Sam Feinstein is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist born and raised in Peabody, Massachusetts. He has had a musical upbringing starting with the piano at the age of seven and taken forward by his high-school band music college education. He has been releasing his own music since 2022 and has five singles under his belt; his latest single “The Shot Heard Round the Burbs” is an important addition to his discography.

The track is extremely well produced and plays with space very interestingly. The sonic palette borrows from EDM, Rock and metal adding its own unique extraterrestrial elements. The many elements are immaculate on their own and come together to create a sense of organised chaos. The repetitive synth and the groovy guitar tones add atmosphere to the track while the rough and subdued vocals bring with them a hypnotic and trippy effect. It makes liberal use of sound effects in order to create ambience.

The lyricism feels steeped in contemporary American politics but only hints at it without being explicit. The line “Wealthy Communities Outraged: Worst Tragedy Ever” seems to be a satirical take on gun violence that is all too common in the country but doesn’t directly impact all-white neighbourhoods for they are physically isolated because of their privilege. The response to “The Shot Heard Round the Burbs” is increased policing and a pro-arms discourse. The lines “Stolen ignorance, luxurious indifference” and “We’ll be…great again” are clever!

Music is best served as an agent of change. I really enjoyed the detail put into the cover art that depicts a newspaper with the lyrics of the track. It follows the theme of “The Shot Heard Round the Burbs” that sounds like a mysterious headline. Make sure to check out the single from Sam Feinstein here: