Author: Ryan Rosenberger

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“Licking My Wounds”: Chloe Jobin sings herself back together

Over dreamy guitars and misty, kaleidoscopic cymbals, singer-songwriter Chloe Jobin lays her pain bare.

On her new single “Licking My Wounds,” Jobin stages a quiet fight for growth and personal healing, set against an intense battle with grief and heartbreak.

“You and me, we weren’t built to last/Time moves slow, but also fast/Do you feel the love that I’m sending?” she asks with a hushed plea.

Across the track’s brief runtime (just under three minutes), Jobin keeps telling herself that everything will eventually be fine — even if she sounds only half-convinced.

The instrumentation leaves plenty of room for Jobin’s ethereal vocals to breathe. The guitars begin with a soft hum before cascading into a pronounced crescendo in the final minute, mirroring the emotional swell beneath her delivery.

“Licking My Wounds” pulls no emotional punches. There’s no sense of closure here. Instead, Jobin finds a fragile self-acceptance amid the wreckage:

“It’s okay that the world is ending,” she sighs in one of the song’s opening lines.

Listen to “Licking My Wounds” here: http://tinyurl.com/4be63z9u

(Photo credit/Abigail Mueller)

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On ‘black sheep,’ Brittney Carter moves like a confident outsider

On the opening bar of her new EP black sheep, Chicago lyricist Brittney Carter refers to herself as, well — just that: a black sheep.

“Feelin’ like a black sheep, feelin’ like an outcast / And I ain’t got nothin’ to prove ’cause look who I’ll outlast / not to brag, just a simple observation,” she spits on the opener “pinksweater.”

It’s not entirely clear why Carter views herself that way, but one thing is obvious: she’s creating from a place of confidence and artistic control.

Across four tracks and a brisk 11-minute runtime, Carter delivers a heavy dose of butter-smooth flows and keen, self-aware lyricism over a series of mid-paced, sample-driven beats.

The second track, “doit4less,” is a perfect snapshot of that approach. Over swirling strings and prancing bass, Carter reflects on her headspace at this stage of her career:

“Might just go on a run, might just blow up tonight / I was focused on a show and they was focused on likes,” she rhymes in the song’s first verse

The final two cuts bring more of the same. “urgency” leans into dramatic strings and heavy bass, while closer “untitled” rides an echoey vocal loop and descending piano line.

Carter’s lyrics remain potent throughout:

“And when I step outdoors, headphones on, I’m just tryna block that noise / Tryna filter out the things that I’ve seen so I’m still pure,” she raps on the EP’s closing verse.

Listen to black sheep here: https://tr.ee/AsIVldPRFQ

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Maris O’Tierney finds solace and space on Park Hills Circle debut “Sight of the Moon”

Chicago singer-songwriter Maris O’Tierney has introduced her new solo outfit, Park Hills Circle, with the release of her debut single “Sight of the Moon,” which arrived on Dec. 17.

Formerly a co-leader of the indie-folk outfit Maeve & Quinn, O’Tierney’s move into a solo space finds her expanding her sound rather than retreating inward. On “Sight of the Moon,” she marries Midwest emo–tinged guitar work with Americana-influenced string arrangements, quietly complemented by sparse, deliberate percussion.

O’Tierney weaves the storytelling traditions of her Irish heritage with the vast, mountainous atmosphere of her home state of Alaska, while subtly drawing on her background in classical music. The result is a sound that feels both grounded and expansive, intimate yet windswept.

“‘Sight of the Moon’ is a tender unfolding — a return to myself, and a re-awakening to daily wonders, as my perspective slowly shifted through a disorienting period of change,” O’Tierney said. “I was living alone for the first time, understanding my needs and desires, learning to make a home. The song bridges parts of myself: origins in opera and classical guitar, layered with a loop pedal and nested harmonies. I’ve always centered my spirit through quiet walks in the cold night air, as I did growing up in the Alaska mountains. The song began there.”

Her lyrics are soaked in sorrow and quiet reflection. “I still have the leaf you gave me, the autumn that you left / I still have the grief you gave me, but that’s not all I kept,” she sighs, her crisp, legato vocals stretching effortlessly over the song’s nocturnal instrumentation.

“Sight of the Moon” serves as the lead single from Park Hills Circle’s debut album, All of a Sudden, set for release this spring.

Stream “Sight of the Moon” HERE.

(Photo credit/Maren Celest)

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Friko announce upcoming project ‘Something Worth Waiting For,’ drop “Seven Degrees”

After nearly two years away, Friko is back.

The Chicago indie rock outfit has returned with a poignant new single, “Seven Degrees,” alongside the announcement of their sophomore album Something Worth Waiting For, due out April 24. The record follows their pensive debut, Where We’ve Been, Where We Go From Here.

Built around a melancholy, descending guitar riff, “Seven Degrees” finds lead vocalist Niko Kapetan at his most poetic. “We’re souls in a line, waiting to meet / Waiting for that summer breeze to throw us in each other’s arms,” he belts on the chorus.

