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.

The Backseat Lovers – ‘Close Your Eyes’ ★★★★★

One band that always comes through is “The Backseat Lovers” and with their new catchy single “Close Your Eyes,” I am nothing but pleased. Bringing a sense of intense emotion, The Backseat Lovers explore the struggles of early adulthood. An aspect that stuck out to me was the change in volume and intensity through this piece. One second you’re humming along to the lyrics, “Oh, I’d hate to get any older,” and the next, you are banging your head to the same lyrics with a more powerful guitar in the background. This song has a perfect balance of instrumental and vocal parts. The contrast in volume, variety in lyrics and lack of repetitiveness were both surprising and pleasing. I can’t wait for this song to start playing when the sun is setting on an evening drive.

Kiana Lede – ‘Irresponsible’ ★★☆☆☆ 

While reflecting on past love, Kiana Lede released a new single, “Irresponsible,” which sheds light on a whole new type of relationship. It is truly impressive how many singles Lede has released since the pandemic, nothing can slow her down. ‘Irresponsible’ reminded me of any other ballad that has to do with falling out of love. That being said, I do appreciate Lede’s attempt at shining a light on the failure of settling down in a relationship, rather than your typical ballad about love. The lyrics, “Knowing deep down that you wouldn’t follow through,” are reflective of a relationship that is slowly fading away, making this song relatable to some. The beat and tempo of the song are rather catchy, however, the chorus is repetitive. Her lyrics emit depth and truth, but they’re a little too tedious for my liking.

Charlie Puth – ‘I Don’t Think That I Like Her Anymore’ ★☆☆☆☆

Did anyone say throwback to the 2000’s? “I Don’t Think That I Like Her” reminds me of every catchy boy band song ever. Surprisingly, I am not a fan. Charlie Puth usually releases songs that are more appealing and tuneful, but this is just the opposite. All Puth sings is “Girls are all the same … all they wanna do is break my heart” – well, that and a few key changes. There is no sense of diversity within the lyrics and the musicality is simply bland. It is not the worst song to ever exist, but there isn’t anything unique about it. It is safe to say that this song  is skippable and I expected more.