Rob Alexander’s latest musical endeavor, Young Man’s Eyes, is a sonic masterpiece that seamlessly blends rock sensibilities with heartfelt storytelling. With thirteen tracks clocking in at just around fifty minutes, this album takes listeners on an exhilarating journey filled with introspection, raw emotion, and infectious hooks that will have you humming along for days.

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/robalexandermusic/

Kicking off the album is the atmospheric opener, “The Soul or the Skin,” which instantly hooks you with its haunting guitar melodies and Alexander’s soulful vocals. The track sets the tone for what’s to come, capturing the essence of self-discovery and the constant battle between our innermost desires and external expectations. It’s a gripping start that grabs your attention and refuses to let go. From there, Young Man’s Eyes dives headfirst into the captivating “Freak Show,” a rebellious anthem that delves into the complexities of identity and society’s unrelenting pressure to conform. Alexander’s vocal delivery exudes a fiery passion, matched perfectly by the explosive guitar riffs and pulsating rhythms. It’s an instant adrenaline rush that demands attention and invites you to embrace your true self.

Throughout the album, Alexander effortlessly showcases his songwriting prowess. Tracks like “Sometimes We All Fall Apart” and “Your Shelter” delve into the depths of human emotions, offering poignant reflections on resilience, heartbreak, and the longing for solace. Each song is a beautifully crafted story that resonates deeply, drawing you into Alexander’s world and leaving you with a sense of introspection. One of the standout tracks, “Pillars of Hercules (Davey, Nigel, & Dee),” is a musical tour de force that fuses gripping melodies with intricate instrumentals. The song grabs you by the collar and takes you on a wild ride, with its dynamic shifts and infectious energy. It’s a testament to Alexander’s versatility as a musician and his ability to create captivating sonic landscapes that keep you on the edge of your seat.

Collaboration shines on Young Man’s Eyes, notably on the track “Get Over Yourself” featuring the mesmerizing vocals of Gigi Worth. Their voices intertwine flawlessly, creating a harmonious blend that adds another layer of depth to the album. The song itself is an empowering anthem that encourages self-reflection and growth, leaving a lasting impact on the listener. As the album progresses, Alexander’s artistry continues to shine. “Like an Angel” delivers a tender ballad filled with introspective lyrics and an enchanting melody that lingers in your mind. “We Can Be Winners” injects a burst of optimism with its upbeat rhythm and infectious chorus, inspiring listeners to embrace their full potential.

The album’s closing tracks, “Merry Christmas In Heaven,” “The Kids Don’t Play Anymore,” “Fly on the Wall,” and “Black Widow Rising,” showcase the range of Alexander’s musical prowess. Each song tells a unique story, whether it’s the bitter realization of lost innocence, the introspective musings of an observer, or the powerful metaphor of rising above adversity.

In the end, Young Man’s Eyes stands as a testament to Rob Alexander’s undeniable talent as a singer-songwriter. The album is a captivating journey that combines introspection, infectious melodies, and heartfelt storytelling, leaving an indelible mark on the rock music landscape. With this release, Alexander solidifies his position as an artist to watch and Young Man’s Eyes is a must-listen for any music lover seeking an exhilarating sonic experience.

Mark Druery

Thomas Howell is one of the most prominent young actors of the 1980’s, known for his generation-defining role in the classic The Outsiders, among other fine films. He continues working in film and television today, but his artistic interests broadened with time. He’s taken on the name Tommy Howell for his debut album American Storyteller and its eleven tracks bear out the wisdom behind his decision. It may surprise some that this paragon of some of the 1980’s most popular movies has turned his creative attentions toward music that is a mix of blues, outlaw country, and singer/songwriter sensibilities.

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/tommyhowellmusic/

It proves to be an invigorating listening experience. “Whiskey Demon” serves notice that Howell is intent on kicking ass with a raucous reflection on whiskey and the havoc, good and bad, it can cause. It’s similar in spirit to several songs you may have heard without ever sounding too imitative. This sort of familiar territory is a key for a performer who is making his debut. He further aligns himself with the cause of blues/Southern rock on the album’s second track “Rose Hill”. It references an important location in Southern rock history without ever pandering to that audience and the layered musical approach is intelligent and hard-hitting without ever sacrificing its soulfulness. Howell, at every turn, is well-served by accompanying musicians who understand this music chapter and verse.

