June 2, 2025 — Weekly Bullet Reviews
This might be one of our more chaotic roundups yet? Check out the wide variation of genres in this week’s column!
As always, some ground rules:
- These songs are listed in no particular order.
- Basically these blurbs are our rough first impressions of these tracks, so our reviews will be a lot more relaxed!
- Anything released from the past 3 weeks/month is eligible for a bullet review.
- Songs with new, recent music video releases will also be considered for a weekly bullet review.
C: The video’s hazy aesthetic and instrumental recall laid-back dream pop and indie acts like Crumb or No Vacation. However, Janize Ablaza’s vocals sway up and down — like a kite catching an updraft as it flits across staff lines. Her style and tone remind me of personal favorite Hiatus Kaiyote’s frontman Nai Palm, though the lyrics are much more direct and obvious instead of vividly allegorical. “Red Flags” is a smooth ride, thoroughly enjoyable while hitting a unique stride. I’m excited to see more!
Li-Wei: Chill, underrated groover that has a warm analog sound. For fans of the 70s, the Laurel Canyon scene, and dimly lit hi-fi bars.
C: “Spinning” touches on a mid-20s malaise that’s common in indie music. “But I’m still getting older while I’m going nowhere / Losing my grip, growing sober” echoes a common sentiment of growing pains that come with maturity.
Justin: Loveeee Mini Trees. The tempo, the stretchy scratching sound, the twinkling guitar. Couldn’t help dancing in my seat while listening. Very well put together. My track of the week.
Li-Wei: This one’s a breezy, plucky indie-pop charmer that distills Mini Trees’ essence into a compact three minute song. I’ll never be able to say the phrase “I’ve been looking for a way out” the same way ever again. Love the sliding notes – now just imagine if this thing had an 8-bit remix!
Abhi The Nomad, Harrison Sands – “Do Not Destroy”
C: Echoes of past pop trends ring across Abhi The Nomad’s “Do Not Destroy”. Distorted guitar backs falsetto singing while Harrison Sands intersperses the midpoint of the song with a brief rap verse. The lyricism is relatively basic, pleading for someone not to abuse the power they hold over the singer. Not completely unenjoyable, I found the song broadly tasteless with the exception of a reverb-drenched pizzicato string and vocal section from 2:42-3:01.
Justin: An electronic-funk forward that instrumentally digs deeper than other similar tracks. The arpeggiated synths that creep in, cascading strings, and hard edged guitar phrase are all fun elements.
Li-Wei: Not what I expected when I clicked on an Abhi the Nomad song! Maybe it’s been a while since I’ve listened to him (shoutout to Modern Trash) but this one sounds a lot more relaxed than what I remember his music being. I don’t know why but it reminds me of Travie McCoy’s stuff that permeated the radio back in my day. Surprised to hear some harp on this song, too, which always deserves a shoutout.
88Rising, PIAO, Stephanie Poetri – “just a girl”
Li-Wei: Is this the new ABG anthem? Kind of a collab out of left field! I know Piao from their “Neopet” banger, and “just a girl” has the same element of pop culture word-association that gets passed off as lyrics (“Lip balm, cherry cola / Pedro Pascal, Baby Yoda” among others). This one probably works best remixed in a dark nightclub, but during the daytime it’s a bit of a wash. It won’t knock out No Doubt’s rendition of what being a girl is like, but I can see this song making the rounds on TikTok.
Erika Prihadi – “Fantasy Baby!”
Li-Wei: Whoever decided that “Fantasy Baby!” should have a karaoke singalong video is a genius. (Also shoutout to the recent Smerz music video, which also taps into the same sort of aesthetic)
Paired with the vaporwave vibes that make the song seem like a piece of weird lost media, it makes the song that much better. I bet you right now if someone found a CD of it in a used bookstore somewhere, the internet would be tricked into thinking it was a forgotten 90s R&B gem. Fantasy, baby indeed.
C: “Mixed Feelings” explores Will Jay’s conflicts as a Wasian growing up primarily with his predominantly white family. It’s interesting to see the experience of being caught between two cultures continually repeating throughout generations and demographics, like zooming in on a fractal. The track pleads for some sort of surety, a true place to fit with one or the other which ultimately doesn’t exist. Lyrics like, “Where do I belong / It’s never home, it’s just a visit” echo the struggles of being perceived as a perpetual foreigner.
Li-Wei: Asian American experience much? “Mixed Feelings” is a song that is very personal to Will Jay, but it speaks to a very familiar experience of being caught in-between cultures for others. I especially love the different strings that are used to represent his bicultural background, and both Western and Eastern instruments come together nicely. I can almost imagine this one being the theme song to a sitcom you’d see on TV. (Someone make it happen please?)
Li-Wei: This pop song makes me want to bust a move! The horns in this song complement Mỹ Anh’s clear vocals beautifully. See you on the shiny dancefloor. Zero hesitation.
Justin: I’m not put onto SE SO NEON like others, but I really enjoyed this joyful little track. I could see this playing in a hip cafe or college radio. Not sure what “Twit Winter” means, but it’s a cool phrase.
Li-Wei: Kind of funny releasing a song called “Twit Winter” as we’re getting into the hot summer months! Inspirational synths turn this one into a shimmering indie pop song that feels larger than life.
JOBY!, Aniki, So Cherry – “Irresistible”
Justin: Easygoing reggae that puts me back a year ago driving around the humid highways of Kauai with the radio on. I love the string accompaniments playing against each other and the “baby I’m addicted yeah” adlib. Easily replayable.
Li-Wei: Lovely, laid-back island reggae from Hawaii! I can almost taste the salty sea air. Definitely puts you in a certain mood and takes you away…
Li-Wei: Not the direction that I thought this song was going to go! Mayor Grey’s hanging out at the waterfall by himself and he doesn’t need anyone else! This one has a fun surf-rock touch and a staunchly independent message, which I don’t hear enough of in this space.
Header photo taken from Erika Prihadi – “Fantasy Baby!”
Check out our other Weekly Bullet Reviews here.