New songs for February 10th 2025

 here they are:

"All I Ever Am" by The Cure:  The Cure are one of the most celebrated and influential alt-rock bands of all time, so naturally, when news hit in fall of last year that they'd be releasing a new album, avid fans of the band were all abuzz! While the first single, "Alone," seemed too long and spacious to make a lasting impact on adult alt radio, the second single, "A Fragile Thing," had far more appeal! Now up a third time at bat, The Cure's "All I Ever Am" is yet another song of theirs that hearkens back to their gloomy yet lovely vintage '80s sound. The song starts with an orchestral-sounding synth, but as soon as the drums start pounding in, so does the bass, masquerading as a fuzz guitar here. "All I Ever Am" is a bit of a long song at around 5 and a half minutes, but it's also a catchy one, so I think it'll fare well on adult alt radio.

"Cry Baby" by Sunny War (featuring Valerie June):  Both Sunny War and Valerie June have achieved a somewhat rare feat in combining folk, blues, rock, and soul into a giant hybrid genre. Their first collaboration together, "Cry Baby," is a soothing, breezy song that makes me sigh (with relief) more than it makes me cry. The song has a calming "ocean breeze" sorta vibe, and the title, "Cry Baby," is not mocking someone for crying, but rather encouraging them to cry in order to release all the tension within their system. A sweet, welcoming song for troubling times!

"Easy Love, Pt. I" by Larkin Poe:  If you can imagine what ZZ Top might sound like if the band consisted of two women instead of three men, Larkin Poe might just be your band! With hard-rockin' bluesy licks that are as sexy as they are gritty, "Easy Love, Pt. I" is a great song if your idea of Valentine's Day is sex and rock 'n' roll (drugs notwithstanding). Rock is alive, and the future is female!

"Gold Rush" by Lucius:  Was Lucius' fall '24 adult alt radio hit, "Old Tape," too sweet and/or atmospheric for you?! Well then get ready for the juicy funk-rock of "Gold Rush"! Yet another song released just in time for Valentine's Day with plenty of sex appeal, "Gold Rush" oozes lurid romantic urgency! When Holly Laessig sings, "I'll never leave," you can't help but believe she means what she says to her partner! Yet another sexy, rockin' song to leave you swooning this Valentine's Day!

"Sanctuary" by Tamino (featuring Mitski):  Mitski has always been moving. Whether it's the urgent electro-pop of her 2021 album or the more mellow jazz-folk vibes of her 2023 album, emotion is at the center of every Mitski song. Her latest song, "Sanctuary," is no exception...except it's not really her song! She merely provides supporting vocals for it. The primary singer on this indie-folk-rock ballad is Belgian singer/songwriter, Tamino, whom I had never heard of 'til now. So far, so good, though! I'm getting Jose Gonzalez/Damien Rice/Iron & Wine vibes from Tamino, which complement the more atmospheric vibes of Mitski nicely. Beautiful song that is well worth listening to!

"The Night Before" by The Black Keys:  Not to be confused for the Beatles song of the same name, though it wouldn't be entirely out of character for the Keys to cover that one! Like The Beatles, though, there are some vaguely psychedelic elements to The Black Keys' "The Night Before." It's a bit more modern psychedelia than the vintage stuff. Nothing especially remarkable about this song, but as it stands on the Keys' latest album, it does showcase their musical diversity as a band.

"When We Were Stars" by Guster:  Were Guster ever truly "stars"?! Well, not in the larger sense of the word, but they definitely have their fanbase, and having been together for over a quarter century now, they can certainly do songs reflecting nostalgia for simpler times when they were more truly "indie" than they are now. Interestingly, the song itself takes a slow neo-disco flavor that Guster haven't really had in their mostly jangle-pop-y career. The "we" in the context of the song, also, is probably Adam Gardner and a partner(s) of his, as opposed to his band, but I suppose it could be taken either way.