Tuesday Tracks: Your weekly new music discovery – June 21

Maverick City Music, Kirk Franklin

Maverick City Music and Kirk Franklin, courtesy.

A shimmering soundscape by Oakland’s Hazel English, inspiring gospel numbers by Kirk Franklin and Jimetta Rose and the Voices of Creation, a heartstrings-puller by Ingrid Andress, head bopper by Starcrawler and Latin rhythms of Jame Minogue are our favorite tracks of the week.



Hazel English, “Blue Lights” – In her new single off her latest EP, Summer Nights, Oakland artist Hazel English (making her second Tuesday Tracks appearance) creates a summer soundscape with shimmering echoes floating on repetitious piano phrases and her dreamy vocals, as she’s wrapped up in the first stages of love. “Feeling outside of my body/ I can’t hear any words you say/ Will we ever come down/ Stars in the bedroom / Falling into you,” she sings.

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Maverick City Music, Kirk Franklin, Brandon Lake and Chandler Moore“Fear is Not My Future” – This inspiring powerhouse gospel anthem stems from the tragic mass shooting that left nine Black people dead after merely gathering at their church in South Carolina in 2015. Over 18 minutes, Maverick City Music packs in hopeful, uplifting lyrics that encourage people not to lose faith in the face of tragedy, ensuring “it’s a new horizon.” The ensemble and full-throttle gospel chorus is just as powerful, rising amid percussive outbursts mixed with heart-touching piano phrases. The tempo slows down a bit in the last quarter to highlight encouraging chants and bring out the sense of community, to rise above society’s fears. It’s the kind of song that Kirk Franklin does best.



Ingrid Andress, “Pain” – After her hit “More Hearts Than Mine,” country artist Ingrid Andress pulls at the heartstrings once again with another heartbreak anthem. Opening with somber yet bouncy synths and Southern-style electric guitar slides, it loses much of its traditional country tones in the chorus as a powerful drumming presence takes on a pop feel. Andress’ strong vocals show a raw and real side of emotions, as reassures “I’ll be all right/ Just go ahead and cry.

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Starcrawler, “She Said” – Los Angeles group Starcrawler, which consists of frontwoman Arrow De Wilde, guitarist Henri Cash, Bill Cash on pedal steel, drummer Seth Carolina and bassist Tim Franco, is releasing the title track of its forthcoming debut album in an effort to empower others to let go of the past and moving forward. The song explores the possibilities that lie ahead on the band’s path. This head-bopper is guitar- and bass-heavy, taking on vibes from 2000s punk and indie rock.



Jame Minogue, “You’re Thinking Of Me” This repeatable dance anthem blends decades of musical styles and fuses Dominican and American cultures with old-school funk and Latin pop tones. Minogue’s lyrics take on the thought track of someone experiencing young love. The song begins with—and incorporates throughout—a several-seconds-long freakout of a drum fill that makes you think the recording is glitching out.

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Jimetta Rose and the Voices of Creation, “Let the Sunshine In” The title of this soulful track speaks for itself, opening with light and jazzy keys and percussion that’s later layered with sounds of birds chirping and light organ keys. Set this song as your weekend morning alarm to ease you into the day.



Amelia’s Pick – “Fear is Not My Future” stuck with me on so many levels. It presents us with exemplary musical layers that brought out simultaneous emotions of sorrow and forward-looking joy. As history keeps repeating itself with senseless gun violence, this song is one that the nation needs to hear and keep on repeat. The bittersweet cherry on top was that the video was filmed at the Mother Emmanuel AME Church in Charleston, the very place that sadly inspired the piece in the first place.

Follow writer Amelia Parreira at Twitter.com/AmeliaParreira.

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