Heartbreaking Bravery

It’s been over two months since a post appeared on this site and with the always slightly-too-early onslaught of year-end season in full bloom, it feels necessary to highlight some of the best material over that stretch. Heartbreaking Bravery’s own best of lists will be coming, as always, as will the revival of A Year’s Worth of Memories. There may be a few more surprises sprinkled in to make things interesting but starting with a window that spanned most of October seems like a perfect place to get caught back up. Dive in below

1. Mike Krol – Little Drama

Mike Krol came surging back to life with “An Ambulance” and continues to churn out frantic, wild-eyes basement pop that has enough energetic bite to put most hardcore bands to shame. “Little Drama” finds Krol settling comfortably into longer formats, expanding both the frequency and velocity of the songwriter’s penchant for smart hooks. Try to keep up and you’re bound to be left choking on dust.

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2. Lauren Hibbard – What Do Girls Want?

One of the more irresistible punk-leaning slacker pop tracks of recent memory, Lauren Hibbard’s “What Do Girls Want” is buoyed by a pop sheen that makes the song’s effect more immediate. Existing somewhere between Lady Lamb and Hinds, “What Do Girls Want?” ably showcases Hibbard’s innate melodic talent and lyrical chops. High impact, ridiculously fun, and easy to revisit, “What Do Girls Want?” should be a summer mix tape staple for years to come.

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3. Meat Wave – That’s Alright

Any time Meat Wave puts anything new into the world, it’s a cause for celebration. Without fail, the trio has delivered seething post-hardcore-informed post-punk at the highest level and hits those familiar heights again with “That’s Alright”. Energetic, propulsive, menacing, unforgiving, and overflowing with atmospheric tension, “That’s Alright” continues the band’s mesmeric evolution, solidifying their status as a singular force.

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4. Weakened Friends – Good Friend

With each new track they’ve released, Weakened Friends have worked themselves into a site favorite. “Good Friend” stands proudly as one of the best songs to their name, a rousing grunge pop number that examines personal fracturing with a surprising amount of nuance and clarity. Hard to ignore and easy to fall in love with, “Good Friend” presents the band’s strongest traits with an unerring sense of conviction. While the narrative may suggest otherwise, this is all but a victory lap for an exhilarating emergent talent.

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5. Miya Folick – Thingamajig

“Trouble Adjusting” was the first Miya Folick track to make it plainly evident that the songwriter was on an upward path to something incredible. It was a sharp blast of punk laden with signifying aspects of lo-fi songwriters, a curious trait that makes “Thingamajig” all the more astonishing. Veering far closer to Half Waif than The Pixies, “Thingamajig” is a devastating meditation on personal impulses and longing, aided by a minimalist ambient pop bed. One of the most unexpectedly breathtaking openers of 2018.

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6. pting – Bus Driver

pting make a powerful introduction-at-large with “Bus Driver”, a track that recalls everything from the works of the Crutchfield twins to the skyward atmospheric tendencies of Alvvays. Smartly composed and gifted a clever narrative, “Bus Driver” is a refreshing jump into a cold pool on a hot day. A towering testament to pting’s vision and understanding, the song capably delivers a multitude of reasons to commit the band’s name to memory.

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7. Yakima – Point of This

“Point of This” is a song strong enough to act as a calling card, something that only a handful of bands are capable of achieving. It’s a gorgeous work of layered slacker punk married to dream pop sensibilities, the two complementing each other in a way that ensures “Point of This” sounds like it’s floating. A perfect reprieve from every day chaos, “Point of This” feels carefree for as thoughtful as the lyric narrative and composition wind up being, making it a perfect candidate to kick off any unwinding session.

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8. Washer – Super Pop

One of the best duo acts currently making music, Washer have been raising a high bar incrementally for the past few years. “Super Pop” is a perfect indicator of the band’s unique talent and singular charm, a deeply effective burst of flannel-laden micro-punk. Barely exceeding 100 seconds, “Super Pop” is wiry and tenacious, finding Washer going through familiar motions: dig in the heels, clench the teeth, and commit with no reservations.

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9. Deep State – Under the Gun

Deep State‘s been one of the more pleasant surprises of the past few years, delivering some extraordinary songs, records, and music videos along the way. “Under the Gun” finds the band forging ahead with their sense of high-energy playfulness while still sharpening the edges enough to sound fairly intimidating. It’s a small triumph and should go some way in raising the anticipation level for their forthcoming The Path to Fast Oblivion.

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10. The Little Miss – Take Me, Too

One of the better ways to discover new music that might not otherwise cross your path is to let soundcloud auto-play. It’s an exercise worth indulging but rarely has it yielded something as strong as it did earlier this year: The Little Miss’ “Take Me, Too” is an overwhelmingly gorgeous modern hymnal that’s strong enough to stop just about anyone in their tracks. Little more than vocals and an organ (harmonium?), “Take Me, Too” is a fearless look at death, one that offers up a knowing welcome. One of the year’s best songs