These LITM Rock Picks have things to say that’ll make you stop and think; featuring Land Mass, Malkotron, ferb, and more!
1. Land Mass – Green Parakeet
Delicate from its very first moments, Land Mass’ Green Parakeet opens the album Fading with a fragility that settles over you, before exploding into a cloud of distorted guitar – creating a beautiful, melancholy contrast between the still-hushed vocals and the minimal arrangement that preceded it. The track is vulnerable in a way that doesn’t seem like it’s asking you for your attention or sympathy; rather, it’s simple and honest, allowing it to land with a lot more impact. London-based Land Mass lets questions hang in the air, bridging the gap between intense and soft with practised ease. Listen here!
2. Malkotron – Woeful Dusk
Woeful Dusk opens Malkotron’s latest album, No Paradise, setting the tone for what promises to be an experience that takes you on a journey through emotional landscapes. It sets the mood with atmospheric textures, unfolding slowly instead of rushing into anything; your patience with it is duly rewarded with layers of emotion that slowly start to peek through, drawing you into a space of introspection and quiet. It’s clear that this is the work of someone who understands how emotions can be artfully pulled out through music, and more importantly, restraint in music. This is a song that manages to do so much with such minimalism – check it out!
3. ferb – Killing It
ferb’s Killing It is immediate and full of life, never letting up on the relentless pace for even a moment through its runtime. From the beginning of the track, you can feel an energy thrumming just below the surface – the kind of energy that feels like it’s being barely restrained by the deceptively calm surface. The song is crisp and intentional about every element it contains – from the headbang-worthy drumming to the instrumentals and vocals moving in tandem effortlessly – making it clear that this is a band that knows what they want to achieve and how they want to do it, allowing them to stand out in a fairly crowded landscape. Listen here!
4. MICHAEL WATERS – Requiem for Earth
When talking about the climate crisis, it’s easy for people to slip into preaching and abstraction; combine this with content fatigue, and there’ll come a point when everything just feels like noise. In moments like those, MICHAEL WATERS’ Requiem for Earth comes as a piece that makes you stop and really think. A song that approaches the subject not with panic or urgency, but with compassion and empathy, it captures the breathtaking beauty of our planet along with the sorrow of seeing it die because of the greed and obsession of a few. Heartfelt vocals and minimal instruments succeed in creating a mood of melancholia and subtle immediacy. Give it a listen here.
5. KATIA POJIDAEVA – Capitalism
KATIA POJIDAEVA’s Capitalism is a powerful punch at the precariously balanced tower of our late-stage capitalistic society. From the start, it’s unsettling – like it’s building up to go somewhere you really want to get to, but always stops just before it gets there. With lyrics like “Don’t look up to the sun, avoid your real thoughts to be seen / Just follow the people right in front of you,” the song weaves a vivid image of a homogenous society where all anyone wants is to beat the person in front of them, only for a better chance at draining their lives away, as she puts it. Listen here!
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