Browsing Tag

Texas Pop

Lauren Presley lost the past to history in her empowering rock-licked EDM pop anthem, H-I-N-T

Posted on 28 September 2024
https://on.soundcloud.com/XqdqHcpudoAN7A7Z9

Texas’ freshest pop icon-in-the-making Lauren Presley shunted Taylor Momsen and Hayley Williams to the wayside when she dropped, H-I-N-T, her latest dark pop anthem, which uses the augmentation of rock to add even more electricity to the head-spinningly hot EDM pop choruses.

The only thing bigger than the sound in H-I-N-T is the cross-over appeal of this high-octane earworm which sends pulsating surges of adrenaline to your rhythmic pulses as Lauren Presley harmonises over the distortion-slicked hyper-sonic guitars which caustically cut their way through the Grammy-worthy production.

The energy in H-I-N-T gives the recently romantically scorned all the empowerment they could possibly harness to walk away from a toxic dynamic. With this hit on your playlists, you will be unreckonable.

Presley may have gone viral since her debut single, A Little Longer,  after garnering 1 million streams on Spotify and 5.6 million views on YouTube. Yet, she remains committed to delivering unpretentious pop with universally relatable lyrics. Even if she reached the same heights as Chappell Roan, there’s a sense that Presley would never be out of touch.

H-I-N-T will drop on September 27; stream the single on all major platforms, including SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Starleen alchemised the key to self-liberty in their electronic alt-pop salve for the soul, Let Me Go

Posted on 23 May 2024
Starleen

Starleen’s latest single, Let Me Go, marks a must-read chapter in the San Antonio duo’s career, showcasing a transcendent synthesis of alt-electronica, trip-hop, soul, and pop, which elevates the listener into a state of auditory bliss and liberty.

From the outset, the track envelopes you in a cocoon of lush dream pop, slowly intertwining with elements of serene yet visceral avant-garde trip-hop to deliver a fusionist sound that is as revolutionary as it is ethereally beguiling. Once the single reaches its full rhythmic momentum, the backbone of Let Me Go becomes its robust and fiery backbeat, which propels the track forward, complemented by layers of sonorous synths that build a crescendo of sound, mimicking the uplifting process of self-liberation.

The masterful production sets the stage for the vocal mettle of Starleen Holmes, whose voice shifts effortlessly between crystalline harmonies and powerful outpours of emotion, matching the sonic complexity crafted by Zachary Holmes, whose production skills shine luminously throughout the track. Each note and beat in Let Me Go is skilfully placed, leaving the listener wide open to the message of the sanctity of freedom; especially when that freedom is by your own hand.

The official music video accompanying the sanctifying ritual of a release mirrors the song’s themes of freedom and self-discovery and is likely to add another accolade to Starleen’s collection of music video awards.

Stream Let Me Go on all major platforms, including Spotify, from May 23rd.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Mars Alva shares the euphoria of escaping toxic relationship dynamics in his latest alt hyper-pop single, Erase

Posted on 14 October 2022

Here to prove that there is nothing sweeter than the euphoria of breaking free from a toxic relationship dynamic is the alternative Houston, TX artist Mars Alva, with his latest indie hyper pop single, Erase. It is a markable sonic shift from his spacey single, CRASH!, which came four months prior. The raw nature of the lyricism necessitated the off-kilter production that reflects the tumultuousness of dissonance gifted by narcissists.

Erase looks back on the love-bombing stage of a relationship, where the facades that were painted on thick soon started to slip. Upliftingly, Alva supercharged his release with the visceral energy that manifests when the only regret you have from walking away is the time and energy you wasted. Even if you haven’t been there yourself, you will still get the rush from this sonic firestorm, influenced by the 1975, Kanye, Frank Ocean, and The Weeknd.

The official music video for Erase will premiere on October 14th. Catch it on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Love prevails in Phil Dutra’s retro pop single, It’s Not Enough

Posted on 6 November 2021
It's Not Enough (Falling For Your Love) by Phil Dutra

Break free of your ennui with the old school romanticism in Phil Dutra’s latest retro country-pop single, It’s Not Enough (Falling for Your Love). The Austin Texas artist’s sway-worthy guitar-driven melodies provide a sure-fire nostalgia hit as they croon through the crescendos as Dutra goes all-in with his robustly romantic vocals.

If you cranked up the intensity in Elvis Presley’s Can’t Help Falling in Love by 1000%, it still wouldn’t come close to the stridently visceral release that is the aural equivalent to holding a boombox up underneath an ex paramour’s bedroom window. Romance will never be dead, for as long as there are songwriters in the same gorgeous vein as Dutra.

It’s Not Enough is available to stream and purchase via Bandcamp.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Break free with Melo Bermon’s electropop hit, ‘REPLACEABLE’.

Posted on 30 July 2021
https://soundcloud.com/melo-bermon/replaceable/s-iKk7qN5FKg3

Texas-hailing artist Melo Bermon has released his latest electropop hit, REPLACEABLE, which puts to bed the gaslit myth that manipulators are irreplicable. Regardless of their grandiosity, they’re ten a penny. If you need any further convincing, hit play.

With a similar electrifying sonic palette to the Weeknd, Bermon’s synthy vindicating hit was made to break free too. REPLACEABLE throws back to the 80s while keeping in line with the contemporary indie synth-pop trend; with his sticky-sweet vocal sensibilities, Bermon has exactly what it takes to overtake the Midnight in the charts.

REPLACEABLE is due for release on July 23rd; you can check it out for yourselves via SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast