LIGHTNING ROUND (April 3, 2020)

Welcome to the LIGHTNING ROUND! Despite everything slowing down around us, good music is still coming at us hot and fresh, and we’re here to jot it down for your pleasure. Some of these are for albums that are coming out really soon (or are out today), so make sure to check out each and every one of these artists!

1. Hello Meteor – “Night Supply”

Hello Meteor were one of the first acts ever covered on this site, back in early 2019. Since then, the Seattle dreamwave artist has kept busy, releasing several full-lengths of intoxicating synth music. Recently he announced Night Supply, a new record with nocturnally-based motifs, and this title track is an excellent sign f things to come. For a song about night, it pulses with life, evolving into an absorbing head bop as his best work does.

2. Thundercat – Innerstellar Love

The record might be out right this second, but it’s still worth it to check out this new track from bass-wielding legend Thundercat. Featuring the indomitable talents of saxophonist and fellow Brainfeeder colleague Kamasi Washington, “Innerstellar Love” is exactly what it says it is: a cosmic journey into pure feeling and connection. It’s a compact blast of jazz fusion that’s a vital piece of Thundercat’s new album, and both are definitely worth listening to.

3. TOLEDO – Lovely

TOLEDO is a band from New York, ironically. But their newest song feels like the best of both worlds, crossing once-trendy indie pop with a midwestern folky atmosphere. It’s light and breezy, and there’s a jovial energy to this song that recalls The Smashing Pumpkin’s “1979.” The song is genuinely well-crafted, but it also feels genuine, period.

4. Stay Inside – Ivy

The band name is fitting, but not exploitative; New York hardcore band Stay Inside have been around for a few years now, and their newest album, which is set to be released next Friday, hits with the force of a hurricane. Both songs they’ve released so far have killed, but this one in particular boasts a dizzying balance between melody and sheer power.

5. Don Piano – This Way

Don Piano’s out with a three-song EP that released yesterday, and while the whole thing is excellent, this track is a strong highlight. Amid Taylor Clark’s ride splashes, Don lays down a lovely melody and some summery curlicues guitar. It’s warm, it’s heartfelt, and contextually it’s the lightest moment being sandwiched between two comparatively harder numbers.

6. Adélaide – Tripping

All the way from Berlin, fresh new duo Adélaide jump out of the gate with a track that does the damn thing without much in the way of showiness. It starts unassumingly and adds subtle layer upon subtle layer onto a tight groove, opening up when it needs to and closing back into that groove afterward. By the end of it, it feels like the conclusion of a bite-sized journey.

7. Richard Griffith – Dream Away (feat. Lester Duval)

Finally, how about another aural emollient? This beat mix by Richard Griffith is exquisitely produced and deeply satisfying, and Lester Duval’s accompanying vocals, while a little vaporous subject-wise, do a good job of helping instill a post-sunset mood.

That’s it for the LIGHTNING ROUND this week! Hope everyone’s doing well out there!