While I have listened to folk artist Jensen McRae’s sophomore album – which dropped in its entirety on Friday, April 25th – I Don’t Know How But They Found Me! in part a few times at this point, I have yet to sit down with the body of work from beginning to end. The album’s title itself is a Back to the Future quote, perhaps the standalone lighthearted aspect of this sonic adventure.
Here, my unapologetic thoughts as I experienced this heavy, beautiful 11-track masterpiece.
To note, the album was born from a period of time in McRae’s life and is semi-autobiographical. “More than anything, I am grateful to have made this album as a record of my transition into real womanhood,” she explains. “It’s me processing girlhood, with all its attendant naïveté and guilelessness and resistance to change, and emerging as an adult who is capable of forgiveness and transformation and measured optimism.”
The work begins with 2 minute, 48 second track “The Rearranger,” which effortlessly gives voice to the feeling of emptiness in a relationship (or, for some, situationship) that does not make plans. To me, this song is about a relationship that seems to have most everything you want, but feels slightly off.
“I Can Change Him” hit me the hardest on first listen. The song tells a story of a smitten relationship that can only get so far without forward momentum and change. We have all been in a relationship (or several) that presents its issues to work on together and through. The hope in McRae’s voice as the chorus comes in:
Maybe I, maybe I just love him Maybe I, maybe I just think All he needs is a little something Maybe that little something’s me Maybe I’ll be his exception And I’ll never be the same Maybe I, maybe I could change him Unless he doesn’t want to change
But you can’t expect yourself to be the change someone else needs in their life. They have to be willing to change, which is why the “Unless he doesn’t want to change” is so heartbreaking. It is almost as though, over the duration of the song, the narrator is coming to a slow realization that the only true thing she has change over is herself.
More heartbreak comes in third track “Savannah,” which was released alongside a Rena Johnson directed and produced video. The song – and its accompanying video – questions alternate life outcomes based on boundaries and how you make decisions in your life. You can acknowledge what once was and what could have been while also creating a life of your own design, and this song really drives that truth home.
Fourth track “Daffodils” examines a relationship plagued with substance abuse, the push and pull of the life that supports. From one line to the next, this dichotomy keeps the narrator in this cycle of bad to good on repeat, when everyone deserves better.
Anyone who has ever been a rule follower may identify with the lyrics of “Let Me Be Wrong,” which feels a bit revolutionary and positive when compared to its predecessors. The rasp in McRae’s vocals hits correctly at the end of the verses, as she encourages people to let her learn her own way. This song has Top 40 potential written all over it, something we can all get behind at the level of The Chicks or Shania Twain.
The cadence to this song is absolutely magnetic, as Jensen McRae sings “Novelty” with her velvety vocals. She tells it like it is in this track, fully aware that some people are into the novelty of a person, environment, or otherwise. And, worse off, she has been in this place before. Having any type of relationship with someone who isn’t invested in you as a human being can subdue the entire thrill of dating, and you can feel the ice and indifference as it comes to its conclusion.
“I Don’t Do Drugs” slows things down and simplifies them a bit. Singing of how healing isn’t linear, patterns permeate, and the familiar can be addictive, this is an eye-opening piece of art at just 2 minutes and 19 seconds in length.
After hearing “Tuesday,” I was wondering how Jensen could have possibly survived a one-sided relationship as severe is this — how anyone could. But this song also stirs up feelings in people who have felt unseen in their families, friendships, or romantic partnerships. With such conviction, this ballad is specific, intense, and relatable. Unkempt in some ways, it is tinged with fire from her emotions and the rasp in her vocals.
“Mother Wound” hits pivotal aspects of successful relationships — communication and expectation management (which, to its credit, comes from communication). For an artist who has referenced Biblical text and Jesus in other songs on this record, her ability to “read your cards right” and tap into intuition in other lines throughout this album encourages open-minded spirituality and trust, almost. This song is one of those times.
