Welcome to “Cut Through the Noise,” an entertainment column from the St. Louis Park Echo covering new music releases. Every week, a different Echo staffer takes on the role of writer, reviewing recent single releases from a variety of artists.

Labrinth — ‘Ends & Begins’ ★★★★★

Overflowing with lyrical sparks of Labrinth, “Ends and Begins,” both an album and a single, enters the musical wonderland. This piece is full of captivating musical beats that make listeners feel like they’re in an upside-down universe. The musical breaks Labrinth takes in “Ends and Begins” make me want to keep listening. Lyrically, I love how the artist can keep a consistent message flowing through the piece. “Ends and Begins” is a piece that reflects Labrinth’s promising take on romance and the thought that goes into everyday feelings. Labrinth has a beautiful vocal range and “Ends and Begins” does a spectacular job of demonstrating his strengths. The song started softer, showing his shallow low range. Later in the piece, Labrinth’s voice grows with intensity, and listeners can hear him explore his upper range. Overall, I appreciate this piece because it glorified all parts of Labrinth’s voice while sharing a vulnerable message about love. 

Beach House — ‘Holiday House’ ★★★☆☆

Following their latest album release, Beach House takes a musical spin by releasing “Holiday House.” For the first time since 2015, Beach House has finally released a new album after years of waiting. While the group has various hits, “Holiday House” is not my favorite. While I love slow music, this song is so instrumental at times that it becomes a challenge to understand the lyrics. Instrumentals are one way to tell a story but if the volume of instrumentals is taking over the lyrics, then it defeats the purpose of having lyrics in the first place. On a more positive note, this piece has some characteristics that make it thrive. “Holiday House” is a perfect study jam. While the lack of lyrical understanding is flustering, I do love the instrumentals the piece incorporates. I would listen to this song on a study day outside, or perhaps on a run in the rain. Altogether, this song is good the first few times you listen to it but it gets boring over time. I would recommend this song to anyone who needs five minutes and five seconds of fresh beats amid a main character moment.

Jack Harlow — ‘Common Ground’ ★★★★☆

Jack Harlow is a newly rising artist and his latest release, “Common Ground,” just made my standards for him rise. The media is raving about Harlow’s famous Tik-Tok single, “What’s Poppin,’” and now I understand why. “Common Ground” is not only beyond catchy, but the message is so real. From the opening harmonies to the messages of his fast-paced lyrics, Harlow does a fantastic job of emphasizing the divide between class and race. “Common Ground” is a piece about white suburban children and Black children who grow up in impoverished neighborhoods and what the reality of their paths crossing look like. I appreciate Harlow bringing this divide to life in a unique way. Not only is the message of the piece important, but the song is catchy. I would not hesitate to add this piece to my morning playlist or recommend it to any J. Cole lovers. With that being said, I wish the song was longer. As I look into Jack Harlow’s other music, I notice that short and sweet is how he goes about his music as an artist. I see so much potential in his music and I know that longer songs would attract more listeners.