Starting in the summer of 2025, a slew of artists pulled their music from Spotify, citing Daniel Ek, Spotify’s CEO and co-founder, funding of defense company Helsing through his investment fund (Prima Materia). Helsing was founded in 2021 and is a German tech startup. Helsing initially functioned as a software company, providing AI defense software. They have since began manufacturing military strike drones. This decision, as well as Spotify’s recent controversies involving ghost artist schemes and platforming AI music, has led to a notable roster of artists leaving the platform. These artists included Deerhoof (who were quoted saying ‘We don’t want our music killing people’), Hotline TNT, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, Xiu Xiu (who called Spotify ‘a garbage hole violent armageddon portal’), Leah Senior, Dr Sure’s Unusual Practice, David Bridie, Massive Attack, Deradoorian, and Sylvan Esso. Additionally, Kalahari Oyster Cult pulled their entire labels catalogue. Spotify was also criticized for underpaying artists at this time.
And that brings us to the present, which appears to be pretty messy for Spotify. There is some notable restructuring occurring, and one must wonder if these moves are related to the recent backlash. Spotify claims that Daniel Ek stepping down as CEO is simply ‘a formality’, as his replacements, Chief Product and Technology Officer Gustav Söderström and Chief Business Officer Alex Norström, have already been tackling the majority of day to day operations and direction. They will still report to Ek, and Ek mentioned continuing to pursue AI opportunities as part of Spotify’s long game. Spotify shares dropped 5% following that announcement. David Kaefer, a senior executive in charge of Spotify’s music and audiobook business, has also announced his departure from the company after seven years.
In this same moment, musicians are standing on business and bringing receipts. Spotify recently stated that they are cracking down on AI ‘slop’ and want to protect the artists on their platform, but we have yet to see meaningful change.
Post-hardcore band Holding Absence made the following statement on X after an AI ‘band’ named Bleeding Verse, which was verified to be partially modeled after them, amassed more streams than them on spotify in a very short time:
“So an AI ‘band’ who cite us as an influence (ie, it’s modelled off our music) have just overtaken us on Spotify, in only two months. It’s shocking, it’s disheartening, it’s insulting – most importantly – it’s a wake-up call. Oppose AI music, or bands like us stop existing”.
Sylvan Esso took a stance as well, releasing their first single in three years, entitled ‘WDID’, while simultaneously announcing their departure from Spotify. The band states:
“We simply can’t continue to put our life’s work in a store that, in addition to all it’s other glaring flaws, directly funds war machines”.
Will Spotify enact meaningful change in response to these moves? Only time will tell.
I met with Jean outside Bridgestone Arena. He comes off the bus with shades, metallic earrings, and a vintage Deftones shirt that most people my age would sell their kidneys for. The thing that stood out the most was his smile, a kind but firm one. Leaving no room for doubt, the person he presents on stage is not just that. The crowds of people lobbed compliments his way. He returns them with honest gratitude. Without pause, he would respond to the person passing us, then flow directly into the latter half of the answer to my question. He treats both the fans and me with a level of sincerity that far surpasses what would have been acceptable for an artist who had just opened for Linkin Park.
Let alone one fresh from the release of his single Rock A Bye Baby from his upcoming deluxe. Jean is an enigma; any label applied would be shed by the time this prints. The 29-year-old is a jack of all trades. His third studio album, Glimmer of God, dropped late last year. Weaving ’80s pop with ’70s guitars and vocals straight out of a unique existence. The record is impressive, the next step in what I would consider an era primed for Jean. Which seems to be what he wants. Luckily, I got to touch on some of this with him…
I’m going to give you some anime characters, and you tell me what you think their favorite song or genre would be.
Saiki k-: Ambient
Freiren: Bob Marley
Tetsuo: I’ve seen footage of Death Grips
Kakashi: When Doves Cry, Prince
One piece of media you think everyone should watch, read, or listen to?
“Everybody should listen to and read Dungeon Crawler Carl. It’s a great audiobook; I think the author is Matt Dinniman, but I could be wrong. (he is correct.) Everyone should listen to the soundtrack to Max Richter’s 2004 opus rendition. (cannot find a 2004 version, but there is a recording from 2020). They should watch Summer Wars.”
