An exciting week for new music, and new artists. Here is Amplify’s top music picks of the week, from all the new releases.

Massachusetts – Jensen McRae:

Jensen uses her authentic songwriting skills in this piece, to take the audience on a personal journey of healing tied with a rhythmic beat. The specific lyricism feels as if you are stepping into a character’s shoes but also allowing the themes of healing and letting go to be so relative to your own life. There is also a nostalgic production to it that yet feels so fresh and aligns with her tone. Definitely on repeat. Originally, this record started with just her unique voice and a piano on TikTok, gaining traction and many people stating that the tone is like that of Tracy Chapman, which is completely evident but still has that originality. If you are a fan of artists such as Lizzy McAlpine and Tracy Chapman, I highly recommend checking her out below:

Family Business – Eve Christina:

Pairing honest lyricism with a heightened instrumental beat, this singer-songwriter creates such a uniquely beautiful record with ‘Family Business’. Exploring more personal topics, Eve adds a lot of depth to her records, especially this one. Lyrics such as “I can’t help but think that it’s somewhat genetic,” and “I see it’s just a family business” allude to the themes of family hardships – where you can feel disconnected at times. Themes of hardships and healing are evident in this track and her discography, as she gives a comforting voice to the listeners’ feelings – as they continue to connect to her work. It is evident Eve is completely authentic in her work and style of music, as she continues to bring in an audience. She is almost incomparable to any other artist with her incredible tone of voice, and captivating style of writing – so if you are looking for a fresh artist on the scene, you can listen to her below:

Angel Food – Cozi Zuehlsdorff

The title track off of Cozi’s latest EP – Angel Food, Vol. 1, and my favourite track at that. Her storytelling ability in her lyricism and production, make you feel as if you have stepped into a movie storyline – a magical one. There is a theme of ‘angels’ within the production to – Cozi takes on a higher tone towards the end of the song, for a whole verse, as well as there being an echo in her sound when she repeats the lyrics, “I’m trying.” This higher tone is reminiscent of angels, as well as the calming production, including the violins which also remind me of such. I personally love the higher range staying during a large portion of the song. The production then fastens alongside her voice, which leaves the song to be harsher in comparison to that ‘angelic’ sound at the start and end (although remaining with an angelic voice). I believe that is to go alongside how the storyline gets more harsh/worse. However, it finishes with that softer sound. I love how the production also takes on a storyline, something I see evident in all of Zuehlsdorff’s work. You can check out the entire EP below:

Sick Of Your Face – Sandhouse:

A new discovery as Sandhouse released their first single, Sick Of Your Face. This record is more focused into the rock genre, with a uniquely fresh production (composed by Caspar Holloway and Anna Sutherland), that drew me to this work straight away. With the vocalist, Anna Sutherland, blending her incredible vocals in the record, elevating the sound. Her tone of voice is like artists such as Maisie Peters but has that rock undertone, that is uniquely hers. This group feels as if they have been on the music scene for years (however their music has so much originality to it), so it is quite hard to believe they are only just starting. A group to watch on the rock scene, as they continue their musical journey. You can stream this record below:

Girl – Stevie Bill:

Stevie Bill writes on themes of challenges women face in society, specifically in relation to how women are perceived and the expectations and double standards set in relationships. However, she remains to feel almost free about it, with the chorus being more light-hearted in the lyrics, ‘I’m just a girl,’ repeated – a referenced phrase used currently in the social media world. The lyricism is what drew me to this song, taking from her personal experiences but also in a way that can relate to all women. One lyric in particular that the artist had posted on her Instagram story as her favourite lyric is (which is also mine) is, “…and so what if I wear the same socks 3 days in a row? You might think I’m pretty but you don’t really know me.” Stevie further explains that to her these lyrics mean that “she feels forced to be obsessed with perfection on the outside and also for others.” However in this line, she is stating that she doesn’t really care about what others want to see her as, because they don’t truly know her past first appearance. Stevie goes onto say in the post, “There’s just so much more to me then how you have chosen to me.” That is a perfect phrase to sum up the record and its’ meaning as her incredible songwriting abilities connect with the listeners. Link to the song below:

Bedbugs – Charlie Bennett:

Bedroom pop is the definition of Charlie Bennett’s music, as he releases the 3^rd single for his upcoming “sweetie” EP. The production value on this track is astounding, as he also adds a guitar solo towards the end, playing towards his talents, and something I gravitated towards on the track on the first listen. In the record, he uses the metaphor of bedbugs to describe how overthinking can really affect relationships, and can get to a point where it feels as if there are literal “bedbugs” in his brain – as it is a constant stream. In the chorus, Bennett writes, “Cause I’ve got bed bugs in my brain and they’ve been driving me insane, and you think you understand but you don’t know who I am.” To me, he is showing how no matter what others say around him to reassure about his concerns, he will still have that weight of overthinking amongst him. This is also an important topic to talk about within his music, and that listeners can relate to. This combined, can make for this song to be incredible live. Link to the song below: