Big Thief — “Certainty”
Big Thief has consistently shown a talent for squeezing beauty out of the simplest elements of songs. The group’s new single “Certainty” is no exception. The track was written during a three-day power outage while the band was recording at Sam Evian’s Flying Cloud Studios in the Catskill Mountains in Upstate New York. “On the third day of the outage, I found [singer] Adrianne [Lenker] on the porch writing a new song, so I sat with her and we finished it together, with the rain falling from the gutters splashing over our guitars,” Big Thief guitarist Buck Meek explains. The song’s creation story and the effect it has on audiences are undeniably intertwined; its graceful beauty absolutely washes over you on first listen.
Boreen — “Giving Up”
Portland musician Morgan O’Sullivan fronts the project Boreen, whose newest album “Book of Hours” was just released this past week. Powered by hushed vocals and understated harmonies, the standout song “Giving Up” is a master class in melody-driven instrumentation. O’Sullivan takes the basic elemental formula of a good pop tune and elevates each aspect by piling subtle, but effective, layers on top.
Remi Wolf — “Guerrilla”
“Guerrilla” comes from Remi Wolf’s debut full-length album “Juno” (arriving October 15th via Island Records). It’s been eight years since the singer appeared on “American Idol” as a high school student. Since then, she’s cultivated a quirky and adventurous indie-pop sound. But with this single, Remi wants listeners to dig a little deeper. “I hope my [fans] can hear my honesty and passion come through and, if not, I just hope they think each song is a banger!” Wolf says. Indeed, her relatable honesty cuts through and resonates. But “Guerrilla” is still a bonafide banger.