If Jakobs Castle were a physical place, it would exist somewhere in the present that’s also rooted in history—and that’s exactly how Jakob Nowell approached the 14 songs that make up Enter: The Castle. As the son of Sublime’s legendary frontman Bradley Nowell, there is no denying that Jakob is influenced by his father’s music and legacy. However Jakobs Castle is anything but a nostalgic rehash. Instead these songs are remarkably cutting-edge while still retaining the keen sense of melody that endeared his father’s music to millions of people all over the world. Nowell has described the project as “mixing California’s past with the fresh mystery of internet underground culture” and that’s a good place to start. But it’s only the tip of the proverbial iceberg when it comes to the sonic and emotional depth of this varied collection of songs.
guccihighwaters’ third album for Epitaph, DEATH BY DESIRE is his boldest and most adventurous record to date—a result of the project’s mastermind Morgan Murphy taking the creative wheel and hitting the gas at 100 MPH, putting every element of his musical acumen into these 12 songs. After releasing joke’s on you in 2021—as well as the extensive touring that followed—Murphy felt creatively unsure of where to go next. ”I was in a standstill,” he explains. “I was putting out a lot of singles and doing sessions with producers and songwriters, and I wasn’t connecting with what I was making.” Instead of throwing in the towel, Murphy got to work on writing and self-producing the luxurious alternative pop sound that would become DEATH BY DESIRE. “I locked myself in the studio every day and really just focused on reinventing myself,” he recalls. “I was making something that was untouched by anyone else. I knew it was gonna be a hard task, but it was also the only way for me to feel like I accomplished something that I love.”