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Music Blog for Indie Pop Fans

Organic Art Folk Serenity Unravels through Matt John Henderson’s ‘Gethsemane’

Posted on 9 November 2024

With his latest single, Gethsemane, the Ambient Avant-Gardist Matt John Henderson nestled into the niche of sonic expressionists with the ability to render catharsis into your rhythmic pulses while intellectually stimulating your mind.

The cinematically quiescent piece uses organic textures and tones to imbue the production in folksy seraphic warmth; his equally as honeyed and honed hushed vocal tones effortlessly complement the minimalist yet intricately eloquent instrumental stylings which pair jazz nuances with artfully delicate motifs that wouldn’t be out of place in Thom Yorke’s remit.

As a precursor to the critically acclaimed artist’s eagerly anticipated album, Lapse in Stillness, Gethsemane is an introspectively entrancing teaser of the serenity which is set to soon follow. The artist’s ability to invite his audience to lose themselves and live between the layers of his sound is second to none; it’s only a matter of time before his name becomes a staple on every editorial ambient playlist on Spotify.

Gethsemane was officially released on November 1st; stream the single on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Hotel Florentia squeezed 60s psych-pop into garage rock with their saturated-in-delay slice of eccentric reverie, The 11th Hour

Posted on 7 November 2024

The Italian pop-rock duo Hotel Florentia squeezed the psychedelia of 60s pop into their criminally underrated lo-fi garage gem, The 11th Hour, allowing listeners to revel in a slice of indie reverie that matches the sublimity of The Maccabees and the Violent Femmes.

With melodies that burrow their way straight into the soul and turn up the heat through the glow of wavy saturation and nostalgically sharpened hooks which imbue instantaneous accessibility and familiarity to the single, The 11th Hour is the ultimate introduction to the Lodi-based outfit which are no strangers to international stages.

Equally as sweet as the instrumentals is the sense of playfully unfeigned eccentricity which sees the single become so much more than the sum of its parts. If Pavement never fails to leave you enamoured with their zanily electric vignettes, prepare to fall head over rhythmic pulses for The 11th Hour.

The 11th Hour is available to stream on all major platforms, including SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Folk Meets Symphony: The Dynamic Contrasts of ‘Touch of Adrenaline

Posted on 7 November 2024

With an 00s-adjacent sound that will throw you right back to when the fervour around Plain White T’s single Hey There Delilah consumed popular culture, the latest acoustic pop single, Touch of Adrenaline, from the independent singer-songwriter Woodstone, is a raw revelation which will leave you hanging off every cuttingly cultivated chord progression.

Rugged in all the right places, stirringly diaphanous in all the rest, Touch of Adrenaline is enough to sink you into an awe-struck stupor as you attempt to take in the vivacious display of talent that translates into evocatively piercing aural gold.

The pulls of the orchestral strings which work their way into the mix accompanied by folky instrumentals amplify the thematic dynamism of the single which evolves into a study of contrasts between the ornate orchestral motifs and the winding Kurt Vile reminiscent folk strings.

As the single lyrically contends with the painstaking fear of not being enough in the presence of someone who captivates through the electricity of their skin and knowing that the connection will be ephemeral, Woodstone exhibits one of the most scintillating song structures the airwaves have been graced with this year. The question isn’t whether he is worthy of your radar; it’s, Are your radars worthy of him?

Touch of Adrenaline reached all major streaming platforms, including SoundCloud on October 21.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Jamie Beth shines in the fading light of intimacy in her latest single, Streetlights

Posted on 6 November 2024

Imagine the space on the sonic continuum where the commercial potential of Taylor Swift, the raw sting of First Aid Kit and the vivid vignettes of Phoebe Bridgers meet; that is exactly where you will find Jamie Beth in her latest single, Streetlights.

