We chatted to the amazing alt-pop artist Caroline Romano the other day about her latest EP and plans for the future! Check it all out below!
How would you describe your sound these days?
I would describe it as a mix of alternative pop, with some organic band elements at times. It definitely swings between rock and mainstream pop.
The EP just dropped! Is there a certain theme or story behind it, or is each individual track a separate story?
The entire EP tells the story of my experience falling in love for what felt like the very first time. In that process, I realized why all of my previous heartbreaks and “falling” into the wrong relationships were so necessary. The project as a whole sort of narrates that story from start to finish.
What is your writing process like? Is your band involved at all?
My writing process looks slightly different for each song I write. I’ll often start with a lyric or a concept I’ve written down in my phone, then go into the studio with a producer to build the track around that idea. Other times though, it will start with a track, and the lyrical idea will be written based on that. I’m very fortunate to live in a city like Nashville, where I’m able to collaborate with so many talented producers and instrumentalists. My band for the most part isn’t in the room when I write and record songs, but I definitely keep their specific parts in mind when writing, as I think that plays a big role in creating a fun live show.
Do you have a favourite track on the EP?
My favorite track from the EP is “There It Is.” It’s a song that’s super personal to me, and one I’ve been waiting my whole life to write.
What went into the decision to release an EP instead of a string of singles or even another album?
The decision to release an EP came from listening to this collection of songs I had written, and realizing they all played a part in telling the same story. I think an EP was the perfect length to tell that story as well.
Have you planned a busy year of live shows to support the release?
Yes! I just played my very first Nashville headlining show on release day, and I’m working on some exciting other live show opportunities for the rest of the year.
I saw you recently did a tour vlog, is that something you’d look to continue? It seems so hard to keep up the content grind these days!
I absolutely love touring and the process of getting ready to play a show each night. I’d love to continue doing tour/show vlogs, as it’s content that I genuinely enjoy making. It can be hard to balance everything on a show day, but looking back, I’m always so glad to have it documented.
Any plans/hopes to come to the UK for a show or two soon?
I don’t have any immediate plans to be in the UK, but it would truly be a dream come true to play there soon! The second I’m able to make it happen, I’ll be over there.
Do you have a dream tour lineup you’d want to be a part of? Any artists you’d want to support or friends you’d want to bring with you?
There are so many artists I’d absolutely love to tour with, so this is a tough one. Lorde, Erin LeCount, Paramore, and Taylor Swift are all artists I’d absolutely love to open for. And I have so many talented friends I’d want to bring with me, like Sierra Annie, Carter Rubin, and John Harvie.
If you could have written one song from history, what would it be and why?
Oooh maybe “Blank Space” by Taylor Swift? I think that is as close to perfect as a song can be written, and it also just played a major role in my childhood.
I would say that this is a bit out there for Overtone, but we already have one review of the wonderful man on here! Still, I wasn’t planning on reviewing this. However, both acts put on such a great show that there was no way I couldn’t rave about it! So, let’s dive right into the show, shall we?
My one gripe of the evening to start things off… why were doors at six if nothing was going to happen until eight? It’s an awful lot of time to drag people into a venue for and just leave them waiting around. They could have easily had a second support band on in this time!
Speaking of support, Jack Garrett was actually someone I wasn’t too interested in heading into it from the tiny bit I’d checked out beforehand. However, talk about winning me over! He is insanely talented, both as a musician and a performer, and I think he got more than just me on his side, as the whole crowd was loving it by the end. Being a one-man-band will never not be impressive, and Jack did it in such a fantastic, fascinating way that it was hard to take my eyes off him while he was blowing my mind. From drums to guitar to keys to vocals, we got a bit of everything, and he was a virtuoso at every bit of it! And, on top of that, he’s an excellent songwriter, as I loved each one he played! His unique blend of indie, pop and blues was infectious, and impossible not to love. To the point where, honestly, I’d have LOVED it with a whole band. The loop pedal stuff is certainly impressive, but I think it lost a little bit of the emotion of the tracks at times, and at times it was clear he was struggling with his stage levels of it all. I completely get wanting to do it all yourself, but I’d have somehow loved it even more with him being a vocalist/guitarist/occasional pianist, with other band members also taking the rest of the parts. Still, it was a great set, and he definitely has a new fan in me!
Having seen Mika at a smaller venue, I had no idea what to expect heading into this. However, I certainly wasn’t expecting the AMAZING show that we got! Starting the show descending from the heavens in a giant industrial hamster wheel was definitely not on my 2026 bingo card. Neither was him strapping himself into it later on and spinning around above the crowd mid-song. However, both added so much to the show, as did the rest of the mechanical stage theming. Add to that the pyro, confetti and the giant inflatable megaphone and rainbow, and it was one hell of a stage show!
