Category Archives: Single Reviews

Single Reviews: Midnight South – “Villains” and “One More”

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Midnight South band photo: four men sit on carpeting in a bowling alley in front of a row of bowling ball racks

photo by Autumn Dozier Photography; photo courtesy of Skye Media

Single Reviews of Midnight South: “Villains” and “One More”

Midnight South is an country band with an arena filling, rockin’ country sound. Winner of the Arkansas Country Music Awards’ Vocal Group of the Year award in 2023 and 2024 – currently hoping for a threepeat in 2025 as they’ve been nominated again this year – you can hear why award voters are so enamored with this band. The band has released several singles in the last year or so, and I’ve chosen two of my favorites to write about.

Midnight South – "Villains" single cover: four men sitting and standing around the back of a pickup truck, drinking beer

image courtesy of Skye Media

Midnight South’s “Villains” is a straight-up good-time country music party song that reminisces about enjoying life. The sound is big and uplifting, exactly the sort of song that hits #1 on country charts. Sure, there are the classic Pavlovian country hit references about life going fast, beer (“Busch light”), church (“front pew feelings”), references to to wild youth (“still shows up to raise hell sometimes”), and even smokes (“Marlboro Reds”). The only thing missing is a pick-up truck, which Midnight South covers with the cover art. You know, it seems like I’m painting this as a trite, formulaic country song. Nah, of course not. I mean, in some ways it is – and that’s a good thing because that’s “audience reach” right there – but the playful delivery, the vocal nuances, and the sense of exactly where a little noodly guitar riff belongs… well, that’s what makes Midnight South a cut above. It’s all about the details. For me, this is a crank-it-up, windows down, dog days of summer kind of tune. I know the band released it last fall, but right now’s a much better time to be discovering it, if you haven’t already.

Midnight South – "One More" single cover: a billboard along a rural highway reads "One More"

image courtesy of Skye Media

The other song, “One More” starts off a little nuanced, with a smoothly sung, almost-spoken first verse – and a reference to a “whiskey coke” in the first line as a nod to our old friend Pavlov. Then the song builds to a catchy chorus that ends with that lyrical hook, “One more’s never one more with you.” I mean, the band’s promoting safe drinking, taking a cab home, sitting in the backseat “kissin’ like who were we kidding.” I mean, it’s not very deep, but the lyrics are clever, and it makes taking a cab home seem like a great idea. But it’s really about how the band’s delivery seals the deal. It’s not the blow-the-doors-off country rocker that “Villains” is; no, “One More” is more of a sit back and enjoy it kinda song.

Back-to-back, these two songs are the kind that gives a concert variety. Both have big sounds and relatable, nostalgic themes. However, they have very different types of energy, and that’s what makes it seems like Midnight South is a band with potential staying power. They’re not one-trick ponies; they excel at a range of mid-to-high-tempo country styles. From this small sampling, I’d say Midnight South is talented, authentic, probably a helluva lot of fun live, and definitely a great band for a repeated-listen playlist.

Midnight South band photo: four men stand inside a barn, one of them with a guitar strapped over his shoulder

photo by RK Barger Photography; photo courtesy of Skye Media

More Recently

Between the releases of “Villains” last fall and “One More” earlier this year, Midnight South released a Christmas song, “This Christmas Night.” Since the release of “One More,” just last month the band released its latest single, “Loved By You.” Both of those songs – as well as the band’s back catalogs – are worth a listen.

Also, as I mentioned in the opening paragraph, Midnight South has been nominated for Vocal Group of the Year at the 2025 Arkansas Country Music Awards. A win, if it comes, would be the band’s third in a row in that category. Here’s wishing the band good luck.

Finally, if you’re in Arkansas, check out the “Shows” section of the band’s website. Midnight South has a bunch of shows scheduled around Arkansas for the rest of this year. Of course, you’ll want to keep checking back for updates… or join the mailing list. Yeah, that’d probably be easier.

Single Review: Jaime Kyle – “I Hear You Knocking”

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Jaime Kyle promo photo

photo courtesy of Jaime Kyle and BJF Media

Single Review of Jaime Kyle: “I Hear You Knocking”

I recently reviewed Jaime Kyle‘s most recent album, Wild One, as well as the release of Bernie Marsden’s last single, “Invisible,” which featured Jaime. Both the album and the single leaned into Jaime’s rock and roll skill set. Well, her new single, “I Hear You Knocking,” skews a bit country – or, at the very minimum, deep-fried Southern rock – as the Nashville-based singer-songwriter slips a little twang into her cover of the Dave Edmunds classic. (Yes, Edmunds’ version was also a cover, but hey, do your a quick Wikipedia search if you want more deets on the song’s history.)

