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 as writer, reviewing recent single releases from a variety of artists. 

The Regrettes — ‘Monday’ ★★★★☆ 

I’ve recently started listening to the Regrettes, so I’ve been able to follow along through their transition into pop music. Their newest release “Monday” showcases their full embrace of all things pop. It’s a fun, bouncy song yet I can’t help but miss their old rock spunk — to me, the song seemed to be a watered down version of old-school Regrettes. Listening to the song with an open mind, free from comparison to their old music, my opinion changes for the better. Complete with a cameo from Olivia Rodrigo in the music video, “Monday” is a feel-good song about the “existential crisis” we all feel on the first day of the week as we head back to work or school. I went in expecting an upbeat, radio-friendly song and they delivered just that — not much depth but still a good time. 

Coldplay & BTS — ‘My Universe’ ★★☆☆☆

Coldplay’s newest single, which is a collaboration with BTS, is exactly what you’d expect from a crossover between the two. While the song isn’t bad, it just sounds the same as every other Coldplay song. They found a formula they liked and ran with it. The lyrics are also pretty shallow and repetitive, so it isn’t very strong on that end either. While I’m not a very big Coldplay or BTS fan, I don’t have anything against either group’s music, I just think the only reason the collaboration was successful is because both groups are already popular. The song isn’t bad, just boring. It didn’t stand out in any way, it’s like they took every marketable aspect of all the songs on the radio right now and combined them into one bland, radio hit monster. In that sense it does sound like it would do very well with radio listeners, but in my opinion that doesn’t define a successful song. 

Brandi Carlile — ‘Right on Time’  ★★★★★

I’m a big fan of sad music so “Right on Time,” off Brandi Carlile’s newest album, “In These Silent Days,” was right up my alley. Inspired by 90s divas like Celine Dion, the song is a bittersweet ballad that shows off her impressive vocals as well as her poetic writing. The piano instrumental feels familiar in the best way, like a happy childhood memory put to music. The slow build as instruments are added blends perfectly with Carlile’s emotional vocals. She sings about the memory of a past relationship, the end of which is still painful, but she’s able to acknowledge it needed to end. All the aspects of the song match perfectly and the result is very enjoyable to listen to. I felt like I needed to pause what I was doing as I listened to be able to fully experience the music. I really liked the way it grabs your attention, despite the subtlety of the song.