African Nova Scotian Music Association’s 2025 Songwriter of the Year Blessing Tangban returns with “God Of…” – a cinematic, soul-stirring worship song that explores the beauty, vastness, and intimacy of God’s presence in every moment. Written on a mountaintop in Nigeria, the track captures the awe of encountering a God who is both infinite and near – the God of the mountain, the valley, the healed, the broken.

“This song is my reminder that God is present in every part of my story – from the mountaintop moments to the quiet, broken places,” says Tangban. “‘God Of…’ is a declaration of awe – for a God who’s not limited by our highs or lows, but is deeply involved in every detail.”

Recorded in collaboration with her producer in an intimate studio session, “God Of…” mirrors the simplicity and majesty of the mountain setting that inspired it. “We decided the song should be as bare and vast as the amount of space you’re exposed to on the peak of a mountain,” she explains. “It was just both of us in the studio – simple, easy, honest – and he captured my intention so well. I performed the song in one take and the rest is history.”

The track’s title is intentionally unfinished – “God Of…” – an open-ended phrase that reflects the endlessness of who God is. Its orchestral-inspired arrangement and minimal instrumentation leave room for stillness, while Tangban’s warm, soul-inflected vocals invite listeners into quiet reflection and reverence.

“I don’t always understand how God shows up – sometimes it’s gentle, sometimes wild – but it’s always love. That’s what this song captures,” she adds.

Prolific Toronto-based artist JEEN returns with her striking new EP For The Romance – a collection that captures both the exhaustion and exhilaration of perseverance. Across five songs, JEEN transforms frustration and uncertainty into catharsis, embracing vulnerability and creative defiance in equal measure. “These five songs surfaced after a very difficult period in my career where I wasn’t sure if I could keep going,” she says. 

Working once again with long-time collaborator and producer Ian Blurton (Change of Heart, C’mon, Future Now), the For The Romance sessions took shape in early 2025, pairing the electricity of the studio with the intimacy of home demos. “Recording with Ian is always a great process, very grateful for that,” JEEN shares. “Under the harsher business circumstances around this release, adding two of my recent home recordings – including a solo live cover – just felt like the right combination.”

A record about persistence and the fleeting balance between hope and disillusionment, For The Romance showcases JEEN at her most honest and unguarded. “Perseverance,” she says simply, when asked about its central theme. “I’m just trying not to become too jaded or bitter in this industry. It’s a hard battle sometimes, but I’m still here.”

At the heart of the EP lies its title track – an anthemic, tongue-in-cheek reflection on resilience and the reason she continues to make music at all. “‘For The Romance’ is a reminder not to give up until you find what you’re looking for,” JEEN explains. “I wrote it at the end of my rope, trying to convince myself there’s still something worth fighting for.”

The song’s shimmering pulse and lyrical duality mirror the sentiment behind its title: “For The Romance” isn’t just a love song – it’s a tribute to the pursuit itself. “That phrase is kind of the gist of why I started making music in the first place,” she adds. “It’s about the never-ending hope there’s something more out there if you can keep looking.”

Today Coyle Girelli releases the official music video for “Out of This Town,” the title track of his newly released album written in partnership with legendary Elvis Presley songwriter Mac Davis. More than a decade in the making, the record marks Davis’ final artistic statement and a creative bond that changed the course of Girelli’s career.

The song’s origin stems from a moment Davis experienced in his hometown of Lubbock, Texas during a celebration in his honor, “Mac Davis Day.” After the event, he requested a limousine to take him to the airport — but instead, a black hearse arrived, the only available car in town. With no choice but to sit up front, Davis rode beside a 19-year-old driver who eventually pulled the car over to ask a simple but life-defining question: “How did you get out of this town?” Davis replied, “I wrote songs, worked hard, and got a little luck. That’s how I got out of this town.” The young driver shook his head and confessed, “I can’t even whistle, let alone write songs. I’m never going to get out of this town. I’m going to die in this town.”

That exchange — equal parts sobering and cinematic — would inspire “Out of This Town,” a song about ambition, desperation, and the deep longing for more.

The video mirrors that energy: stark, emotionally charged visuals that feel like a black-and-white film buzzing with neon Americana — lonely highways, empty streets, and the hope of escape flickering in the distance. Girelli’s stirring vocals serve as the narrator and vessel for Davis’ story.

Out of This Town, released via Sun Records, is a soul-stirring country-folk album featuring guest appearances from KT Tunstall, Jaime Wyatt, Cassandra Lewis, and a posthumous performance from Mac Davis himself. It’s a rare and timeless collaboration between two generations of songwriters, and Girelli’s most personal and cinematic work to date, which Billboard hailed as “extraordinary”.

Black Avalanche feels like it was designed for late hours. Not the frantic kind, but the lonely, drifting ones when the streets are empty and the city hums like an engine cooling down. One Hundred Moons has crafted an album that feels nocturnal in the purest sense. These nine tracks glow softly in the dark, full of vapor, memory, and hypnotic rhythm.

