Roundup Rundown: 5 Standout Music Releases from July 2023
Stand Still - YZMN
[Single - Pop]
“Stand Still” by YZMN is the latest in a string of EP lead-up releases by the singer-songwriter; though from hearing this song, one might think “pop star.” The radio-ready production has a somewhat natural air to it, focused primarily around analog-based sounds with a distinct synthetic crisp, while YZMN’s dark and cinematic vocals brood overtop.
The lyrics do not shy from vulnerability nor ease into it, with the first line stating openly, “Everyday’s like a stitched wound ripping at the seams.” As the track plays, YZMN depicts being caught in a toxic, maybe abusive, relationship - daily frustrations, constant instability, the highs and lows - and struggling with her self-identity in the midst of it: “What’s happened to me / You make me feel so small.”
While the music itself is not conventionally ‘cheery’, with its minor chords and occasionally eerie harmonies, the tight drums and grooving, bass-driven instrumental create an invigorating atmosphere, leaving the listener feeling uplifted, rather than defeated.
At its peak, the chorus is a powerhouse of catchy pop phrasing, though with a unique instrumental structure. A short turnaround section settled in its center - during which the vocal note slightly raises, and the thumping instrumental voicing lowers - creates a cooling chromatic variation on the primary melody, and accentuates the haunting “blue eyes in the dark.”
But despite her confession of being a “prisoner of pain [she] can’t control”, YZMN still partly blames herself — saying the she hasn’t “let it go”, and resigns herself to another day: “Baby here we go again.”
On the bridge, the titular line repeats: “You’re torturing me / But I stand still.” Here, when the music is the most electronic and sonically deviated, its meaning seems to come more clearly into focus, if only for a brief moment.
The difficulty is in the dissonance - guilt about not fighting back, but also an empowering feeling - of knowing the other person is in the wrong, yet being able (maybe even willing?) to withstand the pain: “I can’t stand it, but i keep standing still.”
Interpretations aside, one ironic thing is certain: you won’t be able to stand still if you’re listening to YZMN’s daring and danceable pop song “Stand Still”.
Lightyears - THE LINKS
[Single - Dance]
“Lightyears”, the second half of the debut double-single release from Tulsa dance music duo THE LINKS, launches straight into orbit from the moment play is pressed. The short synth and kick drum intro, which smoothly establishes a few key components of the track, is more like an ascent — but once the full beat drops, cruising altitude has been reached and the party is on.
The compact sound palette and syncopated side-chaining of the surrounding synths leave plenty of space for stacatto’d bouncing bass notes, which form the melodic foundation. All of this whisks away at a brisk house tempo, and the temptation to dance grows stronger with each rise and fall of the vocal phrasings.
The lyrics could suggest a sort of summer fling, one that feels as long and hot as the days themselves: “Got me on a summer high / Watching all the years go by.” These patterns punctuate only intermittently, forming a sporting call and response between the vocals and instrumental; which not only leaves plenty of room for dance breaks, but also deftly displays the dynamics of this musical duo.
THE LINKS is Logan Bruhn and Tyler Sexton: two longtime friends that make up for any lack in group members with their own diverse sets of skills. Combining production, instrumental, and writing abilities as well as stage performance experience, this duo is looking to do more with less - and this debut is a more than decent benchmark.
What makes this summer song so hot is its chill factor — the auditory equivalent of walking into an air-conditioned building on a hot day, with a potentially similar capacity to improve your mood.
Even with the space allusions and airy frequencies, the song feels grounded in a way that allows the listener to dig in just a bit deeper than they might usually. So if you’ve got a few minutes, check out “Lightyears” by THE LINKS; just make sure to put on your dancing shoes before you press play.
Books and Movies - Hank Garrett
[Single - Indie]
Self-produced artist Hank Garrett’s latest single “Books and Movies” is a wistful indie ballad, perhaps fit for the type of movies that influenced its own creation.
Featuring sweet layers of high-plucked strings and the occasional subtle synth, the song is nevertheless carried by Garrett’s vocals and acoustic guitar, lending a greater sense of authenticity in his expressions, as they are presented clearly and not lost in overproduction.