One album that got played the most at home as a kid?
“What’s Too Short’s second record? The one where the second one is in a player? (he asks his long-time manager, who he labeled as a big brother figure.) Players– sick.”
In a lot of articles, everyone asks you about genre; it’s a very common thread that may be a hard question to answer. I know I’m now one of those people, but do you find genre discourse important?
“Sure, in the same way when you go into the grocery store, you’re looking for cucumbers, and you’re not going to go to the pillow section. Or you’re in Target and you want to find a fucking phone charger; you’re not going to look in this other section. So, for the ease of categorization, genre will always be important. I think I’m the product of a generation that’s had every type of music available at our fingertips. I was born in ’95, so by the time I was 10, I had my first MP3 player. With that being said, for me, I’m more concerned about era jumping than genre bending or genre confinement. I want to explore what the 70s are. I want to explore what the 80s were. It’s like I’m borrowing nostalgia and mutating it while also preserving it. So yeah, for the sake of you wanting to find something and you wanting the ease of finding it, I think definitely genre is important. But I think it shouldn’t dictate what you like; it’s just words.”
Speaking of the availability of music, in a Lollapalooza interview, you mentioned the encyclopedia of music we have available today. As an artist, do you think fans expect more because they hear more or are more open to hearing new things?
“I think for a long time music has been bottlenecked, right? Access to being able to put out music was limited or confined to knowing someone who had the proper tools and resources. Now, in the generation we have and live in, kids have BandLabs; they have all these programs they can use to make music. So now you are getting a full spectrum of people echoing one another in an echo chamber. But also coming up with new ideas. I think people are always going to be looking for something to score a moment of their life. Music has served that purpose for generations, since music began. I think now, one of the biggest/most important things we have is a bridge to that. That gets way too nuanced. You like shoegaze? What about the shoegaze from Delaware or the shoegaze from Milwaukee, or rather, New Jersey? You can get really granular about the things you like and how they influence you. I think people are more open to finding what makes them tick. So more music is better, in my opinion.”
A lot of times, you talk about wanting to be a supplement to people. Where did the idea start from, and who would you say was a supplement to your life in the way you want to be for others?
“Do you take vitamins? I think the study is that you only keep 5% of the vitamins in your system. I could be misquoting, but the rest you piss out. That’s what we are as musicians; you take the 5% of the thing that helps you get by. I don’t idealize or idolize musicians. They’re just fucking humans, but I do think the impact they have on the world in general supplements a generation of sound and supplements a generation of truth. From person to person, it will change, but for me, other musicians have supplemented me a lot more than 5%. That’s just because I live and breathe it. It sticks to my ribs a little harder. I have a lot, all of them, every musician who has come before. Music doesn’t come from me, but through me. So I think I’ve been supplemented by everything.”
I like that more; it feels more complete.
“Yeah, my inheritance makes me a nepo baby. As in not that my parents are rich, none of that. I have none of that in my family. I was the first person in my family to make art. I’m not the first person who’s been an artist. So my nepotism doesn’t come from wealth that will buy you a car, but the wealth that supplements the soul. Every musician has impacted me, whether I listened to them or not.”
Before Glimmer of God dropped, you talked about being on the precipice of your “opus.” Is that a feeling of motivation?
“Yeah, I said it before: I hate absolution. Opus is absolution; it’s like this is the best thing you will ever make. My opus will be my children; they will be the best creation I’ve ever made. Now I don’t have children, nor is anybody pregnant around me, but that’s the only absolution I like. We live, we die; everything in the middle is wishful thinking. So if I’m always chasing the unattainable goal, I think it will make my work better.”
What is one stop on the tour that really stuck with you?
“This show, Nashville. You can feel when people are surrounded by music. You know, walking around, whoa, there’s a dude singing his heart out on the corner. The audience—they are open to music; when you feel it, it’s pretty undeniable. Whenever I play in Minneapolis, it’s just the influence Prince had on me that always feels special, too.”