“Praying For Your Downfall” could be a take down track, as vindictive as I would be given the circumstances. However, the beauty in it is that she reads him for trash in the lyrics. Lines like “keep whistling, boy, I was never your dog” hit with an unrelenting attitude that she has more than earned. She repeats “I don’t need to see you fall down” as she releases her energy from the negativity. The bridge brings us out light as a feather, layered in a way you would almost expect from HAIM.
She ends the album with fan favorite “Massachusetts,” a track that gave her a little bit more momentum with listeners. The immediate reference to Batman hooked me when I saw her perform it on Kimmel (directly after Ben Affleck was a guest), but the idea of affiliating an entire place with a person is what kept my attention. As someone who has had the fortune of living in and traveling to many places, I associate these places with people and memories.
Every young relationship leaves stamps on your heart. Marks on your memory. But that doesn’t mean you have to keep it. You can keep the good, and release yourself from what belittled you and told you that you didn’t meet its expectations. This entire album is both a testament to the pain that so many people go through while they learn themselves and their partners, and a beacon for people who are nostalgic for sweet memories that didn’t necessarily pan out.
I Don’t Know How But They Found Me! is a massive feat of strength… for McRae and all of her collaborators. Listen to it dancing around your room on a rainy day, in an air conditioned metro car on your way to a weekend spot, or with the windows down in the sunshine. It will deliver an exuberance to your nervous system that outweighs the empathic, heavy nature of it all — and validates anything you have been through or are currently experiencing.
You are in for a treat with this five minute and nine second track from Los Angeles native Marina Sakimoto’s rock project Shunkan. It begins at a bit of a trudge, but the composition becomes lighter, more encouraging as it progresses. It is equally hopeful, tragic, and contemplative, full of thoughts many of us have had. Audibly, it is both dark and light, playing with the emotional turbulence of her inner thoughts and, in turn, the listener’s inner thoughts and critiques.
Admits Sakimoto of the track:
Originally, “Prettier” didn’t have a chorus like it does now, and Alex [Newport] really encouraged me to find a melody that would complement the rest of the song. I naturally gravitate toward writing bubblegum hooks, and I was worried it might become limiting—but I’ve learned to lean into my strengths while still feeling free to explore. Prettier feels like an exposed nerve, but I hope it resonates with anyone else who feels like they don’t fit into conventions.
Being “prettier” is subjective, and comparison truly is the thief of joy.
The wait begins: the inimitable CMAT, goddess of all things superlative, campy, and twangy has announced her forthcoming LP, Euro-Country, out on August 29th. The first single, “Running/Planning,” is out on streaming services now, as well as an incredible video. As she explains to NME:
‘Running/Planning’ is about having to chase your own tail to be good enough to exist. It’s an abstracted view of societal pressure on women – specifically through a relationship lens: You start dating someone, you get engaged, you get married, you have kids etc., etc., etc… everything has to follow this linear pattern. (That’s the reason for the repetitive chorus!).
She expands: “And the minute you don’t follow that path, your mam starts giving out to you. That narrow path that everyone is supposed to be on…the minute you get outside of that, it gets incredibly stressful. And I don’t know anyone who is like, ‘Yeah, love this!’”
Typically CMAT, she has been gleefully running around London, plastering every inanimate object she come across or that takes her fancy with CMAT stickers. Emblazoned with the font of her new album cover, dodging prosecution and penalties, CMAT’s Instagram stories show every part of the journey. Her latest concoction is a sticker that reads “Lord, let that Tesla crash.”
