By There’s something about waiting for a phone call that never comes. It starts with intense excitement, then creeps into a sense of doubt, until finally you meet pure frustration (especially when you’re charged and ready for something a little more playful). COTTA’s latest track Didn’t Call somehow makes you feel light and youthful while also being entirely relatable in adult relationships.
TRACK: Butterfly – Louise Gaul
Louise Gaul’s second release firmly reiterates her impeccable gift for creating instant goosebumps and intense reflection. Butterfly is a stunning masterpiece that has left us scrambling to put into words both its heartbreaking beauty and the breathlessness it leaves behind.
Track: Outside – SENNSES
Hailing from Melbourne, electronic duo SENNSES (a.k.a Trent Broussard and Hayden Gordic) have created an atmospheric gem that leaves you craving more. Outside is a seductive track that draws you in to whisper tantalising secrets in your ear, empowering you to follow the beat of your own drum.
EP: Starters & Appetizers – Fancy Normal
Last month saw the release of Starters & Appetizers, the bountiful debut EP from Melbourne pop duo FancyNormal. Colourfully chronicling some of the most relatable pitfalls of our teenage years, Jules and Noni have taken ‘the most romantic musical era ever of ’80s synth pop’ and softened the awkward moments with a warm sparkling glow that makes it all okay.
EP: Before Dawn – Quiet Blue
Before Dawn, the debut EP from Melbourne-based artist Quiet Blue (a.k.a Nic Georgiou) is a ‘love letter to the night’. Describing himself as having ‘an intense relationship’ with the night time, Quiet Blue has curated a beautiful collection of tracks to capture the private serenity of spending time in the darkness with your own thoughts.
TRACK: SPEAK IN TRUTH – Close Counters ft. Allysha Joy
This month, Melbourne-based production duo Close Counters teamed up with 30/70 singer Allysha Joy to deliver their latest track SPEAK IN TRUTH. The track mixes lush sonics with tantalising off-beat rhythms to create an understated dance song, elevated more by the jazzy styling of Joy’s vocals as she liberates listeners and empowers them to speak their own truths.
TRACK: These Palms – Louise Gaul
Melbourne-based singer Louise Gaul has stunned and humbled us with her debut single These Palms. With music that leans toward alluring darkness, lyrics that are pure poetry and vocals that are magnetic and haunting, we are already eagerly awaiting Gaul’s next track as we bask in the beauty of this debut.
TRACK: The Nights – Quiet Blue
With tinkling keys, intricately opposing rhythms, and a ticking beat that might represent the hours rushing through a sleepless night, Melbourne’s Quiet Blue explores the introspective moments of being a night owl. The Nights is an emotive song that pulsates with the intensity of restlessness and overthinking, culminating in a lush production full of jazz influence.
TRACK: Can’t Quite – Bailey Judd
Teetering near the songwriting style of John Mayer and the faultlessly warm vocals of Michael Bublé, Melbourne-based indie pop rock artist Bailey Judd is coupling soothing tones and hip swaying beats to deliver a tune that is butter-soft and moreish.
TRACK: Welcome – Tanya George
In what might be her best track yet, Melbourne local Tanya George has slowed things down. Using her signature vocal-looping prowess and stunning 4.5 octave range, Welcome is a challenge to open up to the duality of love and fear, wrapped up in a seductively jazzy bundle.