Jaime Kyle – "I Hear You Knocking" cover art

image courtesy of Jaime Kyle and BJF Media

“I Hear You Knocking” begins with a crunchy guitar riff, accompanied by Jaime’s rough-edged bluesy country-rock vocal and a steady, mid-tempo classic rock rhythm. I’d place Jaime’s rendition of “I Hear You Knocking” on a playlist with Foghat and Kenny Rogers, as the mid-point connecting those two. Or, perhaps, between the Fabulous Thunderbirds and George Thorogood.

Jaime’s vocals on this track are steady through the verses. And, of course, her powerful voice is able to emphatically punctuate the energy required by the “I hear you knocking” portion of the chorus while also being appropriately dismissive on the back-half of the song’s central lyric, “go back where you’ve been.”

All in all, this is a cool track smack dab in the sweet spot of Jaime’s wheelhouse. If your musical tastes include any of the artists I’ve mentioned in this review, you should definitely give this cool song a listen; I bet you’ll enjoy it.

Single Reviews: The Brother Stereo – “Time in History” and “The Ballad of the Washed Up (and Seemingly Forgotten)”

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The Brother Stereo band photo

photo by Emily Joy Ashman; photo courtesy of Knyvet

Single Reviews of The Brother Stereo: “Time in History” and “The Ballad of the Washed Up (and Seemingly Forgotten)”

The Brother Stereo is a Massachusetts alt-rock band comprised of Michael Robert Kelly (vocals, guitar, bass), Shawn Pelkey (drums), and Buddy Sullivan (guitar). The band’s music has a very clean, throwback rock veneer but with an alt-rock energy. In other words, the songs would have broad appeal to fans who might not typically like a band “this alternative” while also appealing to alt-rockers whose tastes might not usually include bands with such a clean sound or, it seems, some of the influences that present themselves throughout The Brother Stereo’s songs. You know, if I weren’t trying to describe The Brother Stereo’s sound, I probably wouldn’t even try to pin a subgenre on them beyond simply calling them a rock band. But, alas, something so vague would not be super helpful.

The first of the two singles that found my inbox late last summer and fall, “Time in History,” has a musical intro that will identify it from the very moment you hear it on your playlist. It has a bit of an otherworldly, dispossessed, echoey musical opening, which sets the stage for Kelly’s sharp, melancholy vocals, very well-suited to the song’s subject matter, which walks the line between reminiscence, longing, and regret. This song may very well be the first time I realized those three emotions border each other.

The Brother Stereo – "Time in History" cover art

artwork by Emily Joy Ashman; image courtesy of Knyvet

Interestingly, about halfway through the second half of “Time in History,” there’s an exceptionally well-placed – though you probably wouldn’t guess it would fit in this song until you hear it – classic, not particularly short, blues-rock guitar solo that provides energy, emotion, and a power-build all the way to the song’s end. I can’t recall a comparable alt-rock song that transitions so seamlessly to a blues-rock song. However, though The Brother Stereo’s sound is tough to pin down, it’s easy to dig for fans of each of the individual styles that contribute to these songs’ mutt DNA.

Of the subject matter covered in “Time in History,” Kelly notes, “‘Time in History’ is about the insecurities and complacency of today’s world coupled with the nostalgia of growing up and the longing for yesterday’s world. I think this song will be relatable to our generation very directly.”

The band’s next single, “The Ballad of the Washed Up (and Seemingly Forgotten),” is much more R.E.M.-like; it might pair well with “Losing My Religion.” In particular, in that comparison, Kelly’s vocals have a cutting edge to them much like Stipe’s. Or perhaps this song could be the up-tempo half of a back-to-back with Incubus’ “Drive,” as both tunes have an open but rocking feeling to their driving strums, but that’s probably not quite as good a sonic match as “…Religion” would be. Comparing The Brother Stereo’s two singles, as in “Time in History,” the band leans into a broader rock sound on “The Ballad of the Washed Up.” And delivers a blues-rock guitar solo, though  it’s much shorter and serves just a bridge this time.

