Welcome to “Cut Through the Noise,” a new column from the St. Louis Park Echo covering new music releases. Every week, a different Echo staffer will take on the role as writer, reviewing recent releases aiming for success.

“Will He” – Joji ★★★★

George Miller, known for his various internet personas like “Pink Guy” and “Filthy Frank,” brings something new to the table under his persona, “Joji.” He does so with a spacey R&B/soul track, “Will He,” which starts off his new EP, “In Tongues.” Joji does a tremendous job of setting the mood with the opening track, giving the EP a haunting intro with piecing piano chords and echoing reverb. This song tells the story of an ex-lover moving on and Joji’s struggles coping and reminiscing. While I usually listen to upbeat and fast paced songs, “Will He” is an enjoyable change of pace. I would reccomend “Will He,” along with its accompanying EP “In Tongues,” to anyone looking for relaxed and melancholy tones to vibe to.

“Favorite Holiday” – Summer Salt ★★★★

With the unexpected Halloween release from the band Summer Salt, I was ecstatic to see what they had in store for their new single.

“Favorite Holiday” keeps Summer Salt’s surfy vibe from their last few projects paired with Halloween themed lyrics. With the song sprinkled  of references to things like the monster mash and robin hood, it’s hard to not enjoy. From the groaning bassline to the high pitched laid-back guitars, the track does wonders, providing a wavy and festive vibe. One of the highlights of this track for me was the relaxed and playful vocals, making the track whole and giving the instruments some meaning. I really enjoy “Favorite Holiday,” and it will definitely be in my music rotation for the next few weeks.

“Boy” – Willow ★★★

I was pleasantly surprised to discover the opening track to Willow Smith’s sophomore album “The 1st.” With its orchestral opening of plucks and hopeful vocals, the track has a very serene and calm feel. The track piqued my interest since it doesn’t offer a true hook in the song, which is highly unusual. Throughout the song, Smith plays around the phrase, “Hey Mom, I met a boy,” and going on to explain her hopes and

worries for the future with this boy she’s interested in. My only critique of the song is I feel that there was a lot of potential for build up to make something grand but it just abruptly ends to move on to the next track. This track, as well as its accompanying album, shows Smith is growing as an artist as she explores her sound compared to previous projects.