In this week’s edition of LITM Pop Picks, we feature sonic sensations from bedroom pop, dark-pop, electro-pop genres, and x-mas tunes that tug at your heart-strings from artists The Mars McClanes, Ki To, Andreas Grannes, DiElle and JOSHUA.
The Mars McClanes - December Songs
The Mars McClanes give a much-needed refresh for our “Christmas music” palette with their heartfelt single titled “December Songs.” McClanes’ acoustic design is not something you would usually encounter; it is an exploration of contemplative yet blissful melodies. The guitars fill the space with gentle, catchy tunes while setting a cozy rhythm for the vocals and festive spirit to rest on comfortably. A wind of Christmas memories gushes in when the vocal harmonies, sprinkles of chimes, and soft bells emerge in the song. Lyrically, the song feels like a warm, validating embrace for those who experience the holiday season from a complex mix of emotional lenses– joy, melancholy, introspection, and outgrowth. Lines like “This time of year back in the day, The wonders yet to come, But at this age it hits different ways,” expose the duality in one’s experience of the festive season, with honesty and a welcome relatability.
Ki To - West
“West” by Ki To featuring Delorians is an indie/bedroom pop sonic breeze whisking you away to its dreamy realms. The song features pulsing synth hooks, a warm ambiance, and down-tempo beats. Layered and reverberant vocals feel like early morning fog, soft yet fresh. This song feels like retro-synth aesthetics and modern pop sounds are merging in hypnotic swirls, like two colors of paint in water. Unrequited love, the anguish of relenting for bad love, and the weight of romantic dissatisfaction make up this song’s theme. Ki To displays serious skill in bringing out feelings of yearning, sadness, and hope in the song’s lush soundscape. Fans of Troye Sivan and Cigarettes After Sex will thoroughly enjoy this track.
Andreas Grannes - Royal Space Dog
“Royal Space Dog” is a one-of-a-kind mix of genres with a tasteful arrangement. Andreas Grannes gives you the comfort of familiarity and the wonder of creativity. Opening on ominous notes, you’d think the song is dark and melancholic, but that’s where you’re met with a delightful surprise. The music transforms into hopeful and positive melodies with an edge of contemplation in its vibey synths, crisp drumming, and flourishing guitars. The vocals are vulnerable and deliver the lyrics with passion. You’re right if you heard some dream-pop influences sprout here and there in the song. A unique relaxing blend of reflective music is what “Royal Space Dog” offers, for the listener to voluntarily lose themselves in.
DiElle - The Best Gift Is Love (One Girl, One Guitar)
DiElle’s “The Best Gift Is Love (One Girl, One Guitar)” emanates closeness, love, and holiday cheer in its minimalist and pure sonic style. DiElle’s soulful vocals and lively guitar strums take center stage in this performance. In classic fashion, jingle bells ring throughout the song to imbue festivity. The lyrics convey a crucial message that at the end of the day, all we need is love and if I may add, a cup of hot chocolate (in winter spirit). True to the Christmas values of giving and receiving, the lyrics remind us that love is the best gift and that love must permeate our being, boundless by time.
JOSHUA - Love Me
JOSHUA paints in electro-pop colors on his latest musical canvas “Love Me.” The art-teacher-turned-songwriting mesmerizes the listener with unique melody loops, enigmatic ambiance, and an immersive rhythm. The song has a dark edge to its music, mirroring the murkier corners of passionate romance. JOSHUA’s composition shows serious skill and artful innovation, in the variety of textures, effects, and sounds that make a subtle yet resounding appearance. The chorus is sonically and emotionally intense, with towering vocals, booming beats, and a pulsating synth backdrop. It opens with the lyrics, “Do you have what it takes to love me?”, a fearless confrontation in any romance, one that most avoid. However, JOSHUA collides head-on with these questions and chooses to approach love from a place of truth rather than deception. The musical performance and production in this song solidify his approach to songwriting as a medium to process and distill his emotions.
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