MINNESOTA SOUND REVIEWS - 2/9/22
Review by: Jonathan Fuller, Writer @JonnyDarko3
Edited by: Andrew Perrizo, Owner/Editor @PlaylistTC
Top songs on the Minnesota Sound playlist.
Blue Venus "Under the Rug"
Hardcore band Blue Venus delivers an agitated punk-influenced metal track with “Under the Rug.” The track is punchy and aggressively compressed. The vocals are intense and offer an intimidating confidence with lines like “We know what you did!” and “You thought we wouldn’t find out!” Overall the song is gritty and compelling. To hear more from Blue Venus check out the new EP “Nosebleed.”
Generic Drift "Berlin"
“Berlin” is a lo-fi garage-pop track with plucky guitar lines, un-processed vocals and an overall simple production aesthetic. The result is a relaxing and casual sound that feels both catchy and classic. The song flows through chill verses and more energetic choruses with a cohesive and easy pacing, never quite going full force yet giving an enticing amount of spunk that overall engages the listener. “Berlin” comes from the bands debut full length LP “History’s Contagious.”
XINA "Power"
Multi-talented singer/songwriter XINA gives an intimate vocal performance on the track “Power.” The song has a seductive quality to it with gentle shakers and acoustic guitars blended with soothing layers of vocal harmony. The song features soft lines of production. Synthesizers, soft electronic drums, and shimmering pads build to finish the track off in a crescendo of subtilty. “Power” comes from XINA’s 2021 album “Pull.”
Lynch The Landlord "I'm Broke"
Lynch The Landlord is the solo project of Mike Skeie. The song “I’m Broke” is a retro-sounding lo-fi rock track with an iconic feel. The anthemic refrains are catchy and driving. The instrumental is pumped through a crunchy, broken down production aesthetic that adds to the lure of Skeie’s sound. To hear more from Lynch The Landlord check out the 2019 release “EP II.”
Colleen Dow "Sorry"
A wash of gentle reverberated guitar opens the song “Sorry” by Colleen Dow. Melancholy, dreamy vibes abound here as the production picks up to carry the track through the second half. Spacey synth pads and understated drums are all fed through this incredibly soothing layer of reverb beneath Dow’s introspective and mournful vocal melodies. To hear more from Colleen Dow check out the new single “Yeah.”
The Dirty Pretty "Bourbon with a Soft Cry"
“Bourbon with a Soft Cry” is a surprising and genre-bending indie/rock track. A relaxing, clean electric guitar strums a mid-tempo chord progression to lead the track into an intense and unexpectedly angry chorus. Just slightly too heavy to be considered rock, this transition turns the song from chill indie into something else entirely. A powerful statement, the contrast is moving and conveys an incredible amount of emotion. “Bourbon With a Soft Cry” comes from The Dirty Pretty’s first EP “The Drty Prtty.”
