It’s been six months since my last Fresh New Tracks post, and given the plethora of new music being released, as well as the fact I’ve returned to writing reviews again (at least for now), I thought it was time for another installment. Today I’m featuring the music of four acts, in alphabetical order – Michigan singer-songwriter Taylor DeRousse, English alt-rock band Fake Empire, Texas alt-rock band The Formerly Misinformed, and Pennsylvania alternative pop/punk band naive nature. The songs were released on January 10th, except for the one by Fake Empire, which came out January 2nd. I’ve previously written about The Formerly Misinformed, whereas the other three acts are new to this blog.

Taylor DeRousse – “Growing Up Is Scary”

Taylor DeRousse is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from the Detroit area with an impressive resume. She not only writes, sings and records her own original songs, she also owns a music school and studio called Tailored Harmonies Music Co, plus has a B.A. degree in Music with an emphasis in Piano Performance, as well as an MBA. According to her website, she’s been teaching music in a variety of capacities since 2014, including as a private music instructor, studio music teacher, group class instructor, middle school art & music teacher, theatre vocal coach, and collegiate music tutor. While her primary instruments are piano, guitar, and voice, she also plays the ukulele, violin, mandolin, and bass guitar.

Inspired by such artists as Alanis Morissette, Phoebe Bridgers, Stevie Nicks and Carole King, she released her first single “Pins and Needles” in 2020, and last September (2024), she began dropping a series of singles, beginning with “Front Porch”, that will be included on her forthcoming debut album Running Back To Me. Her fourth in the series and latest single is “Growing Up Is Scary“, a sort of coming of age song about realizing what really matters in life. The song was recorded with the help of Bryan Pope on guitar and bass and backing vocals by Cassidy Chaisson and Tom Mihalis, who also produced the track. I like the bouyant melody and great instrumentation a lot, as well as Taylor’s lilting vocals, but it’s the honest and poignant lyrics, in which she sings about the thing that frightens her more than monsters, zombies or Friday the 13th that really touch me: “I don’t wanna die doing something I hate, make a whole lot of money just to drink it away. I want something more, I’ll do whatever it takes. It’s a burden I carry. Growing up is scary.”

Taylor’s Socials: Facebook / Instagram / Threads / TikTok

Fake Empire – “Imposter Syndrome”

I wasn’t familiar with English band Fake Empire until the other day, when I learned about them in a post by Maria Savva for her blog Rock And Roll. She’d chosen their latest single “Imposter Syndrome” as her Track of the Day, and it was love at first listen for me. The song is darkly beautiful and mesmerizing, with a brooding atmospheric feel that reminds me of some of the songs by bands like The Cure, New Order, The Church and Interpol. The song compelled me to check out more of their back catalog, which I must say is outstanding, and I’m now a fan of this band.

Based in the south of England, Fake Empire consists of Simon Brookes, Les Black and Becky Bellinger, and from what I can tell, they’ve been putting out music since 2017, all in the form of singles which now number 20 in total. “Imposter Syndrome”, which runs 7:45 minutes in length, was released along with two shorter remixes. Though the primary song is long, it’s so beautiful and flawlessly executed that it could go on for even longer. I love the lush, haunting synths and Cure-esque jangly guitars set to an enthralling beat and accompanied by droning, yet comforting vocals. It’s the perfect song for sitting back with headphones and letting yourself be enveloped by its gorgeous soundscapes. To my mind, the lyrics seem to be about living lives that are inauthentic and controlled by other sociopolitical and cultural forces, leaving us acting like sheep, unable to be our true selves or even know who we really are: “Imposter syndrome. You’re sinking like a stone. How can you live when your life is not your own? Our lives are not our own.” The original artwork used in the single cover art was painted by Nathaniel Westwood.

Fake Empire’s Socials: Facebook / X / Instagram / Threads 

The Formerly Misinformed – “Cut To Scene (Half Life)”

The Formerly Misinformed is a family band from Texas that’s comprised of siblings Brandon Green, Erica Jones and Emily Henney, and their father Terry Green. Together, they create a pleasing style of alternative indie rock, with strong elements of folk and singer-songwriter. Brandon also hosts and produces a music podcast Gimme These Two. Formed in 2019, they released their debut album All In A Dream in 2020, followed by a number of singles and an EP Let’s Pretend it’s Fine in 2022. In September 2023, I reviewed their song “Underneath the Same Stars”, a collaboration with Welsh singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Craig Mapstone, who records music under the moniker Secret Postal Society. The two collaborated again last month (December 2024) when The Formerly Misinformed did a remix of Secret Postal Society’s song “Autumn Leaves”, which is currently enjoying a long run on my Weekly Top 30.

Now they’re back with a new single “Cut To Scene (Half Life)“, which was written and sung by Brandon, with backing vocals by Craig. Brandon also produced, mixed and mastered the track. According to the press release, the song draws inspiration from the scientific concept of half-life, a term used to describe the rate at which unstable atoms decay or how long stable atoms survive, and aims to capture the feeling of transition – of reflecting on where you’ve been while acknowledging the messiness of where you are now. I like the song’s free-form melody that almost borders on progressive rock, as well as its colorful mix of grungy guitars, spare piano keys, throbbing bass, swirling synths and spirited percussion. Brandon’s laid-back vocals have a casual air, and are nicely complemented by Craig’s backing harmonies that fully blossom in the terrific choruses.

The Formerly Misinformed’s Socials: Instagram

naive nature – “alright”

Hailing from Philadelphia is alternative indie rock trio naive nature. Formed in 2023, the band is comprised of singer-songwriter and guitarist Jackson Vincent, drummer and backing vocalist Jim Lorino (who’s also front man of Philadelphia-based power pop band Scoopski) and bassist and backing vocalist Mickey Collins, who joined the lineup last September. Together, they blend grunge, pop-punk, alternative, emo and indie rock influences to create some really terrific songs. They released their debut single “the weight of the world” in January 2024, and since then they’ve dropped another four singles plus a three-track EP outsiderism (their band name and all their songs are stylized in lower case letters). Their wonderful single “childhood friends” ended up on my 100 Best Indie Songs of 2024 list.

On January 10th, the guys released “alright“, the first single from their forthcoming second EP separation anxiety, due for release in March. The band said the song “serves as a modern breakup anthem with a clear determined focus on pushing through the worst of times to find something better.” To drive home their message, Jackson serves up a marvelous fuzz-soaked guitar riff, while Jim and Mickey drive the rhythm forward with insistent drumbeats and a thumping bassline. Jackson has the perfect singing voice for this type of grunge/pop-punk song, and he’s in fine form here as he conveys a sense of sad resignation to a romantic partner at the end of their relationship: “It’s alright now. Waste your time now, you know it’s all the same. You’ll be fine now. Don’t forget how you gave me all the blame.” “alright” is a great song, and I’m looking forward to hearing their new EP.

Naive Nature’s Socials: Facebook / X / Instagram / Threads / TikTok