So far, 2025 has been a great year for music, for big and small artists. With major releases from names like Clipse and Deftones but also new artists breaking into the scene like Gingerbee and Racing Mount Pleasant. There’s something for everyone this summer. (List is unordered).
It’s a Beautiful Place – Water From Your Eyes
3.5/5
New from the experimental indie rock duo Water From Your Eyes, “It’s a Beautiful Place” displays a new sense of maturity with the creators. The two formed the project in Chicago and have been consistent producers of art pop in that scene since their 2016 debut. Now, just under 10 years later, the two continue to improve with every new release.
This album blends soft, spoken-word-esque vocals from singer Rachel Brown with guitarists Nate Amos and Al Nardo propping them up with excellent guitar play, whether it be acoustic riffs playing out a track or distorted shredding introducing another.
The entire album provides an authentic feel, in the best way possible– it sounds like an album your friend made that they’re showing you and I love that. The album is only about 30 minutes, so take some time to give them a listen.
Apiary – Gingerbee
4.5/5
Hypothetically, if I were to tell you that this album was a fusion of art pop, samba, screamo and chiptune,you may think it bizarre. If I were to then follow up by saying it manages to blend these genres together in not only a cohesive composition, but one that actually provides an enjoyable listening experience, you may (respectfully) tell me to shove it.
Brazilian band Gingerbee teased this project with a few singles from the release before dropping it and changing the standard of music for this year entirely. I have listened to over 300 albums or close enough to, so I can provide a competent review of the album. There is absolutely nothing I’ve heard that sounds exactly like Gingerbee’s “Apiary”.
The vocals range from soft, birdsong-like tunes, to full on lung-bursting screaming depending on the track. Perhaps more so than the vocals is the mind-boggling, orchestra sized list of instruments they manage to squeeze into just 6 tracks. Three kinds of saxophones, two clarinets, violin, cello, various traditional brazilian instruments and even an Otomatone. The entire album is a dialogue between every instrument, genre, and influence where every speaker gets their part.
Treat yourself and blow your mind by giving this masterclass in fusion a listen.
Vanisher, Horizon Scraper – Quadeca
4.5/5
Though he made his debut in 2017 with Bad Internet Rapper making boring and derivative cloudrap, sometime in 2022, he must have been visited by a ghost in the night, because he made a sudden change in genre (and quality) with “I Didn’t Mean To Haunt You:”, switching to art pop and folktronica..
This new record, “Vanisher, Horizon Scraper” is an album that is both inventive and comforting. Of course, no soundcloud rapper can stray from their roots, and this album implements elements of hip hop in its experimental fusion of melodic singing and rapping, as well as its trap-inspired drumming. Tracks like “Dancing Without Moving” highlight the artist’s growth as a rapper, with improved flows and lyrical structure– not to mention his ability to do this all over a chamber-folk track.
That’s not to say the album is just a rap album with unique beats, quite the opposite. Quadeca’s hip hop verses are sprinkled throughout an otherwise baroque piece of chamber pop. When the drums aren’t trap-inspired, they’re powerful, booming and orchestra-esque. The string section blankets the entire instrumentation in a warm coating of classical joy, while the various woodwinds, saxophone and flute, give the album bursts of color, interlaced with Quadeca’s surprisingly great vocals. Overall the album paints a gorgeous canvas of sound.
The best way to summarize the album is to look at the cover– it perfectly encapsulates the sound. Take just an hour out of your day to give this album (and the accompanying movie!) a watch.
Live Laugh Love – Earl Sweatshirt
3.5/5
There really is no other rapper still active that makes music like Earl. His warm vocals, Kanye-level mastery of sampling, and testament to staying fresh through every release makes him one of the most notable forces still active in hip-hop.
This album is the shortest on this list, at just under 25 minutes, yet still manages to pack new ideas into every second of its runtime. As is Earl’s signature, the beats mix a west-coast groovy vibe with elements of psychedelia and jazz sprinkled throughout. His vocals stay pleasant throughout, but inflicts emotions despite his monotone, such as “gsw vsv sac”, where you can hear him smiling through the song.
As you may expect, there’s some introspection here. Tracks like “gsw vs sac” talk about Mr. Sweatshirt’s own 3 year solo album gap, saying “Don’t race the tortoise”, and the track “Gamma (need the <3)” talks about shame and nihilism governing one’s decisions.
This album is undeniably one of Earl Sweatshirt’s best, and will continue to grow and age as well as his other works “Some Rap Songs” and “I Don’t Like Shit, I Don’t Go Outside” have. Perhaps Tyler, the Creator could learn a thing or two from him about consistency.
Racing Mount Pleasant – Racing Mount Pleasant
4/5
Racing Mount Pleasant, formerly Kingfisher, last released an album in 2022, to mild success– now under a new name and surrounded by a new interest in this genre, they return with one of the best projects of the summer. They draw heavily from classic Windmill-scene artists, such as black midi and Black Country New Road with an excellent take on chamber-pop and post-rock.
The album is just under an hour long, and fills its above-average length with relative ease. While the album’s inspirations are obvious, and it’s not difficult to see the heavy basis on the aforementioned Black Country New Road’s 2022 project Ants From Up There, it successfully emulates this sound in a way that’s still pleasant to listen to.
The album fills just under an hour with its well orchestrated ensemble, instrumentation is standard fare for the genre, pleasant strings, hard saxophones, a jumpy piano and so on. They give this lush, atmospheric vibe that feels both cold, yet soft; it’s easy to be totally enveloped by the atmosphere here.
The vocals, as expected of the genre, are incredible as well. A deep-voiced, British man is backed up by a female choir and at times, the lead singer is just sort of angrily shouting– but it works excellently, and lays itself well over the orchestral backing track.
If you enjoyed anything by Black Country New Road, listen to this album immediately. For anyone else who enjoys chamber music, give this one a listen too.
