MINNESOTA SOUND REVIEWS - 5/27/26
Reviews by: Alexandra Haynes, Writer @xalexonlinex
Edited by: Andrew Perrizo, Owner/Editor @melodicnoisemedia
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Lana Leone “Paper Cranes”
“Paper Cranes” is Lana Leone’s latest single, released in February 2026. Its mostly mellow atmosphere cracks apart at the song’s halfway point when the dreamy shoegaze environment the band has crafted kicks up a gear, hammering on heavier, distorted riffs alongside more active drum work with plenty of crashing. Alana Christen’s vocals stay fae-like and delicate throughout, touching poetically on the temporary nature of beauty.
WILBUR "GET FUCKED//DIE SLOW (Taylor's Version)”
With a cheeky title digging at Taylor Swift’s re-releases, WILBUR indulge us in their brand of “Bummer Metal” with a doomy tempo that I can’t help slow headbanging to. The vocals are a constant droning brutal scream, low and severe. “GET FUCKED//DIE SLOW (Taylor’s Version)” released as a single in April 2026.
Feeding Leroy “Comes a Time”
Feeding Leroy deliver us a jaunty, multi-layered Americana tune with dual vocalists, notably featuring bright violin; clean, sharp harmonica licks, and steady shaker throughout adding a ton of texture. “Comes a Time,” released in gets jammier throughout while staying delightfully acoustic — its various parts share melodic space, weaving in and out of one another for the song’s nearly five minute runtime. The story told is solemn and honest, of accepting inevitable change: “The ice is out / And the rivers start to thaw and you cannot stop them / Or the way they flow.”
Honeymoon Madness “Into the Night”
Psych rock with a swaying, shimmery vibe that borders on appropriately hypnotizing, “Into the Night” is Honeymoon Madness’ latest single, released in December 2025. It drips with effortless 60s cool and features particularly lush harmonies which charm the ear. The instrumentals are fully developed — woozy, complete, and thoughtfully arranged.
Shot Down “Afraid of the Dark”
Metalcore locals Shot Down utilize all the parts of the genre that define it, delving into both their clean, emo-styled vocal lines and fry screaming with more aggro elements doubled underneath. Exorcisms of their nervous tendencies and referring to an Other that might be causing or encouraging them (“Paranoia, paranoia / Is this all inside my head? … / They’ll try to break me / Go on and make me / Feel every insecurity…”) leads to both an emotional and instrumentally metal breakdown, during which, more personal clarifications are declared: “Anxiety, anxiety / Feel like I’d rather die / I despise my own silence / ‘Cos I know it’s just a lie.” This is the band’s latest single, released in April 2026.
Scottie Miller “Hello Pain”
Scottie Miller’s delivery in “Hello Pain,” released in May 2026, is a little reminiscent of Neil Diamond. Miller’s vocals are incredibly clean and clear, standing out in the front of the mix atop a very romantic, cinematic composition from the Budapest Scoring Orchestra. A love song with nontraditional muses, Miller dedicates his affection to “Pain” and “Time,” dabbling in anthropomorphizing them and honoring their purpose in his life. Sentimental to the bone, “Hello Pain” grew on me with multiple listens as the impact of its score and lyricism settled in. Miller explains the song’s inspiration and his interpretation of the work on YouTube.