As for the music itself, it was just as good as you’d expect it to be! His backing band are absolutely phenomenal musicians, complimenting the main man perfectly while also putting on a good show in their own right, when they could. And, as for Mika, he still has one of the best voices in the game today. His vocal range, even live, still blows me away each time, and his charisma is magnetising. He has more energy and flexibility than I do, and I have a solid 14 years on him! As, setlist-wise, it was everything as good as when we last saw him. Opening with two off his latest album was a slight gamble, even though that’s what the tour was and it sounded incredible. But the moment ‘Relax’ hit, the crowd were locked IN dude, bouncing around and singing along to the very end. And, because of that, I felt like the rest of Hyperlove was received better after. Tracks like ‘Spinning Out’ and ‘Excuses For Love’ were amazing live, and fit perfectly around crowd favourites like ‘Lollipop’ and ‘We Are Golden’. Add to that we got him bring back ‘Popular Song’ (because of course), him taking to the stands during ‘Big Girl’, and the one-two-punch of ‘Grace Kelly’ into ‘Happy Ending’ to close out the main set, and it was a tour de force of everything Mika does brilliantly. By the time ‘Yo Yo’ hit, the crowd was spent, in the best way possible! And absolutely phenomenal set!
And there we have it, yet another incredible night of live music so far this year. Both artist were completely different but phenomenal in their own way, and had the crowd in the palms of their hands through the whole night. How this was Mika’s first time headlining arenas in the UK I do not know, but that man owned the stage as if he’d been on there his whole life. I cannot recommend either artist enough, both on track and live, and have listened to both plenty over the weekend!
Here we are guys, the top 20! Who do you thinks gonna be in here? Read below and find out!
20 – Brass Camel: Camel
Honestly, this is a prog masterpiece. I’ve gushed about it plenty already, but the sheer talent on display throughout this entire 40 minutes is incredible. Right from the 10-minute epic of an opener giving some of the best instrumentation I’ve heard in years, to the more radio-friendly ‘Pick of the Litter’ and ‘Borrowed Time’ to the equally grandiose closer, it’s a tour de force throughout. It’s like the perfect blend of ELO, Queen and Wolfmother, and is impossible not to have a good time when listening to. It dropped all the way back in April and I haven’t stopped raving about it since! It’s certainly not going to be for everyone, but I’m insanely jealous of the bands talents, and would recommend it to anyone interested! There’s a reason it got 10/10, and it lands a very deserving spot on our list!
Listen to: Zealot, Chain Reaction, and
19 – Drake Milligan: Tumbleweed
It’s no secret how much we fucking LOVEMr Milligan here at Overtone, and once again he knocked it out of the park back last month with his sophomore album. The neo-traditional sound has made a big impact in recent years, and Drake is as good at it as anyone else. It’s 42-minutes full of boot stompin’ numbers or slower, beautiful ballads or old-school stuff, and all of it is done to perfection. And, after sitting with it for a couple of months, it just keeps getting better! While I do think it’s not quite as good as his monumental debut, it’s still an utterly fantastic country album, and one of the best of the year. We gave it 9/10 back when it dropped, but I do think it’s a bit higher than that now! There isn’t a bad track on the album, and while there’s maybe one too many slower songs in the middle, it’s still incredibly easy to listen to. A damn worthy addition to the list!
Listen to: Tumbleweed, Slow Dancing to a Fast Song, and How Much Beer
18 – Neon Union: Good Years
An absolutely phenomenal album that I’ve been obsessed with the last 11 months, and it’s absolutely criminal that they haven’t exploded from its release. There isn’t a bad track across the 12 on this, and most have been stuck in my head at various points of the last year! It’s southern-rock-infused country in all the best ways, and even the slower songs have a bit of an edge and distortion to them. If you are at all into country or southern rock at all, I cannot recommend this enough, it’s an absolutely phenomenal, damn fun album! It’s very easy to hear why it got top marks from us, and it very much deserves this high a slot on the list! I cannot wait to hear where they go from here, but for now am happy to keep sitting with this awesome album!
