Junetunes - Rollercoaster REVIEW

Sarah Miller (Junetunes) is a singer-songwriter with a penchant for emotional and emotive indie/bedroom pop. She is from Crystal River, Florida but has since joined the U.S Airforce and relocated to Japan. Her circumstances make for thought-provoking brain food in the form of heart-on-your-sleeve tracks that are as vulnerable as any diary entry. The subject matter includes melancholic nostalgia, anxiety about the future, having confidence in yourself in the face of all of the confusing aspects of the world, and falling in love. That hardly covers it, as Miller does a good job at summing up what it’s like to be a young person navigating through life’s odd and beautiful moments.

Miller’s vocals are versatile, sometimes sickly sweet and other times absolutely soaked with melancholy. She does a fantastic job of stretching out her range to its limits but her delivery isn’t perfect. That being said, I think it speaks to how much of a punch the tracks have that her vocal missteps (voice cracks, points where she becomes overly emotional) actually add to the experience instead of detract. Her down-to-earth nature only makes these tracks more appealing in every way possible. She also taps her inner snark on “Honest,” including a lot of clever and well-placed quips. The song “Solitude,” a spacey ballad about being introverted and sick of too much interaction speaks to me personally as well. The chorus on “idontthinktheworldwantsmealone” is a good example of Miller experimenting with a little different of a vocal pattern and it pays off in spades. Her quick and snappy delivery makes this chorus an instant earworm.

The instrumentals are fairly barebones with a few exceptions (two of which are the harmonica sections on the opener “Stimuli” and “No Point.”). Most of these songs are just Miller and her instrument of choice, whether that be guitar or ukulele. She plays around with some layering to create an added texture but the stripped back instrumentation puts Miller herself on display, showcasing her superb songwriting and lyrical skills.

There are some happy songs, there are some sad songs, but the common thread is that they’re seen through the eyes of someone who is inquisitive and self-reflective to the point where the listener can’t help but relate.

To conclude, I’m having an incredibly hard time coming up with additional standout tracks. Not because there aren’t good tracks, but because this record is meant to be listened to as a cohesive whole. Miller’s storytelling and world building is top notch and this record is the perfect example of what a singer-songwriter should strive to achieve. She perfectly embodies the struggles and victories of young adult life and provides us with her version of what it means to be human. Give this record a listen and I guarantee you’ll shed a tear or ten just like I did.

Royal Hearts - Within Reach EP REVIEW

Royal Hearts are a South-Florida (Fort Lauderdale) Post-Hardcore band who are looking to stand out amongst the over-produced and bland rock bands that are ever-present in the current musical landscape. Composed of lead vocalist Ryan Camuto, drummer and backing vocalist Michael Summers, guitarist Luis Vegas, and bassist Nelson Tran, the band positioned themselves to take the world by storm with their debut double single. These two tracks are heavy and impactful, with insanely good clean singing and varied instrumentation but the one thing holding it back was the inadequate production. For instance, the track “Second Chances” is good in its own rite but sounds like the band are playing to you from down the hall.

Do the band rectify this problem while still retaining the sound that makes them so interesting on their new EP, “Within Reach?” The answer is a resounding yes. The production is much cleaner and more crisp, allowing the listener to appreciate the EP the way it was intended to be. With that out of the way, how do the other elements stack up? Firstly, the vocals are one of the focal points of this release and for good reason. Both the screams and clean singing are fantastic and the interplay between the two is executed in a really slick and natural-sounding manner.

The screams are mostly relegated to a growled mid-range but Camuto dips into a more guttural vocal delivery on occasion that’s a treat for those who are into heavier styles of music. The clean vocals give off a lot of Silverstein vibes and they uplift every track on this EP to new heights. The chorus (and all of the clean vocals, to be honest) on “It Gets Me So” is so enticing and emotive that it could rival any similar hooks from well-established post-hardcore bands. This track is an easy standout amongst a pool of solid songs.