May 23rd – Wide Awake Festival, London, UK May 25th – Neighbourhood Festival, Warrington, UK Jun 5th – Primavera, Barcelona, ESP Jun 6th – London Stadium, London, UK * Jun 12th – St James Park, Newcastle, UK * Jun 14th – St James Park, Newcastle, UK * Jun 15th – St James Park, Newcastle, UK * Jun 27th – Glastonbury, UK Jul 12th – NOS, Lisbon, POR Jul 26th – Truck Festival, Oxfordshire, UK Jul 27th – Tramlines Festival, Sheffield, UK Aug 1st – Belladrum Tartan Heart, Belladrum, UK Aug 2nd – All Together Now, Waterford, IRE Aug 7th – Syd For Solen, Copenhagen, DEN Aug 8th – Way Out West, Gothenburg, SWE Aug 14th – Cabaret Vert – Charleville Mezeries, FR Aug 15th – Lowlands, Biddinghuizen, NL Aug 16th – Green Man Festival, Crickhowell, UK Aug 28th – Boucher Playing Fields, Belfast, UK * Oct 2nd – O2 Academy Brixton, London, UK Oct 4th – Academy, Manchester, UK Oct 5th – O2 Academy, Leeds, UK Oct 6th – NX, Newcastle, UK Oct 9th – Barrowland Ballroom, Glasgow, UK Oct 12th – Rock City, Nottingham, UK Oct 13th – Corn Exchange, Cambridge, UK Oct 15th – Dome Concert Hall, Brighton, UK Oct 16th – O2 Institute, Birmingham, UK Oct 17th – UEA, Norwich, UK Oct 19th – Octagon, Sheffield, UK Oct 20th – O2 Academy, Bristol, UK Dec 5th – 3Arena, Dublin, IRE
Brooklyn-based indie pop collective The Davenports – masterminded by multi-instrumentalist Scott Klass and a rotating cast of artists – has been riding high off of critical acclaim over their fifth album, You Could’ve Just Said That, and for good reason. Klass’ mastery of the production process – from concept to recording and mixing – is on full display, as it is the first release charmingly self-recorded at home. This allowed him to really do whatever experimenting and manipulation he wanted to with the tracks, resulting in a powerhouse audio adventure.
Today, The Davenports focus on the release of their official music video for “We Know We Want To.” The song itself? A layered, stripped down-yet-sweet confection for the ears, calling for simplicity and honesty. Explains Klass of the track:
This is essentially a love song, but with a polyamory spin, based on a story I heard. I don’t know how common it is. Two people were part of a friend group that believed strongly in polyamory, and it just stopped working for one-half of that couple. They loved their primary partner and reached a point where sharing was painful and stopped making sense. It was pretty heartbreaking to hear about how they just put up with it for a while, just fighting their truth. It’s a question about the balance between your honesty and your principles in situations where the two might not be aligned.
The refrain: “It’s principle we all have sold / that one-on-one is tired and old / let’s put the party line on hold…and hold each other like we know we want to.”
When it came to the official music video for the piece, Klass knew he wanted to work with Mount Emult, who he has worked with previously. The artist creates gorgeous collage-style stop-motion by hand that “blows everyone away.” And Klass’ praise is not wrong. The video was pieced together so masterfully, there’s a sense of magic, nostalgia – and the simplicity the song is asking of us – to it all.
“I wanted someone great to interpret it their own way,” explained Klass. “This is essentially a love song, and the rush of imagery is, to me, as fitting of the rumination related to heartbreak as it is a visual juxtaposition to the song’s theme.”
You can get your first peek at the video for “We Know We Want To” here, now.
Keep up with The Davenports on Instagram, and pop some of their tunes into your library.
Indie rockers Julien Baker and Torres (Mackenzie Scott) have released the second single off their highly-anticipated country record, Send a Prayer My Way, out on April 18th.
The latest song after December’s “Sugar in the Tank,” “Sylvia” is about Scott’s dog.
The morning I went to pick up Sylvia from an upstate shelter, I was at home making my coffee and I turned on WFMU and Dolly Parton’s “Cracker Jack” was on. I burst into tears—it felt like the universe was telling me she was going to be mine (Sylvia was only meant to be a foster). I remember thinking that I’d love to write a song like that, a song that people could feel in their chest within five seconds of turning on the radio, because anyone who has ever had the honor of sharing a home with a beloved pet knows that a pet is family—they’re the best friends you could ever have.
The video for “Sylvia” includes scenes from their sold-out surprise show at the Mercury Lounge back in December.
Americana sensation Eddy Lee Ryder releases her first LP titled Sweet Delusions today. This NY-based artist is gracing us with 11 beautifully made songs, each piece delivering a romantic and almost magical experience.
