Over the past few months, themes of protest have been a real upward trend in the new music world, with fired-up offerings from Sevdaliza, Brandyn Burnette, Treasureseason, Glassio, Bad Wave and now mysterious Californian Michl is tapping into a social and political frustration of his own. Following up on last year’s debut EP, ‘Everything’ll Change’ is a brooding, bassy soulful ballad backed by synthetic keys and ticking beats that reminds the listener that time is limited. His lyrics are equally wrapped in meaning, like the ill-fated central line, “We hope, everything’ll change,” with emotive emphasis played on the word “hope”. It’s the one thing many of these politically-motivated songs cling to, and something that Michl as a songwriter keenly understands: “Right now it's important to express our feelings on the current social climate. For me, anger and frustration are involved on a daily basis. But at the core, all these emotions stem from being hopeful that things will soon change.” Unsettling R&B electronics and Michl’s tonic of a voice portray this vital message and further Michl as an artist to watch closely. - HT