Hayley Williams – “Mirtazapine”
[Post Atlantic; 2025]
The mother of all alternative and pop punk-kids, Hayley Williams, recently released her third solo record, Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party, which features some of her best lyricism and vocal performances to date. One of the songs that sticks out on the record is the smooth alt-rock track, “Mirtazapine.” The dreamy guitar riff, thumping drumbeat and rumbling bass line lulls the listener as Williams lovingly anthropomorphizes her antidepressant medication. Williams’ silky vocals seem to drone through the verses until they punch into the choruses, releasing a blast of energy right through the listener. It’s honest. It’s enthralling. It’s Hayley Williams at her finest.
- Brooke Phillips, Programming Director
[Partisan Records / Play It Again Sam; 2025]
“Trinidad” scurries along under the constant pursuit of paranoia: the funk-sleazed guitar groove soundtracking a suburban underbelly, the noticeably hungover drums which stumble in and out of time, the dizzying dubbed-out effect outbursts like headphones bleeding. Then there’s Cameron Winter’s manic, erratic pleas of “There’s a bomb in my car” that sends a shrapnel-like onslaught of bluesy wailing brass and chopped-and-screwed drums swirling throughout the chorus. Winter already solidified himself as one of the most exciting contemporary songwriters with his solo debut Heavy Metal. And likewise here, we see an even further disjointed rendition of his Beat-inspired approach towards storytelling, painting an absurdly humorous picture of a nuclear family now beginning to feel the radiation. “Trinidad” surely is Geese at their most abrasive and eclectic.
- Rocco Prioletti, Editorial Director
verity – “Crisis Actor”
[Independent; 2025]
In May, Columbus, Ohio’s one and only verity debuted with a bang with the release of their single “Crisis Actor.” The indie/alternative band delivers us a thick and hazy soundscape via surround sound guitars and spacey, lush vocals. Loose yet incredibly punchy drums provide a backbone to the controlled madness. Instruments seem to blend together into a soup of distorted tones on this record, with riffs, drum hits and infectious lyrics bubbling over. With only one song released, verity already shows incredible promise for what they can contribute to shoegaze rock and beyond. Starting with a witch’s brew as intoxicating as “Crisis Actor,” we are left to wait patiently for what potions and spells verity shall bestow upon us next! If you want to see them live, the band is performing in Columbus on Oct. 10 at Café Bourbon Street.
- Vincent Caplin, Contributor
[Perennial / K Records; 2025]
In August, artist Sharp Pins released an indie rock album titled Turtle Rock, just in time for the early months of fall. The seventh track on the album, “Bye Bye Basil,” has a feel-good jangle-rock tune while the singer reminisces on their time with someone, presumably named “Basil.” This song feels like golden sunlit drives with people you love and getting out of class early on a Friday. On Turtle Rock, each of the songs sound almost as if they’re playing straight from a radio, featuring grainy drums and bright guitar chords. It is joyful and shimmering with the same jovial nostalgia felt when flipping through photo albums, enjoying old jokes and missing a time when you were with those people at that place. The entire Turtle Rock album is absolutely worth listening to and I recommend checking it out!
- Anika Arcikauskas, Contributor
[Atlantic; 2025]
Initially teased at live shows, “worth it” has been a personal favorite of mine since I first heard it. I was drawn in by the minimalistic ending, simply featuring a distorted bass and a low quality clap after the rest of the instrumental fades out. It’s a direct result of the newfound trend of distorting 808s to varying degrees as pioneered by producers such as boolymon and tdf, often layering them with high frequency, bit-reduced ringing. The beginning instrumental is akin to the rest of once more and features simple production utilizing the basic waveforms. In “worth it’s” case, smooth super-saws make up the entirety of the production (except for the bass and percussion, of course.) It’s a very cheerful track, perfectly following and contrasting “uncomfy” featuring OsamaSon and perfectly followed by “red snapper.” once more is a great EP, as well as a great commercial debut for xaviersobased under Atlantic Records. “worth it” was a personal grail of mine, along with many other fans, and I’m glad to have seen it released at such a monumental point in xavier’s career.
- Evan Little, Contributor
Nourished by Time – “It’s Time”
[XL; 2025]
Nourished by Time’s most recent album, The Passionate Ones, is a masterwork of psychedelic R&B and surreal bedroom pop. “It’s Time” is a synthesis of all of its different strengths. From the rattling, hypnotic drum loop, to the introspective yet tastefully abstract lyrics, to the impassioned vocal performance, the song demands – and rewards – repeat listens. Compositionally, it also features a particularly effective unison melody that punctuates each set of lyrics, creating a wonderfully jarring effect as it contrasts with the relatively spacious and scattered instrumental during the rest of the track. The Passionate Ones contains a number of similarly addictive songs, and is sure to have some of the highest replay value you’ll hear in an album this year.
- Grant Kelly, Reviews Editor
[Partisan Records / Play It Again Sam; 2025]
The alt-rock band Geese has been gaining increasing traction surrounding their new album, Getting Killed. Sept. 26 marked the release of their third album, two years after their breakout success with 3D Country. The album is under the Partisan Records label, following Geese’s recent signing with them. “Taxes” is the first of the three ambitious singles released from this record, having two distinct sections to the song. Geese shows off their incredible dynamic abilities here by including bells, layered vocals and beautifully real percussion. Cameron Winter’s unique voice continues to shine on this song, making it even more unique than it already is. His bellowing voice echoes over the outro, allowing the crescendo to continue on. This song encapsulates the thoughtful and entrancing musicality of this album.
- Quinn Carmichael, Contributor
[Roadrunner; 2025]
In June, hardcore band Turnstile released their fourth studio album NEVER ENOUGH, featuring “BIRDS.” “BIRDS” is an electric and lively track, and has garnered attention on social media for rallying concertgoers beyond belief. I remember seeing video after video of vocalist Brendan Yates taking hold of a crowd, leading fans to jump or even climb up on stage for a chance to shout the lyrics alongside band members, all before launching themselves back into the pit. The main riff is catchy and will have you dancing around your room wishing you were there in concert feeling the vibration of the amplifiers and the energy of the people around you. “BIRDS” is liberating, vibrant and downright addictive.
- Sage Spirk, Contributor
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