*repeat repeat has announced that they’ll be releasing their brand new album Glazed via Dangerbird Records on May 31st. Following along on that good news, they went ahead and released the first single, “Hi, I’m Waiting” and then piled on with an official music video for the track.

The video is a blend of high-energy performance (with album producer Patrick Carney on drums) and Michel Gondry style DIY set pieces. It’s colorful, engaging and sometimes a bit weird (how many times have you received an orange in the mail?). It’s a quirky and cute tale of unrequited love, which fits in nicely with the fun big riffs backing the whole thing.

The newest video from pop aficionado Dara could be seen as somewhat of a risky move. The premise of the video has her on a bare bones set with a colorful backdrop and a faux steering wheel, performing the infectiously upbeat song with no accompaniment. The simplicity of it all forces the viewer to really pay attention to the performance; which is where the risky part comes in. Many other artists may not be able to pull of nearly 4 minutes of compelling storytelling with just their face but you’d be damned to convince me if Dara doesn’t pull it off perfectly.

The deceptively simple setup works not only works wonders for the song, which should immediately be placed on your Songs For Summer playlist, but as a showcase for establishing an artist that understands the entertainment side of performance. She switches between contemplative, goofy and enjoyable sincere without ever letting the viewer get bored. This sounds like grandstanding but it’s honestly impressive.

The prior single, “Don’t Wanna Cry“, was a much more sombre number, so it’s nice to hear some upbeat, joyful noise from Dara.

When Zach Vinson woke up on Friday, January 20, 2017 he, like many of us, faced a startling new reality in which the forward momentum towards equality, a stable planet, a balanced economy, an open immigrant policy and balanced thinking were gone. Say what you will about the Trump presidency, there’s no arguing that we live in a more chaotic time now than we did prior to that.

“Hold My Son” is the latest single from Vinson’s forthcoming album, And Yet (due April 26th), and serves as a direct response to the realizations on that morning. As a white male, Vinson is aware that his place in the world is a privileged one, reflected in the lines “Show me what you give for power, and I’ll show you exactly where you lost the plot.” Vinson isn’t out for dominance, he’s striving for using his place in the world to bring up others.

Based on the prior single, “Better Man,” there will be plenty of rockin’ numbers on the forthcoming album but this track is a particularly sombre number, which is fitting given the tone of its inspiration. Vinson’s vocals are tender and sincere with just the right balance of optimism; a crack in the darkness that we could all hold on to.

Afterlife, more than anything, is a gateway drug to the world of R. Stevie Moore. There’s no room for complaints about weird voicemails, skits or lo-fi recording quality; much of which makes Moore so damn charming in the first place. These songs prove that Moore’s songwriting and pop skills work no matter the sonic fidelity. In fact, these songs are more than just catchy, they’re interesting.

Portions of the album seem to pay homage to some of Moore’s favorites – like “The Winner” harkening back to poppy XTC & Bob Mould or “Here Comes Summer Again” being a clear Beach Boys nod. These tributes are never insincere and still come drenched in plenty of Moore’s own style.

There’s no definitive R. Stevie Moore album and never will be. Capturing everything he’s capable of and great at, with all of his variety of styles, just wouldn’t fit into one thing. Fortunately, Afterlife does a wonderful job of serving a delicious appetizer into the full course, should you choose to partake.