SOUND BITES

On her second full-length album, rising star Meg Myers delivers a much more somber, embattled batch of songs that pushes her musical boundaries outward. While this doesn't necessarily result in the most cohesive listening experience, there are signs that Myers is following her impulses in a way that isn't usually encouraged by those who would clamor for more hits like Desire and Lemon Eyes . That she so boldly sidesteps these expectations so (relatively) early in her career is risky and admirable in equal measure, and in doing so she's set herself up for a promising journey that holds far more interest than if she had simply delivered more of the same. July 20, 2018 • 300 Entertainment Highlights  Numb •  Tear Me to Pieces •  Jealous Sea

As our look back on the year that was catches up to the present (and peeks ever so slightly into the future), it becomes clear that the vast majority of rock artists preferred to avoid the last two months of the year; though it's typically the stronghold time of year for pop superstar stocking stuffers, I still find it just a bit odd to see that two month gap emerge after mid-October with no nominated songs. In fact, that's almost as odd as two established bands deciding to release their albums one week before Christmas. Regardless, our last batch of nominees runs the gamut: here we find new artists to look out for, home grown Maritime talent hitting its stride, and no less than three bands with multiple Album of the Year nominations. Song of the Year nominees #41-50 are:

  Considering how long her star has been rising, it's kind of a headscratcher that Meg Myers is just releasing her debut album now; depending on how much street cred you have in the vault, you may have been talking about her for over three years (she posted her first video, the hipster-ridiculing Tennessee , to YouTube in May 2012). Of course, heads really started to turn last year when she released her second EP Make a Shadow ; in addition to holding fans over for her full length debut, it spawned a moderate hit in Desire . Three of Make a Shadow 's five songs are included on Sorry , though curiously Go and Heart Heart Head didn't make the cut despite also being singles (and my two personal favourites from the EP). This leaves seven "new" songs for the LP, three of which saw release leading up to the album. The title track is one of Myers' most blatantly pop-leaning singles to date, though it still manages to strike a powerful chord. Lemon Eyes , meanwhile...