Singles Reviews

While none of the artists I listen to have been dropping albums recently, a number of them have been releasing singles or EPs. Here’s a collection of my thoughts on some of the ones I enjoyed recently.

“Foxglove Through The Clearcut - Acoustic” by Death Cab for Cutie - 8.6/10

When I opened Spotify, I was surprised to see that Death Cab for Cutie had released some acoustic versions of songs from their most recent album, “Asphalt Meadows.” I missed when they released “The Pepper - Acoustic” and “The Plan” back in January, but I didn’t miss this one. I liked “Foxglove Through The Clearcut” when it first came out, and the Acoustic version capitalizes on everything I liked about the original song in a different way. The original felt like a journey while the acoustic version is like a story. Both are definitely worth a listen.

“Kick in the Teeth” by Hippo Campus - 7.7/10

While I wasn’t the biggest fan of Hippo Campus’ latest album “LP3,” “Kick in the Teeth” has me looking forward to their next EP that will be releasing in April. “Kick in the Teeth” is good, but it goes a little too hard into the Ricky Montgomery vibe for me (not necessarily a bad thing!). It’s a song that has potential, and I can’t wait to see what comes out of their next EP.

“saturday” by Yot Club - 6.8/10

I haven’t listened to very much Yot Club, but I’m a huge fan of “Fly Out West,” so I wanted to give more of their music a try. I like the style of the song, but the continuous riff isn’t good enough to justify it being in the background of most of the song. I do like the break into the chorus though, it’s refreshing compared to the backing of the rest of the song. The guitar break toward the end also contributes good vibes to the song, but overall, I think some better direction could have been taken with “saturday.”

“West Coast (I’m In Love)” by Smallpools, Jillian Rossi - 9.1/10

I’ve listened to a fair amount of Smallpools, but nothing from Jillian Rossi before. The two pair together nicely in this cover, and I think they provide a great balance for the song. The background and the vocals are both solid, and the ending just goes hard. This song knew what it was, and it went for it: a pairing of voices that is excited to see what’s next. If you like indie music, give this song a shot! (Bonus points for a great cover!)

“Coexist” by Wild Party - 9.0/10

“Coexist” is part of Wild Party’s new EP, “Get Up,” and the entire EP is worth a listen. “Coexist” is a strong start to the EP, and I love the line “That’s why we go together/Like laughter and Pixy Stix.” It’s a song about being the perfect match for someone else no matter what is going on in our lives. “Coexist” is an upbeat song about being happy with someone else, and that makes me happy.

“Always Selfish” by Flycatcher - 9.3/10

I stumbled across Flycatcher months ago through their song “Games” and have listened to their discography several times since. “Always Selfish” is a great addition to their discography and fits the vibes of their more recent singles. The song is going to be on their newest EP “Stunt” that will be coming out in early April, and it’s one of my most anticipated releases in the near future. “Always Selfish” starts out with a low rhythm line that quickly changes into a more rock-centric feel. The song has a great progression with a good balance of guitar and vocals. I highly recommend “Always Selfish” to anyone with an interest in any degree of rock.