The aching timbre of her ethereal Angel Olsen-esque vocal lines effortlessly complements the simple yet all-consumingly affecting instrumental arrangement as the singer-songwriter paints a narrative of bitter-sweet affection. The melancholic delivery of the scenery leaves you living and breathing the dwindling vestiges of intimacy shared in the vulnerably candid track, which exhibits how fearless the Newcastle-born, Liverpool-based luminary is when it comes to wearing her heart on her sleeve.

With plaudits from BBC Introducing and Amazing Radio, Jamie Beth isn’t just making an impression on the airwaves; the 19-year-old is well on the way to making an everlasting impact.

Streetlights was officially released on November 5th; stream the single on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Photo by James Grant

Heed the confessionally celestial call of Seafarers’ latest hit indie chamber pop single, Televangelists

Posted on 2 November 2024

Seafarers, the innovative six-piece led by Matthew Herd, took ethereal indie chamber pop into a celestial realm with their latest single, ‘Televangelists’, which nestles into their third studio LP, Another State; the track envelops listeners in an arcane aura, inviting them to explore the band’s poetic universe.

Herd’s transition from solitary songwriting to a more collaborative approach shines through the mellifluous stream of lyrical parables that punctuate this release. The candidly poignant lines strike all the right chords with their perception-widening introspection and intimate confessions. Each lyric is an opportunity for connection, offering a profound glimpse into the psyche of a group that has drawn acclaim across the globe since its inception in 2018.

The seamless fusion of Florence and the Machine-esque indie rock and chamber pop creates a lush soundscape that amplifies the track’s thematic weight. Herd’s collaboration with extraordinary vocalist Elanor Moss, whom he credits with broadening his creative horizons, adds almost depth to the composition which is affecting on every conceivable level.

Televangelists is available to stream as part of Seafarers’ third LP, Another State, via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Keep your soul warm with Daniela Galasso’s slice of indie folk-pop reverie, Comfortable

Posted on 1 November 2024
Daniela Galasso

With an emotional richness and resonance that puts her in parallel to the most introspective works of First Aid Kit, Daniela Galasso, with her seminal single, Comfortable, radiates vulnerability and tonal warmth

Aside from the cinematic sonic sublimity, the real beauty of Comfortable resides in how the Italian-born, California-based singer-songwriter turns becoming comfortable in a relationship into something profoundly poetic. While so many people would perceive that as the moment the romance dies, Galasso flips the script with her ethereally tender, orchestrally scored single, allowing listeners to see comfort in a relationship as something just as sweet as the initial butterflies.

As an award-winning artist who has clearly mastered the art of textural alchemy within her productions, Galasso has stepped out of the shadows of her influences in the vein of Taylor Swift, Ellie Goulding and Imogen Heap and irrefutably come into her own through her installations of vulnerable reverie.

Comfortable will be available to stream on all major platforms from November 1st. Find your preferred way to listen via the artist’s official website.

Keep up to date with news of new releases from Daniela Galasso on Instagram and Facebook.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Lia Juno exhibited the pain of raw rumination in her alt-indie tour de force, Sight

Posted on 30 October 2024
Lia Juno

Ethereal alt-indie pop vocals meet cavernous guitar lines in Lia Juno’s intimately melancholic single, ‘Sight’, which deconstructs familiar tonality, tearing it down to the aural rubble before rebuilding a sonic landscape where sanctuary for the disillusioned resides.

Since unveiling her debut single, Fevering, earlier this year, the LA-based independent artist has made all the right waves; with her latest single she puts herself in the same league as Wolf Alice and Big Thief with the cerebral thematic nature of the manifesto of mournful rumination.

Building up from Pixies-esque artfully dramatic motifs to a blisteringly grungy crescendo of distorted guitars clashing in oscillation with the rhythm section, Sight ensures that if you have any pent-up emotions when you hit play, they’ll be obliterated by the impact of the track’s climax which you’ll want to feel the force of time after time.