“Miss Maybelle” is, arguably, one of the album’s light-hearted rockers with a touch of risqué. It may seem a bit of a stretch to say it, considering the album’s musical allegiance, but Howell never goes in for crass – yet the song is intensely physical and dirty without it. The musicians once again deliver the goods for Howell without ever overshadowing him. He’s the undisputed center of this and other tracks included on American Storyteller. “’88” turns in a different direction as Howell sets aside the fire and brimstone Southern rock in favor of pure blues. It introduces an acoustic bent that only continues growing over the course of the release. The acoustic instrumentation never cuts out the grit though.

“Cold Dead Hands” is a strongly individualistic track that celebrates the freedom to bear arms while defying anyone to take it away from him. It has more limited appeal than many other cuts on the album, however, though its target audience will definitely welcome it with a wide embrace. “Hope I Ain’t Dead” is the album’s one out and out love song and layered with direct details certain to appeal to any listener. Some listeners may wish for a few more lyrics in this one, but Howell certainly communicates his affection for the song’s subject.

“Ponygirl” ends the release with the gentlest number included on American Storyteller. It’s a lilting track in many ways and full of melodic gifts. Howell isn’t content providing us with an one dimensional effort and excels just as much with the blues rock rippers as he does the softer cuts. It’s a satisfying release on every level.

Mark Druery

Lisa Marie Claire has a poet’s soul. The singer/songwriter takes her cues from the tradition established by such artistic luminaries as Joni Mitchell, but it misses the point to stop there. She does what any talented artist, musical or otherwise, sets out to do – use their influences as a springboard rather than a model. The latest example of this is her new album, Dawn. The eleven-track collection thrives thanks to Claire’s mix of pop, singer/songwriter, and country music sensibilities. Her delicacy as a writer is another key. Each of the album’s eleven cuts are careful, never rushed, and have beauty as fragile and breathless as moonlight, Dawn is arguably Lisa Marie Claire’s most fully realized work yet.

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/LisaMarieClaireMusic/

The first track alone tells you that. “Redwood Wrecks” hails from a different pedigree than many listeners may be accustomed to and those meeting Claire’s talents for the first time won’t soon forget the porcelain-like delicacy of her voice. She serves up imagery that no one else traffics in and it’s always comprehensible and, especially, probing. Few of the other songs on Dawn rely on keyboards quite as much as the opener and they cover the album with a remarkably vivid tapestry of color.

“Please Stop Turning”, however, moves in a different direction. It has classic country music echoes thanks to the presence of Jordan Walton’s pedal steel. The song’s folk music sound is no fluke, however. You can hear it in the acoustic guitar playing and the vocals. The latter, in particular, adopts that style in both its phrasing and melody. It isn’t difficult to imagine Claire singing this armed with nothing else but an acoustic guitar. It will be a live favorite if she chooses to play it in concert.

“Cloudy Mornings” and “There’s Always Suicide” will find their share of admirers. The former features some of Dawn’s best piano playing and its near-ethereal melody never exhausts itself. It’s the words for the former, however, that will probably garner the most attention. Claire gives us long looks in her heart on Dawn but seldom throws the door open wider than she does here. The latter track will probably trump the former. It’s hard to not laugh and feel a little chilled by the adject sorrow running through the song. It succeeds, as well, because Claire gets it that such an ostentatious title might afford Claire the chance to spread her wings wider than ever before.

“Until the World Breaks My Heart” is full of love gone bad. Few modern songwriters, no matter the experience, can claim that prowess with words. She puts her own spin on the song’s traditions without ever turning the song into a lackluster and hollow-eyed note for note tribute. The folkie influence rears its musical head with the track “Moon and Cross” – as does the personal. These are musical pages ripped straight from the textbook and  scanning them on someone’s computer, somewhere. Dawn doesn’t slow down Claire’s progress one iota and the album’s under the radar daring is rewarding.

Mark Druery

Some of the most iconic songs of our generation are Christmas songs; just ask Mariah Carey, who makes, I’m guessing, 95% of her net worth double every single December as “All I Want For Christmas” controls the airwaves for thirty-one days straight.

URL: https://haleydreismusic.com/

There’s something incredibly lucrative about being able to craft a memorable Christmas song, and something even more powerful if you’re able to pull off the formidable Christmas album. The guaranteed annual influx of fans pouring into your discography is probably enough to make any artist salivate, but there are some (indie) artists that simply do Christmas music for the love of the holiday. Phoebe Bridgers has spent the last few Decembers releasing her own covers of lesser-known Christmas songs, and donates the proceeds to various charities, Phoenix appeared on a Bill Murray holiday special with an original song just for kicks, and The Killers have released enough Christmas singles they were able to compile an entire Christmas album out of them.

