Every Sunday, we end the week on a good note with a selection of freshly released songs we’re loving at the moment.
This week, we’ve been listening to Matt Maltese, Katelyn Tarver, Oh Wonder, Elke, Smallpools and Jukebox the Ghost.
For the full playlist, scroll down to the end of the post.
Good Morning – Matt Maltese
“Good morning, it’s now tomorrow / A sunny day full of sorrow.” Tinted with bittersweetness, Matt Maltese’s freshly released single sounds chipper and melancholic at the same time, and feels timeless already. Whether you’re interested in trying to make sense of the story the British singer-songwriter is telling or you’re into classic britpop, this one’s for you. Maltese’s new album, Good Morning It’s Now Tomorrow, comes out in less than two weeks.
Nicer – Katelyn Tarver
If you’ve ever been someone who only wanted to please people and to avoid any sort of conflict, you certainly know how difficult it is to get out of that cycle. Here, Katelyn Tarver looks back on the person she once was, before mustering up the courage to stop trying to be someone she’s not. “If it’s on my mind now I don’t try and change it / Cause look at all the time and energy I wasted,” she sings. Hashtag growth.
22 Break – Oh Wonder
For the fans of Oh Wonder, the past week has been an eventful one. The British duo is back with new music, yay! Oh, but wait— Josephine and Anthony (who got married this summer) actually almost split up a year ago?! And writing songs about their potential breakup “saved” them? The resulting record is their most honest work, they explained. 22 Break is proof enough. The track feels as truthful as it is beautiful and catchy. 22 Break, the album, comes out October 8th accompanied with a short film.
Mothers – Elke
In her debut album No Pain for Us Here, Nashville-based Kayla Graninger (who performs under the pseudonym Elke) plays with different sounds and emotions, but Mothers stands out. It is as beautifully unexpected and intriguing as it is energetic and energizing. Paramore fans in particular might be interested in checking out the album: it was co-written and produced by drummer Zac Farro.
Before the Sun Rises – Smallpools
As they keep teasing their forthcoming record (their first LP in more than 6 years!), Smallpools gives us a modern-day love song: sweet, simple and real. “I’ll do right by you / And you’ll do right by me / We’ll change into sweats and we’ll place our bets / On who will fall asleep / Before the sun rises.” What more would one want out of a partner? The full album, Life in a Simulation, is set for a release on October 15th.
Cheers! – Jukebox the Ghost
It’s as if the Washington DC trio put themselves up to the challenge of creating an anthem for “the outcasts and the underdogs” that’s worthy of both Queen and The Beatles. And honestly? It’s a hit. Cheers! is a beautiful homage to both bands, and a great tune to make one’s day-to-day life feel like a party, even if it’s just for 3 minutes and 20 seconds (just hit replay indefinitely and you’re set).