Ryder’s voice has a distinct country twang to it, with soft-spoken and whimsical tones. I absolutely love the layering done with her background vocals– it truly adds an angelic element to the entire ensemble. As a previous string musician myself, I believe the album’s classical musicality is nothing to gloss over; almost every song is blessed with a symphonic melody, made possible by effortless violin and piano riffs.
“Highwaymen”, the focus track of the album, is a perfect representation of the youthful side of Sweet Delusions. Ryder yearns to travel and finds solace in being on the road. In order to be with her, you have to understand that sometimes she needs to get away from it all– but that doesn’t mean she wants to be alone. Ryder is looking for a partner-in-crime to accompany her on all life’s journeys. As a homebody, I cannot relate, but I can definitely see the appeal of “Highwaymen” for people my age. This song was made for all the free-spirited girlies out there! The chorus goes:
I hear the highway’s my man Left my man for the highway If you want to be free you must do it my way~
Her song titles do well in describing the message underlying each song, gracing the audience with straightforward and relatable phrases. Songs like “Sweet Delusions”, “Bad Decisions” (my favorite of the whole album), and “Joke is on Me” showcase the self-deprecating aspect of looking back on romantic relationships. As the titles imply, Ryder holds onto beliefs that she knows are not likely, but desperately wants to believe in them. She even fantasizes about her love interest ditching his current lover to go after her instead– delusional right? She wants to be with him forever, quite literally singing that she refuses to let these delusions go.
The rest of Sweet Delusions is filled with purely delightful symphonies and vivid imagery. “Smoke and Mirrors” implies the obvious– everyone puts on a front; Ryder and everyone else knows the lives people display on social media are not real, but what she does know for certain is that her love and connection with her partner is real. There’s a verse in the song that goes “Now they’re all changing their looks, buying self-help books” which I can relate to wholeheartedly!
The last couple of songs of the album are what really bring the whole LP to life. In “Only Real Cowboy”, Ryder depicts herself as a cowboy-era vixen at a nearby saloon; she is watching in awe as her love interest takes on the big, bad sheriff in town. In “County Fair”, Ryder does a wonderful job at illustrating the almost surreal county fair experience: summer heat, loud attractions, and fast crowds. Best of all, this song encapsulates being in the moment. Going to the county fair is a great first-date idea for young couples. Ryder is once again reflecting on past times, looking back on a romantic experience she had with a boy in her youth.
Quickly rising indie pop/rock artist Michigander just put out a new single entitled “Giving Up”, attached with a music video and a B-side called “Breaker Box”. Michigander, led by singer-songwriter Jason Singer, has been releasing music since 2016 and has been gaining traction through singles like “Misery” and engagement from popular playlists by Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music. As of now, Singer is the face of Spotify’s “The New Alt” playlist, which promotes new and popular alternative music, placing him alongside artists like The Killers and Hozier. Before the release of “Giving Up”, Singer had put out 2023’s It Will Never Be The Same EP and a live performance and EP for Vevo’s online DSCVR series.
“Giving Up” absolutely appeals to fans of Michigander’s previous songs and features his trademark sound. His alternative pop sound with hazy synths and electronics that still capture honest emotions, all sung with Singer’s distinctive Midwestern twang. It’s cutesy and very likable, and Singer has a charm and earnestness to him that makes him appealing. The backing band assembled for this single is also very good, composed of Jake LeMond on guitar, Connor Robertson on bass, Chris Koo on keys, and Aaron Senor on drums. Lyrically, it’s about desperately trying to make someone happy to have minimal success and having to be assertive about getting nothing in return. It’s a relatable sentiment and very genuine. The music video, directed by Tyler Appel, is shot well with beautiful cinematography. It features multiple scenes of Singer playing with his band, as well as aimlessly driving his truck amongst other things. It’s fun and matches the song well enough, and Singer has a good presence in music videos.
The B-side, “Breaker Box”, matches the A-side in its similar sentiments and seems to be from the same narrator and addressed to the same person as before. It’s another song about a crumbling relationship and wanting the other person to put forth more effort into maintaining it. The song has a wonderfully lush production, with a more piano-driven melody and some wonderful-sounding horns. Like “Giving Up”, it balances being catchy as well as intimate and personal.
