Coming Clean About Indie Pop
I act like I don't love you, but you know I do.
Hi Pal,
Welcome to Rapid Recommendations. A newsletter where I attempt to find new and creative ways to show you your new favourite album, song or artist.
I’ll be the first to admit that I have a complicated relationship with pop music these days. It wasn’t always like this and I feel like I’ve become a tad elitist about the whole thing as it seems I do not even give pop music a chance.
The thing is, I used to love pop music. Late 1990s and early 2000s pop music was pretty cool and don’t even get me started on pop rock. A lot of what I consider to be great music today still shares stylistic roots with the pop music of that era. I guess it would be more appropriate to say that I am not a fan of the way pop music has evolved.
Although I admit that indie pop is a different subject altogether, sometimes I still find myself speaking about it with the same amount of derision that I have reserved for modern pop music. It’s a bit disingenuous on my part because the truth is, indie pop is really cool.
Indie pop is interesting because it can serve as an umbrella term for a variety of sounds. Some indie pop songs share stylistic similarities with pop rock while others have more synthetic or electronic qualities, and there are some that are even dreamy and ethereal.
Recently, one of my favourite Christian indie pop artists dropped a new album so I decided to do a quick countdown of my favourite indie pop albums over the past couple of years. Here we go!
Circle back, start again. — Tina Boonstra (2023)
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This album is a current obsession with wonderful storytelling and interesting composition choices that touches different sounds ranging from pop rock to folk-pop.
From the Womb of the Morning, The Dew of Your Youth Will Be Yours — Ronnie Martin (2022)
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The most unique musical experience of 2022 by a mile. Ronnie Martin created something addictive with his signature Moog synthesizer, blending alternative pop with synthwave sounds.
Gardenlike — gardenlike (2021)
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Another odd addition to this list, but certainly for good reason. This album has dreamy sensibilities blended with electronica and lofi elements; all converging around an accessible pop foundation.
LET YOURSELF BE LOVED — Laity (2020)
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2020 was a good musical year. I’m not sure if the lockdown had anything to do with it but there were some stellar releases. This album blends dream-pop sensibilities with more accessible congregational worship composition styles. The end result is what I can only describe as the best of both worlds.
Kingdoms & Communities — Adryelle (2020)
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Adryelle is a favourite of mine and it’s for good reason. Her sound has stylistic roots in stuff like new wave, post-punk and shoegaze but she layers it with her own dreamy, electronic and synth-pop sensibilities to create albums like this one.
Antidote — Lion of Judah (2020)
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Remember what I said about 2020? Lion of Judah is a British indie pop band that makes infectious and ear-catching tunes with deep scriptural lyrical depth. This EP is a wonderful example of how good they can be.
Mirours — Mirours (2019)
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Anyone who has been here for a bit would have probably seen this album pop up somewhere. This is one of the albums that inspired me to start this newsletter in the first place. It will always occupy a special place in my heart as one of the best indie pop albums I’ve had the pleasure of listening to.
Apocalypse Hymnal — Lovelite (2018)
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Another album that impressed me beyond belief back in the day. This album remains my favourite and most-played album from 2018. It’s the perfect blend of electronic and indie pop and the production value is incredible. I highly recommend it.
Vulnerability — Pyramid Park (2017)
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Pyramid Park is a project that I initially underrated when I first encountered them but over time, I’ve grown to love their work. This album is mostly responsible for a shift in my opinion of this band. It’s a fun ride from start to finish fusing indie rock and indie pop sounds in ear-catching ways.
There are folks who have no albums yet, but it would be a total miss if I do not add them to this list.
RIDERS
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They are my favourite indie pop band without an album. They don’t even have an EP yet but every single they have released has been gold. I cannot wait for a full project of any sort.
ISLY
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Another band that deserves a place on this list. They also have a tendency to add alternative hip-hop infusions to their sonic palette which is a welcome addition.
Beach Chapel
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These guys are most likely going to drop their debut EP this year and I for one cannot wait for it. They are quite good and versatile in the way they blend pop and rock sounds.
That’s it for today.
Catch you at the next one!
Do you have any favourites on this list or anyone you think we missed?
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