The Brother Stereo – "The Ballad of the Washed Up (and Seemingly Forgotten)" cover art

artwork by Emily Joy Ashman; image courtesy of Knyvet

As he did with “Time in History,” Kelly shares the inspiration for “The Ballad of the Washed Up (and Seemingly Forgotten)”: “It’s about being at the top of your game and being a human under a lot of pressure. It’s about the superficiality of the people you meet, keeping up the façade of fame in the eyes of the world and trying to relate to others. I just had Hollywood in mind for some reason and what it must be like for people who are so famous and desirable they can’t walk down the street. Then what it’s like to be the person who used to be that famous and the shit you get for not being as ‘perfect’ or ‘beautiful’ as you used to be. Washed up, if you will.”

The Brother Stereo has a unique sound all its own, but it’s a band whose singles belong alongside other guitar-driven rock songs on your personal playlist. Trust me, they’ll worm their way into your brain. “Time in History” first, likely because of its easily identifiable intro, but “…Washed Up” soon thereafter because of its engaging tempo.

The Brother Stereo band photo

photo by Emily Joy Ashman; photo courtesy of Knyvet

More Recently

In the time since these singles landed in my review queue, The Brother Stereo has released four more singles – “My Focus,” “Drinks on Me,” “Tornado,” and “Feeling Low,” all of which you’ll find on the band’s bandcamp page. To be honest, I haven’t listened to any of them yet. When I take a break from prepping for my next review, I look forward to checking them out.

Single Review: Natalie Joly – “Wayside”

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Natalie Joly – "Wayside" cover art

image courtesy of Natalie Joly

Single Review of Natalie Joly: “Wayside”

Natalie Joly is back in the blog, and I’m going to have to issue an earworm alert! I mentioned a couple of Natalie’s 2024 country-rock singles in a pair of “Publisher’s Corner” columns last year, but I haven’t dedicated a full review to one of her singles since a couple of 2021 reviews. That’s too long. Natalie’s new song, “Wayside,” is way too catchy to hide in a column where you might miss it! This is definitely one of her best. Then again, those 2021 releases, “Will You Ever Stop” and “Yours to Stay,” both still appear occasionally on my #PhoneOnShuffle playlists, so perhaps it’s more correct to say that “Wayside” adds to her strong body of work.

On “Wayside,” the drums kick off with a sharply hypnotic rhythm, while Natalie’s trademark country-rock grainy voice – a delivery that seems more gravelly than it actually is, thanks to Natalie’s tone – is better-suited to the verses than most of the other singers who are also able to hit the bigger, more powerful notes in the choruses. Restraint, though, makes the big notes stand out. Indeed, Natalie doesn’t go to the well too often, and those big notes sound effortless when she does. On this song, actually, they’re actually more rich than big, by design, because they’re exactly what’s called for.

The song itself is an introspective number about succumbing to manipulation, with thoughtful lyrics in the verses leading to the chorus payoff of “Don’t think I’m desperate enough to fall in line and grovel for you back just to be pushed to the wayside.” It’s a very cool release from rising, pop-friendly country-rocker Natalie Joly.

 

Single Review: Jon Muq – “Hear My Voice”

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Jon Muq

photo by Morgan Wommack; photo courtesy of Reybee Inc.

Single Review of Jon Muq: “Hear My Voice”

Singer-songwriter Jon Muq recently released his soulful pop single “Hear My Voice.” The song is musically lightly instrumented and pleasant, with the beat swaying softly in the verses, leading to an echoey power surge. Well, relatively speaking, anyway; the “surge” is still pretty soft-pop. But it delivers the song’s climactic moments, each time leading to the initial chorus vocal “Can you hear my voice.” And the song’s heartfelt final few notes are reminiscent of an Ed Sheeran ending.

Vocally, Muq’s vocals are in a very cool pop style. Yes, his vocals are entirely his own, but they contain elements of some other big-time pop and pop-rock singers. In some parts, they’re reminiscent of – here’s that name again – Ed Sheeran’s more syncopated moments. In other parts, like James Arthur, with Muq’s tone particularly comparable to Arthur’s warmth. And this memorably enjoyable voice is wrapped up in an old-fashioned, mainstream pop-styled vocal package, with maybe even a little Phil Collins vocal styling mixed in. If your musical taste includes any of those three artists, you’re likely to enjoy Jon Muq’s singing.

