River Tiber: Rainbow Road/Hypnotized

Canadian recording artist River Tiber (aka Tommy Paxton-Beesley) tackles vocals, bass, guitar, drums, tambourine, vibraphone, synth, rhodes, violin and cello on his double-sided single, “Rainbow Road/Hypnotized.” The sprawling songs pull influences from several genres, while referencing previous releases. There are tinges of acid jazz, hair metal, lo-fi and electronic alongside moments of ambient energy and snippets from cinematic scores. It’s an altogether mesmerizing effort.

Celeste: Love is Back

From Not Your Muse, the forthcoming debut full-length studio album by California-born British singer-songwriter Celeste (aka Celeste Epiphany Waite), “Love is Back” ushers some uplifting, soulful spirit into the start of the year. With Waite’s vibrant vocals guiding a lavish retro production, the track sizzles from start to finish.

Bakar: Having A Good Time, Sometimes.

British recording artist Bakar (aka Abubakar Baker Shariff-Farr) closed 2020 with three consecutive releases: two collaborations with artist Lancey Foux, “Play” and “Poison,” and a solo effort called “Having A Good Time, Sometimes.” The latter, an R&B/indie tune, relies on generated drums, filtered accents and a screeching guitar crescendo. Paired with a video focused on Bakar and his dog, the track proves personal though riddled …