Atwood Magazine is pleased to present our Editor’s Picks column, curated and written by our Editor-in-Chief, Mitch Mosk. Each week, Mitch will introduce a selection of songs, albums, and artists that have captivated his attention. There’s an abundance of amazing music waiting to be discovered, and all it requires from us is an open mind and a readiness to listen. With our Editor’s Picks, we aim to highlight our musical finds and present a varied collection of new and recent releases.
This week’s Editor's Picks showcases The Favors (FINNEAS and Ashe), Hushtones, ROLE MODEL, Adult Mom, Zac Farro, and fanclubwallet!
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“The Little Mess You Made” by The Favors
The Favors have truly left me without words – not due to a lack of expression, but because their song has been on repeat since it dropped. Both sonically unrefined and emotionally powerful, “The Little Mess You Made” feels like an instant classic. This stunning debut single is a slowly building acknowledgment that openly displays its wounds. We hear Ashe and Finneas O’Connell in a way that’s new – as collaborators and co-conspirators in heartbreak. It’s raw, it’s human, and it embodies harmony as both confrontation and catharsis, all in one. There’s something timeless about a well-executed duet – the tension, the tenderness, the subtle pain of two voices reaching out to one another while falling apart. This song ticks all the boxes.
The little mess you made
Is filling our room
A little bit of rain
Is soaking our shoes
Maybe second place
Is just first to lose
You can have your cake
You can have mine too
Say when
You’ll never see me again
Structurally, “The Little Mess You Made” is brilliant – a slow waltz through pain and truth. FINNEAS starts with his perspective, Ashe counters with hers, and by the third verse, they sing over and around each other, their lines echoing like memories from past conversations. “The little mess you made / Is filling up our room…” evolves into “The little mess you made / Is all over the news…” and the emotional weight accumulates, each verse deepening until they crumble under its burden. “Say when / You’ll never see me again,” they repeat, until they’ve said all that needs to be said.
Lyrically and emotionally, “The Little Mess You Made” holds nothing back – but it’s the delivery that hits hardest. Ashe leans into her lines with quiet intensity, while FINNEAS allows just enough break in his voice to pierce. There’s no pretense here, just pain. As Ashe sums it up, “This is the way every artist dreams of making an album. People rarely sing together when recording anymore, but it was so romantic and fun.” That magic – of two artists in the same room, facing each other, singing through the wreckage – is embedded in every line.
The little mess you made
Is all over the news
The tiniest mistake
Can leave the harshest bruise
Maybe I’m too late
Or maybe it’s too soon
Who takes all the blame?
I suppose that’s for you to choose
Say when
You’ll never see me again
Just pretend
She was merely a friend
This song sets the mood for The Dream, the duo’s upcoming debut album under The Favors name (releasing September 19th via Darkroom Records). Inspired by the golden era of Laurel Canyon, The Dream was crafted and recorded between Nashville and Los Angeles – a transcontinental project of love. “It’s a genuine ‘long-play album’ in its truest sense,” says FINNEAS. “Ideally, you could have friends over, cook a meal, and listen to it from start to finish on vinyl.”
A former Atwood Editor’s Pick herself, Ashe notes, “I want you to feel warm and fuzzy while simultaneously heartbroken.” Mission accomplished. “The Little Mess You Made” is both dramatic and dynamic, delicate and devastating – a testament to what occurs when two artists decide to share the spotlight, the journey, and their emotional scars. It’s not merely a reintroduction; it’s a reckoning. And it’s an impressive debut.
The little mess you made, the little mess you made
Is filling our room, is all over the news
A little bit of rain, the tiniest mistake
Is soaking our shoes, can leave the worst bruise
Maybe second place, maybe I’m too late
Is merely the first to lose, maybe it’s too soon
You can have your cake, who takes all the blame?
You can have mine too, I suppose it’s for you to choose
Say when
You’ll never see
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This week's Editor's Picks, curated by Mitch Mosk, showcases music from The Favors, Hushtones, ROLE MODEL, Adult Mom, Zac Farro, and fanclubwallet!