this week’s indie pop bops move between weightless electropoetry and dancefloor-ready disco with a handful of sharp pop-punk feelings in between.
Lotta Svart – Magi
Lotta Svart serves up a stunning piece of Swedish-language electropoetry: pulsating rhythms, ethereal vocal layers and a wonderful melodic hook
“Magi” is the first release from a four-track project Svart describes as melodic electropoetry, a term that describes the approach precisely: atmospheric electropop built around pulsating rhythms and intimate poetic lyrics in Swedish, with cinematic electronic production creating a texture that is both grounded and weightless. The result is a dreamy production, hazy in all the right ways, and with a hint of William Orbit in approach. It captures a specific feeling of closeness with another person, the moment when time softens and peripheral noise fades. It’s a great moment to capture, and the song does it justice.
Svart is a Finnish singer-songwriter and producer known from early 2000s pop group I’DeeS and their hit single “Time,” and from the soul and pop project Tears Apart. Her solo work marks a clear shift toward something more personal and immersive, moving between dream pop, atmospheric electropop and poetic songwriting in Swedish. The four-track project of which “Magi” is the first instalment signals an artistic direction that is distinctly her own. This one is brilliant, and I can’t wait to hear more from this artist.
Matt Nation – April’s Fool
Matt Nation’s “April’s Fool” is a brilliant pop-punk single: a direct, sharp stunner that’s bound to make him many new fans
“April’s Fool” is built around a very specific subject: being with someone who presents a version of themselves that does not match who they actually are. It’s a compelling feeling, and an even better song. The pop-punk style suits that frustration precisely, channelling the energy of the feeling rather than smoothing it into something more reflective. The melody is great, and I love Matt’s vocal in this, but the standout is probably the hook. It’s great.
Nation is a Brooklyn-born artist, songwriter and music producer based in Los Angeles whose catalogue has moved across pop, alt-pop, pop-punk, alt-R&B and nu-disco, tracking what he describes as his life in each moment. He has performed at Mercury Lounge, The Bowery Electric, Hotel Ziggy and festivals including Boomfest and Kushtock, which is an impressive CV, but it’s this banger that is the real standout. A fantastic single, can’t wait for more.
Joseph Turner & The Dudes of Hazard – The Shadow Remains
Joseph Turner & The Dudes of Hazard deliver the best kind of dark Americana: hypnotic, ritualistic and entirely irresistible
“The Shadow Remains” started with a frame drum and layered percussion, and everything else was built around it. Best of all, everything just fits. The acoustic guitar riffs, the arrangement, the chant-like vocals, and the vocal phrasing, all sitting on that same hypnotic rhythm. It’s incredibly effective, drawing a subtle nod to the opening of Tool’s Aenima, not as imitation but as a shared instinct for the hypnotic and unsettling. That said, these guys are definitely in their own lane, as the whole uneasy vibe feels surprisingly enjoyable and, well, almost groovy.
Joseph Turner & The Dudes of Hazard is Turner’s project, with the Dudes acting as a rotating cast of friends and collaborators who arrive when the track needs them rather than forming a fixed band. Turner holds the creative direction; the loose, evolving cast gives the recordings their particular energy. The project is rooted in darker Americana and alternative music with weight and space. The results are standout, and we expect this one to do very, very well. A brilliant single.
Vela Jones – Star Light Star Bright
Vela Jones releases a gorgeous piece of shimmering, cinematic dream-pop with ‘Star Light Star Bright’
“Star Light Star Bright” takes the simplest possible starting point, the childhood ritual of wishing on a star, and builds it into a piece of atmospheric electronic dream-pop. The track explores hope, distance and connection through wonderfully produced shimmering synths that keeps things wonderfully open. There’s a compelling chord structure at the heart of this, and also an impressive visual world to accompany it. This isn’t synth pop by numbers; the melody is a beauty and has stuck with me all week.
Vela Jones is an Epsom-based artist whose project sits at the intersection of art-pop, alternative pop and cinematic synth-pop, combining a futuristic visual aesthetic with what she describes as classic songwriting values: strong hooks, emotional resonance and timeless melody. The project is built on the conviction that those two things are not in conflict, and “Star Light Star Bright” makes a very persuasive case for that position. A brilliant single, and we’re very excited for what Jones does next.