Chicago based indie rockers ZORILA breakout with their new EP Addison. The four song release kicks off with the catchy Honey. A sexy indie pop rock banger rips with energy and refreshing pomp. Hooking you with a passionate vocal and then swinging you with a groovy saxophone, they seal the deal with a raging outro.
The alternative pop appeal continues on the expressive Clementine. There are hints of Kings of Leon and late Jimmy Eat World mixed with the writing intellect of Ed Sheeran in the bands DNA. There’s also evidence of the 1975 and the Killers. ZORILA shares their penchant for dance ready rock. Addison is meant to get you to your feet and whiplash you with progressive tandems. It’s heard throughout the EP. ZORILA knows how to employ their rare instrumentation to increase the musical drama, like after the 2nd chorus of Stick & Stones when the band breaks it down for an emotional pause.
Youthful and energetic, the first 3 tracks push their alternative sonic presentation into the popsphere. The closing Dandelions provides proper contrast, offering a sentimental single to please an infatuating fanbase. ZORILA bring an additional sonic flare to the world of alternative, with two multi-instrumentalists to round out their lineup, and give their arrangements and sonic potential an eclectic presence. It offers them more expressive production opporutunities in the studio that they can actually emulate live. It adds to the thrill of it all, and makes ZORILA an exciting upcoming live band in the Chicago scene.
The whole EP is awesome, get started with Clementine, now on our Best New Rock Playlist.
Are You Sorry Yet? The trademark hook that defines the new single from Indoor Friends has instant charm. The bands tight energetic performance is rooted in post emo’s effect on indie rock. The contrast of the melodic vocal gives Indoor Friends their unique sound.
The expressive guitar arrangement adds additional harmonious textures with dynamic voicings that spread the melodic spectrum. In that spirit it reminds us of works from Built to Spill and Braid, as well as recent indie breakouts like Alvvays.
The vocal is more reserved and less emo, with an inclination towards the lyrical narrative. The singer is telling a story and navigating the melodic range wonderfully. There’s a hint of 90s alternative to the vocal design in the spirit of the Cranberries, with an indie sensibility known to Phoebe Bridgers. Paired with an energetic performance by the rhythm section, Indoor Friends offer a proper single for a Friday night pick me up.
Check out Are You Sorry Yet? Now on our Best New Rock Playlist.
Paul Vinson pivots on his new single I Can’t Go On (Without You). The soulful singer breaks out some dirty guitars for an epic tribute to heartbreak. He brings vintage swagger with indie sensibility. The single sways through the introductory verses before breaking out in tandem with Vinson’s passionate vocal lifts. Vinson knows his natural talents are best treated with authentic feeling. The performance pushes his melodic range and challenges his inherent skills. He gives a lot of himself to this moment, and it pulls at his heartstrings. It shows itself in the vibrating quiver and pulsing falsetto, the details that make this work captivating. A tasteful guitar solo seals the deal, highlighted by a solid combination of skill and melodic intention.
Paul Vinson shows an eclectic side. The new single shares the soulful influence of prior works while offering another version of the impassioned artist. There’s a brit pop appeal known to Arctic Monkeys, a bluesy indie swagger known to Jack White and Dawes, with mainstream vocal skills in the vein of Lewis Capaldi. I Can’t Go On (Without You) has mainstream potential and indie credo.
Hear it now on our Best New Rock Playlist.
I’ve Tried Sleeping is catchy on his new single Out Here On Our Own. The vibe has an epic, emphatic appeal. The passionate vocal performance builds in tandem with the songs ascending progression. There’s a semblance of 80s alternative pop, with melodic clues recalling classic by The Waterboys, REM, and Springsteen. I’ve Tried Sleeping shares their triumphant spirit and catchy appeal. That hint of nostalgia brings classic charm. The revolving guitar lead is snappy and finds a home in your head rent free.
A rare joyful delight within our stylistic scope, we appreciate that the songwriter is making music on his own terms. Here for all the right reasons, he admits his relentless pursuit to chase the perfect song is a labor of love that makes him who he is. He admits that Out Here On Our Own was written for his daughter, with details pulled from his own youth. “remembering the terror and exhilaration of being a young adult — living in a small apartment in a strange city, trying to make connections while figuring out who I was.” It’s that fabric within our human experience that connects us all in our later years.
Enjoy Out Here On Our Own now on our Best New Rock Playlist.
The Wild Is Calling 