The instrumentation is a little more on the melodic side to start the EP off, with both “Fairweather” and “It Gets Me So” containing fuzzy guitars and staccato chugging. “It Gets Me So” is a fair bit more laid back than the other tracks but it serves as a break between heavier songs and as a result is made all the more memorable. All in all, these tracks have more elements of punk than metal or hardcore. That’s not to say that there aren’t heavier moments, such as the crunchy and aggressive breakdown at the end of “Fairweather” but they pale in comparison to the absolutely devastating one-two-punch of “Loving to Leaving” and “Death of Me”.

“Loving to Leaving” starts off with a blistering, grooving riff by Vegas that is consistent throughout the track and is incredibly hard-hitting. This track takes a lot of cues from Metalcore and Hardcore, employing hoarse yells and chugging, downtuned breakdowns. One of the heaviest songs on the EP, there is little room to breathe for the listener..but in the best way possible. The only reprieve is yet another stunner of a chorus that wears its Silverstein influence on its sleeve but with its own unique flavor.

“Death of Me” also starts with a monster of a guitar riff quickly cut off by a quick and purposeful drum intro. Summers plays in the pocket and creates a tangible sense of groove before the monstrous guitar riff appears again and the quick drum hits are replaced by clicky double-bass pedals. The drums on this track are super apparent and consistent, providing slick fills and pulling the rest of the song behind it. Speaking of groove, this entire song is chock-full of sections that will have you physically unable to resist moving your head. Again, the interplay between clean and screamed vocals are used to full effect but the unclean vocals shine particularly bright on this track. There’s so much variety to be found in terms of vocal techniques. Camuto runs the gamut of high screams, nasally yells, mid-range growls, and lower-range screams.

The final track on the EP “Wasting my Time,” is a culmination of everything found on the previous songs. A strong chorus, varied unclean vocal work, smart and creative drum fills, and spicy guitar noodling are all core elements of this song. However, the standout moment for me was the pummelling and relentlessly heavy breakdown. The only issue I had with this EP was that the breakdowns didn’t have much variety and were fairly one-note aside from the one found on “Wasting my Time”, which included some instrumental switch-ups and urgent panic chords.

In conclusion, the band have crafted a short-but-sweet slice of post-hardcore that fits in extremely well with its contemporaries but shines in the way of vocal delivery, deliciously catchy guitar riffs, and superb drum fills. The production issues from their previous release have been put to rest and the band are all the better for it. Give this band time, and I have no doubt that they’ll grow to become a household name with their infectious and hard-hitting brand of post-hardcore. Make sure to hear the EP for yourself..this is a release you won’t want to miss when considering your favorite tracks of the year.

IG: royalheartsfl

Twitter: royalheartsfl

FB: Royal Hearts

Spotify: Royal Hearts

Junetunes FEATURE

Singer/Songwriters are a dime a dozen and this is no secret, as it’s a great outlet for people to be outspoken and vent their emotions through story-driven songs. Because of this, it’s becoming harder to stand out in this flooded musical climate. However, this doesn’t apply to Junetunes (Sarah Miller), whose honest and heart-on-your-sleeve brand of guitar driven bops stand tall amongst a crowd of lookalikes. Sarah is from Crystal River, Florida and has been writing music since 12 years old.

She always used music as a way to make sense of and control her emotions and it is evident in the delivery of her songs, where she uses these tracks like a journal to express anxiety, hope, fear, love, and countless other relatable and powerful emotions. From humble beginnings, she started performing at 14 years old and shortly became confident enough to take her talents to other cities, busking on the streets of Ocala and going to various open mics. In 2017, she released the EP titled “Junetunes” after June, the month of love. The title of this EP became her stage name shortly after, embodying love through music.

Sarah is currently enlisted in the US Airforce and stationed in Japan, all while working on her sophomore LP, “Rollercoaster,” releasing on August 28th. Despite being young (19 years old), her passion has made her accomplishments possible. I’m excited to hear what the new record sounds like, as her take on current world events and her experiences living in them are bound to be enticing and captivating.

Spotify: Junetunes

Instagram: Junetunes

Facebook: Junetunes