This week’s LITM Indie Rock picks explores the gradients of melancholy with artists like The Banquets, LearningToDive, Charlotte Bettson, Ivory Dusk, and ettie.
LearningToDive - Trust in Me
The LearningToDive banner of musician and rock artist Bravo Bonez is dedicated to the exploration of 80s post-punk, New Romantic and sophisti-pop. And this latest release, Trust in Me is a poster child of this style, as the artist uses sublime synths, spiraling echoes and melancholic vocals to convey the thematic sentiment. Ethereal screens wash over the rolling riffs with an orchestral fervor. There is profoundness in the song design that colors the mind and engages the mind. Listeners of The Psychedelic Furs, Cocteau Twins, and The Pale Fountains are sure to enjoy the resonant swirls of this artist.
The Banquets - Cold War
The Banquets are a British rock band with a taste for vintage blues and dark pop. In their latest single, Cold War, the group populates the sonic wave with winking synths, glassy melodies, and fuzzy riffs. All these textures are tied into Gem’s rich vocal flush that seamlessly oscillates between tragic affairs and resigned rhetoric. Her vocal rhythm is almost mantric as it envelopes us in a dazed hypnosis. The band uses a lot of dark themes, playing around with their gradient, sharpness, and romanticism to distill the theme. And in the final moments of the song, the band enhances the flavors with guitar soliloquies and lifting harmonies.
ettie - Miserable Life
This track brings an angst pop-punk flavor to this list. Powered by her signature millennial angst and an engaging knack for storytelling, ettie renders her latest single, Miserable Life. With gunning riffs, hard beats, and strong bass lines, the whole track comes together like an Avril Levigne song. The artist’s unapologetic attitude and determined defiance is charismatically sincere and honest. Strung with real emotion and sentiment, the soundscape is rich and full. Each leaf of melody and every basal swirl is aligned with her story to form a cohesive narrative.
Charlotte Bettson - The Starting Line
Charlotte Bettson is a storytelling connoisseur, so much so that she fills her soundscapes with luminous tales. Armed with a country rock portfolio and impressive influences like Sam Fender, Nothing But Thieves, Holly Humberstone, Avril Lavigne, Alanis Morrisette, her style is unpretentious and emotionally potent. In her latest single, The Starting Line, she traces the pace of life. And in the process, she vanquishes social timelines and inspires a holistic attitude about starting over. Drawing from personal experiences, she floods the canvas with soulful vocals, springing guitar shreds, and soaring harmonies. The country styled undercurrent caters to her narrative swell, softening the listening experience.
Ivory Dusk - Fold You
Ivory Dusk specializes in the discovery of the thunderous realities that live underneath the surface. Their musical affectations, commonly cultivated with strident riffs, monstrous beats, and surreal moments, are mercurial. The band has just released their four-track EP, Tempered. Introduced by Fold You, the collection is incredibly cerebral. If its pervasive riff reverberations are any indication, Fold You has a gargantuan appetite for erupting scapes. The track evolves constantly, transcending riff breaks and mounting bass lines. Tempered by soft synths and magnificent vocal highs, the track is reminiscent of Karnivool and Linkin Park.
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