This edition of LITM Pop Picks brings to you haunting dark pop, retro influenced pop, and more. The list features artists Sheldon Mashugana, the.flyingSAM, Alexandr Marcel, and more.
Sheldon Mashugana - It's Turkey Day
A super catchy and upbeat track about the joy and fun that the holiday of Thanksgiving culminates into in America, ‘It's Turkey Day’ by Sheldon Mashugana in collaboration with Crystal Carr is the song that will inevitably bring a wide smile, or even a little laugh out of you. The instrumentation is lively through and through, and makes you want to get up and shake and move. The lyrics are filled with comedy that comes from family celebrations of Thanksgiving, and a lot of childish inside jokes and slapstick humour. Give it a listen, because it really is super, duper fun.
the.flyingSAM - Every step, every dream
Starting off with an emotionally resonant piano progression and angelic vocals, ‘Every step, every dream’ by the.flyingSAM is at once, a song of acknowledgement, of thankfulness, for the people who stand by you no matter what life throws at your way. The instrumentation leans towards a cinematic pop-rock sound, and sort of makes you think of Lewis Capaldi’s music. It builds in a gentle and intentional manner, with every single layer adding further dimension to the song with taking away its previous touch. The dual vocals in the song give the song a cinematic sound, where you are able to gauge two perspectives at once.
Alexandr Marcel - Red String
Starting off with a deeply depth laden piano progressions, ‘Red String’ by Alexandr Marcel offers you a perception of the belief of the Invisible Red String, wherein it is believed that two people are connected by a Red String and that they will meet each other at some point. The instrumentation is lush and cinematic, and makes you think of an emotional music video, perhaps like the music of Snow Patrol. Alexandr’s vocals are rich with skill and dense with emotion, as they carry you through a mindspace of hope and belief for that one person, despite every obstruction.
FERDINAND RENNIE - Love Is All We Have
Taking you back to the golden retro years, ‘Love Is All We Have’ by FERDINAND RENNIE is vibrant, it is truthful, and it is full of hope and light. The song will make you think of Stevie Wonder’s muisc, as it captures that similar musical essence of brightness. The instrumentation is at once a blend of jazz elements and retro pop influences, and offers the right amount of groove and emotion. RENNIE’s vocals are the kind that will have a smile burst onto your face and make you look at the world with a little more hope, despite all that is going on in the world currently.
RHIC - The Demon Queens of Halloween
Pulling you into a dark, eerie, unpredictable soundscape, ‘The Demon Queens of Halloween’ by RHIC might just send a shiver down your spine for how hauntingly beautiful it is. The song is built on a magnetic bassline, and a moving piano progression, and overall the instrumentation is interspersed with long violin notes, and short electrical beats that ground the song’s dark mood. The vocals in the song are truly angelic, and lie in contradiction to the sound of the song – you truly don’t expect to hear those vocals post the instrumental start of the song. This is one is something truly different, for its takes you out of your reality momentarily and pulls you into its soundscape.
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