Listen to: Golden Rules, Bout Damn Time, and Made in Mexico
17 – Creeper: Sanguivore II: Mistress of Death
The sequel to their 2023masterpiece, this had a lot of hype to live up to. And, like with Drake, I don’t think it’s quite as good as that. However, this is still an absolutely incredible gothic, throwback hard rock album, and more than deserves its slot on this list! The release as a whole isn’t quite as strong overall, but ‘Headstones’ is maybe the best song the band have ever put out, with ‘Blood Magick’ not being far behind! If you are a fan of their recent output, this is an absolute must-listen, and has been regularly in my rotation since its Halloween release. It’s packed full of massive, cheesy choruses and key changes, but also plenty of heaviness throughout to offset it. They’re a great old-school sound while still feeling plenty modern; no one is quite doing it like Creeper currently. It’s easy to hear why it got 9/10 from usupon its release, but I do think it’s crept (punk very much intended) higher than that after a couple more listens! I think hearing it live also helped me appreciate it a lot. It more than deserves its slot on this list, and I would recommend everyone check it out at least once!
Listen to: Blood Magick, Headstones, and Parasite
16 – Malevolence: Where Only the Truth is Spoken
The UK beatdown hard/metalcore titans returned with their latest album back in June, and honestly somehow blew me away even more than Malicious Intent did! They take everything great from that release and amplify it, even down to the epic, dark ballad. The anger throughout is fantastic, from the vocals to the riffing, and makes you just want to throw people around a pit constantly. It’s 42-minutes of perfect heaviness, without a bad song throughout. And I love the band steadily incorporating more melodic and groove metal elements into their sound, adding some mainstreamness to the brutality. I can see them continuing to grow and becoming a huge band in the scene in just a few years. It got a 9/10 when it dropped, but after a few more spins I definitely think it deserves higher now. An easy addition this high up on the list!
Listen to: If It’s All the Same to You, Salt the Wound, and In Spite
15 – First Time Flyers: Bound to Break
The debut album from the rising UK country stars is an absolutely incredible release. I’ve known them a few years now, so was a little worried I’d feel a bit like Tekknoor Popular Monster; feeling burnt out by the steady drip of singles and it watering down the album. However, that certainly didn’t happen here! Despite being familiar with a lot of it, I still love each and every single when I revisit the release, and the album tracks are right up there alongside them! The bands harmonies are maybe second to none currently, and they make every single track memorable, catchy and massive. Between that and the exploration of just about every sound currently around the top of the country world, and it makes for an incredible easy listen, even at its 15-track length! It got a very easy 9.5/10 from us back when it released, and I fully stand by that still today. I can’t wait to hear where they go from here, but I still cannot get enough of spinning this for now, and it more than deserves its spot on our list!
Listen to: Primadonna, Happier, and Gold
14 – Between the Buried and Me: The Blue Nowhere
The US prog metallers’ 13th studio album may somehow be their best yet, which is honestly saying a lot! The band really made the use of their gap between releases, producing something that transcends any genre they include, the result being something distinctly BTBAM. It’s 71-minutes of beautiful, heavy chaos written and produced perfectly by the band. From jazz to death metal, 80s synth to djent to to alt to blues/country, there are so many elements blended together amazingly. I think I mentioned it in my review, but this very much feels like the modern evolution of Mr Bungle. I’ve been obsessed with this release since September when it dropped, and have raved about it to anyone that would listen! One of the easiest 10/10’s I’ve given all year, and it very much deserves this high a spot on this list. Once again, it could be even higher on any given day, it’s just an incredible year for music!
Listen to: Things we Tell Ourselves in the Dark, Absent Thereafter, and Slow Paranoia
13 – Avatar: Don’t Go in the Forest
This honestly felt like such a return to form for the cinematic metallers. And that’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy their previous release, but more that this is so good, I’d put it up there among their best! It’s quirky, catchy and heavy in a way that really only Avatar can do. From power/folk to more metalcore to hard rock, everything the band do so great is very much turned up to 11 throughout this whole release. I loved it when it came out on Halloween, and have had it in steady rotation ever since. They’re just so interesting and fun, and it’s an incredibly easy nearly 5-minute listen. It flows together perfectly and all feels suitably epic. From the riffing to Johannes’ insane vocal range, it’s all so good. The 9/10 from us feels a touch low after a few listens, and it has definitely earned its high slot on here! Check it out if you’re at all curious!
