New songs for October 20th, 2025

here they are:


"Another Second Chance" by Rocket:  Anyone nostalgic for rock and alt from the '90s (like I am) will probably love these guys! Garbage and Smashing Pumpkins are especially clear influences for the group, but one YouTube commenter also compared them to '90s rock giants like Soundgarden, Stone Temple Pilots, and Weezer, all of whom are fitting comparisons here. Lead singer Alithea Tuttle has such breathy yet detached vocals that it would probably be easy to mistake them for a '90s rock group both in terms of vocals and instrumentation. As was common for rock and alt songs of the '90s, there is a sense of vulnerability beneath the tough yet wounded sound of the song. The title refers to how Alithea wants another chance at a romance that seemed to elude her. Detachment, irony, disillusionment...if anyone is wondering where these emotions have gone in today's music, they're all right here! 


"Fascination in the Dark" by Vance Joy:  It's a bit odd to be reviewing a Vance Joy song about a week after I reviewed another song of his, but here goes. I guess I can see how his latest song, "Fascination in the Dark," kind of limited the chances for "Divine Feelings" (his previous single) to become a bigger hit. Compared to the gentle, sing-song-y lilt of "Divine Feelings," "Fascination in the Dark" is a big, foot-stomping, almost theatrical song, albeit still with his trademark indie-folk-rock sound! The title alone makes it sound grandiose, and it is! The song's foreboding A minor sound contrasting with its bright brass and lively rhythm make it an interesting one! The "dark" in the title of the song, also, is not meant to be something scary as much as it is meant to evoke the idea of falling in love with someone on a hazy night out. Love CAN be a scary, intense emotion when you're first getting into it, and Vance captures that perfectly here!


"Holy Roller" by The Format:  The Format haven't released an album for about two decades, but lead singer Nate Ruess has had plenty of "fun." in the meantime, if you know what I mean, and his vocals are unmistakable to fans of fun.! The Format is like the guitar-y, power pop cousin of fun., and The Format's latest tune, "Holy Roller," would not be out of place on a playlist that included '00s power pop nuggets like Weezer's "Island in the Sun," Jimmy Eat World's "The Middle," Fountains of Wayne's "Stacy's Mom," or OK Go's "Here it Goes Again," perhaps a nod to the group's heyday in the '00s. Nate also continues a pattern familiar to fun. fans where a fun (no pun intended) song is paired with deeper, darker lyrics. In "Holy Roller"'s case, it's a song about death and existentialism. The last words before the chorus repeats for the final time are, "Turn me into a martyr/Is Jesus gonna save my soul?" Who knew Nate could be such a morbid philosopher?!


"Stay in Your Lane" by Courtney Barnett:  Courtney Barnett has tried a variety of styles thus far, starting with indie-folk but progressing slowly but surely into garage rock and power pop territory as well. However, I've never heard a Courtney Barnett song with industrial influences...until now, that is! Instead of guitar anchoring the entirety of her latest song, "Stay in Your Lane," the guitar comes in bursts among a mechanical synth sound, although the guitar is still a major instrument in the song. It seems to be a song of regret ("This never would have happened if I stayed in my lane/Stayed the same way"). It also changes key from G to A during the last 30 or so seconds, a rarity in today's music (including alt/indie). Why Courtney's influences are closer to Nine Inch Nails than Neutral Milk Hotel this time is anyone's guess, but she makes it work here and creates a whole new subgenre in the process - industrial power pop!

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