A quick glance at the release schedules shows that that first quarter of 2022 will be rather interesting. Here are five fresh songs to get you started.
1. Muse, Won’t Stand Down
Single (Warner)
Recommended If You Like: The heavier side of Muse
The tease came via Instagram over the Christmas holidays, leading fans to expect something hard and dark. And what was with the weird, hooded priest in the dark robe that came with the post? Looks like Matt Bellamy has been sorting through his library of scary books again. And for a song about standing up to bullies and oppressors, it’s interesting that the video was shot in Kyiv, Ukraine. That country has its own bully in the form of Vladimir Putin right now.
2. Softcult, Gaslight
Year of the Snake EP(Independent)
RIYL: Canadian dream pop
Twin sisters from London, Ontario, (remember the band Courage My Love? They were two-thirds of that group.) have changed directions and have plunged into the dream-pop world. Add in a good dose of feminism, social activism, self-empowerment, gender neutrality, anti-sexism, anti-racism, anti-homophobia, etc., and you have something resembling what the riot grrrls were all about in the early 90s.
3. Tallies, No Dreams of Fayres
Single (Hand Drawn Dracula)
RIYL: More Canadian dream pop
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If you’re of a certain age, you might have been into groups like Lush and The Sundays back in the 90s with their songs oozing with guitars run through a chorus pedal. Well, that sound is back courtesy of Tallies, a Toronto-based trio who (surprise!) are already finding purchase with some important influencers in the UK. Their sophomore album will be out later this year.
4. Josh Ramsay, Lady Mine (feat. Chad Kroeger)
The Josh Ramsay Show (604 Records)
RIYL: 70s RAWK
Get over yourself, Nickelback haters, and just sink into this horn-drenched anthem that rocks pretty good. Oh, and there’s a big harp section, too, adding a little southern-friend rock to the mix. Someone get this over to Lenny Kravitz because I know this is the kind of thing he’d love.
5. Turnstile, Mystery
Single (Roadrunner/Elektra)
RIYL: Misdirection
When the song starts, you’re led to expect some sort of light alt-pop dance song. Not so. Let it run a big longer and you’re greeted with some big guitars, similar to what we got from Gavin Rossdale and Bush back in the 90s. There’s a lot of buzz about this band Stateside. We’ll see where this goes. Oh, and they’re from Baltimore if that matters.
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