Speaking of Nashville at this show and your last time here, you covered James Brown’s “It’s a Man’s World.” What was the reason for that, and was it a stop-by-stop thing or when it felt right?
“When it feels right. If there’s no James Brown, there’s no Michael Jackson. If there’s no James Brown, there’s no Prince. You can kind of say if there’s no James Brown, there’s no Hendrix. If there’s no Larry Graham, there’s no Prince. It’s just kind of an homage to the people who came before me. In a way, it’s like the spirit still lives. It’s why I want to do Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A.”; that’s the same feeling for me.”
Does it feel like a passing of the torch?
“I wouldn’t say that unless they gave it to me themselves. What I will say is I don’t want people to forget. I think now in music we are impressed with 15 seconds. That’s all we get to figure out if we like something. I’d rather make music that lasts 15 generations, not 15 minutes, 15 seconds, or 15 years. I want 15 generations of people. Not for my own fucking stature or whatever. Really, from the idea that if I did one thing, and some kid from the middle of nowhere is like, ‘I like that thing.’ Then I want to utilize that thing because we are all tools for the next. Every musician is nuanced from the musicians who came before them. I just want to do my part of leaving little breadcrumbs of ‘Hey, man, you can do that.’ There’s nothing that says you can’t.”
A lot of your creative ideas are complex, multi-layered music, visuals, videos, and characters. How important is it that the people around you don’t need to understand but just trust your creative vision
“It’s definitely important that my team has a lot of trust in me. I call my manager, who’s like my older brother (Greg Mateo). I’ll call him at 3 am, being like, ‘I have this idea!’ He wakes up, and he’s like, ‘okay.’ He needs to say something. I need to tell someone, or I’m going to explode, and he listens. I’m like, ‘Look, I want to do visuals.’ When I did Chaos Now I wanted to do a chapter book like a kids’ novel. I want it to be inspired by this one single quote: ‘It’s no fun when the rabbit has the gun.’ So the rabbit for me is like, ‘Fucking, how deep do you want to get?’ Not understanding yourself is why it was chaotic. Chaos Now was written in crayon. Not literally, but that’s what it felt like. It felt like it had to be written in crayon. It has run-on sentences. He’s like, ‘I don’t know what the fuck you are talking about, but I trust you; it’s going to sound fine.'”
You’ve toured with a lot of cool artists. How important is the variety of experiences, for example, Quadeca versus Linkin Park? Different collaborators like A$AP Rocky and SZA. How do you go about choosing that, and what do you take from those experiences?
“I say no a lot, just because sometimes I feel like I can’t add to anything. I get offered to do something, and I’m like, ‘I can’t add to your world.’ Your world is fully encompassed within itself. Sometimes the little nerd in me comes out, putting A$AP Rocky over an acoustic guitar; that’s interesting. Me and SZA having a really stripped-back singing scene song. We confess things, and I feel like there’s a certain amount of honesty. Especially in “No Szns”, that’s just honest. Bearing yourself to the idea, you’re going to be perceived no matter what. So let me tell you a little bit about myself. I hate doing features. I don’t want a feature, I don’t want to be on a feature, and I don’t want to ask anyone for a feature. What I will say is that no one wins an award for art being innately masturbatory. Where it’s like self-fulfilling, you’re jerking yourself off. I think one of the coolest things that happens in music is that there are crossovers that the world doesn’t know it needs. You might do it, and the world still doesn’t need it, but you allow that to happen. Take two of your favorite artists that have nothing to do with each other. Put them in a room and go have fun. Figure it out; maybe something beautiful happens. Maybe it’s like, ‘Oh, that was cool; it’s a mute note.’ I think being open to the idea of it has allowed me to explore in different ways. Doing tours with Yachty, Linkin Park, and this variety. People are like, ‘What genre are you?’ I can go play with whoever because at the end of the day, genre is only important when I’m trying to file a cabinet, not when I’m trying to experience this emotion. I can put all the sad songs in one pile and be like, ‘These are all the sad songs that have ever been made.’ Do they all sound the same? Fuck no. Are they all the same genre? Fuck no. Are they all played in minor? Most of them would be, but they all fit.”
