Tuesday Tracks: Your Weekly New Music Discovery – Aug. 4, 2020

VINCINT, cehryl, Curtis Waters, Goody Grace, Heartless Bastards, Izzy Bizu

Clockwise from top left: VINCINT, cehryl, Curtis Waters, Goody Grace, Heartless Bastards and Izzy Bizu.

Every week, there’s a plethora of new music at our fingertips.

Artists on platforms like Spotify and Bandcamp are plentiful, and the radio offers a steady deluge of new singles, but who has time to sort through all that? RIFF does!

We pooled our resources to find some of the best new singles from all genres and backgrounds, so you can find your newest earworm without all the drama. Enjoy this week’s hidden gems.

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Heartless Bastards, “Revolution” — In a time of renewed calls for social justice, this song’s release was impeccably scheduled. With powerful lyrics like “You were born with a voice so open up/ Speak your mind,” this thought-provoking ballad strives to fuel the fight against oppression and poverty. “Revolution” addresses how change is impossible unless people start to believe in their power, and remember the importance of small, individual steps. Erika Wennerstrom’s sultry vocals set an empowering atmosphere, while Lauren Gurgiolo’s guitar playing recalls ’70s folk. Meanwhile, the heavy bass and electric guitar undertones by Jesse Ebaugh and Kevin Ratterman give the song a harder edge, glued together by Gregory Clifford’s percussion and nuanced keys by Jesse Chandler. To contribute to the “Revolution,” Heartless Bastards are donating all of the proceeds from this track to the American Civil Liberties Union.



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Vincint, “Hard 2 Forget” — Written by Vincint and produced by JHart, “Hard 2 Forget” captivates with pulsing electronic beats, multilayered textures and Vincint’s powerhouse vocals. The dance anthem gives 2000s pop a futuristic touch, uplifting spirits with a fist-pumping electronic dance groove—even during downtempo dynamic shifts. Vincint pours out emotion and heartbreak, exclaiming, “Why would you leave me just to live in my head?” Once dance clubs open again, this relatable and buoyant track could easily find place in every DJ’s setlist.

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Izzy Bizu, “Tough Pill” — This rising U.K. singer’s voice remains front and center on this modern R&B track. Complemented by light keyboard phrases and dominant bass lines, Izzy Bizu’s sassy singing confronts the personal insecurities that can lead relationships to a heartbreaking end. She navigates an internal monologue with pessimistic lyrics like “you don’t care, no, you don’t really care.” But she ultimately experiences self-realization as she comes to terms with a “tough pill to swallow.” She concludes that being honest with herself and others might result in unexpected situations, but will ultimately put her on the right path.



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Curtis Waters, “The feelings tend to stay the same” — Opening with a sunrise sensation of guitar plucking, Waters develops a new-age synth-pop vibe. He pours his heart out with a vocal style resembling a unique twist on Avicii, backed up by popping bass and synthetic pizazz. Even with upbeat musicality, Waters wears his heart on his sleeve as he looks back on his past mistakes and how they harmed a past relationship. It also presents a striking narrative on how mental health eventually played a role in the tragic outcome. He brings a relatable message to the table as he yearns to forget: “My memories seem to fade/ I can’t recall what you said/ But the feelings tend to stay the same.”

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Goodie Grace, “Used to Be” — This apologetic soft rock track features Goodie Grace’s sultry, soulful vocals—accompanied by homey acoustic guitar strumming. He turns up his vocal power on the chorus as he cries out for a way to get back to how he used to be. This song brings out multiple shades of emotion, and lines like “I know that you can still see the happy child in me” will never fail to pull at heartstrings.



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Cehryl, “Moon Eyes” — Cehryl takes it back to the ’60s doo-wop era on this classy, dreamy romance anthem. Even so, the song has an underpinning that details the darker side of love—specifically, the feeling of being abandoned. Cehryl’s passionate vocals reflect a more innocent perspective, as she keeps her faith in love alive in the aftermath of heartbreak. Finger snaps align with a “shoo-wop” vocal cadence, competing the song’s retro feel in the midst of more contemporary synth patches.

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All We Are, “Heart of Mine” — With its third spin through RIFF’s Tuesday Tracks—we’ve been fans since 2017!—Liverpool-based trio All We Are is set to release its third album next week. Irish drummer Richard O’Flynn, Norwegian bassist Guro Gikling and Brazilian guitarist Luis Santos (none of the three is actually from Liverpool) add the sweet parts of Afro-pop, post-punk and synth-pop for an infectious and wistful concoction about broken hearts and longing. “I know that you’re hurting me/ When you love someone/ You forget about it,” the band sings, harmonizing together.

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Amelia’s Pick — Heartless Bastards couldn’t be farther from their namesake with “Revolution,” and that contrast is the reason why this track is my overall pick. The world’s need for justice is more evident than ever, which emphasizes how much the voices of the oppressed and underserved need amplification. This group uses this song to call for change—not only through an empowering message, but through catchy, upbeat melodies that will keep people coming back for more and hopefully carry on the call for “Revolution.”

Follow writer Amelia Parreira at Twitter.com/AmeliaParreira.

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