A gripping single out today from Soul Civilian, “Ego” struts a delectable psych-rock groove, which per the artist intends to “feel like a psychedelic trip without falling into too many of the tropes of psychedelic music.” Mission successful. Mellow, melodic vocals seamlessly align with both jangling guitar steadiness and more crawling twangs, the latter evident especially during the memorable “it’s coming up” refrain. A soaring, beautiful vocal presence ensues, with dreamy layers melding with spacey synth elements, before the guitars reassume prominence in the “I keep dreaming” vocal entrancement.

“Ego” is a thorough success from Soul Civilian, who further describes the release as “about simultaneously attempting to run from life’s problems while also accepting that life itself, woes and all, is what makes it all worth it.”

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This and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.

The post Soul Civilian – “Ego” appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.

A breezy rocker from Luxury Mane, “Youth Envy” consumes in its drive from surfy guitar twangs to more caressing jangling, as serene vocals lament “youth envy, you’re killing me.” Reminding fondly of acts like Wild Nothing and Beach Fossils, the track’s production envelops in its serene vocals and dynamic guitars, escalating with particular enjoyment as the vocals move from the “sore sight, sad eyes” introspection to more pulsing electric guitar vigor, especially rousing around the three-minute mark. Representing the first single from the upcoming High Deaf, the riveting “Youth Envy” was recorded in St. Petersburg, Florida and mixed by Wyatt Blair (Lollipop Records).

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This and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.

The post Luxury Mane – “Youth Envy” appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.

After captivating us earlier this year with the beautifully atmospheric single “Gone,” Madrid Exit again immerses with “Somehow,” representing the fourth single from the project of Montreal-based Alexy Préfontaine, also known as aeforia. The new track is accompanied by a blissful music video, featuring biking through the countryside, which matches well with the production’s bright, melodically bursting synth-led pop sound.

Pulsing percussion and glimmering electronics meld with bouncy appeal as the track gets underway, moving into dreamily caressing vocals: “Decided to give it a try / Somehow it’s all I could find.” Lovely multi-layered vocal harmoniousness moves in soon after, building seamlessly alongside the gradually increasing effervescence of the synth tones. Soulful vocal echoes around the two-minute mark combine with these magnetic synth pulses for a sound stirringly reminiscent of M83, especially with the blaring synth character that emerges around 02:20. “Somehow” again finds Madrid Exit showcasing a clear knack for gorgeous soundscapes and hooky melodic evolutions.

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This and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.

The post Madrid Exit – “Somehow” appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.

Nashville-based rockers Pink Triangle enthuse on their second single “I Wanna Be That Girl,” venturing from smitten lyricism and sparse twangs into a more bursting, charismatic hookiness. The band describes the track’s POV as “relating the experience of a queer person, in the closet and in love with his straight best friend, feeling jealousy for his friend’s girlfriend because she’s the one that gets to be with him.”

“Why does she get to be all things that I am not?” the resonant vocals question with heart-aching appeal during the bridge, expanding into a punchy rock and power-pop infusion, punctuated by a “why can’t I just be that girl?” plea. The production envelops in its swell from more understated moments, particularly in the “I’m the one you need” build to the final minute, and more fervent rock hooks. We’re excited to hear what’s next from Pink Triangle, who have an album planned for next year.

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This and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.

The post Pink Triangle – “I Wanna Be That Girl” appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.

Fusing jangly intrigue and alt-rock vigor, “My Broken Jars” is a strong single from Robert Peterson and The Crusade, coming via the Joplin, MO-based act’s upcoming sophomore album, Know End In Sight, out next summer. “My broken jars of clay, I have not delayed my departure,” melodic vocals ring out alongside the jangling guitar strums, then punctuated by memorable doses of heavier guitars, especially during the “all the mysteries as your life unfolds” sequence, where soaring vocals and distortion-friendly resonance drive into a delectable power-pop bridge.

“My Broken Jars” is another excellent piece of songwriting from Robert Peterson and The Crusade, also catching our ears previously with gems like the track “Eye On The Sparrow” and their full-length debut Change Coming On.

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This and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.

The post Robert Peterson and The Crusade – “My Broken Jars” appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.

A memorable pop track beckoning to “open your eyes,” “IT’S JUST LIFE” is an enjoyable output from Jenna Victoria. “The moon in the night, is talking to me in my mind,” Jenna Victoria’s vocals open amidst a bouncy rhythm section, asking “is this what it feels like, to finally go crazy?” in pondering sanity against clarity. Added vocal harmonies bolster the stellar central hook, while the ensuing verses continue to thematically dig into the tides of change, growing heavy on one’s mind of tumult. Another urging to “open your eyes/heart” enamors, inducing replays throughout with a polished pop production and emotive vocal allure.

