These LITM Singer-Songwriter Picks dive into intimacy, love, control, and hope – featuring Exzenya, Benjamin Quartz, Josh Indio, and more!
1. Exzenya – Captivity
Captivity begins with an almost ghostly a cappella introduction, setting the tone for the rest of the track perfectly. The vocals are eerie, echoing like they’re winding around the trees in a lonely, foggy forest. This intro seamlessly transitions into lively vocals, backed by upbeat percussion and acoustic guitar. “It’s getting harder to see the person I used to be,” Exzenya sings, laying the foundation for the feeling the whole song carries – the feeling of holding on to the slippery threads of the last of your sanity. It dives into the feeling of being controlled, kept in captivity with an unsettling ease, and that’s what will keep you coming back.
2. Benjamin Quartz – Pyromane
Benjamin Quartz’s Pyromane draws you in with its seductive samba-inspired rhythm, keeping you dancing to its beats throughout. It’s charming and elegant in its dreamlike fusion between samba, jazz, and classic instrumentation; Quartz’s vocal delivery fuses emotional intensity with restraint, resulting in a masterpiece of a sonic landscape. Pyromane is magnetic, sophisticated, and subtly romantic – the mystical allure of the French certainly doesn’t do it harm. The vocals and instrumental arrangement hold space for each other, each winding around the other in a mesmerising dance. It’s the kind of track that envelopes you with its cinema – give it a listen here!
3. Josh Indio – 12
12 is beautifully intimate and slow, washing over you like soft waves on a beach. Josh Indio’s vocals are bittersweet and interwoven with a melancholia that makes you want to hug him; they’re cautious in being optimistic, almost like he’s being careful not to draw attention to himself. The song has an angelic, floating quality to it, making it ideal to have on during deep introspection – the staring-at-walls-in-silence kind. “Why am I so understanding of people’s problems except my own?” he questions softly, simultaneously urging you to find a solution while despairing in the knowledge that there may not be one.
4. Alexandra – Let It Burn
Alexandra’s husky, powerful vocals soar high on Let It Burn. Carrying the feeling of freedom and rebellion – that comes only after going through and overcoming pain – it’s a tribute to learning things the hard way, and being a better, experienced person because of it. As Alexandra’s vocals draw attention, the instrumental arrangement also deserves a mention – with perfectly balanced percussion, acoustic guitar, and strings that are just there, it propels the track forward while never drawing focus away from the lyrics and messaging. It’s vibrant, carefree, and knows its power, retaining a self-assured identity that lifts you as much as it does itself.
5. Maria Lane – if you touch me
“If you touch me, can you promise not to leave?”
if you touch me starts with the hesitance that comes with casual, fleeting intimacy. With twangy guitars, Maria Jones’ emotionally fraught voice, and percussion that grounds the track in feeling, it’s sure to touch your heart, making you feel things you didn’t know existed. The track perfectly encapsulates the tension that arises when one person wants something deep and meaningful, while the other remains distant, unavailable, and intent on being nothing more than “casual” – when all you want is a real connection, but all you’re given is something superficial. Whether this is an experience you can relate to or not, if you touch me is worth the listen.
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