Here’s hoping Jon Muq has a few more well-written songs like this up his sleeve. He certainly has the voice to rival today’s top pop singer-songwriters. Predating “Hear My Voice,” Muq has a full-length album available. I’ve not listened to any of Muq’s prior releases, so after I wrap up this review, I look forward to checking out that record, Flying Away, a 2024 release. Muq will be on the road this spring and summer, with concert dates across the U.S. and Europe, plus a couple dates in Calgary, already scheduled, per the “Tour” page of his website.

Single Reviews: Girl with a Hawk – “#Vote (#Rock the Boat),” “Share It All,” and “No One Like You”

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Girl with a Hawk

photo by Kelly Davidson; photo courtesy of Knyvet

Single Reviews of Girl with a Hawk: “#Vote (#Rock the Boat),” “Share It All,” and “No One Like You”

Girl with a Hawk is led by New England Music Hall of Fame inductee Linda Viens (lead vocals, guitar). She’s joined by Daniel Coughlin (guitar), Richard Lamphear (keyboard), Nancy Delaney (drums), and Dan Bernfeld (bass). The band’s sound is rock-centered but veers into folk and Americana, as well. Essentially, Girl with a Hawk is a talented group that’s able to go wherever the song takes them.

Girl with a Hawk – #Vote (#Rock the Boat) cover art

image courtesy of Knyvet

I suppose it’s not surprising a song-driven band would unleash an issue song like “#Vote (#Rock the Boat),” a song released last fall, shortly before the U.S. election, as a non-partisan message encouraging voting, urging voters to make sure their voices were heard. The song is lightly instrumented, with just vocals and guitar, plus guest harmonica from Jim Fitting (Treat Her Right, Session Americana) and backing vocals from the entire band. The song opens with a twang – more precisely, slide guitar – and strums along folkily with a nifty, knee-slapping rhythm.

Girl with a Hawk – "Share It All" cover art

cover art design by Nicole Anguish; image courtesy of Knyvet

“Share It All,” on the other hand, is a richly instrumented pop-Americana number. Viens’ vocals are rough but tuneful, with an almost punk-rock pacing, varying phrasing to draw the listener in, helping turn what could be a too-smooth groove into an engaging, consistently interesting listen. And there’s a twangy guitar way off on the left-hand corner of the mix, giving your left ear a different listening experience from your right ear if you’re wearing headphones – country on the left, rock on the right, if you will.

The third single, “No One Like You,” is the sole 2025 release among this trio; the others dropped in 2024. “No One Like You” is a song about loss and passing, inspired by the tragic passing of Foo Fighters’ Taylor Hawkins in 2022. It begins with vocals steeped in sadness and melancholy but then picks up the tempo and thumps along with a steady beat. Still, the vocal cracks a little more than usual from time to time, echoing the emotion in the song’s lyrics. After the mellow opening, the tone moderates, and the song becomes more about reminiscence than loss, with the addition of a crunchy guitar bringing in some energy by the mid-point. The track’s second half embodies a more upbeat energy, seeming to recall the joy of the past a little, even if slightly strugglingly. In the end, what starts off sadly ends more enthusiastically, emphasizing reminiscence and joy, musically at least, more than loss.

If this is your introduction to Linda Viens and/or to Girl with a Hawk, it’s a great trio of songs to start your journey. For longtime fans, if you’ve missed any of these three releases, it’s time to give them a listen!

Single Review: XIII Doors – “See How You’ve Come So Far”

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XIII Doors – "See How You've Come So Far" cover art

image courtesy of BJF Media

Single Review of XIII Doors: “See How You’ve Come So Far”

This song simply rocks! It’s timeless, with plenty of classic hard rock riffs and song structure but a very modern rock edge, in part driven by the song’s soaring vocals.

XIII Doors is a powerful Irish rock band consisting of DJ O’Sullivan (vocals, guitars), Flash Murphy (guitars), Pat “Pablo” Byrne (bass), and Cian “Whoasley” O’Sullivan (drums).

