March 19, 2026 — Weekly Bullet Reviews
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.
Mya: Fun opening. Glitzy. Devolves into a washing machine swirl filled with glitter.
Li-Wei: There’s a heat wave happening in Los Angeles as I’m listening to this, and “The Bay” brings enough city pop vibes to make me accept the fast heat death of the universe, if only for just a minute. It’s just cushy enough for me to feel like the 80s are back. Expect to see them on tours with other artists like Ginger Root or CECILIA soon.
Mya: Like walking into a pachinko parlor of overwhelming sound. It is quite busy isn’t it… 忙しいだね…
C: This track hits you over the head with a flood of overwhelming sounds, it’s like a soundboard set to output random. The rapping reminds me of Omega Sapien while the dubstep drops are surprisingly uncomplicated and straightforward. It definitely reflects the subject matter, that feeling of near-delusion during an unstoppable restaurant rush. At the same time… I totally understand why some people think this type of music is slop (even if I quite enjoy it).
Li-Wei: Holy hell I don’t know what’s going on in this music video but I love it when artists are so bold and in your face like this. “忙忙忙ー忙・忙ー忙忙” Feels like a mix between psychotic ravey dubstep and the purely online experience, like when you accidentally leave multiple windows open that autoplay music and you can’t find the source to X it out. As someone who works retail in a busy store, this song and its messaging makes so much sense to me.
Ok Cowgirl – “It Wasn’t You It Was The Feeling”
Mya: “Brief, sweet, prolonged, hazy,” sums it up well. Has a nice, slow buildup. Pleasantly mellow. Great song to listen to tipsy.
C: Some music feels distinctly metropolitan, Ok Cowgirl is for sure one of those bands. “It Wasn’t You It Was The Feeling” is itself built around a constant build until the titular line appears at the hook. It’s an exercise in unlimited tension and understated release with the twist that the band is Patsy Cline x Radiohead.
Li-Wei: Wow, I want to party with Leah! “It Wasn’t You It Was The Feeling” feels soaring and euphoric at the end there, and the buildup to get there is so worth it. Side note: “Brief, sweet, prolonged, hazy / You’ve earned a spot in my permanent dreams” is such a great line.
beabadoobee – “All I Did Was Dream Of You (ft. The Marías)”
Mya: The Marías’ distinctive dreaminess segues into something flintier and world-worn, due in part to beabadoobee’s vocals. “Stay or just leave me be.” Irresistible – how could I leave?
Li-Wei: beabadoobee and The Marías??? Indie pop alt-kids are screaming right now, and summer festival organizers are gagged. Jokes aside, “All I Did Was Dream Of You” is a pleasant surprise that creeps into a more slowcore/shoegazey sound for beabadoobee and I’m all for it. If this is what the new album is going to sound like I think it’ll be great.
Mya: Three songs in one. Great bang for your (nonexistent) buck. Some portions are so good and others a little bit nonsensical. Overall I like it but I can’t parse it. Am I supposed to?
C: I’ve been listening to a fair bit of Effie recently, I quite enjoy her work. “Red Horse” moves so fast, you’re chasing its sound just trying to keep up as it switches up on you. It’s difficult to be a passive listener and it gives the effect of an album montage more than a single track.
Li-Wei: I feel like there aren’t that many song elements that can shock me nowadays, but opening your song with wild chimp screeching and a no-holds barred blown out bass definitely moved me a little bit. This is a wild thrill ride all the way through. Effie is truly a party queen.
Mya: Ostensibly a sad song, but I’m over here enjoying the drums.
C: I have the same haircut as him smh. A broadly inoffensive pastiche of sad men singing psuedo-RnB in the vein of Keshi and Dean.
Li-Wei: Maybe more vibey than I would like from a song, but the music is perfect for Gab (or really anyone) to serve immaculate looks in a video.
Mya: Just a lovely soundscape, especially the opening rain and oscillating noise. And the slurping.
Li-Wei: I wasn’t expecting the Cantonese monologue amidst this rain-drenched, ambient track, but it immediately conjures up memories of fuzzy 90s Hong Kong romances. Even the tea slurping sounds that are sprinkled in are amazing! Looks like I have a new late night soundtrack to dream to.
zzzahara, Winter – “I Can Be Yours”
Mya: Light-hearted and playful. A song for the picnic playlist.
Li-Wei: This is one of those songs that would be on Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist or something (I’ve never watched that movie). It’s just so twee! Indie kid couples have a new karaoke song staple! I can’t help falling in love!
Mya: Classic dance music.
Li-Wei: I don’t really know what’s going on in this song since all of the members of FINA seem to almost blend together. Vocally, they seems to have the chops, but it’s drowned out by a murky rhythm that gets exhausting and really doesn’t sound like it goes anywhere. Interested to see where this goes, but right now there’s not enough here to differentiate FINA from its competitive field of other girl groups.
Charlie Puth – “Home (ft. Utada Hikaru)”
Mya: Hikaru Utada’s vocals are the highlight of this song. I like the wistful synths that kick in on their segments too.
Li-Wei: Utada what are you doing here??? I love their music but even they couldn’t turn a HomeGoods wine-mommy line like “Don’t you know that you’re the one who makes this house a home” into magic. Get that paycheck though!
Header photo taken from ผ้าอ้อม99999 – “忙忙忙ー忙・忙ー忙忙”.
Check out our other Weekly Bullet Reviews here.