These LITM Rock Picks are reflective and contemplative, featuring artists like Denny Blair, Wake of Ashes, Baïki, and more!
1. Denny Blair – Waiting On The World To Change (No More Waiting)
Denny Blair wastes no time in expressing the message of Waiting On The World To Change (No More Waiting), opening the track with a spoken word that urges you to contemplate and reflect on the state of the world right now – as he says, “They taught us to fear each other, fight each other, while the people at the top kept pulling the strings… And if we ever stand together, instead of divided, they lose their power.” The song’s beauty lies in such directness: Blair never uses over-the-top flourishes or flowery language to say what he wants to say. Instead, with soaring vocals and restrained guitars laid over grounding drums, he encourages you to engage with what’s happening around you. Listen here!
2. Wake of Ashes – Shatter Me
Atmospheric and moody, Wake of Ashes’ Shatter Me is a devastatingly beautiful expression of the feeling of being caught in a storm with seemingly no way out. With lyrics like, “The good moments come sometimes / little flashes of sunlight breaking through the storm / But before I can reach them, before I can hold them / they’re gone again,” it creates an atmosphere that turns trauma and wounds into music that touches your heart with its vulnerability. Leaning into a dark, gothic sound, Scatter Me isn’t supposed to be an easy or accessible listen – you’ll get through it if it resonates with you, and if it does, as Wake of Ashes will remind you, you’re not alone.
3. Baïki – KosmoX
Baïki’s KosmoX establishes an energy that’s hard not to get swept away by in its opening moments, and never lets that energy die through its run, except for when it’s to build it up again. It’s infectious, too: soon enough, you’ll find yourself tapping your feet, nodding your head, or feeling it in your own way, but feel it, you will. Blending rock instrumentation (relentlessly energetic drumming, an electric guitar in the background establishing the base for the melody, and vocals delivered with spirit do the job well) with a melody you can’t get out of your head, this track is a must-listen!
4. Wonderfun – Bunch Of Idiots (the football song)
Wonderfun’s latest single, right in time for World Cup season, is sure to raise some eyebrows from its title alone; the opening lyrics (“FIFA is a bunch of idiots / FIFA is a load of crap / FIFA is a bunch of idiots / I guess everybody knows that,”) aren’t likely to bring those eyebrows to rest. In a world where nothing exists in isolation, where football is inseparable from FIFA (a bunch of idiots and marionettes, as established), how can one not be disillusioned by football? That’s the implicit question in this blend of playful indie-pop and biting, unhesitating criticism. It does what it needs to – I’m sure to find myself humming the insanely catchy chorus every time I see the word “FIFA”!
5. TOTAL REVERENDS – WHERE IS GOD
Layered vocals open TOTAL REVERENDS’ WHERE IS GOD, a song that explores what might be the oldest persisting question in the world. However, it does so in a way that subverts all the traditional expectations that come with religion: instead of going down the route of faith and belief, or the opposite of being critical and biting, the band digs deep into the grey area in between, where exhaustion and belief can coexist. “Where is god? I’m not sure,” stays at the centre of this, surrounded by minimal and restrained drums and guitars that let the vocals and their message take prominence. Listen here!
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