Lily Taylor - Ever New

ambient

Texas-based sound artist Lily Taylor may have academic training in performance and composition of contemporary music, but her work, evidenced by the new single "Ever New," is far from dry or overly intellectual. Instead, her music feels organic as it stretches out with subtle xylophonic hits, strange sprawls of ambiguous sounds, and expressionistic vocals that conjure deep emotions as they expertly ruminate around short lines. This highly cathartic song feels like taking an ear bath and is an early taste of the album Amphora, which comes out later this month.

Mittere - Gone

ambient

With barely-sung vocals, ambient guitar riffs, and soothing production, "Gone" by Australian artist Mittere creates an enveloping atmosphere. The stage name of Dan Frizza, Mittere adds careful percussion as the song rises in intensity, though never so much that the mood created veers towards the overly dramatic. Instead, it arrives at a trance-inducing swell of purifying emotive music.

Jörgen Kjellgren - Bluebird Waltz

indie folk

Swedish artist Jörgen Kjellgren moves on from his ambient past and into the world of psychedelic-tinged indie folk for his next album, Bluebird, due for release later this year on The Slow Music Movement. The first single, "Bluebird Waltz," proves that Kjellgren hasn't completely abandoned his ambient roots. This gentle folk song is given texture through sustained tones, quiet acoustic guitar strums, and up-close-and-personal vocals that create a hypnotic and soothing and contemplative atmosphere that invites getting lost.

Eros Blindfold - Big Man

experimental

Limerick noodlers Eros Blindfold arrive on the scene with obtuse, throwaway, feckless, and audacious abandon on recent single "Big Man". There's a lot to admire about this track, an the eccentric flourishes of orchestration and 8-bit aesthetics add a nightmarish quality to the already horror-show mood. Deftly experimental, nothing is boring about Eros Blindfold's music. However, there is also nothing beautiful about it, and only those with a tolerance for unhinged experimentalism and expression are likely to appreciate this wild track.

Daley Road - Song For You

folktronica

Melbourne duo Daley Road merges balladic vocal traditions with hyper-modern electronic production on their recent single, "Song For You." Comprised of musicians James Kelly and Hugo Lee, Daley Road has produced a song that is quite heavenly without ever being overly mawkish. The emphatically passionate vocals are quelled by tender sonic flourishes, creating a comprehensive investigation of lost love and the struggles of moving on. Written by Kelly about the passing of his father, this sentimental track is likely to deeply resonate with anyone accustomed to loss while offering emotional release.