MINNESOTA SOUND REVIEWS - 6/3/26
Reviews by: Alexandra Haynes, Writer @xalexonlinex
Edited by: Andrew Perrizo, Owner/Editor @melodicnoisemedia
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Fine Dials “Flashed Gold”
From Fine Dials’ twelve track LP Abstract Economy, “Flashed Gold” starts slow, slightly folky and mysterious. Where you might expect more psychedelia to follow in the tempting undulations, “Flashed Gold” instead ramps itself into mostly rock’n’roll territory over the song’s five minute, twelve second run time. It doesn’t lose complete sight of the subtle ooze, however; the band’s psych-rock roots stay evident in the dynamic flow of instrumentation. We get indulgent cymbal crashing with rolling drum fills and, interacting delightfully with it, gritty guitar work that bounces out into playful conversation with the drumming, adding a ton of character to the instrumental breaks. The bass line underneath stays active, supportive. The vocals dive into half-shouts, adding a little power to the mix.
Fiona Hayes “mediocre white boy”
“mediocre white boy” is a vocal-led pop punk charge against the disappointing muse that Fiona Hayes will no longer be giving her energy to. Released as a single in January 2026 with post-breakup vibes aplenty, Hayes decries the “mediocre white boy” that she needs “a detox, a cleanse” from — he’s “self-involved … self-centered … unbelievable.” Her accounts of how he made her feel are damning: “I’ve been staying up all night / I’m tired of all your lies … You’re just another guy / Who doesn’t think I’m right.” We can take Hayes’ cathartic digestion of an unhealthy partnership as a warning to not fall into the emotional trappings of an unrequited or disrespectful lover. The instrumentals are appropriately coming-of-agey, spirited on choruses and solemn in a bruised, tender way. When the melodies do ring upwards, they make us feel a desire to move on, but we know we can only once the feelings have been fully exorcised. The song ends with a final “Fuck you.”
Ungrateful Little String Band “Delicate Flower”
“Delicate Flower” released on the ten track LP Tired of Being Relevant in February 2026. Ungrateful Little String Band serenade the “special little snowflakes” and “delicate little flowers” amongst us, and by reclaiming these disparaging labels, we can use them to bolster the idea that “there’s nothing wrong with wanting a world that lets you grow, however you exist,” with wanting rights, dignity, and respect — nor anything wrong with being hurt when you are not granted them. These messages are fittingly embedded in their alt-folk form that feels fashionably related to outsider rock.
Pronoya “Dreamcatcher”
Pronoya’s “Dreamcatcher” released on seven track EP All for the Sun in November 2025. Highly (and well) produced in a way that invokes mainstream appeal, “Dreamcatcher” shimmies its parts and pieces around electronically infused orchestral elements to maintain a dramatic, high impact sound. There is power and snarl layered atop strings as the composition pulls from heavier metal roots before settling back down solidly in the metalcore space. Lyrically, they’ve given us something to chew on, an expression of desperation and fear that conjures in me more literal images of loved ones becoming violent, to themselves or others (“How can I sleep when you're drowning between / Communicating deeper … / You’re pulling at the curtains … Scratching at the surface / Hiding myself silent in the dark / But can you outlive this?”
The Long Honeymoon “Beauty in Reality”
Sprinkled with shakers, peppy keyboard melodies and sweet, rooted duets, “Beauty in Reality” is The Long Honeymoon’s call to action for us to ground ourselves, to find the good all around us versus escape into fairytale tropes and expectations of our lives (“The prince / The shoe / You already know / None of if it is true”). Sentimental all over with the aura of a warm June evening, this song caught me delightfully by surprise when they whipped out a sharp, bright, synth solo. I found every part charming. This is track two of four on the thematic EP The Risk of Happiness.
TORRENTIA “Wallow in the Filth”
TORRENTIA take charge of their genre, marauding around with metal’s heavy, technical components. Viciously tight percussion holds everything together as the rest of the band lean into the groove and cake it on thickly. There are brief and beautiful moments of relief, temporary resolutions that never linger long before the track bursts back into forcefulness. Skilled vocals jump in and out of extreme ranges. Guttural and complete, “Wallow in the Filth” released on the four song EP Aeternum Doloreun in April 2026.
