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Aleksandra Picariello – Don’t Fly Away
Aleksandra Picariello Finds No Easy Exit on “Don’t Fly Away”
Aleksandra Picariello explores the uneasy space between knowing a relationship needs to end and still wanting to hold onto it on “Don’t Fly Away.” Rather than treating heartbreak as a clean break, the song sits with the contradiction of grief, attachment and self-awareness.
A graduate of Berklee College of Music’s Film Scoring program, Picariello brings a cinematic sense of scale to the track, pairing lo-fi textures with rock-driven momentum and dramatic pop flourishes. The arrangement mirrors the emotional tension at its centre, moving between intimacy and release. “Don’t Fly Away” captures the messier reality of letting go: understanding what is necessary while still mourning what might have been.
Hannah Dorman – Bad Habit
Hannah Dorman Gives In to the Rush on “Bad Habit”
Hannah Dorman captures the giddy, slightly chaotic pull of infatuation on “Bad Habit,” a bright pop track built around the feeling of having someone suddenly occupy far too much of your attention. Playful lyrics and an easy summer energy give the song its immediate charm, while Dorman’s vocal performance keeps pace with its restless excitement.
Working with Sam Ray on the arrangement, Dorman pairs that romantic rush with crisp, upbeat production designed to move. There is little interest here in overcomplicating the feeling: “Bad Habit” leans into the fun of attraction before certainty enters the picture. The result is buoyant, unabashed pop that understands how consuming a new crush can feel.
Falcon – What 2 Say
Falcon Brings Jazz Precision to a Sleek, Self-Made Pop Sound
Falcon arrives with the kind of debut that feels meticulously built and quietly personal. On “What 2 Say,” the self-taught artist, producer, mix engineer and songwriter folds jazz-trained guitar work into trap-leaning drums, luminous synths and intimate, autotuned vocals, giving the track a push-pull tension that feels both polished and human. It’s the sound of someone who learned the rules, then started bending them with intent.
Written, produced, mixed and mastered entirely by Falcon, the single carries the precision of a craftsman and the instinct of a restless listener. There’s a touch of Radiohead’s unease, a hint of Kid Cudi’s melodic drift, and the warm harmonic language of Pat Metheny and Wes Montgomery underneath it all. “What 2 Say” doesn’t overexplain itself; it reaches, glows and leaves room for the next move.
New Sunday – The Empty Street
New Sunday Lets the Silence Speak on “The Empty Street”
New Sunday’s “The Empty Street” moves like a dusk-lit drive through the edges of rock, folk, and a little country dust. Built from strings, vocal harmonies, and a steady drum pulse, the track has the feel of something carefully assembled in the studio but emotionally loose at the seams. Einar Askelsson writes with a storyteller’s eye, and here he keeps the frame tight: just four chords, yet enough space for the melody to breathe and the lyric to carry the weight.
That restraint gives the song its pull. Elizabeth Monroe’s vocal steadies the center, while Simon Jones’ production lets the arrangement swell without crowding it. New Sunday may be a studio project, but it doesn’t sound remote; it sounds like someone turning memory, recovery, and craft into a song that lingers after the last note fades.
Anwai – 4ever HD
Anwai Pick Up the Thread on “4ever HD”
Anwai Swedish duo Anwai reconnect with their self-described “Trip-pop” sound on “4ever HD,” folding pop, trip hop and indietronica into a hazy, home-built production. Mons Lorenzen and Amadeus began making music together more than a decade ago, and the track picks up that collaboration without treating the intervening years as something that needs explaining away.
Recorded largely from their respective homes, “4ever HD” moved back and forth between Logic and Ableton before receiving its final touches in a pub studio. That informal process suits Anwai’s music: detailed without sounding overly polished, and grounded in the familiarity of two longtime collaborators. Rather than a reinvention, the track feels like a continuation of a creative language they already know well.
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