Listen to: Tonight we Must be Warriors, Don’t Go in the Forest, and Death and Glitz
12 – Lady Gaga: MAYHEM
Believe me, I’m as shocked as you are! I’ve always been a Gaga fan, she got big while I was in secondary school, those first two albums are still incredible. Since then I had fallen off, but there has been no ignoring this release this year, and why should you? It’s awesome! From the three pre-release singles to so many amazing album tracks to the addition of ‘The Dead Dance’ on the deluxe thanks to her involvement in Wednesday, it is jam packed full of banger after banger. It’s also a welcome return to Gaga’s more rock-infused pop sound, clearly taking influence from everyone from Prince to Nine Inch Nails to Bowie. For a publication that is so usually everything-but-pop to put a generally pop album on this list at all, let alone this high, goes to show just how phenomenal this release is. If you doubt me at all, at least give it a listen first and try to tell me that you aren’t at least impressed by her vocals and songwriting. I wanted to see this tour so bad, but sadly couldn’t afford it, as the videos also look INCREDIBLE. We didn’t review it when it released, but after many listens since March, it can’t get any less than 9.5/10, and more than deserves its slot on this list!
Listen to: Abracadabra, Killah, and The Dead Dance
11 – Evan Honer: Everything I Wanted
Evan very much did it again in 2025. As if last year’s release wasn’t good enough already, just 15 months later he dropped another collection of incredible tracks. Heck, the title track may as well be my song of the year given how much myself and my wife have played it around the house. However, it is far from the only good song on the record; it’s packed full of them! Also, the more I’ve listened to it, the more I’ve somehow fallen in love with it. While not quite as emotionally soul-destroying as some of Fighting For, it very much still packs a punch, Evan being a phenomenal storyteller and chronicling what he’s gone through between releases. From his lyrics to his delivery, it’s perfect, powerful and beautiful. And instrumentally, while pretty simple for the most part, it’s a little on the rockier side this time, which was a great touch. Every song is as good as the last, and I’d recommend this album to absolutely anyone, though especially those into more of the country/Americana side of things. That9.5/10 has easily turned into a 10/10 at this point!
Listen to: Everything I Wanted, Better off Lonely, and Lose a Friend
10 – Orbit Culture: Death Above Life
The melodeath Swedes have done it once again, putting out an album everything as good asDecent. They have quickly become the torchbearers for the genre, and I am all for it! It’s packed to the brim with amazing songs, being nearly an hour of perfect heaviness. I have had it on a lot in the last three months, and would recommend it to anyone at all into metal. They really are masters of their craft, and have been on an excellent roll as of late. It got top marks from me, and I fully stand by that still now! The band are incredibly talented, and are surely going to be a massive name in the metal scene incredibly soon!
Listen to: Inferna, Inside the Waves, and
9 – Ghost: Skélta
I want to preface this by saying that I don’t particularly think Ghost are an ‘album band’. They are utterly fantastic at producing insane singles, but Meteora was probably the closest they’ve come to making an A tier album… until now. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a perfect album front to back. However, the five/six tracks that are good are up there with some of the best songs of the last few years. I do think it wasn’t the best idea to front-load the thing with the four best track on it, three of them being the singles. However yet again, DAMN are they fantastic songs. And the other few aren’t bad by any stretch, just a step below then others and more like Ghost album tracks.
The band have really come into their own here somehow, though most (me included) thought they’d already done that with their previous two releases. It feels bigger, more epic and ambitious, and the scope is realised in a massive way. It’s like stadium-glam mixed with their usual sound, it’s awesome! Forge is honestly a musical mastermind, creating this true modern legend, and I feel they now have another album to rival their huge size. Even if you aren’t typically a Ghost fan, this is well worth checking out, as it’s that good it may just change your mind! It got a perfect score from us and it’s hard to argue with that, despite a slight breather track or two in the middle.
Listen to: Lachryma, Satanised, and Marks of the Evil One
8 – The Pretty Wild: zero.point.genesis
WHAT A DEBUT. From the fantastic scream that opens through 40-minutes of amazing modern metalcore to the epic, dark closing ballad, it takes the listener on an awesome journey. The dynamic between the two front-women is amazing, but the rest of the band also kill it throughout. Every song is amazing, be it more of a Bad Omens or Ice Nine Kills sound, and it’s easy to see why they have gotten so big so fast. I’m glad it’s getting the love it deserves from other publications, though, and it was definitely going to end up high on this list from the first time I heard it. From the massive choruses to the heavy riffing, it’s packed to the brim of awesome moments. If you haven’t already listened, do yourself a favour and do so immediately! It more than deserves its slot on this list, and the 9.5/10 I gave it, though it might even get a solid 10 after a few more listens!