One such indie artist just doing Christmas music for the heck of it is Haley Dreis, an incredible artist that may have flown under your radar with her 2020 EP, appropriately titled 20/20. She’s back in 2022 with her latest release, Cozy Christmas, which is a fabulous Christmas record with 11 tracks, a mix of covers, and originals. Tackling iconic Christmas favorites such as “White Christmas” and “Silent Night” before shifting into a pop-centric original about the sheer anticipation for Christmas being an incredible feeling in “I Can’t Wait For Christmas,” Dreis has a knack for the holiday and all of its (jingle) bells and whistles. The focus on covers makes sense when you’re such a new artist, but I wouldn’t mind seeing an album full of original Christmas songs in the future — it’s clear that the holiday means a lot to Dreis, and the music she has on Cozy Christmas is impeccable!

The songs all generally fall under the same compositional style, with piano, guitar, and vocals filling the majority of the songs’ instrumentals out, but there are instances of strings (a fantastic solo on “White Christmas”) that stand out among the stripped-down arrangements and balance the well-paced album’s weight with great dynamic shifts; against the well-known structure and lyrics of the album’s covers, the original songs stand out like new gems waiting to be unearthed from a familiar mine cavern path that has been walked a thousand times.

DOWNLOAD LINK: https://music.haleydreismusic.com/ikFa

The entire album flows brilliantly from a pre-Christmas buzz to a post-Christmas haze, and the duality of the start and the end of the album is remarkable when looked at as a whole. There’s no surefire way to determine what makes a Christmas song a classic, but delivering a cover of Joni Mitchell’s “River” and then segueing into an original called “Holidays Are Hard” is a one-two punch that hits you where it hurts.

Ending Cozy Christmas with a pensive rendition of “Auld Lang Syne” feels like a great closing note, too, as it opens the album up into the New Year and reminds listeners of the year they’ve had. Christmas is a time for recollection, and it’s clear that Cozy Christmas is an album meant to capture that idea — Haley Dreis is an impeccable singer-songwriter, and this album will hopefully inspire folks to check out the rest of her catalog!

Mark Druery

The strings on Christine Hand’s acoustic guitar are played in a variety of different ways on the Dallas-based singer/songwriter’s new album Standing on the Shoulders, but whether they’re slowly picked in the melancholic descent of “House of Bread,” forged into playful licks in “Take it Slow,” transformed into a melodically-faceted agent of percussion in “Simple Life” or strummed to life in a classic style ala “Love Me True,” they’re always the cornerstone of every song here. Hand gets back to the basics of American folk/rock in Standing on the Shoulders, which is certainly ironic given how far across the pond she had to travel to record it.

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/ChristineHandMusic

Aside from this album’s fantastic string play, there’s scarcely a moment in the tracklist where Hand’s vocal isn’t bringing down the house as the most entrancing element in the mix. She straight-up attacks the verses in a heavy-handed assault in “Love Me True,” while in the pendulous ballad “Brother,” she shows us that she can be restrained in her emissions just as easily as she can be relentless and uncompromisingly aggressive. This is one singer who can take down just about any track she wants to – provided she’s accompanied by her graceful guitar, of course.

Lyrically, I immediately connected with “Simple Life,” “Be Still” and “Slow Dance” as being the most exposed songs on this record, but I love the fact that, in all three of these tracks, Hand never seems even slightly hesitant in her execution. She isn’t afraid to be vulnerable with her audience, and though this material demands a lot out of her skillset both musically and emotionally, the level of moxie she displays in virtually every song here is more than enough to bring me back to her discography again in the future.

The instrumental tonality in “Time to Embrace,” “House of Bread,” “Love Me True” and “In the Black and White” is breathtaking, and I say that being a rather discriminating critic when it comes to capturing the essence of an acoustic guitar’s rustic melodicism. The production quality that Standing on the Shoulders enjoys is top-of-the-line, but there isn’t a second of audio in its tracklist that feels even remotely artificial in tone, which is something I could only hope to say about a lot of the new folk, Americana and crossover pop content that has been debuting out of the mainstream in 2022.