Are we ever going to get a Spanish album?
“Absolutely, but it’s got to be great. In order for it to be great, it has to find its identity. I didn’t want to do something that’s contrived. I wanted to do something that’s of my influences and how I push them forward. In a way where I’m taking things, mutating them, but also preserving what they mean to people already. I really want to do an imitation of a song called “Payaso” by Javier Solis. It’s my grandfather’s favorite artist and song. I’ve tried to do it like a hundred times, and every single time it’s wrong. When I find a way that’s right, we will get there. “
How important is inspiration from that love from the person in your life that made you feel that? That leads to a song or moment?
“It’s everything, man. “The Boy and the Swan”, it’s one of the most important moments in my life that has ever happened. It happened in front of an audience of a thousand people. I played a show in Vegas; it was the first time my mom and dad were in the same room together since I was a child. They got divorced or whatever. I’m singing “Power Freaks”, and I’m coming off stage to give my mom a hug. While the song is still playing, I give him a hug, then I’m like, “move, you’re going to make me cry.” Then I go around to the other side, and my dad gives me a hug. I feel both my parents hugging me, and I feel like I’m in my mom’s womb. The boy and the swan is about that specific moment. After that show, I couldn’t talk for an hour. I had to sit by myself. My parents don’t talk to each other or communicate, but in that moment, they both gave me a hug. They were hugging each other, and I felt like a baby. Those moments that feel like love are few and far between. When they do happen, they are really important.“
Three decades after Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness reshaped the landscape of alternative rock, The Smashing Pumpkins are celebrating the album’s legacy with a massive 30th anniversary reissue and a series of high-profile collaborations that put a fresh twist on their most iconic work.
Set for release on November 21 via UMe, the reissue features three new editions, including a deluxe four-disc CD set and a limited six-LP vinyl box set. The centerpiece is over 80 minutes of unreleased live recordings from the band’s 1996 Infinite Sadness tour — a rare glimpse into the Pumpkins at the peak of their original lineup’s powers. The vinyl version also comes packed with a hardbound book of new liner notes by Billy Corgan, a custom tarot deck, frameable lithographs, and more, all tucked inside a velvet slipcase.
Corgan called the discovery of the tapes “bittersweet,” describing them as a window into a band on the brink of transformation. “Once we blew apart in 1996, we were never quite the same emotionally or spiritually,” he said. “Thankfully, I can say this as the band is now enjoying our greatest public success since that time.”
Originally released in October 1995, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness was a landmark moment for the band. The sprawling double album spawned timeless singles like “1979,” “Tonight, Tonight,” “Zero,” and “Bullet with Butterfly Wings,” earning seven Grammy nominations and eventually going Diamond. The new reissue captures the chaos and brilliance of the album’s original tour, with restored live versions of deep cuts like “Thru the Eyes of Ruby” and “Bodies,” alongside roaring renditions of the hits.
But the celebration doesn’t stop with the music.
In late November, Corgan will partner with the Lyric Opera of Chicago for a one-of-a-kind series titled A Night of Mellon Collie and Infinite Sadness. Running for seven nights, the show will feature reimagined orchestral arrangements of the album’s most beloved songs. Corgan will be joined by conductor James Lowe and a cast of operatic vocalists, including soprano Sydney Mancasola and baritone Edward Parks. The performances also feature costume design from House of Gilles and promise an immersive experience fusing opera, art, and alternative rock.
Meanwhile, Corgan has also teamed with Chicago’s Vosges Haut-Chocolat for The Mellon Collie Sessions, a limited-edition chocolate box set inspired by the album. Available starting October 21, it includes six custom chocolate bars, a collectible poster, and flavor combinations named after classic tracks like “Zero,” “1979,” and “Tonight, Tonight.” The ingredients come from Madame Zuzu’s, the tea house Corgan co-founded in Highland Park.
The anniversary festivities cap off a prolific run for the Pumpkins, who in recent years have released Cyr, the three-part Atum rock opera, and 2024’s Aghori Mhori Mei, all while continuing to headline sold-out shows worldwide. The reissue of Mellon Collie comes hot on the heels of the long-awaited 25th anniversary re-release of Machina, which finally presented the 2000 album in the form the band originally intended.
