Welcome to LITM Rock Picks this week featuring Morning Crush, The Dawn Phenomenon and more!
Morning Crush - “Fighting The Dog”
Morning Crush, guided by the seasoned storytelling of Frank Turner, crafts poignant folk-rock narratives, as is evident in their latest single, “Fighting The Dog”— the band attempts to go beyond the narrative of a simplistic folk-rock song, exploring elements from classic rock, with the acoustic and the electric guitars playing their parts quite well right from the start of the song. The vocals are also a standout feature with the soft, gentle singing that is sure to captivate you throughout the runtime of the song. The production is also done quite well, with great use of space and quieter elements setting the energy dynamic up quite well for when the chorus rings bold and confident. Wrap this up with great control in the low-end of the mix, and you have a delectable product— check out the track here!
The Dawn Phenomenon - “Ember Day”
Drawing inspiration from nature and natural ambient elements on their latest track, “Ember Day”, The Dawn Phenomenon crafts quite the exquisite narrative with gentle percussion and bass-playing which forms a highlight of the song. Lacking any lyrics in the first minute and a half, this track is a full exploration of the percussion, and as the vocals kick in, we’re exposed to dark, Opeth-like, wide stereo vocals; and coupled with the jazz and blues-inspired chords and melodic writing, there’s an element of progressive and art rock to this song that makes it quite the dedicated, sit-down-in-one-place kind of listen. The song structure also finds comfort in beyond the convention, keeping the listener at the edge of their seat throughout the runtime of the song. Check out the track here!
The Farewell State - “Year Zero”
If you’re a fan of drum chops coupled with phased, out-there guitars coming together into a lollapalooza of a track that more than justifies its progressive, experimental roots, the latest single by The Farewell State, “Year Zero”, is sure to more than bring a smile to your face. Right from the intro, the sound is bold and confident in its experimentation, constantly surprising the listener with how much exploration is possible in a set number of beats and bars; and as the energy slowly evolves from controlled chaos to smooth grace, we’re joined by the guitars that bring another element of liveliness to the song, making this the kind of track that retains its ability to make the listener head-bang, while still experimenting enough to make this a fresh listen, tens of rewinds in. Check out the track here!
The Melonbars - “Anti-Ultra”
Hailing from Seattle in the United States, the pop-punk-rock duo of Adam and Adrian, “The Melonbars”, brings us their craft with their latest single, “Anti-Ultra”, an effortless display of what kept, and keeps, people hooked onto punk and pop rock; from the public-address-like mixing of the vocals and the fast-paced guitars and percussion, every inch of this song is a burst of energy and flavour, much like the name of the band? The basses keep up rather excellenty too, with great articulation; and wrap these guitars and drums into a mix that retains so much flavour and charisma, and you have a winning formula that is hard to not go back to. Check out the track here!
Andy Hamilton - “People Pleaser”
Andy Hamilton, in collaboration with rust jyde, brings us their new single, “People Pleaser”— a funky, pop rock affair that finds itself dotted with cute, funny synths that make up the low-end, and chime in with their charisma for the mids, along with the mellotron and the drums. The vocals laid atop are also nicely layered with a gentle, sung quality to them; and the instrumental refrain brings in grandiose synths that drive the song with power and panache. The rapped section towards the end is also a nice touch, and overall, this track is an entertaining listen that brings what’s best about the style together. Check out the track here!
Follow the playlist for artist updates!
Discovered via https://app.musosoup.com #sustainablecurator