Tuesday Tracks: Jawdropped, Gordi, Emily James

Jawdropped

Jawdropped, Photo: Alyssa Soares.

This week on Tuesday Tracks, we’ve got pop from Emily James and Gordi, rock by OSLO and Jawdropped, emo from Arm’s Length and Americana by Caitlin Cannon.



Emily James, “Under the Influences” – This soulful song’s got serious Taylor Swift vibes; it’s about when platonic friends catch feelings for each other: “What if we don’t overthink it/ You know it’s already different/ If I get a bit closer/ Put my head on your shoulder,” Emily James sings over piano and a soft, thumping beat like a heartbeat. Her new EP, Summer Nostalgia, comes out on Aug. 15, and she’ll be opening for Donovan Woods this summer, including at The Chapel on June 23.

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Arm’s Length, “The Weight” – I’ll be honest, I don’t usually go in for emo, but this song by Canadian band Arm’s Length rocks, while having a really poignant theme. Vocalist-guitarist Allen Steinberg was battling an eating disorder while writing the band’s second album, and he let it all out in his lyrics. “Realize I’m not what I ate/ Or there’d be nothing/ To shame anymore,” he sings. The band is touring North America this summer, and its album, There’s a Whole New World Out There, is out on May 16.



OSLO, “Everybody Knows” – Hard-hitting drummer Tony Austin (Kamasi Washington) guests on this track by Oakland trio OSLO. This industrial rock tune could be about a relationship gone wrong, or about the low-trust society that seems to be resurgent in this country: “There’s a problem with us/ And everybody knows/ It’s a problem of trust,” Mattia Borrani sings over eerie, futuristic synths. The band co-produced the song with Grammy-winning engineer Reto Peter (Counting Crows, Modest Mouse). OSLO hasn’t put out an album in a while, so hopefully this single means more is coming.

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Gordi, “Cutting Room Floor” – Gordi is big in her native Australia, as well as the U.K., but regretfully, we haven’t really caught up here in the U.S. yet. Take this opportunity, and listen to her new song about a friendship that’s grown apart. “Last night I woke up on the cutting room floor/ And I was thinking ‘bout the way we were before/ There was a time when you were last one out my door/ But not anymore,” she sings. Gordi’s music, with its acoustic guitar and programmed drums and synths, is often classified as folktronica, and fittingly, she was recently asked to open for the godfather of the genre, David Gray, on the Australian leg of his tour this November. Her new album, Like Plasticene, is out on May 6.



Caitlin Cannon, “You’re Losing Me” – Cannon is a sassy country music rebel known for her edge and wit, but this Americana tune has a melancholy Elliott-Smith-esque undertone to it. She’s heartfelt and sad, singing over pedal steel and acoustic guitar about how a withholding partner has chased her away: “Hands to yourself/ Feelings inside/ A safe distance/ Maybe your pride/ While you show me the things that you wanna keep/ You’re losing me.” Her new album, Love Addict, is out on May 9.

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Jawdropped, “Outside” – Los Angeles rock band Jawdropped brings a little slice of fuzzy power pop heaven with “Outside.” This is a newer band, formed just under a year ago. Its members come from other projects: Alms, The Shaking Hands, jerseygirl and Destiny Inn. Vocalists Roman Zangari and Kyra Morling duet on the chorus of this song about feeling like you never fit in, except when you’re with that one special person. “A little on the outside always/ A little on the edge of in-between,” they sing. It’s so catchy and has a killer guitar solo. Their new EP, Just Fantasy, is out now.



Rachel’s pick: I fell in love with the new one by Jawdropped immediately. Zangari and Morling’s voices as they sing together really have a special something. I can’t wait to see where this band goes in the future.

Follow Rachel Alm on Twitter at @thouzenfold, on Instagram at @thousandfold, and on Bluesky at @thousandfold.bsky.social.

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