On this edition of LITM Rock Picks, each track takes us on an immersive journey, while each melody seems to build an expansive world that is only bolstered by honest reflection in the lyrics. This list features Softer, Esto, Rob Mawer and more!
1. Softer - Cry, Laugh
‘Cry, Laugh’ by Softer feels like a groovy, immersive build that pulls and spirals downward. Its lyrics take on a dark but distant tone, keeping the listener in the sort of limbo while our narrator and soundscape pull us into expansive melodies.
Bright-edged melodies tell the story of emotions in spiral, messy and engaging. This while the soundscape seems to go into this deep descent, pulling the listener in like waves lapping at bare feet. The song’s groove is expansive, while the lyrics in tandem seem to magnify the pain that comes with aching emotion.
Listen here:
2. Esto - Instant Dream
‘Instant Dream’ by Esto is a quirky Japanese alternative rock tune that leads with rhythm and precise melody. The piercing sound of feedback in the beginning carries with it an intensity that only builds in momentum as the song goes on. It feels as though you’re being sucked into a dream, diving into it head-first in free fall.
The different instruments stem from the same place but seem to veer off course as the song goes on. Particular highlights being the songs quirky guitar rhythms that seem interspersed throughout the track. The song builds on a quick-pace, threading on an offbeat and quirky path that seems psychedelic and heady.
Listen here:
3. Pryzme - Earth Song
‘Earth Song’ by Pryzme is a moving, thoughtful tune with lyrics that take on the perspective of the planet itself. Soundbites interspersed with sounds of nature and news broadcasts set the mood, intense yet apathetic. This before the song’s guitars come in, with a sharpness that feels poignant and intense.
The lyrics embody the awesome force that sees the state of the world and admonishes humanity for it. The thoughtful lines come from this place of helplessness, as this entity watches themselves be taken apart bit-by-bit. That track’s soundscape ramps up this intensity, building so that the message comes through.
Listen here:
4. Hot Work Permit - Go Sign
‘Go Sign’ by Hot Work Permit is a dark-edged track that seems to lie in wait. It’s melodies and rhythms seem to drag in a way that suggests sluggish, slow movement, almost groggy as our narrator seemingly awakens to something. It almost feels as though you’re being dragged through forward momentum with expansive melodies.
Our narrator finds themselves compelled to slowness, forced to wait as they world moves around them. “...I’ve been waiting for the go sign, waiting for a long time…”. The song holds into the mood of trudge in momentum, with the soundscape doing this in a way that helps the track feel immersive.
Listen here:
5. Rob Mawer - 27 Club
‘27 Club’ by Rob Mawer is a raw, synth-based track that takes its listener on a trip through our narrator’s psyche. It takes on a sprawling spiral, dark with pops of brightness while its lyrics ponder on a life that only seems to bare down on our narrator.
The lines seem to find themselves outside of the soundscape that surrounds it. This while reflecting on the very nature of life and living it to the fullest. ‘27 Club’ feels filled with a sense of longing and nostalgia, steeped in a cautionary tale that feels immersive and edged in deep, thoughtful reflection.
Listen here:
Follow the playlist for all new artist updates!
If you would like to submit your music for playlist or review consideration, please submit here