APPLE MUSIC: https://music.apple.com/nz/album/standing-on-the-shoulders/1654316330

Those who live for classic folk/rock thrills and chills in the tradition set forth by the likes of Joni Mitchell need to go out of their way to hear Christine Hand’s Standing on the Shoulders this winter, and it would shock me if I were the only music critic commenting as much at the moment. Hand enchants her way through the eleven songs on this LP as though her very life depended on it, offering up what feels like a modern songbook sans all of the commercial underpinnings too frequently anchoring singer/songwriter content these days, and personally, I think she’s one of the most important artists to watch heading into the new year.

Mark Druery

If there’s one blues musician who is into finding new ways to get his audience stoned off of pure sonic might, it’s Steve Junot, and his latest release with the Infamous in Last Shot could be his scene’s most prolific material this year. In tracks like Last Shot’s “Chasing My Blues Away,” textures are just as valid as tonality in the creation of a swanky harmony, and though they’re familiar entities to most of us, they’re delivered in such a uniquely indie fashion that it’s like we’re hearing them for the very first time. Longtime fans of this genre have a lot to be excited about with this LP, and more specifically, where it’s taking this artist’s sound.

URL: https://stevejunotandtheinfamous.com/

“I’m a Losing You (Redux)” and “In the Morning” have an unmistakable pop appeal that is heavily reinforced by their polished production sound, but they’re not lacking in muscular blues substance at all – if anything, quite the opposite. Junot shows just as much of an interest in making these tracks palatable to the casual listener as he does the diehard blues brother, and despite the difficulties in doing so, he balances out the elements of pop, soul, and rock without ever skipping a beat in Last Shot.

There’s a lot of physicality to everything here, and when I say everything I mean everything. The thick riffing of “She Only Loves Me When She’s Drunk,” the heart attack rhythm of “Ain’t Got to Be So Crazy,” the pulsating percussive groove in “Juice Ain’t Worth the Squeeze” and the slinky strings in “Love is Like a Hurricane” are heavyweight forces to be reckoned with, and although they feature a slightly-scooped EQ that favors the low and high-end tones over anything in the middle, nothing in Last Shot sounds artificial or overproduced for even a second. Junot wants us to feel everything he’s feeling in a song like the tempo-based “Neutral Ground,” and through this mix, he accomplishes his goal flawlessly.

I would have made the bass just a little more understated than it is in “God Can’t Help Me,” but I think that I can understand what the intended concept behind this piece was. Even if it is one of the more monolithic tracks on Last Shot, “God Can’t Help Me” has a rather spindly chorus that, without the bottom-end textures, probably would have fallen flat the second time around. No one can accuse Steve Junot of not doing things his own way, and in this track, he owns his individuality better than he ever has before.

Blues and traditional rock enthusiasts are going to want to hear Last Shot as soon as possible if they haven’t already, because from where I sit it stands as one of the only unmatched performances in the genre to be captured on record this year. There are no commercial overtones to the music, no political agenda conveyed through the lyrics nor any eccentricities that are so blankly unfocused they make no sense to anyone but Junot himself. There’s just a lot of good blues-rock for a time in American history that could use any and all of its countless inspired grooves.

Mark Druery

It’s hard to determine just where to go with a third album. For bands concerned with making pop hits, albums never seem to matter, but for rock groups, honing in on a refined and artistically crafted discography can make or break your group’s trajectory. In the historic case of the Beatles, for instance, album number three was a little work of art called A Hard Day’s Night, maybe you’ve heard of it. Other knockout third albums that completely redefined the bands behind them come from My Chemical Romance’s The Black Parade, and The Smiths’ The Queen is Dead. A lot is riding on the art of the third album, arguably more so than the second album and the so-called sophomore slump. For Milan-based rock group Quarry, this meant the pressure was on for their third album Positioning the Sun.

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/quarryvtmusic

Written from a time when the pandemic was at its height over two years to when the Ukraine crisis was in full swing, there was a lot of external weight being put upon Quarry — diamonds don’t come from coal simply by hoping and gentle nudging, though, and the dire outer pressures of the world have seemingly come down hard on the band, shaping arguably their best album to date. Positioning the Sun is a knockout rock album with plenty of influences and original drive working in tandem to create an album, unlike anything the rest of 2022 has seen. With its eleven tracks, and each song functioning entirely as a breath of fresh air in regards to the album’s musical DNA, there’s not a lot of time to leave audiences with the potential to get bored.

