Three outstanding new Indie Rock tracks with comparisons to Good Old War, U2, and Oasis – Ear To The Ground Music

The Sways – “I have been the moon”
-If you’re a fan of easy going rhythm and blues music, definitely give this track a shot. I love the harmonies on this track and the way the whole vibe makes me feel like it’s the 1960s. There’s a vibey energy to the sound that feels like a time machine. Lyrically, the focus is on this deliciously abstract concept of having been the moon, but with a central message about rotating around someone who is the object of your affection. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but these guys remind me a lot of what I loved about Good Old War when I found them. I will be following them closely!

Healer – “Bad Patterns”
-There’s something that just makes indie rock “pop” for me and this song has that. I used to have a category in my music rolodex mind called “college rock.” With the death of radio stations, I’m not sure that’s a thing these days, but if I hosted a college rock show I would definitely add this track. There’s a gritty style to the recording in some places (namely the guitars), yet there’s this soaring atmospheric quality to the song that is also quite intriguing. I don’t think U2 is a fair comparison completely, but it’s in the right idea of this soaring rock energy. I am definitely happy to support this. As someone who is observing (and trying to fix) some bad patterns in my own life, I definitely resonate with the intentionality and sincerity of the message here.

LUCKY – “Falling through”
-Take a second before you click play on this song and get in your mind some of your favorite early 90s bands… Bush, Oasis, maybe even Smashmouth (you party animal)… now add in a bit of a downtempo Tom Petty folk rock melancholy… and that’s pretty much the sound of LUCKY. It’s a little bit emotional, a little bit sad, but it’s got this brightness in the melodic structure that feels really satisfying. This might feel like an odd thing to say, but it strikes me as the kind of thing George Harrison would totally jive with if he was still alive; it’s bright with some psychedelic elements that serve to highlight the seeking, feeling, desperate sincerity of the song. This, to me, is what alt and indie rock is all about.

Image courtesy: The Sways IG