Now, with one of the greatest albums of the 1990s back in the spotlight, The Smashing Pumpkins are giving fans old and new the chance to revisit a masterpiece — not just through remastered tracks and rarities, but through chocolate, opera, and a reminder of just how far the band has come.
As an elder emo who based her entire personality on Something to Write Home About & Guilt Show in her youth, I needed no introduction to Matt Pryor. Yesterday, Matt shared his second single from his new solo album, The Salton Sea, entitled “The Dishonesty”.
Alongside the track, he released a video, directed by Josh Berwanger of The Anniversary. Matt shared the following: “This is a song about lying and hurting the people you love when you’re in the throes of addiction. I think Josh really captured the insanity of how that feels”.
The previously released title-track/ lead single from this album earned high praise from industry giants like Alternative Press, Brooklyn Vegan, and Stereogum.
The 10-track, self-produced LP also featured mixing & production assistance from Peter Katis of the National and Interpol. Additionally, the album title carries deep meaning. The Salton Sea is a ‘terminal’ lake in SoCal; a terminal lake never has new water flow into it, and its salinity increases constantly due to evaporation / pollution. This area used to be a popular attraction among the rich and famous in the 50’s and 60’s, but has since transformed into a wasteland. Matt draws comparisons between this and the feelings of being a shadow of your younger self while in active addiction. These feelings mounted in 2022 & 2023, when addiction fully took over, and Matt was able to make the decision to get sober and stay on the right side of the dirt.
Matt says the following: “The story that these songs tell is about that time in my life. Autumn rolling into spring because the winter was a blackout. How the good times were great until one day they weren’t. How I lost myself and hurt people that I care about. How I got help that didn’t stick and how I lost faith in the help that did. That I came out on the other side of the whole ordeal only to realize I am still a work in progress, that we all are”.
The Salton Sea is available for pre-order (in a gorgeous coke bottle green vinyl format) from Nightshoes SyndicateL Matt Pryor – The Salton Sea
The Salton Sea will be released November 14, 2025.
Sleeping With Sirens has announced the unfortunate news that their ‘Don’t Let The Party Die’ Tour, with friends Stand Atlantic and Heart to Gold, is cancelled. Frontman Kellin Quinn, made the following statement on social media : “Hey SWS family. Kellin here, my wife has been struggling with some health issues since the end of the tour and for the entirety of my time off. She is now scheduled to have a surgery in the coming weeks and her recovery time after is uncertain. While we’re trying to figure it all out, I’m making the tough decision to cancel the upcoming SWS tour and my guest appearance with From First To Last at Furnace Fest (they will still be performing). My place is at home until we can solve this and she is recovered. I love you all very much and thank you for understanding”.
Despite this turn of events, Stand Atlantic, are making the best of it. While expressing their well wishes to Kellin and family, They made the following announcement on socials : “hey guys – unfortunately the dates w sleeping w sirens we were scheduled to play have been cancelled due to personal reasons which we obviously respect and support as its a tough decision for any band to make. That being said, we have had to adapt and act fairly quickly w our own plans. We didn’t want to cancel our headlines and dont wanna let you guys down, we have added 2 more shows in CHICAGO + INDIANAPOLIS. We understand its late notice however both these cities are some of our faves to play – so no matter what we kno yall will bring the rage. Tickets r on sale FRIDAY 2PM EDT and we cant wait to c u all on this run. Thank you for understanding as always!”
We wish Kellin and family well, and encourage you to purchase Stand Atlantic tickets here :
Tickets for SWS headline dates in October will be refunded at point of purchase.
Hey SWS family. Kellin here, my wife has been struggling with some health issues since the end of the PTV tour and for the entirety of my time off. She is now scheduled to have a surgery in the… pic.twitter.com/G0AYEeWcUs
TL;DR – sleeping w sirens tour is cancelled – we added 2 new headline shows to our run to try n make it up – we love u – tix on sale 2pm FRIDAY EST pic.twitter.com/NW8ZpoZehJ
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees, YES, kick off the first date of The Fragile Tour 2025.
