March dragged on so long I almost feel as though I lived an entire lifetime in that month alone. For that reason, the music I discovered last month feels already embedded with memories of this period of my life. In the future, I’ll listen to these songs and think of academic stress, false Midwest springs and everything I felt and experienced in March.
Sunday (1994) is a relatively unknown indie band that has me completely invested in everything they release. Stylized like a film title, their band name is representative of their carefully curated ‘90s cinema aesthetic and dreampop sound, which makes sonic reference to groups like The Cranberries and The Smiths. Their music channels those influences without sounding derivative or stale, harnessing musical nostalgia while also sounding fresh and new. They’re unique, and a group to pay attention to.
On March 13, the band released the deluxe version of their second EP “Devotion” with three new songs. “Shame” combines jangly Sundays-esque guitar riffs with evocative lyrics like “And bring me the head of the teacher / That said our love is a sickness,” detailing the navigation of queer love amid the suffocation of adolescence and high school dynamics. “Darling, I’ve Done This Dance Before” opens with the line “I left my goodbye note in your copy of ‘Infinite Jest’ / ‘Cause I know you’ll never read it.” This song has all the marks of the band’s signature lyrical cleverness with a more audacious, bold energy.
Much of Sunday (1994)’s work is packed with undertones of religious trauma and existentialism, and “The Fairground” is a further exploration of the latter. While many of their songs are often tinged with humor and irony, there is nothing funny about this song, whose lyrics use the metaphor of a fairground to reflect the uncertainty of life. This track has a more stripped back, acoustic sound than the other two new additions to the EP, ending the project on a melancholy note.
Although Sunday (1994) has yet to release a full-length album, their minimal output has already established such a fully formed creative identity and sound that I’m on the edge of my seat for whatever they release next.
I discovered After last summer, when I was drawn to their immersive, Y2K movie soundtrack-esque sound. Their songs “Deep Diving” and “300 Dreams” were staples on my summer playlist, and in March, I made an effort to listen to more of their catalogue. The band has released only singles and EPs since 2023, but what I’ve heard from them so far makes me excited for a possible future album.
This month I discovered the band’s January cover of Crossfade’s “Cold.” The cover takes an originally grungy, angsty song and puts a light and airy sonic twist on it. In addition to its production, I also enjoyed hearing this song delivered by a female vocalist.
I was also impressed by their song “Outbound,” which was originally released in August and was added to the band’s second EP in October. To me, this is a perfect song to have playing in your headphones as you stare wistfully out the window of a moving bus or train and let music take you to a different place.
“Dancing On The Wall” and “So What” by Muna
In February, Muna announced the May 8 release for “Dancing On The Wall,” their first studio album since their 2022 self-titled record. They released the album’s title track in February and its second single “So What” on March 17, both of which I discovered and really enjoyed last month.
Muna brings such a vibrant energy to the indie pop scene, and the singles from this upcoming album are very promising. “Dancing On The Wall” is an upbeat, danceable track with self-deprecating lyrics about giving someone too many chances who probably doesn’t deserve it: “You’re the wall that I keep banging my head against” is clever and funny, qualities signature to the group’s lyrical style.
On “So What,” lead singer Katie Gavin sings about comforting herself with the adoration of fans and industry peers after losing a love that felt definitive.
“It’s alright, it all worked out / Lots of people love me now,” she sings in a way that sounds as though she doesn’t quite believe herself yet. I think this is an interesting lyrical premise for a pop song, and it sounds characteristic of the trio’s best musical qualities.
