By Olivia Turner | Arts & Life Editor
For anyone who was expecting Christmas song recommendations, sorry to disappoint. We’re keeping this Tunesday grungy with some Inhaler, heavy with a new release from Ethel Cain and lightening things up with a little mxmtoon.
“Your House” by Inhaler (Oct. 29)
Maybe this is just me, but every time I listen to an Inhaler song I just can’t help but hear Bono’s voice. I mean, it makes sense since Eli Hewson is, in fact, the U2 lead singer’s son. This is by no means a bad thing though, as I’ve been loving Inhaler’s latest grungy release, “Your House.” The song has a beat which instantly hooks. The storyline of “Your House” is somewhat similar to Wallow’s “Your Apartment” with its theme of longing for someone he can’t and shouldn’t have, but it’s a bit more blasé, grungy and Irish.
“Punish” by Ethel Cain (Nov. 1)
Ethel Cain’s new single has me feeling like my soul has been rebirthed, but that’s not far from normal, considering that somehow her songs always tend to have that effect on me. I am always amazed at the power the southern gothic icon has to crush and devastate while also sounding so ethereal. This song, though hard to decipher, gives me the sense that Cain is entering into a new era of her work — possibly an even darker one than listeners experienced with “Preacher’s Daughter.” All will be revealed with her next album, “Perverts,” which is set to release on January 8, 2025.
“i hate texas” by mxmtoon (Nov. 1)
Sorry, Lone Star State residents — mxmtoon doesn’t like y’all. Yet, at the same time, the singer-songwriter seems to find solace in the state with her song “i hate texas.” This twangy, fiddle-ridden tune expresses her bitterness for her ex and her escape to Texas in an attempt to forget him. This second track on her new release “liminal space” even makes mention of Chip and Joanna Gaines’s Magnolia franchise with the lyrics “called up HGTV, I got a fixer-upper right inside.” While Texas might not be her dream destination, mxmtoon is able to take life into her own hands and find a fresh start in our state.