The song’s emotional weight swells in its final minute, as a key change ushers in crashing drums, pushing the track toward a cathartic, slow-burn climax.

Stream “Seven Degrees” Here: https://tr.ee/oLhsT5NhJ9

(Photo credit/Adam Powell)

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Sozi drops new EP, teases upcoming studio album

For Sozi, championship season has arrived once more. 

The Chicago-born, Detroit-based emcee is back with a soulful, concise four-track, nine-minute project, Table For One EP, released on Jan. 21. 

The project kicks off the rollout for Sozi’s next full-length album, Championship Season 2, which is slated for a 2027 release date. 

Both aforementioned projects are companion records to Sozi’s 2020 album, Championship Season. 

Across these four tracks, Sozi delivers smooth yet boastful raps over unwound, sample-driven backdrops. 

“Neighborhood Superstar” utilizes a squeaky, smokey saxophone loop while the intro track, “Stay Clear/Devil Is A Lie” is built on a theatrical string section before transitioning into a vocal loop that coos and stretches. 

As per usual, Sozi’s pen game is on point:

“I guess I’m prime Sozi so I gotta three-peat, “ he spits on “Neighborhood Superstar.”

Stream Table For One EP here: https://tr.ee/q95ukbrjv3

(Photo Credit/Paisley Sutton)

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Review: Sugar Bomb brings the funk on ‘Sweet + Explosive’

For Asheville, North Carolina jazz trio Sugar Bomb, 2025 has been a coming out party of sorts.

In May, the trio released their debut EP Sweet, a four track effort centered around spaced out melodies and slow-burning grooves. In September, they released a companion EP EXPLOSIVE, a funkier, more upbeat effort than its predecessor.

Now, the trio — made up of bassist Eli Kahn, drummer Joe Enright and keyboardist Jacob Bruner — has re-released both EP’s as one project, Sweet + Explosive, a debut album that pairs the somber, lyrical lead writing of the first EP with the head-knocking, improvisational focus of the second.

The intro track, “Rubber,” kicks off with some breathy legato synth chords and steady brushstrokes from Enright. It’s a gentle, eery start to the record, easing the listener in with a pleasant kiss on the eardrums. Let us not forget Kahn’s contributions, whose grumbling, pulsating bass lines lay down the perfect backdrop that ties it all together.

The slow cooking feel continues on the second track, “IDK,” which has a guest feature from saxophonist Dylan Hannan, whose earthy, moaning saxophone lines float perfectly over the relaxed instrumental grooves laid down by the trio.

The next two cuts bring more of the same. “Kerosene,” despite its title, is a moody, mid-paced number driven by Bruner’s dreary synths, while “Lullaby” closes out the first half of the project with some more spacey keyboard work and some rhythmic percussion lines from Enright.

The vibe of the project completely changes in its second half. Track five, “Frenzy,” abandons the slow-paced, melodic focus from the first half, pushing the tempo with its driving, off-beat drum patterns and pressing lead melodies that eventually cascade into utter chaos near the end of the song.

The next two tracks, “Issa Vibe” and “Eli Special” are both funky dance numbers, erected upon nifty staccato bass work and some heavily technical improvisational chops from Bruner.

The project closes with “Dance Tune,” which is perhaps the biggest ear worm on the entire record. Alternating between a moody, stripped back melodic riff and a fast-paced dance riff, the trio slowly builds momentum in the song’s closing moments before a satisfying release of tension that closes out the record.

While Sweet + Explosive is essentially a tale of two halves —one half moody, the other half funky — what brings this project together so nicely are the catchy melodies, airy soundscapes and demonstrably high level of musicianship from everyone involved.

Photo credit: Camilla Calnan

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Galaxy Francis drops two-pack, announces upcoming EP

Chicago rapper-singer Galaxy Francis, formerly known as L.A. VanGogh, has carved out his own lane within the local music scene due to his uncanny ability to straddle the line between hip-hop and R&B with ease. When he’s not churning out thought-provoking, Saba-esque rap verses, he’s laying down warm, lively vocal performances, usually over jazz-tinged production topped off with grandiose horn sections and dense vocal layering.

On past projects such as his Everything Is Subjective series, Francis explores the depths of his inner-psyche, his relationships with vice, existentialism and his past.

But after undergoing a name change, announcing the May 24 release of his upcoming EP iNNERGALACTIC: Side A and dropping two brand new singles from the project, Francis is entering a new era as an artist, one where he invites us to blast off with him into outer space.

On this brand new two-pack, Francis trades the jazzy, neo-soul sounds that usually pop up in his music for a more accessible, laidback trap sound without compromising quality.

The first track, “Skip To My Lou,” is a hazy, smoked out tribute to the city of St. Louis. Assembled with minimalism in mind, the instrumental is sparse, consisting of little more than a scampering set of 808s and some broad, watery synths, setting up the perfect backdrop for Francis to deliver his breathy, intimate vocal lines.

