Happy New Year, Motif readers! Here are five tasty local cuts to kick-off 2025 with style.
Sure Thing – “Kidding Myself”
Opening with banjo and gentle acoustic guitar, Sure Thing’s debut single harkens back to the folky indie music that peppered the indie scenes of the 2010’s. The production is crisp, and when the vocal harmonies and drums arrive, the song manages to sound full without losing its sparse charm. It’s a refreshing foray into a sound not often heard in Rhode Island, particularly from new bands.
lastself – “Don’t Ever Be”
lastself follows up their dreamy debut EP with this equally dreamy single, kicking off with distant guitars and thick vocal harmonies. The tempo and production on this song sound more purposeful than the languid, slow-burning tracks from the band’s debut EP, but none of the silky textures are sacrificed. With this newest offering, lastself prove that they know how to play with the space created by their instruments.
Sporting – “Something I Don’t Need (oh oh)”
With their newest single, Sporting continue their immaculate blending of pop and rock, though this song leans more into the crunch of the guitars than their previous single, “Fine Line.” As a result, the song’s darker tone is accentuated, creating a song that is as anthemic as it is emotionally turbulent. None of the pop sensibilities the band is known for are lost here, making for one of Sporting’s most compelling listens to date.
ruff.feechers – “Shady Side of Centredale”
ruff.feechers’ sound is a hard one to describe. Part hip-hop, part dance, part sampledelica, and part Daniel Johnston-esque lofi, it’s an interesting blend of styles that embodies stream of consciousness lyrics, as displayed on this track, the lead song off ruff. feechers’ debut single, “Thoughts and Prayers (Bang Bang).” A techno-style drum loop rolls beneath a melancholy organ; all the while, lyrics filter in as if through the receiving end of an old payphone. The whole experience is refreshingly surreal.
J. Michael Graham – “Live and Learn”
Right at the end of 2024, J. Michael Graham released his debut album, Stuck. The leadoff track, “Live and Learn,” kicks off the album with Tom Petty-esque power pop infused with some ’90s songwriting sensibilities. Throughout the song, restraint is utilized powerfully and effectively, with intuitive use of vocal harmonies and a key change in the bridge. It could be very easy for a song in the vein to become overblown, but the lush power pop of this song never fades away