Listen to: PARADOX, living ded, and AFTERLIFE
7 – Kyle McKeanery: To the River
Yet another artist I discovered just this year that I am now completely obsessed with because of their output this year! I remember interviewing him back in January and didn’t at all expect him to put out this absolute country/Americana masterpiece just a few short months later. At nearly an hour long, it’s insanely impressive that there isn’t a bad track on it, and it’s packed full of major highlights to boot. His vocals are powerful and packed full of soul and emotion, and the harmonies add even more of both. However, his songwriting is the real kicker here, some of the lyrics and choruses are my favourite of the year, no matter the genre! Whether it’s country, Americana, blues or rock, he does it all to absolute perfection. I’ve gone back since and checked out his previous stuff and, while I like that a lot too, Kyle really hit his stride here in a massive way! I have spun this in full a LOT over the last eight months since its release, and it is yet to get old. It got a 9.5/10from usupon its release and it’s hard to argue that now! If you are at all even a passing country fan, check this out!
Listen to: Skeletons, Broken Hearts Hide, and Hold On Goodbye
6 – Chevelle: Bright as Blasphemy
This one was a long time coming! After being a mainstay on our most anticipated albums list the last two years now, the alt rock/metal duo finally graced us with their highly anticipated next release. And damn, what a release it was! I always thought it was going to be hard to top 2021’s NIRATIAS, but they followed it up with an album that is up there alongside it, that’s for sure. The riffs and drumming are still massive, and the lyrics are still full of depth, anger and emotion. It feels like there is more variety than ever in their sound though, especially with the slower, more reflective and beautiful ‘Blood out in the Fields’. They are still one of the most underrated band to maybe ever exist, and I’m so hoping that we finally get a UK or even European show from them off this album cycle. It got such an incredibly easy 10/10from us at the time and I certainly haven’t changed my opinion of it since then! It was #4, on our list last time around, so the band are once again consistently high up for list. It could easily have been at the top if it wasn’t for this being such an insanely solid list this year, but it is very deserving of it’s #6 slot, that’s for sure!
Listen to: Pale Horse, Jimmy Jones – Cowards, Pt. 2, and Blood Out in the Fields
5 – Crowe Boys: Made to Wander
The highest rated debut album this year, and it’s easy to hear why! I checked this out on a whim as they’d been announced for The Long Road this year, and immediately fell in love. It’s nearly 40-minutes of incredible, emotional indie-Americana music, and in a year full of amazing releases in said genre, this tops them all. Sonically it is phenomenal, the instrumentation simple but the harmonies from the two brothers being so very beautiful. However, what really shines through are the lyrics and emotion. The vulnerability of their breakout hit. The beautiful optimism of ‘Bonfire in my Soul’. And I cannot listen to ‘Brother Song’ on track or live without shedding a tear still to this day. There truly isn’t a bad track on this release, and it is one I haven’t grown tired of in the countless listens I’ve done since its release back in June. For a debut album this is absolutely phenomenal, and is not only a testament to the boys’ insane talent, but the start of what is surely going to be an absolutely massive career as a band. Take a listen and tell me it doesn’t deserve even more than the 9/10 I gave it at the time!
Listen to: Bootstraps, Bonfire in my Soul, and Brother Song
4 – Paleface Swiss: CURSED
This slab of pure anger from the deathcore Swiss was somehow my first introduction to them, outside of Marc’s feature on last year’s Left to Suffer album. So, for me to become utterly obsessed with this band since this, that really says a lot. It certainly helped me get some anger out over the last year, that’s for sure! Marc has one of the most interesting, versatile vocals in the game right now, and really helps this album shine and stand out. Having said that though, that shouldn’t take away from the rest of the band working their asses off with some incredible riffing and drumming. Heck, we even get some awesome rapping/trap stuff, integrated into metal far better than most other bands and artists do it.
This thing came out in the very first few days of the year and I’ve been spinning it pretty regularly since then; it hasn’t gotten old yet. Sure, it won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but if you are into the heavy stuff I can’t recommend this enough. The band have been going for a few years now but this very much felt like an arrival for them in a massive way. Plus, shoutout to the deluxe edition, that added even more awesome carnage! They deserve so much more recognition and deserve to be massive thanks to this release, as well as their others, but hey, at least they got high on this list, right..? It got a 9.5/10from us back in January, but I do feel like it’s jumped up to top marks now, and more than justifies being this high on our list!
Listen to: Hatred, Enough?, and Love Burns
3 – Those Damn Crows: God Shaped Hole
Our 2023 album of the year winners returned back in April and once again knocked it out of the park. Heck, this was a UK #1 album, an absolutely HUGE feat for a band of their size and style, and it should say enough about how fantastic this release is. It truly couldn’t have happened to nicer, more deserving guys, either. Yes, they were pipped to the post this time round, but that isn’t a reflection of this albums quality in any way, more just the insane quality of music released this year.
