I’m sure I’ve missed several singles over the past two weeks, but in my defense, it’s been a very hectic and stressful July for me. I am ready for things to settle down! In the meantime, please check out the 2024 playlists I have compiled!
Welcome to The Mostly Music 2024 Playlist, Part 4, which will include singles released in July and August (and maybe a couple from the very end of June). You can follow the playlist here. Be sure to check out the other installments as well!
Alternative rock/metal outfit No Trees Touch The Sky released their latest single, “See This Through,” today! The track was produced by Fred Mascherino (ex-Taking Back Sunday, The Color Fred, Say Anything) and recorded, mixed, and mastered by Stephen Angello at Diver Down Studios in West Chester.
Staying true to their roots, “See This Through” is a mix of musical modernity and early 2000s nostalgia. The influence of such acts as Saosin and Circa Survive is heavily felt in both vocal and instrumental style: the song would not be out of place on a current edition of Warped Wednesdays!
“See This Through” starts with a mellow ambience that, when paired with the smooth, melodic vocals, sets a tone of solemnity, a tone further emphasized by the lyrical content. “…And in time you will see that we mean nothing at all/’Cause you were never the kind to see things through to the end…”
The mood shifts with the change in the music, the band launching into a heavier and faster pace. Singing artfully interlaced with growls/screams carry the listener through a range of emotions – frustration bordering on anger, and a certain amount of resigned acceptance. “I should have known.”
“See This Through” seems to tell a tale as old as time. A narrator lamenting that (s)he saw the signs, the truth about someone, and either missed them or ignored them in favor of the good, at least for a while. This is a universal human weakness, in both personal relationships and on the much larger scale of our society. And when the tides turn, we feel disappointed, defeated, yet we must resign ourselves to what we didn’t want to know. “I should have known who you were from the start.”
A track that is deeply relatable and wonderfully reminiscent, “See This Through” is playlist worthy for any rock, metal, post-hardcore, ambient, alternative…any fan of music, period, and is now available everywhere!
Follow No Trees Touch The Sky on their socials and your favorite streaming platform to stay up-to-date with news and new releases.
Til Fauna, an ambient/progressive metal band from Birmingham, Alabama, just dropped their latest single, “Whisper,” on May 31st. The track offers insight into the lore surrounding Til Fauna and the antlered being, Whisper, that is a recurring theme in their imagery.
The three musicians – Vesper (guitar/vocals), Blight (bass/harsh vocals), and Phasmid (drums) – have a connection to the land around them. “Whisper” draws upon the many tales and superstitions linked to the Forests of Appalachia. It is said that you may hear the woods whispering your name, and you are strongly warned against answering.
Til Fauna has a slightly different viewpoint on this. “I wanna know what do they see…” What if the whispers are simply you calling yourself back home to the woods? Rather than being frightened, the band begs the question “Why do you scream my name?/Do I answer?”
Til Fauna utilizes the softer side of themselves to set the atmosphere. Soothing intonations and a melodic rhythm paint the image of a nighttime walk into the forest, though there is a certain eerie edge, the primal sensation of not being alone. “Their eyes watching me closely.” And at the chorus, the track erupts. Our narrator has heard the tantalizing voice. “I hear a whisper!/Louder, why do you scream my name?”
As the song descends back into the calm, there is no sense of fear, only the approach of acceptance. It is clear that there is no reason to heed the warnings, to turn back. The traveler is becoming further ensconced in the forest and with the spirits, but it is welcome. “The silence is gripping me/The forest is slowly digging deep.” With the hit of the second chorus, the band has given us the back-and-forth that echoes the narrator’s struggle: on the verge of seeking the source of those whispers, though still wondering “Do I answer?”
Then, the build of anticipation, the balance on the very edge, before the truth is revealed. “I am the whisper!” Nature plays tricks on us, but those who can truly see are led to something like self-discovery. The blistering breakdown culminates in the total surrender to who our journeyer is. “As I walk, as I fear, I become/I am the whisper.”
“Whisper” is a standout track, showcasing Til Fauna’s ability to be melodic and almost ethereal, as well as hard-hitting and heavy. The song is an adventure to the ears and the mind, a case of lyrics and music woven into a story that climbs to and explodes with its catharsis. I have listened to it several dozen times since its release, and I find something new to focus on with each play-through. Check it out below, or look it up on your favorite streaming service. I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Follow Til Fauna on their socials and your chosen streaming platform!
Mostly Music 