Kevin Bronson on June 23rd, 2023

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Recently released songs from Dani Mack, Junior Mesa, Trousdale and PRETTY. are on our plate in this singles roundup. Sample …

DANI MACK, “Everybody’s Watching”

Baylee Barrett, who collaborates with Chris Reagan to make music as Dani Mack, has a backstory not unlike Blondshell’s Sabrina Teitelbaum: Creative instincts steered her away from one musical project and sent her in another direction. Five singles in to the Dani Mack phase of her career, one can only salute her instincts. “Everybody’s Watching” is her second single of 2023 (following “Nothing Better”). “‘Everybody’s Watching’ is a song that holds a lot for me, but what really sticks is the emphasis on time and the idea that you should be anywhere other than where you are,” the Texas native says. “There’s always something ‘better’ around the corner. It becomes hard to appreciate things, and hard to commit to things. I see it a lot. In myself and in others. I’m sure it’s like this in other places as well, but living in L.A. there’s a sort of pressure that can be difficult to shake. Look good, be successful, and do it all while you’re young. That little voice in your ear saying time is ticking, you’re past your prime.”

JUNIOR MESA, “Can I Trust You”

Tender in a tough way and possessing a slightly ungainly beauty, “Can I Trust You” is the sequel to the song “Caroline,” which appeared on Junior Mesa’s EP, “Quit Your Job, Runaway!,” released last month. “This song is an unofficial part two to my song ‘Caroline,’ told from my partner’s perspective,” the 23-year-old Bakersfield native says. “Insecurity and trust in a relationship can be complicated and stressful. ‘Can I Trust You’ is about a young woman and her internal battles dealing with the sadness and anger that comes from being in a relationship.”

TROUSDALE, “Point Your Finger”

The follow-up to their EP “Make It Out Alive,” “Point Your Finger” points the trio of Quinn D’Andrea, Georgia Greene and Lauren Jones away from the folk-pop aesthetic they’ve embraced so far. It’s a good ol’ roots-rocker that’s a whiskey short of a country song.

PRETTY., “Hillside”

Burbank quintet PRETTY. (with a period, so as to not confuse them with a Canadian band of the same name) captured ’80s veneer on their 2021 EP “Honey, It Was Paradise” and last year’s single “Gotchu.” “Hillside” goes full-on soft-rock. Those synths. Those squishy vocals. The dreamy melody. Don’t mind us, we’re just gonna spend the rest of the afternoon staring at our Phoebe Cates poster.