The NWOCR leaders’ fourth offering is yet another one without a single bad song on it. It’s radio-friendly hard rock at its very best, and is something that absolutely everyone should listen to as I truly believe they’d make a fan out of anyone. Whether it’s the riffing, solid drumming or Shane’s impressive vocals and captivating charisma that comes through his delivery, it’s all excellent for a full 40-minutes. And, while I gave it 10/10, I feel like it’s grown on me even more with subsequent listens, being certainly up there with Inhale/Exhale for me now. The band have gone from strength to strength in recent years and this feels like the icing on the cake of everything they’ve achieved so far! One hell of an album, and more than deserving of this spot on our list!
We have PLENTY of Crows content on our site, just search it up!
Listen to: Glass Heart, Lets Go Psycho!, and Spit & Choke
2 – ONE OK ROCK: DETOX
This may be the most slept-on album of the year. Hell, for a sadly hefty chunk of the year, I did just that. I loved it when it came out, but got so wrapped up in other music that it wasn’t until I revisited it before seeing them that I realised DAMN, THIS IS A FUCKING GOOD ALBUM! This thing is all killer, no filler; 37 minutes of pop-rock perfection. Whether it’s heavier stuff like the opener, ‘Party’s Over’ or the Paledusk-featuring ‘C.U.R.I.O.S.I.T.Y.’ to slower ballads like ‘Tropical Therapy’, ‘Tiny Pieces’ and ‘+Matter’, it’s all incredible. I honestly cannot express enough how much I love each and every song on this album. I discovered them off their previous album and liked it, but goddamn has this one made me fall in love with the band. How they aren’t one of the biggest bands on the planet is beyond me. Still, with their Western tours over the last couple of years, on top of this excellent release, they are certainly getting there! We gave it9/10 when it was released but after many spins since February it definitely deserves more than that, maybe even top marks! Yep, 10/10 for this masterclass. I’d recommend it to anyone!
Listen to: NASTY, Delusion:All, and +Matter
1 – Architects: Sky Earth and Everything Between
There was nothing else it could have been. The return to form to end all return to forms. One of the biggest bands in modern metalcore took some risks in the early 2020s which, while definitely aided their popularity, it certainly alienated a fair few of their fans. Well, those fans are certainly back after this release. A UK #2 album, damn respectable, even if they were screwed out of the top spot by another week of Short n Sweet.
However, that shouldn’t take away from the majesty of this album. It’s the best thing they’ve done since Lost Forever, and you can quote me on that. It combines the bands aggressive early sound with their more recent lighter, pop-infused stuff, and it works perfectly. It’s arguably what everyone wanted their evolution to be, and it only took the world really pissing off Sam to make it happen. The fact that the slower songs are even bangers shows the quality of this album.
I gave it a more than deserved 10/10 from us, and if you want even more gushing about it, I’d recommend checking out the review linked. Every song is incredible and I’ve listened to it so much in the last eight months. A very deserving top album for 2025, and one that is a must-listen for anyone out there.
Listen to: Elegy, Blackhole, and Seeing Red
And there you have it, folks! Another year, another set of absolutely incredible albums from the rock, country, metal and even pop world! Are there any we missed or you think were misplaced? Let us know! Until 2026!
So, I tossed around the idea of writing this review all weekend. Hell yeah, we headed down to see the legendary Mika, and had an excellent time. But the gig was just him and a DJ as a support, and he’s certainly not what we usually cover here at Overtone. However, he absolutely smashed it, so we felt it was only fair to give him the praise he deserves. We did Dadi Freya last year too, so it makes sense to cover this too! And it’s not like it’ll be a long one, anyway!
As we said, his opener was a DJ. I’m sure she was great at what she does, but it wasn’t for me and the crowd overall weren’t really into it. She was barely advertised anywhere though, so that may not have helped. Sorry no-speaking, no-named DJ, but we shall move swiftly on.
As I said before, MIKA absolutely killed it. I was expecting it to be good as I’ve seen live videos of him still sounding on point. However, it was one of the best shows I’ve ever seen, honestly. Right from the opening notes from him and his incredible band, they took the packed out crowd on a journey through his extensive, impressive back catalogue. It’s easy to forget just how many massive hits the man has, too. From ‘Lolipop’ and ‘Grace Kelly’ to ‘Big Girl’ and ‘Happy Ending’ to set closer ‘We are Golden’ and the oft overlooked ‘Underwater’, the setlist was PACKED to the brim of incredible songs.
And, to top it all off, MIKA is an incredible showman. He held the packed crowd in the palm of his hand from the moment he walked on stage until the very final note. Whether it was getting them all to sing along, telling stories between and even during songs, or even walking through the crowd and up to the balcony during ‘Big Girl’, the man is nothing if not a showman. I know he plays pop music, but I’ll be damned if he isn’t a rockstar.
