We round up the best tracks of the week based on what our tastemaker curators are listening to.

If you’re looking for a fresh new tune to improve your day, keep an ear to the ground and check out this week’s best tracks.

This week’s radar is full of amazing new artists and old favourites, so there’s something for everyone.

So what are you waiting for? Dig in and start listening!

E!ENA – Cognitive Dissonance

e!ena is the stage name of the multi-talented musician, singer, and guitarist Elena Avradopoulos. During the COVID pandemic, she started working and developing her music career.

The severe struggle that Elena had with her mental health contributed in a significant way to the success of her new music. She utilizes her songs to express what it’s like to feel like you’re going crazy and having no one pay any attention to you.

She would not have found her passion for creating music that speaks to those struggling with mental health if she had not been exposed to several harrowing experiences.

The term “cognitive dissonance” was developed to capture the individual experience of coping with anxiety, depression, and behaviour problems. The rapid change in the direction of the melody illustrates the existence of optimism amid sensations of complete and total insanity.

The song has an entrancing beat together with a powerful voice and a powerful timbre, even though the progression of the drums works nicely with the climate of the track, making it the ideal accompaniment for that particular period of relaxation.

BARISTA – Justice Now!

Barista, whose real name is Bahadur Han Erylmaz and based in Istanbul, is a musician whose music transcends musical genres and lifts listeners’ spirits. His music urges people to listen attentively.

The idea that Barista should “learn as he goes” has been essential to the success of the release of both of his albums, even though he has only been making music for the last eight years. His first album, titled “Daydream,” was released for the first time in 2014, and he swiftly followed it up with “57” in 2016.

The melodies that his personal experiences significantly inspire Han to write. In addition, the songs reflect musical inspiration from artists and groups such as Toto, Journey, Supertramp, and The Alan Parsons Project, as well as a variety of traditional Turkish traditions, including Sufism.

His most recent album is called Justice Now, with 11 tunes that discuss various political problems, such as inequality and injustice; tracks such as “The Night Train” feature innovative musical arrangements that incorporate elements of Turkish culture and rock guitars. 

The song also features a captivating rhythm that completes the hook and transitions through several distinct moments before arriving at its most intricate chorus.

SUN KING RISING – Signs & Wonders

John Blangero, a native of Port Isabel, Texas, is a singer-songwriter and piano player who performs professionally under the alias Sun King Rising. The southern family culture and values that Blangero was up with serve as the foundation for his songs.

His compositions, vocal stylings, and arrangements all have a distinct ’70s feel that brings to mind artists like Leon Russell and Joe Cocker while yet sounding contemporary and modern.

His latest album, “Signs & Wonders,” is a compilation of southern noir stories written by Blangero and put to song. These tales include a cast of colourful characters, intrigue, novels of sin and redemption, murder without justice, and love without bounds. 

Tracks such as “Bitter Waters Sweetened” include an energizing rhythm fused with beautiful arrangements and excellent harmony to create a fusion in the music that provides an experience for the listener that is both stimulating and enjoyable.

Blangero is more than prepared for a successful career and already has many significant singles up his sleeve after the success of his debut, which was seen by millions of fans.

GRACE THEISEN – Master Of Fire

Grace Theisen is an Americana musician who was up in Kalamazoo and has a background in Nashville.

During her time in Nashville, she performed as the opening act for Emmylou Harris at the world-famous Bluebird Cafe, took part in songwriter rounds at The Listening Room, and performed as the opening act for Matthew Perryman Jones at The Nashville City Winery.

Emerging as a prominent activist, Grace has been working to end the practice of sex trafficking. In her most recent single, titled “Master of Fire,” she takes a pro-abortion stance and quotes the Roe v. Wade decision to support her argument. 

This song raises a contentious issue by advocating fornication and sexual freedom because, in her view, these issues are not the state’s responsibility but rather a matter of personal choice.

Regardless of the subject matter, the tune delivers a pleasant feeling with lovely vocals in an instrumental that begins gently and rises, bringing force to the song in a lively and tranquil manner.

THE ROLF – Closing Time

The ROLF is more aptly defined as a project than a band, and it is led by Hainling Fron, originally from Stockholm, Sweden. There is only one member of the band to play this song, and his name is Per Dahlquist.

The concepts of love and hate, the ever-expanding universe, God, and Elvis Presley are some of the things that significantly impact him.

The melody for the piano was conceived many years ago just as a means of getting the fingers ready for playing. This past autumn, he turned it into a melancholy song.

It’s incredibly dark, once we’re living in a dark period, and this reflects on his track, “Closing Time,” which is the first quarter of an extended play (EP). The single is a reference to what is happening to mother earth, the sensation that it’s genuinely dark once we live in a dark era.

Although the theme is dark, the instrumental and the rhythm are upbeat and distributed in a metic tempo, especially in the hook, with some breakdowns taking away a bit of the track’s predictability. The introduction is reminiscent of the opening that Guns and Roses used in their song November Rain.