when you take old time rock and roll and mix it with modern DIY sensibility? This track. It’s nice to hear a track neither washed out by reverb nor sounding completely raw but accomplishing somewhat of a Goldilocks effect. “Run Away From Home” hits a solo that squeals to a note almost outside the realm of human hearing, before bringing us back to the hook that will have you reeled in by the end of the song.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFjrWJdZICM[/youtube]

Viet Cong – “Continental Shelf”: Call it post punk, call it shoegaze – this song thunders. Noise meets beauty in a track that is being hyped for a reason I can understand. Am I in love? Not sure about that. But I can get behind the hype. The pleas in the vocals give way to an almost new-wave influenced beat at one point. There’s a lot going on here, but somehow I’m not confused by it.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSbYbFiLDtQ[/youtube]

Sarah Jaffe -“Leaving the Planet”: You are doing yourself a huge disservice if you do not watch the epic stop motion video that accompanies this track. Soaring, ethereal, and booming all adequately describe “Leaving the Planet”, which aims to do just that with your imagination. I was about to lump this in with the breathy, dreamy girl fronted projects that are a dime a dozen but then this song got arena worthy and I knew I had a hit.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woiljeJoCd4#t=104[/youtube]

Elisa Ambrogio – “Superstitious”: If the title of this song describes you maybe you should stay away. Actually don’t – you might like the surreal nature of this track.  The song is sung plainly – almost as if spoken matter of fact-ly. Obviously we are nowhere near spoken word, but the expression is the same. Towards the end of the music video, we notice Elise give a glance to the side that’s staring off at some unseen source of pleasure. Is it in her mind? Or “real”? I guess that’s the mood of the track – a pleasurable sort of surreal.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3gRyyGZN9A[/youtube]

Jenny Hval & Susanna – “O Sun O Medusa // A Mirror In My Mouth”: This composition is a piano meets voice song drenched in fantasy. Somehow I’m not surprised at all that the two singers find their home in Norway. Like the homeland, the tune is mountainous and placid. The two swap leads in this medley of sorts. When I was 18, I went on a cruise to Alaska with my family – this is exactly what I would want to be playing in the background, could I go back in time with my iPod the moment I walked on to the top deck in Glacier Bay.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfjOWQ3grw0[/youtube]

Cosby – “Heartracer”: Still with us? Let Cosby wake you up with this doozy of a dance track. I’m little unsure how to proceed with this review, so I’m just going to say what counterparts I think song has that I think this band outdoes. I prefer this to everything I’ve heard from Neon Trees. Even a few Walk the Moon tracks. Pay attention to this Richmond, VA band. Plus, they have keytar. Don’t forget the keytar.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bojUZIgv9Ks[/youtube]

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