MINNESOTA SOUND REVIEWS - 11/20/2024
Reviews by: Alexandra Haynes, Writer @xalexonlinex
Edited by: Andrew Perrizo, Owner/Editor @PlaylistTC
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Pullstring "What If?"
Self-described “Dad Rock” band Pullstring send us into 2000s-era alt rock nostalgia with “What If?” released first as a single with a B-side (“Pull It!”) in August, 2024, and later as the third track on Out With The Old (LP, October 2024.) Charming vocals lament lost love over pining, power pop instrumentals on their catchy choruses - “What if we just pretend? / What if I can be the one you want me to be?” The bargaining stage of grief when our relationships approach, or meet, their end is illustrated spunkily by the band.
Jaspar Lepak "When I Was the Moon”
“When I Was the Moon” released on Lepak’s So Strong album in January, 2024. Pretty, folksy vocals serenade the listener, cradling the song’s mythological metaphor. The instrumentals are classical - high piano keys forming a lead melody, with incredibly emotive strings behind comping and swelling interchangeably. The lyrics here really shine with the scaled back production - the song feels like a lullaby, but you can really pay attention to Lepak’s message as it soothes you. “When I was the moon, I wasn’t afraid to change” is the line that resonates with me the most, in honor of the moon’s phases and acknowledgement that we too should live in flux and know our power.
The Scarlet Goodbye "To Feel The Sun"
The Scarlet Goodbye inject so much personality and experience into their newest single, released in November, 2024. With both members of this musical duo singing along together throughout, their vocal harmonies delight and carry the life of this song as their guitars, auxiliary percussion, and cheeky keys/synth work move things along in a rock’n’roll way - heavy on the roll. This is a solid groove, its lyrics optimistically pessimistic as they ask, “Where do you go / To feel the sun?” This song is for all the hopeless dreamers amongst us who look for the silver lining behind every cloud, wishing for calmer skies.
Davina & The Vagabonds "Mighty Scar"
Soulful at its core and oozing coolness, “Mighty Scar,” released on Shoot For The Moon in May, 2024, is jazzy in all the right places. I can close my eyes and picture velvet red upholstery, jewel-toned wallpaper, and a foggy haze in the air; I get an imaginary whiff of warm smells surrounding an old theatre’s stage, where I envision Davina & The Vagabonds entertaining slow dancing couples and seated smokers alike. It’s charming. packed with vivid imagery which places the reader so empathetically in the protagonist’s shoes. Instrumental swells feature a full house band of sound - keys, horns, and hypnotic drumbeats - for that vintage swingin’ vibe. If this connects with you, please give your attention to the rest of this album immediately, which only gets lindy-hoppier and more grand.
Finick "SELFISH"
Finick brings us highly-driven pop-punk in “SELFISH,” released as a single in October, 2024. This song is cathartically tongue-in-cheek, self-aware through its exaggerated depreciation while being reassuringly relatable. Finick’s voice is perfect for her chosen genre, the composition so fitting for its message - it just feels totally complete. This belongs in a coming-of-age movie ASAP, when the protagonist enters her ‘villain era’ in retaliation for all the shit she’s been through.
Jackson Atkins “Lock & Key”
Defensive in the face of hardship, Atkins quotes the title when he sings, “I’ll keep my conscience under lock and key.” Reflecting on traveling through the Midwest while running from the authorities, leaving family behind in his pursuit for freedom, Atkins uses this bluesy, scaled back track to tell us an impactful story in a genre I’ve heard lovingly referred to as “outlaw country.” It’s built over a foundation of gentle but intricate finger-plucked melodies and lightly placed harmonica riffs. “Lock & Key” is the musician’s latest single, having been released in August, 2024.
