SINGLE REVIEWS: Philly’s Finest (#2)

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WRITTEN BY: Vince Barreras

Soul Glo – “(Quietly) Do The Right Thing”

Soul Glo gained huge notoriety last year with their full-length record, “The N***a in Me is Me.” It combined fast/hard hitting hardcore with a hip-hop side to it. This amalgamation of genres blends together effortlessly, and vocalist Pierce Jordan is a powerhouse. “(Quietly) Do the Right Thing” is the first single from the bands upcoming EP “Songs to Yeet at the Sun.” TJ Stevenson on Drums, Gianmarco Guerra on bass/vocals and Ruben Polo on guitar combine for perhaps one of the most electrifying groups in punk today. Keep an eye out for the release of the EP out November 6th on Secret Voice Records.

Jake Clarke – “Nightmare”

The new self-released single from Jake Clarke just dropped and is a nice indie rock song that’s lowkey, sullen, and well crafted. People may know Clarke from his work in the alternative rock band Superheaven. Another small fun fact, Clarke collaborated with old bandmate Taylor Madison on the creative side of this record, Madison designed the single artwork. Clarke has been releasing singles, EPs, and splits since the Superheaven hiatus a few years ago. The singer/songwriter has been releasing some nice work pretty consistently over the last few years and this song is no different.

Bartees Strange – “Kelly Rowland”

Bartees Strange has been making noise in the Philly underground scene over the last few months. With a debut full length announced, signing to Will Yip’s “Memory Music” label (Yip is mastering the record), and selling out 500 records in almost as short of time as they were put out (they recently added 250 more), it has been an incredible couple of months for the new artists. There’s the backstory, now for the new single “Kelly Rowland.” It is a lo-fi, glitched out, indie rock and R&B mashup that’s not only addictive but completely original. Clocking in at just under two minutes, there’s no reason not to have this track on constant repeat. The record comes out October 2nd, and there are two other new singles out as well that are just as fun to listen to!

Eloise Sharkey – Split In Two

Eloise Sharkey is a singer/songwriter based in Philadelphia. Her new EP, which was written in quarantine, contains four new tracks that are lowkey, heartfelt, and addictive. “Maggie” showcases Eloise’s smooth vocals and guitar playing with a little piano and percussion in the back. It’s a nice track that’s almost Americana styled, while track “Forget” is more stripped back. Sharkey’s vocals flow nicely as she maneuvers a heartfelt track of love and loss with some creative instrumentation. “Crazy One” continues the mood left off by “Forget” but has this vocal effect that makes this song ethereal and dreamy as anything Eloise has ever done before. The experimentation was well worth the reward. The vocals transform the listener into an alternative reality. “Wasn’t Okay” closes the EP, and what a way to conclude this collection of songs. Eloise is completely vulnerable and flows with a rhyme scheme that flows like water. When it comes to writing short, catchy, and meaningful songs, Eloise Sharkey reigns supreme.

Gladie – Thank You Card

2020 may be filled with craziness and uncertainty, but one thing that has been guaranteed is this is the year of Gladie. The band is coming off a debut full length, an ep that came out in late July, and a superb live set at studio 4. Augusta Koch and Gladie put out a collection of songs that are just as perfect and fresh as ever. Gladie explores more of the lo-fi/indie sound as their previous releases but pushes it further and the results are perfection.” Thank You Card” contains enough punk elements to have you dancing around your apartment, bothering your downstairs neighbors. “Sorry When I’m Not” takes the tone down for a more sullen and introspective take that is a nice contrast between the previous songs. The guitars on this track are bright and pleasant. “Plea from a Cat Named Virtue” is not only Gladie’s longest song to date, but one of their best. It starts off with Koch’s vocals overtop an organ but later breaks into the rest of the band coming into the fray. The song burns out like a candle with the organ humming to a quiet end. This small collection of songs perfectly exemplifies the range Gladie has as a band. If you want upbeat, punkier songs, they can do that and extremely well, or they can turn it down slow and get really intimate. This is a perfect EP and Gladie continues to be one of the most exciting bands in Philadelphia.