MINNESOTA SOUND REVIEWS - 1/28/2026
Reviews by: Alexandra Haynes, Writer @xalexonlinex
Edited by: Andrew Perrizo, Owner/Editor @melodicnoisemedia
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Zippy Laske "Late Bloom"
This is track two of five on singer-songwriter Zippy Laske’s eponymous EP, released in June 2025. With the optimistic message that you can “believe in something you haven’t seen” because “late bloomers bloom when they’re ready,” this song sweetly reassures Laske herself and the listener that it is never too late to participate fully in the world and engage in new experiences. This swell of hope is matched well to the poppy electronic melodies that give the end product a Disney Channel chic — Laske’s vocals over the optimistic synth lead lines and rhythm-guiding drum machine have a folksy aspect, with available grit evident underneath the bright, more sugary tone she utilizes here.
$aiku, JuneThaKid "God Speed"
Bass-boosted accent beats thump intermittently on an otherwise chill-hop soundscape, over which, $aiku’s rich flow dances and weaves with the featured voice of JuneThaKid. I love when rappers with confident voices collaborate and allow each other to shine verse by verse; “God Speed” is a great example of that skillful play. Danceable and slick, this song released in September 2025 on the album Grown Ass Kids.
Aida Shahghasemi, Safir "Act I: That Which We Won't Become"
With a beat produced by Najwa, featuring Safir and Minnesota-based Aida Shahghasemi, “Act I: That Which We Won’t Become” is a cinematic story, told by mixing the highly atmospheric production with luscious vocals from Shahghasemi and tight rapping by Safir. A poetic expression of human struggle with deliberate and distinctive Iranian character, this song released in May 2025 and hopefully is not the last collaboration between these artists, whose shared culture penetrates the work and creates beautiful harmony.
Airship Caravan "I Remember"
Approaching a psychedelic ooze, Airship Caravan’s “I Remember” has a haunting, looping guitar lead and plenty of space created by long sustained notes for the first half of the song. The vocals too lean into a breathier, drawn out style, where everything lingers and rolls delicately into the next shift. The second half of the song is initiated with a sudden drop off and kicking return to form, where electric guitar riffs introduce themselves and season the piece with more rock’n’roll influence. “I Remember” cements the fact that Airship Caravan take up worthy space in their self-described genre, dreamscape rock. It released on the EP of the same name in June 2025.
Andy Hanson "Roots"
A late but worthy entry for the playlist is Andy Hanson’s “Roots,” released on the EP of the same name in August 2024. Centering itself on a metaphor about a tree, “Roots” has a gentle swing to the melodies underscoring a thoughtful reflection on ones ego, environmental circumstances, and willpower to grow despite them. The welcome feature of a smooth, elevating trumpet adds a jazzy warmth, supported later by auxiliary percussion (shakers) reinforcing an otherwise minimalistic sound design of plucky acoustic guitar and drumming. No tricks of production are required to stitch this song together — this is simply a charming and cohesive composition being played well.
Joe Bartel "The Wire"
From Bartel’s Pale Horse EP, released in October 2025, “The Wire” begins with a snarl that lyrically, we can all take some comfort in as we hear certain injustices expressed — “Now who could deny these are dark fucking times? / And there’s no guarantee that they’ll pay for their crimes / They could dust off their hands and walk away clean / ‘Cos laws are for common folk like you and me.” A political critique in the musical style of the likes of AJJ, this song, like a lot of Bartel’s work, has an emo-tinged filter atop his folk punk persuasions.
