Atwood Magazine is thrilled to present our Editor’s Picks column, curated and authored by Editor-in-Chief Mitch Mosk. Each week, Mitch will highlight a selection of songs, albums, and artists that have resonated with him emotionally. There is a wealth of amazing music out there, just waiting to be discovered, and all we need is an open mindset and a readiness to listen. Through this column, we aim to illuminate our own music findings and feature a varied range of new and recent releases.
This week’s Editor’s Picks includes Armlock, S.G. Goodman, Nii, Night Tapes, House of Harm, and snuggle!
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“I take a big sip, pull my shoulders back, trade the blue chip, we made a blood pact as a form of love…” There’s a gentle magic flowing through Armlock’s “Strobe” – a subtle intensity that gradually wraps around the senses, drawing you deeper into the song’s tender, shimmering light. Hypnotic and soft, raw yet radiant, “Strobe” feels reminiscent of a memory – fleeting but eternal, flickering in and out like headlights on a nighttime drive… or the warm laughter of a loved one on the other end of the line. Even after countless listens, this track remains profoundly moving and mysterious. It’s authentic, it’s soulful, and it immerses you in the most tender and sincere way. Within its softness lies something truly enchanting... something that resonates with the ears, heart, and soul.
I take a big sip
Pull my shoulders back
Trade the blue chip
We made a blood pact
As a form of love…
It’s been a leashed year
Kept it on the rails, I feel it shift gear
Breathe in and exhale
Isn’t it wonderful…
Because
Strobe – Armlock
Released on May 1st by Run for Cover Records, “Strobe” marks the Melbourne-based indie rock duo’s first single since launching their sophomore album Seashell Angel Lucky Charm in 2024. The song feels like both a continuation and a reintroduction—small yet deliberate evolution. Written during a European and US tour, it served as a live testing ground for new ideas, allowing Armlock – made up of Simon Lam and Hamish Mitchell – to hone their craft while exploring new sonic avenues. “We feel it’s refining what we already do but also pushing into slightly different territory,” Armlock shares with Atwood Magazine. “We’re always looking to evoke new feelings in our songs while presenting them in their purest and simplest form.”
“The guitar part was actually influenced by some 2000s progressive house tracks. The way they structure chord progressions differs greatly from typical guitar band structures, so we wanted to build off that idea. We listen to a lot of rap, which definitely influenced the vocal melody – using a limited set of notes and allowing the chords to add color. We tried numerous layers in the production, but often found they made the song feel less immediate or distracted from the lyrics. If we’re unsure about a sound, we remove it, and since we’re quite picky, it ends up very minimal.”
This minimalism gives “Strobe” its emotional heft. The climax of the song – “That’s my friend on the phone / We’ve been laughing all day / That’s my dad out the front / Think we kinda look the same…” – is disarmingly intimate and thoroughly poignant, presented as a snapshot of someone’s life. “I guess it’s like taking someone on a mini tour of my life,” Lam explains. “Like driving around and pointing out ‘this is what matters most to me.’ None of it’s grand, but it’s all meaningful.”
That’s my friend on the phone
We’ve been laughing all day
That’s my dad out the front
Think we kinda look the same
She’s the one, number one
Never wanted me to change
Take a lap, cut the chicane
And we do it all again
Even the song’s title hints at the tension between outward brilliance and inward tranquility. “It was taken from one of the lyrics,” they note. “We like how it almost doesn’t suit the song, but hints at some of the underlying intensity.”
Lam interprets the line, “I’m a strobe, blinding eyes with the glow,” as a metaphor for life on the road: “The lyrics touch on the feeling of being on then off, shining intermittently. Performing on tour feels like that – you present your best self for the set, then switch off again until the next one.”
I play it face down
It’s got two and two
I skip the headcheck
Do what I gotta do
Just leave it on the floor…
Infinite, it's all riding on this
No scoping,
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This week's Editor's Picks, curated by Mitch Mosk, includes music from Armlock, S.G. Goodman, Nii, Night Tapes, House of Harm, and snuggle!