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Stella. paid ode to the intricacies of love and loss with his A Study in Balance EP

Posted on 25 June 2024

After hearing the title single from Stella.’s 6-track EP, A Study in Balance, the proverbial bar couldn’t have been set higher. The reflectively visionary composition style established the NYC-born-and-raised singer-songwriter as an artist who lures you into philosophical inquiry while conjuring imagination-sparking imagery with tenderly meditative poetry that could only have been prised from a soul of gold.

The opening single, Dreaming, in which he shares imposter syndrome with God before blurring the lines between mind cinema and reality, is a prime example of his eloquently originated wordplay. Immersing yourself in Stella.’s world is akin to sinking into a Murakami novel; there’s so much written between the lines, you’re submerged in a labyrinth of meta musings,

After opening on an exuberant note with Dreaming where Stella. wears his Paolo Nutini influence on his infectious hooks, the EP takes a more intimate and confessional turn with Something About You, as he softly verses directly to the unspoken name ceaselessly reverberating around his mind. With little more than reverb spilling from keys under his honeyed and honed vocals, the stripped-back rumination efficaciously captures the torment of self-doubt within relationships.

A Study in Balance lifts the mood once more before the EP winds back down with Not Today; a raw nerve rousing release that reaches the epitome of vulnerable candour. Maladies of heartache are laid out as a smorgasbord of emotional atrophy over the downtempo 80s pop chord progressions. Cohen himself couldn’t have written a more striking testament to how much sanctity lies in love.

The only people who won’t find something to adore about Broken Hearts are the ones who paint themselves as perpetual victims. The euphonic score forces you to take accountability for the hurt you’ve inflicted in relationships while swallowing the bitter pill that broken hearts can’t love the same as naively unaffected lovers who show no inhibition when letting down their defences. The EP culminates in Everything, a solemnly sweet vow of unrestrained passion to juxtapose Broken Hearts and give diehard romantics a reason to fall on their sword again.

Capturing the intricate complexities of love, loss and longing within six singles would be an impossible feat for most, and still, Stella. succeeded through a synthesis of sincerity and articulately offbeat artistry.  Even though we’re in an epoch in which the most vapid music rises to the top of the charts, Stella. remains one of the most promising indie artists of 2024.

A Study in Balance was officially released on June 14; stream it in full on Spotify.

Follow Stella. on Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Brandon Bing took his inimitable sound down a dark country-rock road with Burnt Out at Both Ends

Posted on 24 June 2024

With one of his most sombrely affecting singles to date, Burnt Out at Both Ends, the peerlessly roots-reverent troubadour Brandon Bing took his sound down a dark country-rock road to explore a relatable dichotomy of desire.

Bing found a poignantly powerful way to attest to how impossible it is to have it all, especially when chasing dreams at the cost of connection. While never letting the single fall into a ravine of self-pity, Bing bared his burnt-out soul in a way that will sting your own. The underpinning theme of never feeling quite enough while failing to make yourself whole and the ones you love content resounds throughout the flawlessly executed country-rock anthem.

The touches of reverb on the opening guitar lines as they reverberate around the motifs of violin strings instantaneously set a melancholic mood. Yet, Bing ensures the following bolstered with passion high-octane riffs raise the energy beneath his evocatively expressive vocals that expose the raw nerves which inspired this tour de force of a triumph. His intuitive relationship with his guitar is enough to put him up there with Brad Paisley, Chet Atkins, and Vince Gill as one of the country-rock guitar greats. As for his voice, just try keeping a dry eye while being consumed by the Whiskey-soaked timbres.

Burnt Out at Both Ends was officially released on June 21; stream the single on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Remilekun delivered another divine experience with the live recording of ‘Miracles, Signs and Wonders’

Posted on 23 June 2024

Remilekun’s live performance of her latest single, Miracles, Signs and Wonders, is nothing short of a transcendent experience; the studio recordings of her performances are impressive, but the live renditions elevate her music to a whole other sanctifying level.

Joined by a band whose talent knows no restraint that infuses 80s pop rock aesthetics into gospel, and supported by the uplifting Sound of Gospel Choir, the single reaches the epitome of an inspiring release. If you were waiting for a divine intervention, here it is.

