These LITM Rock Picks are charged and intense, from A J Green UK, The project, Washing Machina, and more!
1. A J Green UK – Losing You
Opening A J Green UK’s latest album, Before The End, is Losing You, a charged rock ballad that stays honest and expressive throughout. It’s hard to say if the highlight of this track is the vocal performance or the instrumental layers – because honestly, it’s both, equally. Melodic guitars and relentless drums intertwine to form the base for Green’s vocals: the kind that feel lived-in, delivering a message that seems to come from a genuine place, while always holding space for you to make meaning of it for yourself. The addition of the female vocal layer towards the end is a nice way to round things out and add dimension to what the song conveys – check it out here!
2. The project – best days
best days is The project’s 2023 single, which also now serves as the opener for their latest album, this is not a test. It blends pop hooks with unmistakable rock energy in a way that’ll have you feeling nostalgic for the ‘00s – or at least, a time when everything seemed just that much brighter and lighter. Energetic drums and an infectious guitar fill the landscape, dipping and cresting at just the right times, knowing when to let the vocals do their thing, and when to rise and complement them perfectly. A song that asserts the importance of having someone you love by your side, someone who makes every day seem like the best day, best days is an instant uplifter!
3. Washing Machina – My Bones
Coming to you through a haze of distorted guitars and blurry textures, Washing Machina’s My Bones is a great introduction to their latest album, Before My Mind Wakes Up. The whole track has a sound that feels effortlessly natural – almost as if we’re in someone’s mind, experiencing their thoughts as they flow. With psychedelia-inspired textures and embellishments throughout, contrasting beautifully with the free-flowing melody, the song establishes a tension you can’t look away from. It never explicitly lays out its core message, leaving you to poke around and piece it together in the context of your own experiences, and this is what makes it resonate long after it ends. Listen here!
4. MatAre – Dancing With The Spirits
Through his previous work, MatAre has established a sound that’s synth-forward and controlled by direct yet collected vocals; Dancing With The Spirits, his latest single, does not disappoint these expectations. The whole track has a dark edge to it, like MatAre is controlling it just enough to keep it descending into something much more intense – this restraint keeps the tension built throughout, creating an interplay between the two that only sucks you in further. Gripping, haunting, and evocative, Dancing With The Spirits is the kind of song that’ll have you coming back for more even before it’s completely ended – give it a listen here!
5. Gilgulim – Lullaby (Remix)
It’s ironic that so often, lullabies have such dark undertones to them – a phenomenon so widespread, it’s almost become an expectation. Gilgulim’s Lullaby (Remix) follows suit, but subverts everything you’d expect; instead of it staying soft and suggestive, it takes the leap most are afraid to take into dramatic, intense instrumentals and similarly laden vocals. A remix of their own Lullaby, it takes the original and bends it into a shape that’s simultaneously recognisable, while bringing in more prog-rock power into every element, every note. It’s always refreshing to see a band revisiting their work with a fresh lens and open mind, and Gilgulim doesn’t disappoint – listen here!
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