A new single release from Mars Rodriguez delivers an edgy and vast alternative pop soundscape that makes me think of certain artists from the late 90s or early 2000s that must have influenced a project like this one. This speaks volumes for the character the track boasts and is something that you end up getting very attached to.
"These Times We're In" is an absolutely massive track and comes with a particular sonic drive that lets things come through robust and hard-hitting.
The synth work on this track is epic as it's the driving force behind the entire thing if you ask me, and the beat pushes the envelope even further. In my opinion, the production of this track was absolutely outstanding because it comes with this unique aesthetic that for me, again, gives me little bouts of nostalgia.
 After all, I grew up listening to certain kinds of alternative pop and this track hit that aesthetic so perfectly that it sounds like it's a track I've been missing out on half my life.
This whole thing was put together with a great amount of attention to detail but it never loses that character that it starts off with in the first place and it never leaves the message that it's meant to give.
When you listen to the track you can take the song in a few different ways which is important when you're an avid music listener.
You should be able to take a track like this and embed it into your own life and soak it in the way you want to.
Each person that listens to this song may take it a little bit differently and that's part of the beauty of music in general.
Having said that, the music video nailed the premise and purpose of this track and for me, the visuals came through as impactful as the song itself did.
Mars is truly a unique artist and puts a lot of her time, energy, effort, and brain into whatever she's creating so with this track I feel almost like the music video was already something she had in her head when she wrote the song.
Between the song and the video you get the sense that we are in a place where we should all be disconnecting to an extent. I'm not going to give everything away but that's the sense that I get from the song and the music video combined.
Of course, if that is the message then she's 100% correct.
The vocals on the track are killer and they give a certain kind of swagger or attitude that helps push the envelope to where the song needed to be.
Vocally it's got just as much edge as the music does and that's saying a lot because this track is a heavy one if you ask me.
I can't express enough how you should be watching the video to listen to this song at least for the first time around.
This track had a bit of a pop undertone of course but again it's a 90s, alternative pop overtone and the whole thing packs quite a hefty punch and can engulf you.
Upon listening to this track, I couldn't help but go through some of her previous releases on Spotify and I'm glad that I did because you can hear a great evolution in her songwriting there.
The songs tend to boast a similar sort of edge and heaviness but in different ways and a lot of them have somewhat existential undertones, especially about the age that we live in and what we consider reality.
I love stuff like this because it's music with a message and this, in turn, gives her even more character and presence as an artist if you ask me.
This was a brilliant single that hit a perfect aesthetic and if you dig it, then you should most certainly check out some of her back catalog because it's all extremely well worth checking out.
I would listen to it with headphones on so you could get into it and soak in everything that's going on in track but again, I urge you to watch the video to do so, and of course, we've embedded it below so you can do just that.
Make sure it's nice and loud and remember where you heard this first.
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