“Smoking this, Reefer Alston hit the skip 2 my Lou,” Francis spits in the track’s first line, a poignant triple-entendre referencing his home city while comparing his love of smoking weed to NBA player Rafer Alston’s ball skills that earned him the nickname that also happens to be the track’s namesake. 

The second track, “SOURFACES,” is way busier despite its brief runtime of one minute and 20 seconds. Over a more piercing, urgent set of synths, Francis brings a much faster flow and a lot more clever lines: 

“I can see the future like Eminem in 8 Mile,” he raps in the second half of the song.

While some fans might be taken aback at first by the sudden change in sonic aesthetics, Francis sounds right at home going over these synth-driven trap instrumentals.

Stream “Skip 2 My Lou/SOURFACES” here.

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Chicago rapper Qari packs an emotional punch on “Step by Step”

In the mid 2010s, Chicago hip-hop artist Qari was known for being one third of the eclectic group Hurt Everybody, where his abstract lyricism and chaotic deliveries found a perfect home over producer Mulatto Beats’ psychedelic, genre-bending production. 

In more recent years, as Qari has embarked on a solo career, he has softened his tone and stripped back his sound.

On his 2022 project Stronghold, produced by jazz extraordinaire Eddie Burns, Qari explores the many forms of both grief and loss over a series of nocturnal, barebones instrumentals, making for a moody listen that never runs short on emotional potency.

Back on November 28, Qari returned with his new single “Step by Step,” where he sticks to a very similar formula, yielding himself a result that feels every bit as satisfying.

Qari opens “Step by Step” with a question: “What’s in it for me if I keep running?” The themes of angst and uncertainty that have carried over from Stronghold are ever-present here as Qari searches the ends of the earth for a sense of emotional resolve. 

Qari’s verse plays out as an inner monologue, his soft spoken delivery meandering around a set of chunky, watery synth chords. 

Despite Qari employing his trademark abstract, open-to-interpretation lyrical style, there are glimpses of his emotional headspace that are more concrete: “Never forget we blessed, stay fresh/I wasn’t living with love on my breath,” he raps in the track’s opening seconds.

Stream “Step by Step” Here.

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Daydream Review announce upcoming album, release new single “Have You Found What You’re Looking For?”

“Have You Found What You’re Looking For?,” The lead single from Chicago indie rock outfit Daydream Review’s upcoming album Leisure, opens up with a sheet of icy, kaleidoscopic synths before cascading into an irresistible dreamscape of spacey guitars and heavily layered vocals.

Between legato guitar lines and some dense drum work, lead singer Elijah Montez ponders the existential, formatting the lyrics as a series of questions to self.

“Does it seem clear, what you want?/Or what you need?” Montez belts out, his vocals stretching over the instrumentation like warm mozzarella.

In a press release, Montez said the uncertain lyrical tones of “Have You What You’re Looking For?” mirror some of the broader concepts of the album.

“The overarching theme of the song fits quite well in the context of the album,” Montez said. “Being dissatisfied with work, dissatisfied with the state of the world, and dissatisfied with capitalism at large, and searching for something that can fill in the void that all that dissatisfaction leaves.”

The instrumentation pulls back a bit toward the song’s second half, leaving room for Montez’s reflective words to take center stage, where he asks himself perhaps the most important question of all: “I guess you gotta ask yourself .. have you found what you’re looking for?”

Leisure drops April 7.

Stream “Have You Found What You’re Looking For?” Here.

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On “TRUTH,” Juice Mazelee shares his pain

Chicago hip-hop artist Juice Mazelee loves channeling his pain through song. His 2021 project Hvnsnt (pronounced heaven-sent) is an emotive rumination on hardship, despair and ultimately, personal growth.

His new single “TRUTH,” released on January 5, touches upon a lot of the same sentiments while also packing the same level of emotional punch.

Over a spacey, drawn out synth line and a heavy set of bass kicks, Juice celebrates his successes while drowning in his deepest burdens, all while exuding an undeniable, even-keeled confidence in his delivery throughout.

“I volunteer my heart and story to peers, I saw some shit I always fear so over years I shed tears,” he rhymes, expressing a desire for his personal struggles to be educational for others.

In moments like this, Juice is vulnerable and open, willing to share a piece of himself to the world. In other moments, he’s more closed off, yet every bit as revealing:

“Can never show ’em what I feel, won’t see emotions from me/Mama’s baby coldhearted, stuck with PTSD,” he spits jarringly in the second verse.

Despite the piercing level of emotional intensity, Juice sounds completely comfortable on the mic. His tone is confident and ever-so-slightly gruff, never wavering in his belief in himself.

“TRUTH” sees Juice picking up right where he left off from previous releases. Sharing his pain is his bread and butter, and as the calendar flips to 2023, he is sounding smoother than ever doing just that.

Stream “TRUTH” on Spotify here.