This past week, we saw a ton of new music releases, including the highly anticipated return of Twenty One Pilots and Cage The Elephant, as well as a surprising (but great!) collaboration between Galantis, David Guetta, and 5 Seconds of Summer. However, today we will be sharing three releases that caught our eye.
After a year-long break from releasing new music, Southern California band Benches gave us “Naive” on February 28th. The band’s signature sound, an infectious indie surf rock, remains vibrant through their latest release and makes us super excited for their upcoming EP. We've had our eye on Benches for a while now and “Naive” dips its toe into new territory without losing that classic Benches charm.
“This song has been in the oven for about a year now and we’re so excited to finally share it with you,” the band writes on Instagram.
Next is “Waters” by Wayland, a country-rock duo from West Michigan. Vocalist Mitch Arnold perfects that timeless southern-raspy sound, complemented by Phillip Vilenski’s talented guitar shredding, resulting in a cool fusion of the two genres. The duo is extremely dedicated to music–-having toured 300 days a year for the last seven years.
The bridge of “Waters” is particularly amazing, where Arnold sings the lyrics with a sense of rawness. You can really hear the depth of emotion in his voice as he finishes the song with everything he’s got. Even if you’re not the biggest country fan, “Waters” is such a unique song that you can’t pass it up.
I was pleasantly surprised after listening to “Everyplane” by Friend of a Friend. Another duo, made up of Claire Molek and Jason Savsani, describe their music as an almost supernatural experience–-and I totally agree. Previous releases from them have explored folk, alt-rock, and atmospheric rock, and this new release belongs in the last box.
Molek’s soft, idyllic vocals and harmonization take center stage in this track, while the spotlight shines on the interesting instrumentals and backing sounds. The song creates a gentle ambiance that I could see playing in the background of a dramatic movie scene. This track would be a great addition to any study playlists you may have.
