MINNESOTA SOUND REVIEWS - 10/1/2025
Reviews by: Alexandra Haynes, Writer @xalexonlinex
Edited by: Andrew Perrizo, Owner/Editor @melodicnoisemedia
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International Treasures “Last Regret”
Released in September 2025, International Treasures’ “Last Regret” is a reflection on the trials and tribulations of being addicted to a lover (“Loving you is my finest sin / You’re my last regret.”) Humanistic, autobiographical, and drenched in Americana vibes, this song is an easy groove which allows the charming lead vocals to shine. The instrumentation is subtly layered, never crowding the track while adding a ton of texture by way of auxiliary percussion and what seems to be a sing-song pedal steel guitar. With metaphors of quitting smoking and gambling, evoking a touch of cowboy aestheticism, “Last Regret” makes itself feel narrative and classic.
Field Hospitals “In The Corner”
Self-described shamble pop band Field Hospitals frequently bring a particular playfulness to the table with their work. “In The Corner” is their latest single, released in August 2025. With indie vocals shaped by their tone and character laid over jangly riffs, there’s a swing and a catchiness to the composition that makes the song incredibly moreish. A dash of grit bakes a punk rock attitude into the melodies, while the lyrics exorcise a certain love-conjured anxiety (“In the corner of your eyes / I felt so paralyzed / In the corner of your eyes / It was all I would need tonight.”)
Careful Gaze “one day this will let you go”
Songs like this one are hall of famers to me, pieces of art which translate a powerful swath of intention and context into music, delivering it all at once to a listener’s heart. A terrifically poignant processing of a deep and intimate connection now severed, “one day this will let you go” by post-hardcore project Careful Gaze is equal parts tortured and beautiful. With a rise and fall that cycles back around to the nihilistic conclusion of grief, that “It’s fucked no matter what,” this song is a hell of a slow burn that never crescendos too much past the electronically infused despair that keeps the tempo a melodic, spacious lull. It’s big, quality production keeps things even-keeled, intentional, perfectly placed. This is the final track on the three song EP of the same name, in which, ambience is prioritized over hardcore. The story of a separation is told in gorgeous and crushing parts. It released in May, 2025.
Handsome Midnight “Hold Steady”
Handsome Midnight, a four piece indie rock band, released “Hold Steady” in July 2025. It’s a quick whip of motivation (“Keep holdin’ on to something / Keep holdin’ on to something else / We’ll make it out alive”) with a run time coming in at just under two minutes. This single is full of alt rock guitar tones, partnered with a head-boppy rhythm section and emo-core vocals which stay active throughout. Handsome Midnight implore us here to “take the wheel” and be in control of our own lives, by staying the course “when life changes got you upside down.” A spirited tempo kicks up right before the song ends, leaving me wanting more, but the message has been transmitted — we all sometimes need that reminder to “Hold Steady” and the confidence to understand we’ll survive a tumultuous event.
Zoe Grigsby “Ruby”
“Ruby” is Zoe Grigsby’s debut single, a stripped back folk song released in March 2025. While Grigsby has been songwriting for much longer, releasing videos of her work and performing live, it’s always an awesome milestone to have something produced and available to stream. Evidently, Grigsby is a classically trained musician, with a crystal clear voice and theatrical range matched to intricate finger-picked melodies and pretty string sections. The song has a Renaissance setting and vibe, with mentions of “Kings and Queens and Empires,” although there is a timelessness to their muse, red-cheeked Ruby who is “drunk on cheap champagne.” Ruby is in love with someone who may be consumed by their “apocalypse:” “Smoke is in the air … and families count on prayer.” I think of lovers lost to wartime efforts, and adore how Grigsby describes that Ruby “can be seen … now … [In] the in-between / The moment between life and death.”
Annie and the Bang Bang “Apocalypse Kiss”
Rock’n’rollers Annie and the Bang Bang work skillful dynamics with ease in their compositions. “Apocalypse Kiss” is no exception, released as track two of seven on Nightmares and Lullabies in April, 2025. Rich, controlled, bewitching vocals from their frontwoman, Annie herself, are stand-out. They grow in strength and volume as the instrumentals release from their haunting melodies, erupting with her into classic, faster tempo rock. A return to the hazy and hypnotic follows immediately to close out the track, flawlessly scaling back to fade away totally in anticipation of the next song. The transitions sneak up on you beautifully; even when you can predict a shift, those movements fall into place beyond satisfactorily. About the song, the band writes: “There's a song by Big Thief called "Jenni." When I listen to it, I can't tell if it's about birth, orgasm, death, or a ghost visitation. That ambiguity appeals to me. "Apocalypse Kiss" seems to be equal parts acid trip, falling in love, alien abduction.”