“See How You’ve Come So Far” features a guitar part that cycles in and out of the song, atop a full-on energy-buzz of a music bed. O’Sullivan’s voice soars with an airy power that’s a bit reminiscent of classic progressive hard rock bands. The song also features a blistering axe solo – from Murphy, I presume – about two-thirds of the way through that impresses while still remaining true to the song’s feel, returning it to the powerfully churning close. Musically, the arrangement and delivery are well-suited to the song’s focal lyric: “See how you’ve come so far. Look deep within your heart.” For power-rockers like me, this is an inspiring song.

“See How You’ve Come So Far” appears on the band’s debut album, Into the Unknown. I haven’t heard anything else on that record yet, but if this single is any indication, it’s gotta rock!

Single Reviews: Salem Wolves – “So Desperate” and “November”

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Salem Wolves

photo by Black Cherry Creative; photo courtesy of Knyvet

Single Reviews of Salem Wolves: “So Desperate” and “November”

Providence, Rhode Island’s Salem Wolves are Gray Bouchard (vocals, guitar), Justin Tisdale (bass), Sam Valliere (guitar), and Steven Shepherd (drums). “So Desperate” and “November” were two of the singles released last year from the band’s The Psychotron Speaks album. I’ve not yet given the full album a listen, but these two singles are a great introduction.

Salem Wolves – "So Desperate" cover art

image courtesy of Knyvet

The Psychotron Speaks is a concept album that – and I’m going to quote directly from the press release because it’s pretty bizarre and coolly creative, and I don’t think it’s possible to paraphrase without losing something in translation – “unearths the story of a down-on-his luck ’80s-era pro wrestler named The Stranger, who taps into a mysterious power delivered from an unknowable and unthinkable eldritch device capable of bending the world around it and creating distortion, both aural and psychological.”

With that in mind, “So Desperate” makes sense, though without that background, I probably would have placed the setting of the opening lyrics in a boxing ring, with the lyrics “get a doctor, get a priest” causing me to miss the more wrestling-oriented “caught in a beautiful cage” lyric. (Cage match, I suppose.) But it’s easy to get lost in the album concept in a review, and that’s relatively less important in the grand scheme of things. The real question is “Does this band rock?” And, indeed, based on these two songs, it does in spades!

Salem Wolves – "November" cover art

image courtesy of Knyvet

“So Desperate” uses broad, expansive vocals, unencumbered mostly by matching instrumentation, as the guitars and drums carry the beat in support of the anguished, hope-seeking vocals, stepping in with some nifty riffs where there’s room. Mostly, though, the song has a persistent, moderately anthemic rhythm, pushing relentlessly toward the end. It’s a great rock song, likely to be accompanied with audience fists in the air along with the beat in a concert setting where the crowd is engaged.

Says Bouchard of this song, “‘So Desperate’ is about recontextualizing what should be a moment of triumph as something grimy. If you’re ambitious or a dreamer, it’s easy to just focus on the goal, the stage, that moment in the spotlight when all eyes are on you. You tune out the noise, ignore your screaming muscles and tired bones, and march toward victory.”

Unlike “So Desperate,” which amped up slowly, second single “November” comes in hot, with energetic skinswork backing edgier vocals, with the tempo seeming much faster than it actually is, an illusion driven by aggressive drumming and intense vocal delivery atop a noisy, somewhat chaotic wall of guitar and bass sound. I love when bands do this, but only when done well, like on “November.”

Salem Wolves

photo by Black Cherry Creative; photo courtesy of Knyvet

Since this is part of a concept record, it’s probably worth sharing Bouchard’s thoughts on “November,” too: “‘November’ is a heel turn. It’s about that feeling of coming in hot after you’ve been away from the game for some time. It’s a heralded return – not necessarily ‘to form,’ but as a means to remake yourself in bloody countenance. It’s about how time and circumstances, sometimes as simple as the changing of the seasons, can influence you and compel you to be harder, colder, and less trusting.”

Anyway, it’s a pair of interesting songs that definitely spark an interest in the full record. Of the two, I think “So Desperate” is more likely to find a broader audience, so if energetic, kinda noisy rock isn’t your go-to style, I’d start with “So Desperate” as your entry point to Salem Wolves’ sound. Regardless, if you like an energetic live show, after hearing these two songs, I can’t possibly picture Salem Wolves’ gigs as anything short of a raucous night of rockin’ fun.

