Gem Club - Swore (Emerald Press)
neoclassical
On "Swore (Emeral Press)", Sommerville, MA songwriter Christopher Barnes, aka Gem Club, makes a bed of minimal piano and cinematic strings on which he lays heartfelt vocals and bittersweet lyrics ("I love when you saty around..") in a way that forgoes epicness for self-restraint and composure, resulting in a track that feels hard to hold, but beguiling and inviting at the same time. This single is taken from the upcoming EP Emerald Press.
Stimmerman - Before the Dove
art rock
From the recently released album Challenging Music for Difficult People, "Before the Dove" is an explosive burst of finely tempered art rock from Brooklyn's Stimmerman. Chaotic instrumentation, disillusioned vocal performances, and interesting drum arrangements all come together to produce a disorientingly dark experience, as exhilarating as having two nightmares at once.
Sanaya Ardeshir - Spiral
experimental
Staggered piano notes cascade in and out of harmonies with michevous flutes and minimal percussion on "Spiral", a fascinating composition from India's Sanaya Ardeshir. From the album Hand of Thought, this oceanic piece folds in many different elements with rising intensity and synthesis. It weaves in and out of instrumentation before ending how it started, with a simple piano, although one that this time has found its feet after a long journey.