This August edition of Listen Local features handclaps, lazy surf-rock, smooth jazz solos.
Ready? Go.
“Television” – You Won’t
Most TV’s are overwhelming, bursting with an excess of programs. But You Won’t must not have cable, because “Television” is extremely bare. Clocking in well under three minutes, it’s a combination of a few tried-and-true ingredients: simple piano chords, hand claps, and the kind of echo-y vocals that induce sing-alongs.
“Sunburn” – Auva
Hazy surf-rock track “Sunburn” is appropriately titled; it seems like the fuzzy-headed feeling after one-Corona-too-many, an accidental extra-long lie out under the sun. The repeated chorus makes your head spin, but when your vision starts to settle you’re left with one hell of an earworm.
“I Can’t Stop” – Foreign Hues
Originally from New York, but now based in Boston, Foreign Hues brings a soulful sound. A smooth bassline and the crisp snaps of the percussion keep the song together, which has its fair share of jazzy piano and horn solos. It culminates in a crescendo, a tease of an ending that leaves you wanting more.
“Melting” – Annabel Lee
There’s a bit of that Lana-Del-Rey style extravagance and a whiff of Sia in Annabel Lee’s voice. “Melting” is full of belting; it’s the showier of the three tracks on her EP, Prey, and earns her consideration for queen of drawn-out vowels.
“Don’t Fade On Me” – Ryan Jennings
Ryan Jenning’s debut EP slipped into our summer. “Don’t Fade On Me” lazily yearns for a lover’s attention: “Don’t let me die young / with the morning sun / let’s pretend / while we’re still young.” Nothing is resolved, and the guitar chords float on.