Unlike your ordinary sonic deliverances of euphoria, Miracles, Signs and Wonders stand out by grounding its feel-good essence in its lyrics. Listen once, and you’ll find yourself basking in the power of gratitude and opening your mind to the possibility of miracles awaiting you. The pure, unbridled soul within the release serves as a reminder that embracing a rose-tinted view of the world can lead to personal reality blossoming.

Recorded live in the Netherlands, this single leaves you with soulful beats that evoke joy, hope, and love. The performance’s authenticity and arcanely unfiltered energy resonate profoundly, enabling listeners to forge a genuine connection to the music. Remilekun’s celestial timbres, cradled effortlessly by the choir, make this live version a must-listen for gospel fans or anyone who simply needs a reminder that the world is an illusion filtered through perception.

Watch the official music video for Miracles, Signs and Wonders, which was recorded live in the Netherlands on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Bask in the euphoric rays of Ami Leigh’s 80s synth pop allegory of love, You Give Me Such a Feeling

Posted on 22 June 2024

Trying to predict Ami Leigh’s next move is as futile as mapping out a dreamscape; the County Durham-based singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist’s perpetually fluid sonic signature is always in flux. Her latest single, You Give Me Such a Feeling, captures the chameleonic songstress at her most unflinchingly amorous.

While her discography may already be an arsenal of hits that play with light and shade, with some tracks that linger in the darkness before locking into the warmth of heartfelt sentiment, You Give Me Such a Feeling swims in ethereal dream pop bliss, leaving you under no illusion of the sincerity of the release.

The Cure’s influence echoes in the opening guitar lines, before the lush with 80s synth-pop nostalgia melodies ebb and flow beneath Ami Leigh’s tender-to-the-heartstrings harmonies. As soon as you slip into the serene escapism of You Give Me Such a Feeling, it will be hard to know where your emotions end and Ami Leigh’s start.

Instead of relying on the British weather to bring sun-soaked serotonin, make this single a playlist staple and get your fill of iridescent euphoria.

You Give Me Such a Feeling was officially released on June 14; stream the single on Spotify and YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Kelsey Blackstone is a stylistically expansive sensation in her latest single, Willow

Posted on 21 June 2024

Kelsey Blackstone’s latest stylistically expansive single, Willow, proves there is no definitive sound of the summer. Away from the plastic pop fray, Blackstone submerged the sonic palette of this imagination-sparking release into the ephemeral bliss of the sun-soaked season which quickly passes, long before the memories we cling to, and keep ourselves warm with in the colder months

With a jazzy pop chorus, filled with smooth horn stabs and mellifluous grooves, and an electro-folk middle eight nestled into the synthesis of pop, rock, soul, and award-winning songwriting that puts Kelsey Blackstone up there with the greats, Willow brims with incomparable quintessence.

It’s impossible not to get swept up in the dreamy reverie of her transcendent vocal lines as they bring swathes of colour and soul to the lyrics which yearn for consistency in an ever-changing world and nestle into the single that delivers a quintessentially old-school live sound.

Whenever you feel the need to touch grass, tune into this single instead; your connection to nature will be far greater. Better yet, never miss a chance to witness the Boston-born artist’s live performances; whether she’s playing solo or with her six-piece band, she’s renowned for raising the roof and allowing her audience to taste tonal utopia.

Willow was officially released on June 14; stream the single on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Grable Howie cinematised folk in his sophomore release, Don’t Walk Away

Posted on 19 June 2024

Grable Howie’s sophomore single, Don’t Walk Away, is as panoramically expansive as the landscapes he draws his inspiration from. This stellar release showcases Howie’s determination to propel his career forward and do justice to his talents that are as naturalistic as his hometown scenes in Longmont, Colorado.

The lush production elevates folk-pop into cinematic territory, inviting listeners to vicariously live within the environments that shaped his sound. Don’t Walk Away wouldn’t sound out of place on the soundtrack of a Hollywood blockbuster which explores the tender trappings of yearning during a waxing and waning love story.