A quick shout out to the venue, too. Originally Civic halls before it got a Covid-era referb, it is still in pretty amazing condition, the upkeep being of clear importance. The sound was amazing, it’s massive and easy to get into, and my only ever so slight gripe was the slowness of the bar-staff. But still, props to the venue!
Honestly, though this page is primarily a rock-centric audience, I’d recommend MIKA to anyone. It’s high energy, catchy pop-rock that is sure to keep a smile on your face throughout. A lot of it has a great message and is performed to the highest of standards. His vocals live are just as breathtaking as on track, and his performance is phenomenal. We have a lot of gigs and festivals lined up for the rest of the year, but this is truly going to be hard to top!
Okay so first of all, yes, I am well aware this isn’t the sort of music we typically cover here at Overtone. But I am a big fan of Daði Freyr ‘s music so I headed down to see him on a cold winters night. And, he was so damn good, I just had to write about it!
Supporting them were the wonderful trio, BLUSHER. The ladies had travelled all the way from Australia for the tour and mentioned how it was their first time playing in the UK. And, honestly, they were fantastic. Their voices all paired together perfectly, and when they sang individually they all sounded amazing, too. And their showmanship was great, too. From synchronized dancing to switching positions depending on who took the lead, the trio were clearly professionals. Not a single part of the stage wasn’t used and there was always something going on. It was impossible to take your eyes off of!
Don’t get me wrong, it’s not exactly my sort of thing. It’s very radio-friendly pop music. However, they were a lot of fun to watch live and I’d highly recommend you give them a chance if they’re ever playing nearby!
Surprisingly enough, they were the only support. Next up was the man of the hour, Daði Freyr himself. I fell in love with him after seeing his Eurovision performance a few years back, so between that and checking out his videos, I was a tad worried how the show would be when it was just him and two others on stage. My worry was almost immediately silenced. The show was captivating, brilliant and fucking awesome. Between the percussionist, the guitarist and Daði himself, they owned the stage. And, it truly felt more like a band than a solo act, which was awesome to see. Especially since both were amazing at their craft. Whether it was the electric drums, pitch perfect backing vocals or utterly incredible guitar work, they are the perfect two to work alongside Daði Freyr.
As for the setlist, it was arranged pretty perfectly. Understandably heavy on tracks from the latest album, opening on ‘Thank You’ was perfect. From there we launched through funky numbers like ‘Skiptir ekki máli’ and ‘Sabada’, as well as slower, introspective songs like ‘Sunshine’. Heck, it even got pretty heavy with German techno track ‘Bitte’. And of course we got plenty of crowd favourites like ‘I’m Fine’, ‘Moves to Make’ and Eurovision tracks ’10 Years’ and ‘Think About Things’. Heck, he even had time to squeeze in a couple of covers for the encore. A stripped back version of McFly’s ‘Obviously’ and the hugely popular ‘Whole Again’.
Again, I just want to shout out just how good a performance the band put on. Considering they couldn’t move around a huge amount, they made use of what space they could. The huge inflatable Daði Freyr head and hands at the back of the stage were hilarious, too. It was one of the best live sets I’ve seen all year, and that’s saying something!
So, safe to say I enjoyed myself! Both bands did a fantastic job performing for a packed out Rock City, and I honestly couldn’t ask for anything more. If you get the chance to see either of the acts live any time soon, I cannot recommend it enough. I already want to see Daði Freyr again immediately. Hopefully next time he can run and even bigger venue!
When talking to Daniel Sherrill, my contact from the Chicagoland area special events planning team, he had this to say about the inspiration for Skyline Lights :
‘What inspired this particular release was us wanting to put together a perfect set of songs that the listener would have on their Mp3 player during an evening walk in the city of Chicago after being dropped off by the Metra train.The train I take from Elburn, IL to Chicago drops you off at the Ogilvie Transportation Center which is located right in the heart of “The Loop” area which is the most photogenic part of the city at night. It’s the most calming thing to being foot exploring all of the skyscrapers when they’re lit up at night. You get the full effect out of it on a walk with the right music to lead the way. That’s where the title came from and inspiration. Spring is the season coming up here where I’m having those exact same walks. Now I have a designated playlist for the occasion.‘
The album itself is a massively impressive feat. 145 tracks of country, pop, rock and symphonic metal performed by some of the best female artists around today. Now, that’s a long walk, I have to say. So, unfortunately, I cannot do a written review of all of the tracks. I do, however, have some plans for more features on this soon. In the meantime, I have a review of the first 20 tracks on the album, as well as a few more words from Daniel!