Single Reviews: Lansdowne – “Here to Stay” and “Oxygen”

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Lansdowne

photo courtesy of Lansdowne via BJF Media

Single Reviews of Lansdowne: “Here to Stay” and “Oxygen” (AFM Records)

Lansdowne is a heavy-rocking Boston band you’ve read about at this blog before. Well, this fivesome – Jon Ricci (vocals), Shaun Lichtenstein (lead guitar, vocals), Glenn Mungo (drums), Josh Waterman (guitar, vocals), and Mike LaRoche (bass) – has released two more kickass singles since my last review, “Here to Stay” and “Oxygen.”

“Here to Stay” kicks off with a fiesty guitar rock intro that softens as Ricci’s vocals kick in. The band has a very big, arena-sized, modern heavy rock sound, replete with explosive bursts of sound and vocals (or sound and fury, if you prefer). This song, in particular, might appeal to fans of Daughtry’s bigger, more expansive, powerfully explosive numbers. However, Lansdowne adds some gritty, noisy axework when a little raucous chaos is called upon to drive the song forward.

Lansdowne – "Here to Stay" cover art

image courtesy of BJF Media

“Here to Stay” is a song whose lyrical message – and the energy with which it is delivered – is likely to appeal to a certain cross-section of the band’s fans, too. In the material accompanying the release, Jon Ricci commented: “‘Here To Stay’ is a powerful song about overcoming adversity and coming together to say, ‘No matter what happens, no matter what you throw at us, we’re going to be victorious.’ We’ve spoken with so many fans that have told us stories about the challenges they’ve faced and the struggles that they’ve endured, and how our music has been a part of their process as they heal and motivation as they push through tough times. So this is our way of saying we understand, we’re with you, and no matter what happens we’re going to get through this together.” So yeah, that’s a pretty sweet message, too.

“Oxygen,” meanwhile, begins explosively, as you’ve come to expect from Lansdowne (if you took my advice and started listening to them a couple years ago). Soft verses lead to powerful choruses at the end of which the title lyric is nearly screamed. It’s also pretty cool lyrically, potentially connecting with those in suffocating relationships with the lyrics “I can’t believe I was caught in your fire. Now I see through the smoke and the lies. Finally, I can breathe as I’m rising above the ashes, alive again, oxygen!” A late song, typically new-metal screeching breakdown adds character, leading the song to a powerful closing section, where you’ll join the band in screaming “Oxygen!”

Lansdowne and its powerful sound are so obviously ready-made for an all-encompassing live concert experience it’s not even funny. Check out the “Shows” section of the band’s website for upcoming dates. Right now, a May 24th date at Wally’s Pub in Hampton, NH is listed, but check back for more.

Single Review: Sister Hazel – “All Goes By So Fast”

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Sister Hazel's "All Goes By So Fast" cover art shows the song title displayed as if written on the timers of the time-traveling Delorean in Back to the Future.

image courtesy of Skye Media

Single Review of Sister Hazel – “All Goes By So Fast” (Rock Ridge Music)

“All Goes By So Fast” was an August 2024 single released by Sister Hazel in advance of the band’s 13th studio album, Sand, Sea & Crash Debris, which dropped in November. Now, I haven’t yet heard the album, but I’ve heard this very cool song, “All Goes By So Fast,” quite a lot; of course, I’ve also heard “Coconut Trees,” which was released as a single shortly before I reviewed it back in 2023. Let’s just say that “All Goes By So Fast” is not particularly similar to “Coconut Trees” other than both being catchy songs performed by Sister Hazel.

“All Goes By So Fast” is an old-school pop-rock song the likes of which you might have heard on Semisonic’s Feeling Strangely Fine back in the late ’90s. At the same time, there’s a nostalgic thread that runs through this song that’s most often found in country music. (No, I’m not comparing this to country music, except for the theme.)

Funky synthwork and a crunchy, punchy guitar line combine with slappy, rhythmic drumming to provide a hypnotically catchy, engaging – almost overwhelmingly so – music bed. Combine that with a dramatic power-pop chorus, confessional straight-shooter style, and nostalgic nearly-spoken bridges, and you have a veritable Pavlovian sugar trap of a song. And it works, somehow remaining fresh and enjoyable even after several consecutive listens, like I’m doing right now while writing this review, even after dozens of previous listens as part of a playlist.

In any case, this song is a fun mainstream rock romp (with major pop tendencies), well-deserving of a little playlist love.