MINNESOTA SOUND REVIEWS - 4/23/2025
Reviews by: Alexandra Haynes, Writer @xalexonlinex
Edited by: Andrew Perrizo, Owner/Editor @PlaylistTC
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Kiernan Tollefson "The Cry of Youth"
“The Cry of Youth” by Kiernan Tollefson feels like a love letter to the acoustic guitar. Each authentic twang and steel slide generated by intricate finger-plucking and chord switching is picked up and amplified as Tollesfon expertly manipulates the instrument - they only add to the charm. He tells such a compelling story with only one instrument, a testimony to his highly skilled playing. The sound here is rich and warm, with the melodies feeling like a much needed hug. This song was released on his February 2025 album, I’ve Been Bleeding.
Paper Suit "BELIEVE"
I have a soft spot for real hip hop collectives and Paper Suit scratched that itch this week. I find myself happily lost in their sparkling collaboration. Bringing an old school energy and chill-hop flow, the five-piece act shines in “BELIEVE,” released as a B-side to single “LIGHTS CAMERA ACTION” in February 2025. The production is a bass and percussion led groove, over which, the various vocalists take their turn to jam, ad-lib, rap and sing over the classic beats. Welcomingly, Paper Suit’s neo-soul proclivities dominate and keep the track on smooth, easy to listen to rails as it slips into something more comfortable, each sultry verse appealing to a lover.
Pain Portal "An Abyss That Does Not End"
The quiet, unsuspecting noise at this song’s intro will have you cranking up your volume - but listener beware. Pain Portal do not make soft ambient noise - that illusion will break as soon as the rapid paced, metal drum patterns begin. As a duo, Pain Portal make an impressively rowdy storm of sound. The brutal vocals specifically are sure to wow you as they did me; the depth and power alone is masterful. “An Abyss That Does Not End” (released in February 2025) is straight, infernal grindcore. The appearance of echoing, surreal backing vocals adds an interestingly punky, ethereal note to what is otherwise unapologetically dark and swarming.
The OK Factor "Real World"
“Real World” from Summer of Singles (EP released in September 2024) is a pretty ode to - What do the kids say? - touching grass. If you grew up having to go BRB to do something IRL, you’ll find catharsis in The OK Factor’s sweet, summery serenade to living life “in the Real World.” This song righteously glamorizes physical connections - “pass around the vegetables with real folks at a real table, a meal in the Real World,” highlighting how crucial they are to joy. We must all powerfully reject the allure of avoiding this Real World, and instead, lean in as The OK Factor do, finding peace in “talking with [our] mouth full” and “cry[ing] on your shoulder, real feelings flowing over.” Life is messy, and beautiful, and we really shouldn’t have it any other way. What a lovely reminder from the talented, strings-playing duo.
The Scarlet Goodbye "The End Of Summer"
When The Scarlet Goodbye sing, “Is this the end of the summer?” we know they’re really asking if their relationship has come to pass. As the changing seasons pull summer lovers apart, “The End Of Summer” perfectly captures the anticipation of separation, that bittersweet beginning of the end. “Summer’s gone / And so are we,” is the goblet of a hook from which the chorus is generously poured - increasing musical layers flow together with gentle impact, like a softly rising tide. Get ready to pour one out for long lost lovers and feel the credits roll as you listen to this one, from the band’s El Camino Adios album, released in March 2025.
Taylor James Donskey "Gimme Some Time"
Taylor James Donskey has a lovely timbred voice, laying sweet and thick like maple syrup over his acoustic guitar playing. There are some intricately woven in synth melodies, keys, and other instrumentation throughout this song which gradually fill the negative spaces with whimsical tones. “Gimme Some Time” (from the TJD album, released in March 2025) is metacognitive soul-spilling, a journal entry reflecting on Donskey’s creative process and writer’s block (“They say there’s nothin’ left to be said / It’s all come and gone / No missing pieces, so I’m struggling for this one.”) Terrifically evocative, you feel his tiredness and his urge to create. It leaves me feeling pensive as he reflects on the inspiration of performing an encore to a crowd, “I give it all I got just to get it all out.”