The title track sets the tone immediately. It enters quietly, more presence than song at first, like a silhouette forming slowly behind a pane of frosted glass. A soft cloud of reverb fills the frame. The rhythm is sluggish in the best possible way, moving at the pace of someone wandering without a destination. It is easy to get caught in its orbit.

Death of the Party picks up from there with more forward motion but keeps the shadows intact. There is a hazy vintage aura around the rhythm, like a faded postcard of something once glamorous. The melody feels both distant and familiar, like a memory resurfacing unexpectedly.

Ear to Ear disrupts that calm. The guitars scrape and clash, creating a maze of sound that feels slightly off-balance. It is the moment where the dream shifts from serene to strange. One Hundred Moons understands how to use discord without losing musicality. The harmonies float above the chaos like a faint guiding light.

Chairman of the Bored is one of the album’s quiet highlights. It glides rather than walks. The atmosphere is soft enough to feel fragile, as if the whole track could evaporate if you listened too closely. It sets up the emotional drop that follows in Shade of the Night. This is the album at its most vulnerable. The track sinks inward, pulling the listener into a deeper, more intimate darkness.

House of Mirrors softens the descent. The song looks backward through a softened lens, full of gentle melancholy. It feels like someone trying to make sense of a past version of themselves. There is a sense of acceptance in the tone, a slower exhale after the tension of the previous tracks.

Then comes Into Nowhere, a finale that blooms outward like a deep-space signal. The distortion folds over itself until it becomes a soft roar. It feels infinite, peaceful, and strangely reassuring, like staring at lights on the far edge of a horizon.

What makes Black Avalanche such a compelling nighttime record is how carefully it balances atmosphere and intention. The band never rushes. Every song feels hand-shaped, measured, and deliberate. The influences are clear but never dominant. You can hear My Bloody Valentine’s swirling haze, Radiohead’s emotional depth, and the drifting qualities of classic dream pop.

But the album avoids imitation. Instead, One Hundred Moons lets each track sit inside its own tiny universe. Some are comforting, others unsettling, but all feel connected by the same late-night glow. Black Avalanche is a record for people who like music that fills the room without raising its voice. It is introspective, immersive, and full of beautiful shadows.

Put it on after midnight. Let it slow your pulse. Let it guide you through the quiet.

Older Future’s The captains is a multi-layered sonic kaleidoscope that blends electronic intensity with a dreamlike narrative. Alon Yaish orchestrates a space where colors, textures, and moods intersect, creating a listening experience that is both mesmerizing and unpredictable. The album’s tracks traverse a spectrum of emotion, from the nostalgic glow of “Neon summer” to the frenetic energy of “Supersong (keep my job edit)” and “Fuckrockers (keep my job edit),” which twist humor, chaos, and rhythmic experimentation into a cohesive yet unpredictable dance of sound.

Beyond surface-level excitement, the album explores introspection and psychological nuance. Tracks like “Waking up at dawn” and “The confession” offer reflective pauses, moments where the complexity of human emotion is mirrored in electronic abstraction. These sections allow the listener to experience both catharsis and contemplation, offering a sense of personal connection amidst expansive, layered production.

Yaish’s work demonstrates an innate understanding of texture and layering. From intricate arpeggios to glitchy percussive breaks, every element feels deliberate. The album’s exploration of IDM, synthwave, and breakbeat is balanced with accessibility; even as listeners traverse complex sonic landscapes, the music maintains an energetic pull that is as engaging for casual listening as it is for detailed dissection.

The captains is ultimately an invitation to surrender to sound while reflecting on self. It celebrates chaos and control, playfulness and gravitas, offering a kaleidoscopic experience where every listen reveals new detail, new emotion, and new insight. In this way, Older Future creates more than music: he constructs an immersive electronic world that celebrates imagination and identity.

Official Website: olderfuture.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100070296882985
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_older_future/

The Beatroot Road’s Humanimal is a bold statement of global artistry, combining musicians from across 13 countries into a cohesive and expressive musical journey. Each track delves into human emotions, from the excitement of creation to the quiet moments of introspection.

The album’s title track “Humanimal” highlights the contradictions and capabilities that make us uniquely human, while songs such as “Payday” reflect on purpose and existence. Other tracks offer indirect commentary on love, wisdom, culture, and creativity, creating a thoughtful exploration of life without preaching.

Humanimal is at once experimental and inviting. Its unconventional instrumentation and rhythms blend seamlessly with melodic accessibility, grounded in a shared pulse provided by bodhrán, rhythm fiddle, bass, and organ. The recordings were performed live by musicians without auto-tune, then meticulously edited and mixed by Mark Russell, ensuring the human touch is felt in every note.

Russell’s global perspective, shaped by his upbringing in Sudan and Scotland, and Hazel Fairbairn’s extensive background in Celtic, Romani, and experimental music, give the album its richness and depth. The combined expertise of these collaborators transforms Humanimal into a listening experience that is challenging, rewarding, and deeply human.

Official Website: www.thebeatrootroad.ca
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheBeatrootRoad/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the.beatroot.road?lang=en ; 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/The_Beatroot_Road 
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2igBGRo0CgkQaQmR6nrk9b