“The Fragile Tour 2025” Art
The Fragile Tour 2025
Tonight, October 1, YES kicks off their 2025 fall tour in Wallingford, Connecticut, at the Toyota Oakdale Theater. It is the first of 25 stops, which will conclude on November 11, at the Grant Theater at The Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nevada.
The tour will feature the band performing their iconic early 70s album, Fragile, in its entirety, along with memorable cuts from their other works. Tickets can be found here.
They will be performing in front of a video wall, displaying animated artwork by Roger Dean. Dean has a longtime relationship with YES, and Fragile was the band’s first album to be designed by him. The wall will feature animated logos and artwork as they play. His artwork will also be on display in the merch area for attendees to admire. “The first time I watched the animations with the music was just incredible; it’s wonderful that it was so much more powerful with both together,” says Dean.
Importance of Fragile
YES’s fourth studio album, Fragile, was a crucial one for the band’s history. It was released in the United Kingdom in November 1971 and later in the United States in January 1972. The album brought its signature songs “Roundabout”, “Long Distance Runaround”, and “Heart of Sunrise” into the world, and resulted in the original Fragile Tour. The original Fragile Tour was a monumental time in YES history, as it was the moment they became a headlining act.
“All the band’s albums had a unique feel and approach,” reflects guitarist and vocalist Steve Howe, “After ‘The Yes Album,’ so many things came together, with [co-producer] Eddie Offord steering the proceedings. While the band focused on only four main songs with full arrangements, each of us wrote and designed a solo piece, which was Bill [Bruford]’s great idea. It’s fairly ‘odd-ball,’ but we were at the height of our creativity, determined for success.” Howeadds, “It gave us confidence, further than our own in-stock belief, we’d crafted this unusual but noticeable musical twist to rock and what later became prog.”
Tour Dates
10/1 – Wallingford, CT – Toyota Oakdale Theater
10/2 – Morristown, NJ – Mayo Performing Arts Center
10/4 – Atlantic City, NJ – Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena
10/5 – Port Chester, NY – The Capitol Theatre
10/7 – Huntington, NY – The Paramount
10/8 – Glenside, PA – Keswick Theatre
10/9 – Glenside, PA – Keswick Theatre
10/11 – York, PA – Appell Center for the Performing Arts
10/12 – Jim Thrope, PA -Penn’s Peak
10/14 – Washington, DC – Warner Theatre
10/16 – Durham, NC – Carolina Theatre
10/18 – Clearwater, FL – Ruth Eckerd Hall
10/19 – Ft Lauderdale, FL – Broward Center, Au-Rene Theater
10/21 – The Villages, FL – Sharon L. Morse Performing Arts Center
10/22 – Charleston, SC – Charleston Music Hall
10/24 – Atlanta, GA – Coca-Cola Roxy
10/25 – Memphis, TN – Graceland Soundstage
10/27 – Louisville, KY – The Louisville Palace
10/28 – Cincinnati, OH – Taft Theatre
10/30 – Indianapolis, IN – Murat Theatre at Old National Centre
10/31 – Des Plaines, IL – Des Plaines Theatre
11/1 – St. Charles, IL – The Arcada Theatre
11/3 – Madison, WI – The Orpheum Theater
11/4 – Milwaukee, WI – The Riverside Theater
11/6 – St. Louis, MO – Stifel Theatre
11/7 – Omaha, NE – Steelhouse Omaha
11/9 – Denver, CO – Paramount Theatre
11/11 – Mesa, AZ – Mesa Arts Center
11/13 – Inglewood, CA – YouTube Theater
11/14 – Alpine, CA – Viejas Casino
11/16 – Reno, NV – Grand Theatre at The Grand Sierra Resort
Marcus King Band has done it again with an incredible album. Darling Blue is an album that takes listeners on a journey through a blend of Americana, rock, and blues influences, accompanied by raw emotional confessions.
