Time for another Fresh New Tracks post, and for the 45th installment of my ongoing series I’m featuring four terrific new songs by, in alphabetical order, Philadelphia-based indie rock act The Obscuritans, Belgian alt-rock band Pilod, Philadelphia-based rock band Snap Infraction, and Northern Virginia-based pop-rock artist Talk in Waves.

The Obscuritans – “False Prophecy”

The Obscuritans is a Philadelphia-based studio project formed earlier this year by Marc Schuster and Nick Cervini, with the aim of writing and recording music together, then inviting various artists to collaborate with them by contributing vocals, lyrics, or whatever else they have in mind. Marc is an insanely creative and multi-talented guy who’s not only an educator, author, literary critic, music blogger and visual artist, but also a prolific songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, recording both as a solo artist and as part of numerous music projects and collaborations with an ever-expanding roster of musicians. Nick is an accomplished musician who’s also drummer for Philadelphia indie rock band Sacred Monsters, and he and Marc are also members of power pop trio DelCobras (along with singer-songwriter Jim Lorino), whose song “The Turnaround” currently sits at #11 on my Top 30 chart.

In February, the Obscuritans released their debut single “Earholes”, a trippy, mostly instrumental tribute to David Lynch on which they collaborated with Jim Lorino. They followed in early April with “Break and Bend”, featuring vocals by Samantha Goodman of Philadelphia indie band Rescue Pets. Now they return with their third single “False Prophecy“, featuring lyrics and vocals by Canadian singer-songwriter, producer and blogger Neither Could Dylan (aka Jaimee Jakobczak, who also records music under her Death Cab for Cutie cover project Death Bus for Blondie, and Jimmy Eat World cover project Jaimee Eat World). Marc and Nick have created a mysterious and languid soundcape of bold guitar notes, otherworldly psychedelic synths and crisp percussion, a perfect backdrop for Jaime’s distinctive vocals, which have never sounded better. Her lyrics seems to speak of losing her sense of self in a futile attempt to maintain a romantic relationship: “While I wait for you, I break in two. Falling apart from all the things I thought I knew. But false prophecy, I sunk in so deep. Seems the cost of keeping you is losing me.”

Pilod – “Anticipate the Fall”

Hailing from Leuven, Belgium is alternative indie rock quartet Pilod. Since forming in 2013, the band has undergone a few changes in lineup and now consists of Frédéric Baervoets (guitar, vocals), Timo Jacobs (drums), Christophe Vandewoude (bass, backing vocals) and Wouter Voorspoels (guitar). Pilod released their debut album Sunny Forecast in 2013, followed by a single “Sunny” in early 2015, then their second album Black Swan in October 2016. After undergoing a long period of touring, lineup changes and the global COVID pandemic, they finally dropped a new single “The future looks bright” in June 2022, followed by two more singles in late 2024. On May 4th, they released their latest single “Anticipate the Fall“, accompanied by a charming video directed by Robbe Maes and filmed at Sint-Jozefsinstituut (a high school in Betekom), featuring Carlo Vranken and Gonzalo Vega as instructors putting the dorky, unathletic guys through some exercises.

The band says the song “explores themes of letting go, embracing change, and finding resilience amid turbulence and uncertainty.” I love the dynamic blend of Frédéric and Wouter’s reverb-soaked melodic and grungy guitars layered over a pulsating rhythm fueled by Christophe’s driving bass and Timo’s aggressive drums. Frédéric’s plaintive vocals express a heartfelt sense of assurance as he sings “Your head will kiss the cold, hard floor. Stop looking for a tight hold and think. All we have is now and the future calls, so why are you still living in the past? Future yourself. Read the cracks in the wall. The ground’s shifting, nothing stays, so learn to anticipate the fall. Life is changing forever.“

Snap Infraction – “Nothing Really Matters”

Also from Philadelphia is Snap Infraction, a three-piece musical powerhouse comprised of Steve Karsch (vocals, guitar & percussion), Dave Kerr (bass) and Tony Iannuzzi (drums). “Distilling decades of rock n roll history into a modern sonic journey“, they’ve been a band for over 15 years, releasing their first single “Try To See It My Way” in 2009. After a long hiatus, they released a five-track EP Chin Music in May 2017, then another three years would pass until their follow-up EP Stiff Arm, in May 2020. They were quite active in 2021, releasing several double singles throughout that year, followed by a very nice cover of the Beach Boys Christmas classic “Little Saint Nick” in December 2022, then their own original Christmas song “Christmas In The Islands” in December 2023. In March 2024 they released their single “Keeping Score“ (which I reviewed), followed two months later by their debut full-length album Eephus. In what’s become an annual tradition, they dropped another Christmas single “Christmas All Over Again”, a cover of the Tom Petty song on which Steve manages to channel Petty quite well.

Now they’re back with “Nothing Really Matters” a powerful and melodic song about someone who’s in denial about their mental illness and unwilling to take meaningful steps to get better, which also negatively affects their partner, all of which is beautifully expressed by Steve’s relatable lyrics: “Nothing really matters but you do it anyway. Taking better drugs to convince us you’re ok. Twisting all your stories cause the facts get in the way. Tossing out big words like you’re Ernest Hemingway. Late at night I start to worry that I’ll probably end up dying alone. With no one to say goodbye to and nothing left to call my own.” To my ears, the song has a strong ELO feel, particularly due to the marvelous interplay between those gorgeous guitar notes and piano keys, as well as the soaring vocal harmonies. I love it!

Talk in Waves – “Feels Right”

Talk in Waves (the music project of singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jake Mimikos and formerly known as The Frontier), is a longtime favorite of mine. Based in northern Virginia, he’s an enormously talented and gracious guy, and we’ve followed each other on social media for nearly a decade. Skillfully blending elements of indie rock, synth pop and folk, his music is incredibly melodic, flawlessly crafted and always catchy. He produces and records all aspects of his music in his home studio, and as with many singer-songwriters, Jake’s songs are often inspired by personal experiences, touching on topics like love, relationships and loss, and expressed through honest, relatable lyrics. He’s released an impressive amount of music since 2015, and I’ve featured him numerous times on this blog. I’ve loved all his songs, five of which have reached #1 on my Weekly Top 30 chart. His single “Like You Do” (which I reviewed) topped my 100 Best Indie Songs of 2024 list, and his previous single “You’re My Drug” reached #2 this past March.

Now Talk in Waves returns with “Feels Right“, a joyous celebration of a budding romance, where everything’s coming together and just “feels right”. Featuring highly melodic gnarly guitars, colorful swirling synths and stomping drumbeats, the song is an exuberant pop ear worm. While not quite a dance song, it’s infectious grooves are guaranteed to have you swaying your hips and tapping your feet. Jake’s always pleasing vocals are filled with unbridled euphoria as he sings “Don’t need to wait for the right time, I think we’re already here. Now let’s go and take a fast ride. Leave everybody in the rearview mirror. Tell me don’t it feel right, what you’re feeling right now. It feels right to me.” It’s another superb release, maintaining Talk in Waves’ unbroken run of perfect singles.