“Beyond Any Sense” is a perfect opening track as its 1970s inhibitions bring newcomers into the world of Quarry without hesitation. The tone on the guitar and the vocals transport listeners into the mindset of Jefferson Starship, and it’s entirely likely that this is the best track on the album — thankfully, every track is as good as “Beyond Any Sense” and the album is off to the races for the next forty minutes. “This Is the Story” is a heartfelt, softer follow-up track that feels like the perfect comedown before the storm. Other tracks that stand out are the inimitable “Kick the Void Outside,” with its crystalline bass lines and dance-worthy drums, “Breathe the Stars” with its jazzy inhibitions and contained chaos at the mercy of a piano, and the knockout album closer “Flash of Lightning.” There’s not a single bad track to be had from Quarry, though, and each listener will undoubtedly come away with a new favorite.

For an album that tackles a wide variety of sounds and colors, Positioning the Sun covers quite a lot of ground. It’s a worthy third album for Quarry, and it gives listeners plenty of material to come back to in future listens. At its core, Positioning the Sun is a classic rock album, but the deep breadth of influences, experimental compositions, and major leaps taken within its eleven tracks allow the album to be so much more. Therein lies Quarry’s ultimate success.

Mark Druery

Denmark’s Vinyl Floor is the personal project of brothers and songwriters Daniel and Thomas Charlie Pedersen. Their fifth full-length studio album Funhouse Mirror revisits the symphonic pop ambitions of earlier releases such as 2012’s Peninsula and Vaudeville (2014) while retaining the same individualistic songwriting bent. Working with producer Emil Isaksson and a small cast of musical contributors has placed the Pedersens on the same creative page with likewise gifted artists producing impressive results. Each of the ten tracks included on Funhouse Mirror has something distinct to offer listeners rather than retreading familiar ground.

The three additional musicians joining the band for Funhouse Mirror reflect their musical needs rather than appearing as gimmicks. Swedish multi-instrumentalist Bebe Risenfors plays a selection of horns, percussion, and organ throughout the collection. Former Bob Dylan bassist and bandleader Rob Stoner lays down bass for three songs on the collection while Danish violinist Christian Ellegaard, a member of the national Danish Symphony Orchestra, contributed strings for 2 of Funhouse Mirror’s 10 songs.

“Anything You Want” begins the collection with airy and wide-open alternative guitar rock. It isn’t the sort of riff-tacular treatment you might associate with Seattle’s hard rock bluster, however, but rather melodic and meditative. The latter quality is highlighted in the song’s unexpected second act when the Pedersens break the song’s structure down and slow it for a dynamically varied finale.

Even those who may otherwise be naysayers on the album as a whole will struggle to find fault with “Clock With No Hands”. The album’s second track is an outstanding character study without ever belaboring the point and the finely crafted lyrics serve the music as well as vice versa. They can carry the alternative rock label because they clearly delight in subverting traditional musical structures, but they are far more well-rounded than that.

Piano, drums, and ample spot-on vocal harmonies are the spotlight-worthy moments driving “Between Lines Undone”. The overall song, however, is an exemplary masterclass in songwriting fusing elements of different styles into a coherent whole without any seams showing. The harmonies, especially, are lush without ever slipping into saccharine overkill. “Dear Apollon” achieves a dream-like swing that lulls listeners into its world and sustains their interest throughout the track. Exquisite piano playing once again provides their songwriting with a key flash point illuminating the rest of the track and, once again, the Pedersens’ talent for crafting direct and memorable melodies is in full effect.

The stately and steady sweep of the title song belies the layers present in the recording. It’s arguably the album’s most fully-realized moment but may fly under the listener’s radar because of its deceptively simple surface. Listen deeper. It’s a masterful bit of pseudo-orchestration, never biting off more than they chew, yet still reaching far higher and more substantive levels than many of their contemporaries. “Stare, Scare” pairs crushing guitar work with nimble yet dazzling synthesizer textures. Vinyl Floor avoids the typical sterile techno sound that comes with a poor grasp of the synthesizer’s potential. They utilize its contributions in such a way that the playing inflames an already fiery cut.

Mark Druery

Melbourne, Australia’s Galliano Sommavilla’s love for creating music has helped sustain him throughout his life and enriches an already vibrant life with the ability for communicating with a mass audience. His new release Instrumental Music from the Heart is deeply connected with his Italian cultural roots as well as his wide array of musical influences.

BANDCAMP: https://gallianosommavilla.bandcamp.com/album/instrumental-music-from-the-heart-2

He’s been pursuing his recording ambitions since 1995 when he debuted with the instrumental release Rain in My Bathtub. One of his most notable career achievements arrived with composing, arranging, and recording an original song each day from May 6^th, 2013, to May 5^th, 2014. The total of over twenty-seven hours of original music and 365 new compositions is one among many astonishing capstones for a staggering career.