We are welcomed into the album through the acoustic opening of “On & On”, held down by a simple drumbeat. The pattern is pierced by King’s distinctive voice. One of the song’s highlights is the fun harmonies, which build throughout the song. The chorus and tag are extremely catchy and will have the listener singing along, “On and on and off again.” The ending brings us back to the beginning with a simple instrumental, fronted by King’s voice, and this time backed by a simple harmony.
“Heartlands” stands out as a true highlight of the album. King’s soulful vocals are complemented by vivid lyrics, such as “I see you in every other neon sign.” The imagery paints a clear picture, drawing the listener deeper into the song’s world. A simple melody floats over the upbeat instrumental, characterized by strings. The energy escalates in the extremely catchy chorus, where the vocals chant “Love you like a Sunday morning, hallelujah,” showcasing a deep and almost spiritual love. Throughout the track, instrumental breaks frame the catchy chorus. The song winds down with a melody surrounded only by an acoustic guitar and vocals, landing on the final word of the song, the title.
Jesse Welles made an appearance on “Somebody Else”. The electric guitar played a catchy riff throughout the song, adding a touch of rock to the piece. The pair’s voices joined in a rich harmony on the chorus, and the “La la la” over the bridge, while the guitar fills the gaps in between. Lyrically, “Somebody Else” paints a picture of a struggle with identity and conforming to another’s expectations with lyrics such as, “She didn’t like who I was so I tried to be somebody else.” The song felt like a true emotional confession while coming to terms with the truth. The instrumentals enhanced the emotional theme, with a harmonica that accented sections and took center stage for a solo. Throughout the song, there are organ swells that create a lush and immersive environment for the listener.
“Levi’s and Goodbyes” took the rock and roll vibe of “Somebody Else” and ran even further with it. King’s vocals brought a raw intensity over the high-energy instrumental. The song features a fun, harmonized guitar solo that effortlessly fades into strings and acoustic guitar before the end of the song, making for a special and unique transition.
Noah Cyrus joins in on the album on “The Shadows”. The song begins with an acoustic guitar and a punctuated bassline before drums, lap steel guitar, and strings interrupt to characterize the rest of the instrumental. Lyrical themes of absolute devotion are present throughout the song, including “I would risk it all, I would sell my soul” and “I’d follow you even to the shadows.” King takes over the first verse, joined in harmony by Cyrus on the chorus, then hands over the second verse to her. Brass instruments introduce themselves into the song on the verses, adding a spark. The chorus repeats at the end, ending in a beautiful harmony, decorated by cinematic strings and punctuated by the bass line. This is a song that would play perfectly in a movie under a moonlit pavilion while characters give a whole-hearted confession of love to one another.
“Pretty Petty” showcases King’s vocal talent with an instrumental completely stripped of anything but an acoustic guitar. It is vulnerable, emotional, and confrontational. The lyrics call out a love interest, singing, “It’s pretty petty when you only let me go halfway.” He expressed a need for clarity and resolution, directly confronting the person.
Photo: Alysse Gafkjen
The final track, “Carry Me Home”, makes for the perfect conclusion, beginning with a simple vocal and guitar before being met with the whole instrumental at once. The song perfectly showcases King’s voice, surrounded by vocal swells that elevate the verse and harmonies supporting it. The first chorus is met with a turnaround which transitions into the simple melody of the verse again. The second chorus features a repeated melody with lyrics that elaborate on the theme. A solo, accompanied by strings, organ, and harmonies, fills the place of a bridge before returning to the powerful chorus. The album concludes with King’s raw and emotional vocals only paired with a simple piano.
Overall, the album perfectly crafted a vivid world with its lyrical content, instrumental choices, and beautiful vocal lines. The religious metaphors throughout the album elevate the intensity of the emotion felt in each song. King’s voice was a true highlight with melodies created in such a way that they showcase it while also keeping true to the theme of the song. The album includes features from Billy Strings, Jesse Welles, and Noah Cyrus, who elevate the album. Darling Blue is characterized by its multi-genre influences that are fronted by intoxicating vocals that carry stories of raw emotion. It is the perfect listen for anyone seeking an authentic musical experience.
