With winter dragging its heels and spring still weeks away, February can be a bleak month — but aside from the snowstorms and frigid temperatures, February also brought new tunes from Carly Rae Jepsen, Julia Jacklin, Emily King and more. Here are a few new releases that kept my spirits up amidst the February freeze.
The Connecticut-based indie rock band Charly Bliss released the new single “Capacity,” a song about giving too much of yourself away to others and leaving too little for yourself. “I’m at capacity I’m spilling out of me,” sings Eva Hendricks over the song’s chorus. The song departs from Charly Bliss’s distorted, guitar-centered sound, favoring a poppier tone flavored with drum samples and bell-like synthesizers. Hendricks’s sharp voice rises above the mix, reminding listeners to slow down and make time for themselves.
Listeners may be familiar with Julia Jacklin’s vivid and vulnerable songwriting from the Sydney-based band Phantastic Ferniture. In February, the singer-songwriter released the solo album Crushing, an intimate look into heartbreak, social pressures, and experiencing life from inside your own body. Jacklin pairs soft guitar strums with image-laden lyrics that use personal anecdotes to highlight universal experiences like adjusting to living alone after a breakup or feeling at home inside your own skin.
After years of singing for other projects, Brooklyn artist Deidre Muro has released her debut solo album, Variety Hour, under the name Deidre & the Dark. The album is a nostalgia-infused journey that transports listeners from the vocal harmonies of ’60s girl groups to the syncopated percussion of Afro-Caribbean fusion. Muro showcases her versatility on the aptly named Variety Hour, which features a range of upbeat, danceable tracks like “One Night” and “Bad Day” and sultry ballads like “Back in Time.” Lush strings and horn sections accompany Muro’s clear, alto voice, as she puts a modern spin on the iconic music of the 20th century.
Minneapolis surf-punk trio Last Import released their debut full-length album in February. The self-titled album combines previously released tracks from earlier EP’s like “Money” and “One A Day” with new songs that showcase the band’s dynamic range. Last Import celebrated the album’s release with a sold-out show at 7th St Entry that brought their energetic rock songs and West Coast-inspired guitar riffs to a captivated crowd.
You can listen to all of these releases and more in the full playlist below:
Pass The Mic 