Featuring Brendan Pegg, Tamar Berk, LB Beistad, and more, these LITM Pop Picks highlight emotional imagination and honesty.
1. Brendan Pegg – In the Dark
In the Dark starts with a vulnerable acoustic guitar: unhurried, minimal, calm. Pegg’s vocals remain the centrepiece through the track, flowing and intertwining perfectly with the accompanying instrumental. He builds intensity with precision and just the guitar – you don’t need showy or busy production to have a good song, and this is a perfect example. Just as you’re lulled into thinking you can expect what the rest of the track will be like, it picks up and dives headfirst into alt-rock energy – the moment where everything comes crashing out. In the Dark is earnest and intimate, but most of all, it’s a comforting listen that’ll keep you coming back even after the dark.
2. Tamar Berk – you ruined this city for me
A beautiful encapsulation of indie pop-rock, Tamar Berk’s you ruined this city for me is full of elements reminiscent of 90s hits – electric guitar riffs, harmonies, steady drums. With her husky, charged vocal delivery, Berk belts lyrics out with satisfaction (both for her and the listener!). She doesn’t waste even a second of the song – every moment is full of just the right amount of energy to immerse you without being overwhelming. The chorus is an especially fun listen with all its lines running into each other: no defined ends and beginnings, a whirlwind, much like life after a breakup.
3. LB Beistad – Tsunami
LB Beistad’s Tsunami blends a catchy beat with dreamy, ethereal vocals, creating a track that feels like it exists in multiple dimensions. With twangy guitars and crashing drums, it delivers energy, emotional weight, and escape; Beistad’s shimmery, iridescent vocals float above the instrumental arrangement, staying front-and-centre while the whole track still retains cohesion. There’s a diary-like confessional style to Tsunami – like a page written and then torn out. Despite the delicateness in her voice, it’s still unwavering and clear in its emotion. It’s irresistibly catchy and groovy, and it firmly cements Beistad’s place in the indie music scene.
4. Soft Hearted Scientists – Wonder Girl
Wonder Girl is delightfully peppy with a tinge of vintage charm. It’s an artful blend of hooks, genres, synths, and everything that makes music, music. It may be immediately pop-oriented in its upbeat energy, but there are moments when it gives way to an imaginative psychedelia that takes you higher and higher. It’s elegant in its build and arrangements, showcasing a maturity that comes only with experience – you can only break the rules well when you know them well, right? There’s no denying that Soft Hearted Scientists carry a child-like enthusiasm and inspiration that bleeds through their music – Wonder Girl is the perfect example!
5. cameraman – xerox of a xerox
cameraman explores ideas of identity and the self in xerox of a xerox. Opening with “Do you think it’s too late for me? Am I just doomed to be the person that I am?” instantly sets the tone for a track that will dive deep into the tension between who you are and who you wish you could be. With distorted vocals, cameraman sings of the jealousy, hurt, and regret of watching the people you love living what seem like their best lives, while you feel stuck in a loop of not even knowing who you are. Despite all this, there’s a slight optimism in hoping that things can change, and that’s what’s worth holding on to.
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