Tuesday Tracks: Your Weekly New Music Discovery – May 3
Chad Lawson, courtesy.
This week, bluesy nostalgia from Seth Walker complements calming inspiration from Chad Lawson and Maddie Poppe’s upbeat Americana. The throwback R&B of Bryan Carter, twangy lilt of Coffey Anderson and the return of alt-rock duo The Big Pink after 10 years away rounds out the list.
Seth Walker, “Remember Me” – This track is both musically and lyrically nostalgic, with Seth Walker’s unique and vibrant vocals nearing a Billie Holiday feel. His blues-influenced acoustic guitar strumming complements the jazzy ambiance of Matt Glassmeyer’s horn. As the song’s musical elements take the listener back to the 1940s, Walker reminisces over the “what could have beens” in a past relationship.
Chad Lawson, “to hold the stars in the palm of your hand” – As Lawson is set to release a four-track EP that centers on the emotions brought by the death of his father, this piano track acts as the light at the end of the tunnel, with its meditative layers creating a deep breath that allows the release of lingering emotions, the calming melody representing a peaceful, sunny meadow bursting with new life, or even the freeing feeling of dancing under a sky full of stars.
Maddie Poppe, “One That Got Away” – While Poppe is known for her country sound, she shifts toward R&B for her new single, the intro spotlighting bluesy synths before she takes off with an upbeat, pop chorus that’s layered with accentuated bass riffs and catchy finger-snapping. Maddie Poppe, the Season 16 “American Idol” winner, looks back to when she was “23, wild and crazy” and leaves a piece of her past behind her, portraying the early stages of her career through a broken relationship that ultimately faded.
Bryan Carter, “Making Love” – Through his smooth and sweet-sounding vocals, light percussive beats and hints of ‘90s and early 2000s R&B rhythms, Carter presents his rendition of Burt Bacharach’s and Carole Bayer Sager’s composition. This song, which opens up vulnerabilities felt in a new relationship, would be an exquisite choice for a first slow dance.
Coffey Anderson, “Blessed” – Written by Sean Squires, Stephen Hunley and Bobby McLamb, this track takes on a high-energy country pop vibe as Anderson completely pours his heart out with gratitude, finding personal connection in hope-filled lyrics like, “I always give my best and let the good Lord handle the rest.” The release, which is set to appear in his upcoming EP, Come On With It, follows his wife’s remission from stage-four colon cancer.
The Big Pink, “No Angels” – For the first time in 10 years, The Big Pink, which features original member Robbie Furze along with drummer Akiko Matsuura and bassist Charlie Barker, is back with an electrifying new single. Through 1980s-inspired electro-pop sounds topped with Matsuura’s heavy drum beats, the song addresses a moment of realization after losing sight of where life was leading them, before getting back on the right road.
Amelia’s pick – The uplifting yet serene piano layers featured on Chad Lawson’s “to hold the stars in the palm of your hand” whisked me away to a different world for a few minutes’ time, and touched my heart as it brought a sense of clarity and hope in a world swirling with uncertainty. Although each track spoke to me in their own way, this one particularly stood out in my mind.
Follow writer Amelia Parreira at Twitter.com/AmeliaParreira.