James Blonde breaks into Spotify with hot new single.

It’s shamefully taken longer than it should have for James Blonde to come onto our radar. But despite the fact that recent single Heartbreak was dropped three months ago, that doesn’t make it any less brilliant or fresh. In fact, it’s only been picked up by Spotify’s Discover playlist this past week.

The track itself is like a cross between modern indie-pop and The Strokes, striking a rare balance that serves both genres wonderfully. Underpinned by an understated guitar line that builds tension throughout the track, the song showcases how bands can effectively use instrumentation to frame a strong vocal.

Here, the vocals are the central driving force in the track, setting the pace and tone for the entire song. It’s unusual to find this in the alt scene, but it’s a bit more popular in indie. It’s an unconventional convergence, but it works well.