If By Whiskey – Eliza
Similar artists: Built To Spill, Wilco, Neutral Milk Hotel, Guided By Voices, Car Seat Headrest
Genre: Lo-fi Rock, Garage Rock, Dream Pop
If By Whiskey feel no shame or pressure in trying to create a pure classic with their latest folk-rock track, “Eliza.”
Most of the music we hear today will be lost forever. It won’t get erased. It won’t get misplaced. We will just, soon enough, all agree it’s garbage. When questioned about our involvement, like an Eastern European having collaborated with the Russian occupying force, we will shrug our shoulders and say that everyone was doing it.
Make no mistake about it. Few songwriters attempt to write classics. Attempting to do that is a much harder road one needs to tread than simply following the trends. A tune built over a trap beat, a song that echoes Machine Gun Kelly, or one that could be played in a Disney movie could earn the writer some bread. But they’re unlikely to mean anything soon enough.
If By Whiskey’s “Eliza” sounds like a tune that has always existed and that the band merely stumbled upon by chance. This is in part due to the structure and delivery that echo the great folk-rock songwriters. Still, it’s also owed to the emotional resonance of the sound.
Maffa Rico – Devil in the Details
Genre: Surf Rock, Alternative Rock
Maffa Rico echoes smooth pop artists dressed in expensive suits for “Devil in the Details.”
How will the most recent years of music be remembered? Perhaps as a time in which new musical genres were born. Perhaps people will recall the true musical greats of this era. And, just like any time in pop culture helps to do, it will make people remember the songs with which they grew up.
But, more than anything, I predict that this era will be remembered for its love of retro sounds and aesthetics. In particular, this will be remembered as a time when music performers looked toward the pop stars of the 1980s, their style, and their unashamed desire to entertain their audiences.
Maffa Rico’s “Devil in the Details” is a carefully crafted piece of pop music that could have easily been recorded in the latter part of the 1980s. The singer croons, and reverb-soaked guitars paint around the vocals. The purpose is to create the kind of musical warmth that general audiences cannot ignore. It is as safe and pleasant as 80s pop.