Michigander continues to be an inspired presence in modern alternative music, and “Giving Up” is an excellent example of why. As for the future, Singer and his band have a headlining tour beginning Oct 10 in Cincinnati, Ohio, going into 2025 with support from multiple artists including Cece Coakley and Sydney Sprague, as well as solo acoustic performances with Band of Horses.
Bert McCracken, frontman of indie rock band The Used released a new single titled “The Feels” on August 9th under his solo project robbietheused. He has collaborated with long-time friend John Feldmann to help produce this eclectic and feel-good beat. McCracken states that he was inspired by all generations of pop music when creating this song, citing the wonderfully positive impact it has on his mental health.
The musicality of “The Feels” is very upbeat with electric guitar, keyboard, and tenor vocal elements providing an EDM festival-friendly melody. The vibe of this song reminds me of the iconic “Fireflies” by Owl City, in which the vibrant electro-pop beat contrasts greatly with deeply intrapersonal themes. I can already tell “The Feels” will be a go-to song on every DJ’s playlist this summer.
The lyrics in “The Feels” provide a beautiful take on neurodiversity. As someone with severe social anxiety, I relate to this song very much. In social settings, my mind is consumed with many worrying thoughts… Is my voice too high? Am I walking funny? Do I smell weird? Is it better if I just left? Most of the time, you need help to quiet them all down. This song is a great metaphor for people who are coming to terms with discovering coping mechanisms for their anxiety, whether it be through therapy, medication, building a support system, or– as shown in the music video– finding joy in one’s unique hobbies. The chorus goes:
I like how it feels, I’m starting to think maybe that’s just fine, that’s just fine Can finally deal with all of the chaos that plagues my mind, plagues my mind I may not feel anything, that doesn’t mean I feel nothing (x2) I like how it feels, I’m starting to think maybe that’s just fine (x5)
The official music video is nothing short of a work of art. The claymation depicts various emojis wandering around a vibrant arcade space. An animated clay version of McCracken is seen singing on an empty stage. Emojis slowly gather around him, as if he is performing a concert just for them. This implies he is entertaining, or at the very least trying to appease, all the emotions in his head. This concept is reaffirmed at the end of the video when all the emojis burst out of McCracken’s head in a colorful explosion.
My absolute favorite part of the video is when zombie-like creatures invite a ghost emoji to their garden. The ghost visibly brightens when he sees his planted seeds sprout and give way to new healthy, green growth. Coincidentally, the ghost emoji depicted with its tongue sticking out is my favorite emoji of all time!
In unfortunate timing, this is my *37th* article for this website. Just one off, huh? Anyway, indie-psychedelic band 36? have put out a new single titled “i don’t want to go out tonight”. This is the fourth single to come from the Calgary-based group this year, after “wasted”, “FEERS”, and “ART”; with their latest LP being 2022’s Naturally. Their sound is an eclectic mix of sources, with influences ranging from hazy alt-pop and art rock, and comparisons to bands like Animal Collective or even Bleachers. Many of their lyrics, from the band’s producer and songwriter Taylor Cochrane, deal with personal subjects awash in sincerity and emotional qualities.
“i don’t want to go out tonight” is more laid-back than their more recent singles, with an indie-folk sound led by Hawaiian-sounding acoustic guitar and a breezy beach atmosphere. It’s very sweet sounding with a heartfelt performance from Cochrane and cutesy backing vocal harmonies. It also features a wonderfully abrasive guitar solo characteristic of a lot of their work, though it still fits against a different musical backdrop. Lyrically, it’s a tribute to introversion and taking time for yourself even when it means avoiding energy-draining social activities. The lyrics and the music match perfectly, creating a vibe throughout the track that’s cozy and comforting. 36? have crafted a great summer single in “i don’t want to go out tonight”, a song that’s drenched with both positive energy and relaxation.
The band is currently on tour throughout North America, with more music still in the works.
