This edition of LITM Pop Picks brings to you work by Timo Schniering, The New Citizen Kane, Max MacReady and more!
1. Timo Schniering – Northern Lights
Timo Schniering’s Northern Lights is a delightfully optimistic track about choosing to move towards hope rather than wallowing in the past’s problems. “Let your heart shine bright / It will be alright / Keep your head held high,” he sings with conviction, over layered harmonies and synth-like percussion. Schniering’s vocals are clear and effective, with no frills attached, helping the track’s message – to focus on the future, move on and give yourself the chance to start something new and bright – land loud and clear. Leaving the past behind is never going to be as easy as it sounds, but as you listen to Northern Lights, it feels doable for a few minutes.
2. The New Citizen Kane – I Don’t Need To Say
I Don’t Need To Say is a futuristic release by The New Citizen Kane that refuses to be predictable for even a moment. It embodies synthpop at its finest – striking a perfect balance between sounding synthetic and authentic. It brims with energy just waiting to spill over into chaos, but The New Citizen Kane walks that line with finesse – apt for a song that explores the rush of new love and the kaleidoscopic burst of colour it leaves you. The accompanying music video is equally trippy and energetic, keeping up with the music’s unpredictability with ease – give it a listen here!
3. Max MacReady – Holding Pattern
Taking the futurism and synth-forwardness further, Holding Pattern is immediately sci-fi-esque in its shimmering yet industrial sound. Max MacReady – a duo from the UK – describes themselves as “a musical transmission from a lost future — where analogue tech, neon-lit spaceports, and pulsing synths converge,” and Holding Pattern certainly lives up to all they’ve promised and more. Under its sleekness, however, lies a vulnerable hesitation that adds depth to the track, a quality you can sense even without trying to decode the lyrics. The track is mixed with expertise, allowing the vocals to shine despite the rumble that flows through every element, and it’ll keep you coming back for more.
4. Thammarat – Single Umbrella
Thammarat’s Single Umbrella is an optimistic, intimate look into blossoming love, and the small moments that feel all the more significant while you’re building a new connection with someone – with lyrics like “I still remember those crosswalk encounters… Escaped from the world just for a while / It’s summertime, baby… Kiss me, baby, under the single umbrella” underscoring this feeling. The song’s vocals are clear, grounded, and speak from the heart in a way that’s universally accessible. Single Umbrella self-assuredly flows over you, striking a balance between shiny pop production and raw emotion without being overcomplicated – listen to it here!
5. Barney Goodall – Highrise
From its very first few seconds, Highrise feels effortlessly light and relaxed. It’s funky in a subtle way, the type that manages to calm you down and make you realise that maybe, life just isn’t that deep. It’s slightly fuzzy and grainy – as is its music video – giving it a lived-in feel that’s rare to come across. In its second half, Barney Goodall takes the track towards psychedelic-funk territory, into a space that’s carefully experimental without becoming unpleasant to listen to. Overall, it’s a simple, uncomplicated track with embellishments that’ll make you smile with their silliness, and therein lies its beauty.
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