In his lyrics Garrett speaks of maybe not an unrequited love, but a love that is not real — in that what is in his head does not match with what is outside of it. Caught up in yearning and emotion, the imagination runs wild constructing possibilities that might not be reflected in reality - that are so alluring as to be not just preferable, but believable - and when the illusion is broken he recoils almost reflexively.
This is reflected subtly but skillfully in the first stanza:
I wrote a book about you yesterday
Six thousand words, but not a single page
I tore them out when you saw the cover
And I ran away just to write another
Instead of writing a book about it myself… I’ll just say go listen to “Books and Movies” by Hank Garrett.
My Sweet Friend - Taranis
[Single - Hard Rock]
Taranis is a young band out of Edmond, Oklahoma — and they bring that youthful energy to their music. Their second single release “My Sweet Friend” is a four and one-half minute hard rock song that blazes by, leaving no apologies in its wake.
Though the track begins relatively modestly, as fuzzed guitars play an arpeggiated walk-down riff (which returns throughout), with four clicks of the sticks the band plunges into a lively double-time tempo.
In the verses, piercing vocal phrases soar over the fast strumming electric guitars and frantic punk backbeat, feeling like a train that could go off the rails at any moment - a feeling we in America are familiar with - but doesn’t.
Its halftime hooks hit like a barricade, bringing the energy down only momentarily to underscore the vocalist as she calls out the object of her anger: “Oh my sweet friend / You know you are my biggest fan / Try to be nice / But still you don’t get it right.”
While that particular ‘call out’ may seem mild, others are not quite as considerate; perhaps it is the increased intensity of the instrumentation that propels the vocalist to be more blunt in her admonishments: “Bitch about this, bitch about that / How long until you pick up your slack?”
After the second chorus the band transitions into a somewhat psychedelic guitar solo over a bluesy bass and half-time drum combo — an interesting arrangement choice that not only swings the demeanor of the song but which also may give the listener a bit of insight into these young musicians’ influences.
Though many of us have had experiences with people who “Act like [our] friend / ’Til backs are turned”, probably less of us have written hard rock songs about it. “My Sweet Friend” by Taranis is a barely-restrained expression of fierce emotion with a captivating sonic delivery.
flowers - sunhertz
[Single - Indie Pop]
If you want to know what to expect from this indie pop artist out of Tulsa, the answer lies in the name: sunhertz = warm frequencies. “flowers” is a fitting accompaniment to these dog days, presenting a balmy & breezy soundscape that shifts naturally between hazy bedroom pop in its verses and a brighter, mildly synthetic indie rock sound in its refrains - just as flora expands and recedes with the sunlight.
While the track begins with leisurely strummed guitar, followed by upbeat but tasteful drums, sunhertz’ vocal takes a more melancholic tone. As in the natural world, we are presented with opposing forces that are not contradicting, but symbiotic.
The pleasant instrumentation elements (jangly guitars, glossy synths, and steady rhythms) are met with varying degrees of lo-fi distortion and processing, resulting in an underlying, nuanced essence of uneasiness within the track — as one might feel internally insecure in an otherwise serene environment.
This feeling is also verbalized clearly at the end of the second verse - “Sanity is gone… nothing feels right at all” - and culminates in the chorus, declaring “I’ve had enough / My hands are tied”, which comes across as accepting, rather than rebellious.
Much of modern indie pop, especially in this streaming era, often caters to shorter musical ideas, almost vignettes; whereas “flowers” four and one-half minute runtime might constitute it a maverick amongst its peers, but surely breathes an extra bit of life into the song, allowing it to bloom into a cathartic release in its final moments.
Here, at the sonic zenith - huge reverbs and shimmering keys, drums opening to the ride cymbal in a heavy half-time - sunhertz seems his most lucid, acknowledging his fate to be locked in this dual-state, torn between worlds: “Every memory is what I’m holding on to / I’ll always wanna be who I was.”
Roundup Rundown features standout singles, EP’s, or albums from the latest edition of Release Roundup - CLM’s monthly catalogue covering music in and around Oklahoma. Selections and writing by Roundup curator David Joachims.Go here for the full list of releases from July 2023.
