hemlock - "monarch"

Photo by Cyrus Walker

"monarch" was written all the way back in 2019, and was intended to be included on hemlock's 2022 album talk soon, but that didn't work out. The song was re-recorded and is now available as a single. "monarch" is most likely some form of folk, but it definitely is not your standard folk song. The easy definition is probably alt-folk, but that doesn't feel quite right. It seems to exist somewhere in the middle, not quite going far enough in either direction. Much like the songs on talk soon, "monarch" is a quietly exciting some. Hemlock is a captivating artist that just sucks you in fully and demands your attention without screaming for it.

You can listen to "monarch" below. For more on hemlock, check out the artist's website.

hemlock - "garbage truck"

hemlock is the musical project of Louisiana raised and Chicago based musician Carolina Chauffe. Their Bandcamp page describes their music as "lofi phone-folk," and I truly can't argue with that. "garbage truck" is probably best described as bedroom folk/pop. It's an absolutely gorgeous song led by Chauffe's dream-like vocals. It starts off as a fairly standard lo-fi folk song, but all these swirls keep coming and going as they see fit, which truly brings a unique and lush element to the song. A lot of artists can be compelling despite being so quiet, but hemlock inspire excitement without a lot of noise. That is much more rare, and truly special. 

You can listen to "garbage truck" below. talk soon is due out March 11, and you can pre-order the album over at Bandcamp. For more on hemlock, check out the artist's website.