There’s nothing hotter than when I recommend someone a Huron John track, and they’ve already heard it. The Chicago-based indie-pop singer, who produced, wrote, and engineered his latest record Cartoon Therapy on his own, has been a rising voice in the space since his 2018 debut, churning out buzzworthy tracks that secured him spots on Spotify’s coveted “Lorem” playlist as well as a healthy handful of fans. Through his eclectic visuals and mysterious online persona, he’s built his own universe, and “Trapped in a Lava Lamp” is the perfect example of what makes a Huron John song just that. With blips, pops, vocal distortions, and a sprinkle of pop-culture references, his neon and noisy tunes seem to encapsulate what it means to be growing and alive in 2021. His hyper-specific lyrics, which throw it back to therapy visits and “when everybody told me Tyler, the Creator was not cool,” sit in contrast with groovy and chill beats, creating bops for the lonely, lost, and underrated. Though what his technicolor world seems to understand the best is that it’s not only possible to feel a lot of emotions at once, but it’s OK, too. —Carson Mlnarik
