MMM - Compilation Teaser + Mali Velasquez & The Army, The Navy
THE COMP IS ALMOST HERE, get a taste today :)
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Max’s Music Mondays - The Compilation Vol. 1
11 days until this thing is out. I am nervous and excited and feeling vulnerable about it all!!!
Just making sure you didn’t forget about this, because I certainly haven’t. Here’s a little teaser I threw together with clips from a few songs. I’m so excited about this… y’all better be ready.
Sorry for the weird size here, i made it for tiktok SUE ME. Just a little sneak peak. More soon I promise. Big love to Nathan Bajar, Soft Streak, and Purser for these amazing songs my godddddddddddddddddd.
A demo of Nathan Bajar finding his way through a song that gives me chills every time. Music mid-creation, collaboration caught on tape. A crazy cover from Soft Streak that also gives me chills when it hits its huge huge climax. And the breathtaking song from Purser that I shared last week which of course also gives me chills because his songwriting is chefs kiss and then some and it’s messed up.
Anyways… there’s 5 other tracks that are EQUALLY as chill-inducing and I cannot wait for you to hear them all. September 29th… we’re so close!!!
Mali Velasquez - Shove
It’s been a while since I’ve felt the urgency to write up a song like this one. It’s urgent because it feels like if I don’t write about this today, I won’t get to write about it next week because everyone will already know about it because it’s simply undeniable. So much so that I’m starting this on Thursday (which is very early for me).
Ok and now I’m back writing this on Friday and guess what this thing is on NMF and the rocket ship is TAKING TF OFF *increasing graph emoji*. But the train has left the station on this writeup (can he squeeze a third transportation metaphor in here?) so we might as well buckle up (he can!!) and keep rolling. Sorry for all of that!!! Genuinely!!! But let’s just get to the song because it’s sick as hell.
The rolling guitars, the shaker up front, the drums slowly revealed from behind the curtain, it’s a slow flowing build that feels so… idk, magnificent?? So warm and full and beautiful. Mali Velasquez joins, the first lyric visceral and familiar as the band fills out, the bass turning on, the drums stepping into clear view. The verse dropping us right in to this relationship, Velasquez admitting that they’re willing to do whatever this other person wants, trying anything to make it all good. It spills into the chorus quickly, an immediate response to the verse. Making it clear that, yeah, that’s not an ideal way of living but there’s so much love there Velasquez is willing regardless. Some fuzzy guitar paints the edges, the harsheness of the moment coming through.
The post-chorus lingers, a somber moment to reflect on all of this. It really feels like an eyes-closed-shaking-my-head-just-trying-to-make-sense-of-it-all vibe. The finger picking guitar finds a new partner in some swirling synths, breezes of chords tumbling through, bringing a little levity to the heavy song. Those winds throw us into the next verse, drums landing harder as a little filter over Velasquez’s vocals makes it all feel so intimate. Like a phone call, but with the echoing out, it’s like a phone call unanswered. Speaking to the ether. Asking questions of this other person, knowing we’ll never get a response. Do we still wake up every morning at the same time? Velasquez having to ask because they aren’t physically together anymore. Sad!! Awww.
Another chorus comes through, bigger and more emotional than before, Velasquez unafraid to let it rip a little harder too. Subtly explosive, such a big massive moment but with Velasquez’s vocals so earnestly delivered, the song still feels grounded. It’s a true tune, and I cannot stop listening… Just so excited about what’s to come. Even just reading her Spotify bio gives me chills and has me running back to throw this one on again.
Follow Mali Velasquez on IG / Spotify
The Army, The Navy - Alexandra
Ok what the hell another absolute GEM. I cannot get enough of this one either, and been counting the days since I came across this bands TikTok. Lush guitar spooling out. It’s warm and calming, quieting my mind as the song starts. The Army, The Navy is made up of two impressive vocalists, Sasha and Maia, whose voices are so damn smooth and harmonize so beautifully together it’s almost obnoxious?? But I’m just grateful for it, their work here is breathtaking to say the least.
You wouldn’t leave me behind / now would ya?
A piercing opening lyric, the confidence, the second guessing. It’s beautiful. The harmony joining for the second half, a real side eye of a lyric, delivered so powerfully by these two arm in arm, vocal in vocal(?). The question lingering in the air for just a moment there, pulling me in, craving to hear more. And holy shit what more to hear. These harmonies just DANCING together, such bold melodies sewn so smoothly to one another it’s hard to wrap my head around it all. I’ve listened a bunch of times already and still it feels mystifying.
The two continue on together through this first scene, the I’ll follow lines as a response to this relationship maybe reaching its end, is great, feels so heartfelt. The sugar line is a delightful little intro to the next verse. So innocent and sweet (sorry). Followed by the insane little run through the next line - ending on impressive and you’re damn right it is… jaw dropping moments in every section of this song. Strings enter here, giving the song a more dramatic feel as TATN start to question how strong this relationship really is. If the world was ending, would they be there for you? Less sure now than ever before, admitting so at the end of another crazy vocal section. Like honestly, there’s only so many words in my vocabulary to talk/scream about these vocals but that’s ok, because they absolutely speak for themselves and y’all better listen up. SHEESH.
This next verse might be my favorite, as the strings sing their siren song, reaching for these glistening notes, the two share some damn poetry. That first line so generous and loving, the rest filled with great imagery supported by their delivery. Which is really impressive and gives it all… more. It’s a magic moment for me. Plucked strings help fill up the sound as this you wouldn’t leave me section returns again. Just all so sick. Everything swirling and growing but in such a natural/sneak-up-on-you way. Parting the seas for this final, touching, line. I love it. Their only single from ‘23 so far, I cannot wait to see what these two cook up next. Such an achievement with this one.
BONUS OF THE WEEK - Purser covered Sitting and it’s so good ahahahaha
Brian Jordan Alvarez is the funniest man on the planet. All of his characters are insane and perfect. And also I love his movies. He sang a song as one of his characters, TJ Mack, like a week ago and it spread like wildfire and everyone is doing covers and remixes and icon and hero Purser covered it too and he reposted it and it is so sick
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Ok that’s everything for me this week. Love you all XOXO see you soon,
Max