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This and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.

The post Jenna Victoria – “IT’S JUST LIFE” appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.

Crafting a sound intended to sound like a memory, and succeeding in doing so, “Mellow” is a riveting single from DECO-LUXE. The first single from upcoming album Eventide, the release features Kyat Cute on vocals, adding a serenely absorbing quality alongside the dynamic synth tones, ranging from buzzing intrigue to glimmering pulsations.

DECO-LUXE describes the production as “about the way music can transport us—how a single sound can evoke a feeling, a place, or a moment we’ve long forgotten.” “If loving feels like this, then I’m in love with you, I guess so,” her vocals shine, especially stirring around 02:25 as spacious electronics and a beckoning to “please don’t ever say to me, goodbye” build into a sating finale. “Mellow” has us strongly looking forward to Eventide.

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This and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.

The post DECO-LUXE – “Mellow” appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.

“Shotgun” is a glistening electronic pop standout from Girl Next Door, the project of London-based producer, songwriter and vocalist Sarah Carton. “‘Shotgun’ feels like the soundtrack to a summer holiday you can’t quite remember properly,” she says. “It’s about that strange feeling of believing one night might change your whole life. I wanted it to sound euphoric, a little chaotic and completely infatuated.”

Colorful synths and amiable lush vocals open the track, scenic in its depictions of shining streetlights, sunsets, and fireflies. “Beachside, summertime in Malibu,” the vocals depict a breezy, approachable realm where glistening synths and playful rhythms converge, moving into bouncier rhythms and stutter-y vocal effects, in resembling a lovely cross between Kero Kero Bonito and Sophie. The single comes via upcoming EP The Internet Belonged To Girls, which we’re now firmly anticipating.

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This and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.

The post Girl Next Door – “Shotgun” appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.

A new single with stylishly dark electronic vigor, “Cry” from London-based artist Strange DNA explores the tension between vulnerability and transformation through glimmering synths, haunting melodies, and an emotionally charged performance. The project draws from personal experiences of identity and feeling like an outsider, shaping those themes into a cinematic dark-pop sound where difference becomes a source of strength.

Throbbing synth pulses establish a darkly intriguing soundscape immediately, quickly bolstered by pit-pattering percussion and blaring electronic adornments. Strange DNA’s delivery shows an ability to traverse both gloomy introspection and heightened, glimmering allure throughout. The propulsive synths venture into the “another idealized…” melodic subduedness initially, ascending in charisma in the title-touting lead phrasing. Effervescent synths and backing harmonic whimsy add wonderfully to the central hook, flowing with vibrant replay-inducing immersion as the production crosses the one-minute turn.

The “I cry” delivery that continues into touches of guitar distortion around the 01:30 mark is reminiscent of a lovely cross between the avant-garde electronic productions of SOPHIE and the art-pop pursuits of Grimes. An especially moving moment appears at the three-minute mark, where energized synth work — with shades of MGMT — arrives alongside an excitable, high-pitched falsetto entrancement. Those exhilarating harmonic layers venture into another “I cry” refrain as powerful, glitzy synths progress their magnetic flow. “Cry” is a stylish, strongly memorable electronic pop success from Strange DNA.

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This and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.

We discovered this release via MusoSoup.

The post Strange DNA – “Cry” appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.

Toby Gad and JERUB collaborate on the impactful single “Alone Tonight,” a piano-driven ballad inspired by the loneliness experienced by people who can feel forgotten during the holidays. Recorded at Dalston Lane Studios in East London, the track marks the pair’s second collaboration, pairing Gad’s accomplished songwriting and production background with the soulful delivery of the Nigeria-born, Nottingham-raised JERUB.

Simmering strings and solemn piano open the track with gorgeous immersion, as JERUB’s soulful phrasing crafts a scene of bustling, relatable weight — where emotions of love can be difficult to achieve in a world fueled by the daily grind, especially highlighted during the holidays. “Everybody’s got somewhere to go, and that was you not too long ago,” his lines shine, bolstered by the strings especially as they ascend in prominence. “I could hold you tight, ’cause no one should be alone tonight,” JERUB continues with reassuring prowess, expanding with multi-layered, anthemic vigor in the aspirations to “make you whole again.”

A particularly striking sequence reveals itself in the final minute, kickstarted by wordless harmonic power that lingers with artful cohesion amidst the heart-tugging strings and delicate piano. “Let me take your hand, and make you whole again,” JERUB’s lead enthralls amidst Toby Gad’s piano-forward, powerful balladry. “Alone Tonight” is an affecting piece of unconditional love and guiding light reassurance, invoking a kindly and loving quality throughout its resonant production. Toby Gad & JERUB succeed thoroughly with “Alone Tonight.”

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We discovered this release via MusoSoup.

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