Spencer Griffin's New Music Mondays

 here they are: "Clean Heart" by Perfume Genius:  After the surprisingly folk-rock-y "It's a Mirror," Perfume Genius are back to the trip-hop-y, breezy indie-pop they're known for with "Clean Heart." An interesting combination of instruments seem to combine here to make the song sound as affecting as it does! It almost seems like Nick Drake's "Northern Sky" if it relied more on keyboard than on guitar, and it's even in the same key as that song is (D sharp/E flat major). A lot of synthetic instruments here, as one might expect from Perfume Genius, but there's a very tinkly xylophone-ish sound oddly reminiscent of the Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood  intro that seems to run throughout the song and that kind of makes it what it is! Halfway through, as the song briefly gets stripped down to one instrument, there is a bit of guitar in it, but that part quickly gets clouded by the other instruments of the song. Michael Alden Hadreas...

 here they are: "Ancient Light" by I'm With Her:  I'm With Her is an all-female folk-rock supergroup comprised of Sara Watkins from bluegrass-rock group Nickel Creek, Americana singer/songwriter Sarah Jarosz (juh-ROSE), and Irish indie-folk-rocker Aoife (EE-fee) O'Donovan. So what do these three acoustic rock heavyweights sound like together?! Sweet and pleasant, like one might expect from any of these singers as solo artists, and with an infusion of acoustic guitar and fiddle, fitting to the country-rock and bluegrass-rock sounds most of them have. "Sparks and smoke rings fill up the night," the three women sing in harmony together during the chorus, following it up with the line, "When it catches, I'll be swimming in the ancient light." I'm not sure exactly what they mean by "ancient light," but part of the charm of this song and songs like it is how the interpretation of what they're talking about seems to be left up to...

 here they are: "Arizona" by Palmyra:  Named after a song by fellow indie-country-rock group, Houndmouth, Palmyra's "Arizona" has a similar vibe to the band whose song they were named after! Arizona itself often gives one images of dry desert land and vast canyon mountains, and the song "Arizona"'s traveling-down-the-highway country-rock vibes go right in line with the state it's named after. The town of Sedona, Arizona, is mentioned in the song's first verse, and that might be a subtle nod to the title of Houndmouth's most popular song. What separates Palmyra from Houndmouth is how Palmyra has an openly neurodivergent member. Guitarist and mandolinist Sasha Landon is bipolar, and they have written about it in at least one song of theirs. I look forward to reviewing that song if I ever get the chance to! "Back to Friends" by sombr:  New Yorker Shane Boose, better known as Sombr, might only be 19 years old, but he has the wisdo...

 here they are: "Feeling" by Billie Marten:  The title of this song alone indicates you'll feel moved by it somehow, and that's exactly what happens! In "Feeling," which is equal parts synth-pop and folk-pop, a light, breezy sound happens throughout and inspires positivity and peace within its listeners. There's not a whole lot holding the song together in its lyrics or in its length, but sometimes, simple is best. "There She Goes" by Curtis Harding:  Not to be confused with the La's song of the same name, neo-soul musician Curtis Harding's "There She Goes" is a soulful love ballad. Punctuated by sweeping strings and pianos, it's not as funky as most of Curtis' material, but it's cool to see a more sensitive side to his material!