You never really know why you’re attracted to a certain style of music, but I’ve always had an ear for dub. It’s a wonderful side product of the ska / reggae movement that emerged from Jamaica in the 1960s. 

With dub tracks, they’re making them heavier, with bigger bass and more reverb and a sense of weightlessness with the vocals, as though the singer were drowning and their voice only carries through when they come up for air.

A recent discovery in this vein is Hollie Cook’s sensational dub treatment of her album called “Shy Girl In Dub!” It brings dubbed-out versions of her songs from the record “Shy Girl” under the production lens of Ben McKone, who lovingly adds echo and reverb and pumps up the bass on all 12 of these heavyweight dubs.

It’s been tough to pick a favorite of that dubbed-out dozen, but I’m currently in love with “Dub Me In Your Arms” and its throbbing bassline and gentle stabs of piano. (Reminds me of another great Jamaican track where the Chosen Few cover Smoky Robinson’s “Tears Of A Clown.”) 

When Cook’s voice comes hovering over this track, she’s in full command. It sounds like she’s from another world; like a voice emerging from the static of a television set late at night, surrounded by this swirl of noise and rhythm and crisp snare pops.

Both Cook’s original “Shy Girl” album and this new dub reset are absolutely worth your time.

This story was originally posted on Midbrow.

I’m seeing more examples of indie bands (whatever that means today) finding their way to an audience by presenting a solid cover. Australian group Royel Otis is one that stands out, with their solid, true-to-form cover of the Cranberries’ “Linger.”

Chicago indie rockers Friko are another example, first arriving to my ears via their forceful cover of Radiohead’s “Weird Fishes,” which, admittedly, is a ballsy one to cover (but they nailed it).

It got me hooked enough that I started digging into the brand new sophomore album, “Something Worth Waiting For,” and have completely fallen in love with the title track.

It starts out like a blurry vision; like an acoustic guitar and a distant voice are just barely making their way out of a dusty vinyl groove off in the distance, before blossoming into this massive anthemic swell of waiting for the good thing even though you might not measure up yourself.

“So I’m waiting for something more
Something worth waiting for
I wanna see you and me
Waking up, glad to be
So I’m waiting for something more
Something worth waiting for”

This is exactly what you love to see from an artist on their sophomore release. More space, bigger sound, the growth they always dreamed up after praying that anyone would even care about the debut in the first place. Luckily for Friko, they’re continuing to carve out a space for themselves and their new stadium-ready sound.

For anyone looking to check them out in Detroit, they’ll be playing at The Loving Touch on Oct. 17.

This story was originally published by Midbrow.

I’m a sucker for a sweet sentiment wrapped up in a flannel-toned, 90’s alternative rock song that sounds like it could be the intro music for a family-friendly teen drama from 1995. 

If that sounds hyper-specific, know that it’s a subset of music that’s very popular right now, thanks to Waxahatchee, Kevin Morby, Kurt Vile , Courtney Barnett and others. It’s rooted in bands chasing that sound of Big Star and Lemonheads; of big guitars with a bit of fuzz and layers of jangle on top. It’s full but non-threatening. 

It’s music for soft, emotional lumberjacks. Or if you want to be boring about it, a contemporary take on college radio from 30 years ago.

No one is doing it better in my book than Widowspeak, the husband-and-wife duo of Molly Hamilton and Robert Earl Thomas. They’re now based in Brooklyn but originally from Washington. (You can hear that geography in their music.) They released their seventh album “Roses” on Captured Tracks on June 5.

Their excellent new single “If You Change” is everything I just described and more; a lovely little piece of dream pop with just a splash of alt-country. And the sentiment! Listen to these lyrics:

If you change, don’t change too much
‘Cause I really loved this one

It goes deeper than what I first suspected — a sweet little love song about liking someone as they are, even as they grow old together. According to vocalist-songwriter Molly Hamilton, it’s more than that, writing that she “thought about the fear of change, and when things (situations, objects) feel stuck in time because of a fear of ruining them. You always hear “mint condition” as though it is as an asset, but it also means that thing hasn’t been used, lived with, loved. It never gets to fulfill its destiny.”

Even without that lyrical depth, the song is an absolute banger that’s been stuck in my head for days.

Listen to In The Groove with host Ryan Patrick Hooper weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. ET on 101.9 WDET or stream on-demand at wdet.org. 

This article was originally posted on Midbrow.