He’s enjoyed a two-plus decade residency as a solo pianist at Melbourne’s Crown Casino and his 2020 release One Song served notice that COVID was unlikely to derail the pianist and composer. Instrumental Music from the Heart delivers on that promise with a set certain to elevate Sommavilla’s already lofty standing.

URL: https://www.galliano.com.au/

It opens with the glistening guitar and piano tandem of “A Kind Heart”. Sommavilla further embellishes the cut with some light electronic and post-production touches, but the focus of the song is the delicate interplay between the aforementioned instruments. Classical and soft jazz achieve an enjoyable confluence during the second track “A Peaceful Outcome” and it proves to be a natural segue from the album opener. Longtime music listeners will appreciate the song’s shifting tempos and the track’s overall construction.

“Follow Your Dreams” has a more deliberate tempo and a fuller synth and keyboard driven pedigree. It has a steady stuttering quality woven into the percussion and the pacing of the synth parts finds a perfect stride. Ambient sound has played an important role elsewhere during this album, but its best use comes with the track “Mystic Forest”. Sommavilla invokes nature with a deft hand here and, rather than feeling steamrolled by a heavy-handed approach, the composer enchants us by degrees.

Many listeners will love the slow and almost sensuous groove for the penultimate track “You Can”. There is a quasi-vocal presence recurring throughout Instrumental Music from the Heart, wordless and always yearning, that likewise reaches its peak during this performance. Instrumentals that conjure a genuine mood are far and few these days. Sommavilla, however, tosses them off with apparent ease, and this rates as among the album’s best.

“The Dreaming” concludes the album with the same imagination and restlessness defining the previous tracks. You cannot help but applaud Sommavilla’s penchant for creating space in his music without ever dragging the momentum into the dirt and the finale never tests your patience. It’s a perfectly plotted closer for a thoughtful and intelligent release. Galliano Sommavilla’s Instrumental Music from the Heart is one of 2022’s sparkling releases that you may otherwise overlook. Don’t. He’s found a level of musicality that’s well worth visiting again and again. Its personal value for the performer, as well, comes across through the music at every turn.

Mark Druery

Pop music doesn’t have to be complicated and, truth be told, it’s often a lot more fetching when it’s presented simply as opposed to with a lot of frills. There are plenty of singer/songwriters who might disagree with me on this point, but if there’s one who is sympatico with the sentiments of this statement, it’s George Mallas; in his new album Let the Day Decide, Mallas is leaning on the melodies as opposed to the machinery, relaying emotional commentary that comes from the heart first and foremost. His diction is impressive, but more importantly, his verses feel entirely genuine and to the point.

WEBSITE: https://mallasmusic.com/

All of the magic in Let the Day Decide starts with the harmonies, whether they be simple ala “My Beliefs / The Prayer” and “Shine” or a bit more intricate in the title track, “It’s Lost,” and “Chasing Rainbows,” and this can be credited to the delicate vocal of our singer without question. He’s got quite the limber delivery, but more importantly than this, he’s able to construct so much more here through minimalism than he ever would decadence. He’s using a lack of sonic depth to emphasize his poeticism, which isn’t very common in his scene, to say the least.

Rhythm is a significant contributor to the narratives in this record for sure, but it’s all the more meaningful an element to behold in tracks like “Go and Behold,” “For Love,” and “Don’t Walk Away (Dragon Song).” These songs give us a good concept of how important using detail to express himself is to this player, and I would argue that for what they collectively share aesthetically they also tease a sense of experimentalism that has the potential to do a lot for this artist’s career as he gains a little more footing on the mainstream end of the market.

I really like the natural feel of this material, and I would even go so far as to argue that it makes it even easier for this vocal to slide into the bigger melodies seamlessly. There’s no pushback from the beat in “History” or “Your Name” – it’s all hook and harmony from the get-go, which allows for Mallas to cut out the aggression a lot of other pop singers have to employ when making this kind of music work. He was born to step up to the microphone, and while there’s still room for growth, what we’re getting in these performances is ace to put it quite mildly indeed.

Simple but still a lot more vibrant than some of the other content I’ve been hearing from the same genre lately, Let the Day Decide is an immersive effort that is certain to stoke a big reaction out of pop fans this summer, if not everyone who has a taste for the melodic wonderment coming out of the American underground at the moment. This is certainly an exceptional release on all fronts, and hopefully just a glimpse into what this singer/songwriter will produce again in the future.

Mark Druery