introverttoday's rock picks run hot and scrappy: breakup wreckage turned self aware, vintage looping energy gone danceable, diy bedroom rock built to be played loud, and a one man wall of sound going bigger than ever. four tracks, all heart, all guitars.
who we are – jb elwood
The verdict
“jb elwood turns post breakup spiraling into a stunning self-aware gem”
who we are is an introspective alt rock pop track about the wreckage of a breakup, tracing the way blame moves from one partner to the other before landing somewhere more honest. built around a room full of photos and shadows that won't stop bringing those memories back, it moves away from accusation. to a place that's more self-relective and has a kind of shared reckoning vibe. musically, it's an impressive piece, vocally evocative, strong production and a chorus that soars.
elwood comes from a musical family rooted in appalachia, relatives who played fiddle, banjo and gospel back in west virginia. he fell for guitar the moment he heard slash rip into "welcome to the jungle" at ten years old, and his late grandfather's 1960s gibson dove still shapes everything he records. now planting roots in austin, texas, elwood has a full slate of new music, live sessions and shows lined up. stick with it, jb elwood, you're definitely going somewhere.
thank u for making this jb elwood 🎸
go go go - common trouble
The verdict
“common trouble turns diy bedroom energy into an infectious guitar-first banger”
go go go is a guitar driven alt-rock track built for turning up loud. dan wolfe wrote and recorded most of it himself in his home studio, chasing the same rush that first pulled him toward guitar music: strokes style hooks and a chorus designed to be shouted back. well dan, it's worked. this one lands in the best, uncomplicated and direct way. it's all spiky rock momentum and no filler, perfect for your rock playlists.
common trouble is the independent alt rock project of songwriter dan wolfe, drawing on the strokes, japandroids and arctic monkeys for its melodic, high energy sound. go go go has already picked up over 25 airplays on amazing radio, attention from the bbc introducing team and a station library spot at cfuz radio in canada, plus an international radio push across four continents. we're not surprised, because this one is great. so keep them coming, dan!
thank u for making this common trouble 🔊
get up ya honky tonk - cam cole
The verdict
“cam cole turns a delicious blend of delta blues and stoner rock into the most raucous knockout you'll hear this summer”
get up ya honky tonk is vintage cam cole, a danceable, guitar heavy blast that harks back to his thrilling one man looping shows before swinging into darker territory in the bridge. i'm just imagining cam's mixer when he was making this one; all red, all peaking, completely overloaded. but the result? it's distorted in the most beautiful, creamy way. the lyrics ask you to see possibility in the future while accepting that loss is coming either way, contradictions cole has always been good at holding together. it's the first taste of his most ambitious record yet, and we're here for it.
cam cole built his name busking on camden street corners before the crowds got too big for the pavement, and from there it's been an amazon prime documentary, a scene stealing turn on ted lasso, four albums and sold out tours across three continents. armed with his guitar and his farmer footdrums, he creates a wall of sound that would take five musicians for anyone else. his new album, lost in creation, is out october 30th, and we cannot wait. an essential listen this month.
thank u for making this cam cole 🥁
the empty street - new sunday
The verdict
“new sunday turns patient studio craft into a beautiful folk rock stunner”
the empty street is a genre blending rock and folk track built around strings, vocal harmonies and a steady drum beat. mapped out from the ground up before being handed to a vocalist and producer to bring to life, it carries a patient, considered feel, the sound of a song crafted until every part earned its place. melodically is where it really shines, with a careful build through the verses. and the chorus? it's great.
new sunday is the studio project of songwriter einar askelsson, who has no plans to play live and instead brings in a vocalist and producer to help build the track. askelsson picked up a guitar twelve years ago while recovering from cptsd, using it every morning to calm himself down, and songwriting has been his outlet ever since. the empty street is the sound of that quiet, persistent process paying off. keep going, einar. this one's beautiful.
thank u for making this new sunday 🎻