After a brief monologue intro from Jillian Jade Kallenbach, we launch into the title track, sung by Ariel Ryder. It’s a pop track so obviously not what we typically cover here, but I really enjoyed it. It was simple, just a slow piano, simple drums and some fantastic, multi-tracked vocals. The emotion is palpable already, something I feel will be a feature throughout the album. Ariel is one hell of a vocalist and gets to show it off perfectly here.
Shirley Tracanna, front-woman of Czech symphonic metal band Wishmasters, does a fantastic piano cover of Lady gaga’s ‘Million Reasons’. It was beautiful and such a showcase of Shirley’s talent, especially when it’s quite a different sound than her usual work. Moa Lignell also does a fantastic cover, this time of Dire Straits’ ‘Why Worry’. Both tracks are fairly similar in terms of composition, with this one too being a beautiful piano ballad.
When diving further in-depth about the project, Daniel said:
‘This is the fourth such compilation we’ve released and each one features a larger cast than the one previous. “The Skyline Lights” was meant to be the finale of the four albums so extra care was taken to bring a memorable group of artists together this time to create something special and to have a carefully planned release day that everyone could be involved in and share with their fans. I was very pleased with how it turned out.
‘There’s a good mix of Country artists and female fronted Symphonic rock musicians. Usually the two genres are never on the same releases but here everyone’s songs blend in well.‘
Next up Freakstorm bring a country-rock feel to proceedings with their acoustic track, ‘Out of the Door’. It’s definitely the closest track to ‘my thing’ so far, and again it’s so well done. Brimming with emotion, it’s insane that people can get such feeling out of vocals and an acoustic guitar. The storyline through the tracks so far has been fantastic too, setting the scene beautifully.
The album returns to the piano ballads with Demetra Dokos’ beautiful track. Then we finally start getting a few ensemble pieces. While still heavily piano-led, German symphonic metal band Xiphea adds some beautiful strings over the top as well as some distorted guitar for the choruses. It’s a metal ballad through and through and wouldn’t sound out of place on the latest Epica album, it’s that good.
Then you have tracks like ‘Moonlight’ and ‘Big Bang Drums’ that add an almost folk-rock style to their symphonic metal base. Heck, the latter in particular, from Mireya Derksen, feels like it draws together that many genres of music, from rock to metal to folk to electro-pop. It reminds me a lot of The Fifth Element. I would take that as a compliment because what a soundtrack that movie had. This is a personal favourite track of mine, but so far all have been fantastic.
‘Hammer of Thor’ is somehow a folk-pop track, a sub-genre I didn’t know I needed so much of in my life. Oda Gondrosen does a fantastic job on this track, and it honestly wouldn’t sound out of place in Vikings or The Hobbit.
‘Our theatre group/events planning team had been away from doing live events for two years during the pandemic and this series of streaming compilations was a good way to keep active and to engage our usual fans in the absence of live events. We’d been a consistent live event group since 2008 and now that the majority of our state is back to normal we will be directing and collaborating on a series of brand new events with the group members from the Chicago area.
‘A fifth compilation is set for late July to reunite the international group of artists from “The Skyline Lights” and for those who can’t geographically be part of the new events.‘
Erika Johnston Miner has the unenviable task of covering Brian Adams’ classic ‘Heaven’. It’s fitting emotionally, but I do have to admit I prefer the original. It just doesn’t quite have the same power behind it as Adams’ version.
The Soap Girls arrive a little later on to bring some much needed variety to the tracks, adding their own level of punk to it all. However, having said that, it still maintains the same atmosphere and darkness as all the other tracks on the album so far. It’s truly impressive that they have managed to get so many styles into one album while still keeping the same feeling throughout. 18 tracks in and it’s still interesting and flowing well.
Our good friend Jehanna brings her Ancient Waters project to the proceedings with her awesome track, Måneskinsskygge. We already have a review of the album up which features this song, which you can find here. It fits in with this album just as well as her own, too.
The project isn’t just about the recording, either. Daniel and his colleagues are planning a massive three night show across various different venues in Chicago. ‘In the 80s when a movie was too long for one night on regular television they would promote it as a “three part miniseries” at least here in the states like Ben Hur… Sound of Music.. Jesus of Nazareth” all the long two vhs tape movies… like Titanic.
‘So that’s our vibe for the new tour. A three part miniseries. Where the audience comes to all three shows to be in in the running storyline.’
You can check out the rest of the album and also donate to the cause here. And, as usual, if you enjoyed our content, drop is a follow on Instagram here.
