Five Songs From March So Far
Words by Jane Lai
Maple Glider – “Good Thing”
Melbourne singer-songwriter Tori Zietsch emerges with a new dreamy ballad “Good Thing,” a track that feels like a new piece of light peering into an empty cave.
An angelic voice hovers over an acoustic guitar andchoruses echo. These are delivered on a bed of smooth vibrations. Zietsch sings, “But I guess that’s how we learn / by setting fire to things that bring us life / before we’ve got to watch them burn” at the climax. The vulnerability, the suddenness of it, is completely exposed. What’s expected is that she ends quieter than she started.
You can listen to her music here.
Tasha – “Would You Mind Please Pulling Me Closer?”
Tasha’s new track opens like the resolution of an old film. The credits are rolling. Synths float just above the surface.Water kicks, and everything keeps moving in its natural order.
In her lyric video for the song, a slideshow of clips unfold. Daytime treasures like an ocean sunset, a caterpillar in the forest, pockets of trees, and a clear stream fill up every corner of space.
You can listen to her music here.
Skullcrusher – “Song for Nick Drake”
Seizing the indie pop landscape by storm, Skullcrusher was one of my favorite 2020 debuts. Like giants Soccer Mommy and Alex G, Helen Ballentine perpetuates the sorcery of the hook—one that plays over and over in your head, literally.
There’s an appeal breathing a repeated melody. One of these carry throughout. And I have to admit I’m addicted to watching the canvas where Helen Balentine is a half-filledcaricature turned into grainy colored film by the time she walks to the train platform.
You can listen to her music here.
Noods – “Sheets”
The new Noods new track “Sheets” plays a mellowed punk pop anthem reminiscent of older Future Teens or Tiger Jaws. It’s like a slow-cooked, matured version of what you’d catch at Vans Warped Tour as a teen. Paired with afeel-good, windows down breeze, the track rings nostalgic with a reminder that some things settle with age.
They sing, “I know we could probably date / if I didn’t act so late / girl you just turned 28 / time just accepts your fate” as a way to reinforce reflection. It’s a timeless maneuver for the genre. Dangling from its last vestige of youth, the track relaxes like a bowl of laundry; softness and comfortin bike rides, baking instead of frying, and “curling up in the sheets” linger on for a bit longer.
Their new album BLUSH is out 4/15 on Get Better Records.
Bobby Kid – “Dissonance”
A substantial addition since their 2018 album ‘Peach,’“Dissonance” is resurfacing Bobby Kid to their well-deserved DIY glory. Still a well kept secret and shared between my close friends, Bobby Kid’s upgrades live in a place closest to my heart. Their bedroom pop aurora of small room is succinct and sparkles, sounding their best when the band uses whatever gear exists in the space.
Clocking in at 41 views on YouTube, I hope this band blows up. I will make sure of that.
You can check out their older work here.