Sight will be available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify and SoundCloud, from October 30th.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Leah Nawy Blossomed into Indie Stardom with ‘I Was a Flower’

Posted on 27 October 2024

Leah Nawy’s latest single, I Was a Flower, is an emotional sojourn you will never want to return from. Drawing on influences from Big Thief, Yo La Tengo, and Grandaddy, the track unfurls like a séance of tonal sublimity, decorated with artful flourishes and polyphonic bursts of hazy reverie.

If the aforementioned artists hit you in the feels, imagine that emotional weight paired with a voice that fuses Norah Jones’ intimate introspection with the soaring range of Macy Gray.

The thematic blossoming within the track’s progressions ensures every component heightens the emotion and intensifies the resonance, effortlessly showcasing Leah Nawy’s depth as both a songwriter and producer. At just 23, the NYC-based artist, who honed her craft at Berklee NYC, has mastered the art of making every note and lyric hit with purpose.

I Was a Flower was officially released on October 2nd; stream the single on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Seductive Synths and Industrial Grit: Silverlake Digs Deep with ‘X (I Should Be Digging)’

Posted on 27 October 2024
Silverlake

Synthesising the demure magnetism of Garbage, the arcane aura of Bjork, and a visceral indietronica pulse, Silverlake electrifies the senses with strobing synths lighting up the polished production in their latest seminal single, X (I Should Be Digging), taken from their third LP, Exotic Metals Ltd.

There’s a seductive power in every second, with sharper-than-razorwire hooks, luxe guitar licks, and siren-esque vocal lines courtesy of Sally-Ann Parker, whose performance is nothing less than hypnotic.

The track’s descent into pure leftfield chaos, guided by oscillating synths and pummelling bass, leaves a lasting impression, securing Silverlake’s place as one of the most scintillating indie-pop outfits on the UK underground circuit.

Drawing on their West Midlands roots, ‘X’ reflects their unique ability to fuse industrial influences with ethereal sublimity. Industrial electronica doesn’t frequently veer into the remit of otherworldly tonality, but as X proves, when it does, the result is nothing short of alchemic and starkly cinematic.

X (I Should Be Digging) was officially released on September 20; stream the single on SoundCloud and Bandcamp now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Spotlight Feature: Brighton’s John Jackson Debuts with ‘Tomorrow’—A Britpop Diary of Loss and Hope

Posted on 26 October 2024

John Jackson’s debut EP, Tomorrow, unveils itself as a meditative exploration, using the avenues of indie and Britpop to navigate intimate reflections of an introspective psyche. Recorded in his Brighton home, the self-produced collection of singles invites listeners to aurally gaze into tender expositions of grief, heroism, and isolation, melodically prising beauty from melancholy.

The opening title track, Tomorrow, is a diaphanous curtain-raiser, reminiscent of Blur’s sonic breadth but uniquely steeped in the thematic depth of personal loss. Jackson’s masterful weaving of art through the agony of grief through Thom Yorke-like flourishes transforms the track into an introspective odyssey. It’s a journey through sorrow, beautifully wrapped in tender melodic progressions that resonate with the listener’s own hidden echoes of loss.

Transitioning from the ethereal to the earthbound, Save Heaven shifts the mood with its melancholic yet profound orchestration. Here, Jackson explores the sting of isolation, crafting a cinematically rich soundscape that hits all the right evocative triggers  The orchestral elements, coupled with the syncopated pulses of the track, create a magnetising rhythmic pull that draws deeper into the shared experience of solitude.

The EP’s narrative arc reaches a crescendo with Hero; an ode to Inspiral Carpets and the concept of unexpected bravery. It’s a rumination on fearlessness that asserts Jackson’s ability to bear his musical influences while allowing his authenticity to permeate through homage.

As a first entry, Jackson’s debut EP couldn’t be more promising; his ability to speak on unspoken phenomena through his affectingly authentic sonic identity is what every songwriter should strive to achieve through their art and expression.

Tomorrow is now available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Keep up to date with new releases from John Jackson via Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast