“Dreaming helps keep us all alive and hopeful but when those dream never quite come to fruition or always feel out of reach we lose hope. Caroline Romano dives into the resulting emotions with her track, ‘Born To Want More.’
This Alt Pop track highlights her tender vocal vulnerability as well as her songwriting prowess. ”
“This time of year we all begin to dream of a warm escape to sit on sandy beaches under a warm sun. ‘Rio Magic’ from The Real Mack The Knife just might be the next best thing.
The light, airy tone and exotic glow of the track makes it easy to close your eyes and imagine you are heading out for a night in Rio, or at least sitting on the beach imagining one. ”
“If you are looking for a bit of fresh Holiday Pop then let me present to you, ‘One Sweet December Night,’ from Cooper Phillip.
The track has an almost 80’s Pop vibe and the uplifting, fun lyrical build pulls you along like Santa’s magical sleigh. Give me this on repeat instead of the worn our Mariah Carey song any day of the week.”
“Gabe Lopez is a successful musician but you might not yet be aware of this solo work. As a music producer for RuPaul’s Drag Race, Belinda Carlisle, platinum KPOP artists and more, Lopez has already made a mark in the musical landscape, and now this new track , ‘Long Road,’ might elevate this talented artist to even greater heights.
The song has an haunting, heavy quality that makes the emotions inescapable. A track that means more with each listen, this is a song that has a timeless sound and appeal.”
“The vocal tone and emotive delivery is what held me initially to Ava Valianti’s latest single, ‘Wishing Well.’
That said the writing is poignant and meaningful and offers a melancholy type of nostalgia we all feel from time to time.
The world marches on, and with it change is inevitable, but as we say goodbye to the many little things that were part of our childhoods we also lose little pieces of ourselves. Those losses do as much to shape who we are as the new additions that replace them. We are all constantly shedding our skin, in both a literal and figurative sense and this song captures it so well.”
“Halo Kitsch has some fun calling out the fake hypocrisy of those who work so damn hard to be perfect. Perfect and predictable is a manufactured illusion fed these days by social media likes and follows. ‘BETWEEN YOUR TEETH’ is an ode to the real ones, the true friends that will tell you not what you want to hear, but what you NEED to hear.”
“Luci began her career as a an EDM producer and that influence is clear on this track, though the vocal side certainly has Pop sensibilities.
’Loner’ is an emotive and vulnerable track in its best moments, though for me the harder drops and production that turned toward a Future Bass/EDM style got in the way of the emotions at times.
For me this track shined the brightest with Luci’s emotive delivery and less production behind it clouding the song. ”
“Oslo, Norway’s Aiida wastes no time getting right to the pint on ‘Got No Strings.’
The attitude is palpable, and the writing as sharp and pointed as the delivery.
This is pure Pop Gold in the vein of Britney at her best. ”
“Most of us long to find that elusive soulmate, and while waiting, we come up with our ideas and ideals of what that person will be like. Joshua Golden taps into those expectations with his tack, ‘I Can’t Wait To Meet You.’
The song straddles that line between Pop and Rap to create a Commercial track that should appeal to a wide audience. The emotion and performance and added snippets of conversation on each end really come together to feel true and genuine.”
“This track is a classic example of so many submission we receive here at LA on Lock. There is clear and obvious vocal talent, and even the arrangement has musical potential, the overall track lacks a clean production and build.
From a few pauses and skips that at least felt unintentional, to the mix, which left the vocals feeling too distant at times this track just didn’t quite realize its full potential for me. And yet, I can tell the artistry and talent it is simply a matter of getting it all put together in a tidier package.”
“Ingrid Avison unleashes her debut single, ‘Time Travelling Cowboy.’ The emotive delivery highlight Avison’s songwriting and vocal talent.
With a slight tremble at times that sells the words well, Avison has that classic Americana vibe that feels like a kinder softer Lucinda Williams mixed with some of the strong emotion of a Brandi Carlile.
I did at times crave a stronger sense of build and escalation from the arrangement.”
“Kylie Rothfield caught the attention of Alicia Keys and afte rthis track you’ll understand why. ‘The Barrel’ is a smooth Alt Pop track dripping with emotion and vocal talent. The track ahs some late 80s or early 90s vibes yet still has a contemporary vibe thanks to the writing and strong emotive performance of Rothfield. ”
“London-based artist Eden Rain takes an Alt Pop angle on her latest single ‘Taking.’
The track comes from her highly anticipated upcoming EP, ‘Anyway, How Are You?’
The narrative style lyricism works well here though I did crave a more emotive edge given the vocal side is produced to give a low-key distant kind of vibe. Rain does offer a nie look at the complexities of human relationships, while unraveling the intricate dynamics of the people around her.”
“Richard Tyler Epperson taps into his personal history with the track, ‘All My LIfe.’
The talented songwriter has taken a song that his father first recorded as a, acoustic demo and put his own spin on it to create a link and legacy with his father. Motivated by the recent passing of his father, Epperson utilizes the emotion and meaning to give us a song that is personally meaningful to him that also has the ability to resonate with others in an impactful way.”
“Dax is a versatile artist adept at conveying emotion via a variety of genres, but you can always hear and feel the passion fueling his artistry.
’Lonely Dirt Road’ straddles that line between the Rock and the Nashville style of modern Pop Country. The delivery is deliberate and emotive. A few times I craved a touch less production on the vocal side because I have faith Dax could have delivered these emotional words straight up with quite so much production coloring the sound. That said, this is a track that is accessible to all and one easy to feel as much as you hear.”
“Lisa Heller is anything but a ‘Loser!!’ Though she sings that refrain with ease and kill. Delivery a Pop Punk brand of high-energy, Heller straddles the line of Pop Princess and Punk Girl Bad-Ass quite ably.
It’s hard to imagine her losing anything she wants to keep but this tracks has punch and you can’t help but believe in the performance and the artist.”
“Caroline Romano always delivers with a strong emotive performance and this latest single, ‘Pretty Boys,’ delivers on those expectations.
’Pretty Boys is my honest recount of heartbreak,’ Caroline shares. ‘It’s like reading straight from my diary—a dramatic story with a terribly disappointing ending. The song is a cautionary tale about the blurry line between friendship and something more. Just because you’ve kissed him doesn’t mean you should do it again, and just because he looks at you that way doesn’t mean you’re the only one.’
Romano knows how to tap into her own experiences and emotions to give listeners a full spectrum of artistry. ”
“A big soaring Alt Pop track with singer/songwriter vibes, ‘Her’ offers a smooth and emotional build that speaks to the insecurities and fears many of us possess. WIth that said, this track avoids a wallowing kind of despair, delving instead onto an honest vulnerability that makes the lyrics feel real and of course the talented performance hooks the listener in from the very beginning.”
“If you don’t know Estella Dawn by now then you clearly haven’t been reading my blogs and reviews. Dawn is a talented Pop artists from the San Diego area and I have featured a number of her tracks. ‘Julian is but the latest from this talented artist that continues to create and perform talented songs that entertain while delivering emotional depth and intelligence.
Dawn is one of my favorite Southern California artists and really has proven her place in the So Cal musical landscape. Now the rest of the world needs to catch up.”
“The wordplay is cleverly and intelligently rendered on this Indie Rock gem from Richard Tyler Epperson. ‘Dream’ is an ode to taking care of you own mental space, the dance between reality and escapism because let’s face it we all need a break from all that life hits us with. But of course you can’t let the mind wander to far or you never really get where you want to go.”