Pulling Me Back - Vallis Alps
‘Pulling Me Back’ is the first track off Vallis Alps’s latest EP Nothing More Than Human, showcasing a unique flavour of summery electronica, packed with the most gorgeous marshmallow-y tones. The production scratches my brain in all the right ways, with a great balance of percussive dryness and warmth in the vocals and synths. The lyrics capture the confusion of needing to move past an old pattern, but feeling stuck between making the leap into the unknown or sticking it out to work through a situation. It’s one of those universal feelings we’ve all struggled with at one point or another, and Vallis Alps have welded it effortlessly to a dance-inducing sonic landscape.
For fans of: Wolf Alice, Mansionair, Dave Winnel
He Didn’t Mean It - Stella Bridie
I feel SO seen listening to this song. Sonically, I’d draw parallels to the likes of Asha Jeffries and the Odyssey Number Five era of Powderfinger, but the power in this tune lies in its storytelling. Perhaps the perfect sequel to Stella Donnelly’s ‘Boys Will Be Boys’, ‘He Didn’t Mean It’ calls out the shrugging-off of male violence and normalisation of violent imagery of women across pop culture. Lyrics like “I hate those fucking murder shows, girls get stripped for parts as background noise in people’s cars, you don’t see what’s wrong with it” give voice to the anger and discomfort women are socialised to keep inside, and the chorus holds the song’s title in derision. It’s also one heck of an ear-worm that you won’t be able to help but sing along to.
For fans of: Stella Donnelly, Asha Jeffries, Powderfinger
Just Like North - Angie McMahon
To all the recovering perfectionists and burnt-out “gifted” kids - this song is probably exactly what you need to hear. I find much of Angie McMahon’s discography to be healing and cathartic, and this song is no exception. Featuring a gentleness and nurturing quality that lives in the same universe as her latest album Light, Dark, Light Again, ‘Just Like North’ coos to the listener that pain and failure are “on every map, just like North is” and “in every year, just like August”, reminding and reassuring us that experiencing these things is okay, holding space to feel and move through the discomfort. McMahon’s voice is as full and expressive as ever, and this song was an instant make-me-less-sad-playlist add for me.
For fans of: London Grammar, Julia Jacklin
Is It Ever Gonna Make Sense? - Budjerah
This is a great indie-pop bop from Budjerah, sitting in the realms of Tyne James-Organ and Sam Fender. ‘Is It Ever Gonna Make Sense?’ talks about social burnout, and the guilt around feeling unable to connect with people you “should” feel close to. Budjerah has got to have one of the most impressive voices in Australian pop music right now - you can hear the inspiration from gospel vocalists and RnB artists shine through in select moments throughout the indie-pop landscape of this song, and these moments are the cherry on top for a very catchy tune.
For fans of: Tyne James-Organ, Sam Fender
Nostalgia Is My Enemy - Lyric
Beginning with intimate keyboard chords and building to en epic stadium-sized climax, ‘Nostalgia Is My Enemy’ is the title track off the sophomore EP from Gold Coast pop princess Lyric. Reminiscing on her childhood and longing for the joys of the past, this is a moving take on girlhood and the universal feeling of not wanting to grow up. Lyric’s music is all self-produced, and her skill and songwriting chops are taking her places - fresh off there back of playing Bigsound and supporting Griff at the Princess Theatre, she is one of QLD’s most exciting up-and-coming artists.
For fans of: Queen, Olivia Rodrigo
Hollow - Betty Taylor
For me, the perfect indie tune needs to do 3 things: 1. Hit me in the feels, 2. Groove so I can dance my feelings out in my bedroom, 3. Feature a guitar riff that I can sing along to. Betty Taylor have nailed the brief with their latest single ‘Hollow’, encapsulating feelings of loneliness, self-doubt, and the struggle to fully move on. I particularly love the outro, where the band cuts to reveal a soft, shimmery, stripped back delivery of the chorus. It’s a moment of vulnerability that perfectly bookends the song’s story.
For fans of: Boy & Bear, Hope D, Orla Gartland
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