Atwood Magazine is thrilled to present our Editor’s Picks column, curated and written by Editor-in-Chief Mitch Mosk. Each week, Mitch will highlight a selection of songs, albums, and artists that have captivated him. There is a wealth of extraordinary music out there just waiting to be discovered, and all that is required from us is an open mind and a readiness to listen. With our Editor’s Picks, we aim to illuminate our own musical finds and feature a variety of new and recent releases. This week’s selections include Medium Build, The Head and the Heart, Hudson Thames, Lola Young, DE’WAYNE, and Jack Garratt!
**Marietta EP by Medium Build**
Medium Build has consistently created music for those emotionally unguarded—tracks that resonate with unresolved yearning and reflect the raw humanity of someone attempting to understand their past and present simultaneously. In his fifth studio album, Country, singer-songwriter Nick Carpenter delved into his own experiences to create something both heartfelt and direct. “I wanted this album to have my goddamn DNA on it,” he openly stated to me last year—and it truly did.
With the five-track Marietta EP, Carpenter continues his personal exploration, further delving into his heritage, his relationships, and his identity, ultimately tracing everything back to his hometown. While Country served as his thesis on identity and inheritance, Marietta acts as its reflection: a self-contained postscript that enhances and seamlessly connects the narratives that preceded it. It’s a five-track snapshot of unresolved emotions and an ongoing journey, ultimately leading us closer to understanding Nick Carpenter alongside his own process of self-discovery.
He affectionately refers to these tracks as his “therapy trauma tunes,” and for good reason: From the very first guitar riffs of “Triple Marathon” to the concluding echoes of “Faded Blue,” Carpenter reveals insights into his upbringing, his parents, his past religious beliefs, and more. Each of Marietta’s five remarkable songs offers unique perspectives on his past—some raw, some tender, yet all profoundly human. Whether grappling with religious trauma on “Yoke” or embracing his rebellious side on “Dad’s 4Runner,” Carpenter infuses vulnerability throughout each moment, blurring the lines between personal experience and universal emotional truths.
Atwood Magazine has previously celebrated the EP’s hauntingly beautiful opener “Triple Marathon,” a song born from sheer desperation about a complex relationship (in his own words), as a “breathtaking, brutally honest upheaval from Carpenter’s most intimate depths.” “John & Lydia” is another standout track—an emotional, intimate, and deeply personal anthem, where Carpenter addresses his parents directly. “Did I grow up into someone that you like? I know the people you heard from told you it was all black and white,” he passionately sings, crafting a cinematic mantra around an unavoidable truth: “The things that shaped you, the things that are shaping me, and we both know you can’t escape family. Would we have been friends if we were born at the same time? Maybe in another life…”
Whether serving as an anthem for healing, a raw release, or an empathetic reflection, each track on Marietta creates space for contemplation—both for Carpenter and for listeners. The EP resonates with its specificity and timeless quality: The more Medium Build shares about his experiences and humanity, the more listeners find pieces of themselves in his music. Having just witnessed Medium Build’s performance for the first time last week, I felt compelled to recognize Marietta for its emotional depth, connection, and significance.
**Aperture by The Head and the Heart**
Open your ears, eyes, and heart, and embrace the entirety of life: the good, the bad, the joy, the pain, the love—everything this incredible existence encompasses. I’ll delve deeper into The Head and the Heart’s sixth studio album in future discussions, but for now, I will say this: Fifteen years into their notable career, the band’s folk-infused sound remains as fresh, vibrant, and spirited as it is profound. Released on May 9th via Verve Forecast, Aperture serves as “an invitation to awaken in the present moment, acknowledging that it is all we possess amidst the contradictions of beauty and pain, joy and despair, vastness and impermanence,” as band member Matty Gervais describes. In practice, this translates to warm, rich harmonies, radiant melodies, thought-provoking lyrics, invigorating instrumentals, and instantly memorable singalongs—all passionately delivered by seasoned professionals who continue to draw inspiration from within and their everyday lives.
What stands out most about Aperture is its broad range: Songs like “After the Setting Sun,” “Time With My Sins,” and “Arrow” delve into intimate reflections on identity, purpose, and the greater meaning of life while maintaining a familiar, sun-drenched sound. Yet, The Head and the Heart also explore new directions—both musically
We have partnered with the music promotion platform Musosoup to showcase some of their latest standout releases.
Canadian alt-folk musician Mariel Buckley shares her thoughts on breakups, burnout, and crafting songs for those on the fringes.
North London artist Mega has released her new single 'I Am Enough'. Available now, this track further showcases her emerging presence, featuring her remarkable voice and
Singer-songwriter Labit pays a beautiful and heartfelt tribute to his Filipino roots in “MANGOES AND RICE,” a soft, dreamy, and sincere reflection – which is the newest single from his forthcoming studio album, ‘SOL.’
For those familiar with the music scene, the name Tune-Yards evokes the sense of a significant entity. With a career spanning more than ten years, the duo, which includes Nate Brenner and
The Brooklyn guitar prodigy whose performances provide a refreshing change.
This week's Editor's Picks, curated by Mitch Mosk, includes tracks from Medium Build, The Head and the Heart, Hudson Thames, Lola Young, DE'WAYNE, and Jack Garratt!