The rugged timbre of the banjos provides a striking contrast to the rest of the polished classically caressed production which efficaciously highlights Howie’s seraphic vocal timbre; this juxtaposition puts a modern filmic lens on traditional folk storytelling and firmly establishes Grable Howie as a peerless entity within the contemporary music industry.

Don’t Walk Away was officially released on May 31; stream the single on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Go Metric USA entered a new alt-folk chapter with the archaic reverie in ‘Old Books No One Remembers’

Posted on 18 June 2024

The scent of bibliosmia drifts throughout the poetry of the anachronistic reverie in Old Books No One Remembers by the irreplicable artist, Go Metric USA. You almost get the sense that you will stumble into Oscar Wilde between the chapters of the beguiling alt-folk progressions which resound as though they have been conjured, not created in the formulaic fashion through which most modern music unravels.

The traditional folk instrumentation gives the single an authentically organic aura which sends sparks through the imagination when working in synergy with the abstract whispers of narrative enchantment. Old Books No One Remembers is a single that bores into the soul, tantalising it gently with timbres that will stir the most primal facets of your being.

This unique blend emerges from the heart of the Texas independent and experimental music community, from an artist which revels in exploring the space between spoken word and jangle music, resulting in a confluence of folk traditions, adventurous soundscapes and masterful songwriting.

Old Books No One Remembers is the perfect introduction to Go Metric USA and their ability to create matrimony between the past and present while ensuring the memories of their sound endures long after the final note.

Old Books No One Remembers was officially released on June 2nd; stream the single on Soundcloud and YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Todd Hearon echoed arcane serenity through his folk-pop-meets-alt-country-reverie, Looking Glass

Posted on 15 June 2024

The warmth of 70s folk-pop radiates through the arcane aura of Todd Hearon’s latest alt-country serenade, Looking Glass, taken from his eagerly-anticipated forthcoming album, IMPOSSIBLE MAN. The rendered with holistic resolve release almost seems out of place in the modern era of music; rarely do new singles so organically pure in their sense-awakening and placating catharsis surface, making Hearon a diamond in the digitised rough.

Very few artists can match the rugged-with-emotion soul-exhilarating appeal of Cat Stevens, but the way the melodies in Looking Glass ascend until they touch nirvana gave the Texas-born, North Carolina-raised and New Hampshire-based singer-songwriter almost exclusive access to that affectingly sincere pantheon.

The lush-with-reverie production, with trippy psychedelic aesthetics in all the right places, pairs shimmering organs with evocative piano pop rock progressions, vintage-hued guitar chords and a vocal register so euphonic you can’t help but melt into it.

With the imminence of his third LP, IMPOSSIBLE MAN, due for release in August, you won’t want to tear your attention away from Todd Hearon for too long. Get a taste of what is to come by streaming Looking Glass on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Joyce V Harrison’s ‘Flirt’ Is A Tempestuous Journey Through Pop Nostalgia

Posted on 15 June 2024
https://soundcloud.com/joyceonthekeys/flirt

The pop songwriting powerhouse with swathes of potential, Joyce V Harrison, sliced her superlative chops right through her latest tempestuously seductive single, Flirt, featuring vocals by Nikki Leonti and produced by Andrew Ramsey.

With grooves and hooks that echo the infectious earworm appeal of 00s pop artists in the vein of The Sugababes, there’s a nostalgic edge to the funked-up pop production. Yet nothing overrides the release as much as the catchy choruses that pertain to their own sense of gravity and how the lyrics work their way into the psyche while alluding to Joyce V Harrison’s prowess in painting rich in emotional imagery vignettes. By listening to Flirt, you will see exactly how the phenomenon of the femme fatale embedded itself in popular culture. The emboldened hit, which contrasts sticky-sweet tonal hues with fierce energy is flawless by any measure.

As a non-performing ASCAP songwriter and Grammy-voting member of the Recording Academy, Joyce V Harrison has written songs for everyone from Jeri Faktor and the Backporch Symphony to AVI Records to LeAnn Rimes. After hearing Flirt, we have no doubt that far more artists will reach the crowning points of their career with her material.

Flirt was officially released on June 6th; stream the single on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

December Fades reached the pinnacle of synthwave seduction in his latest single, With You

Posted on 14 June 2024
December Fades

LA singer-songwriter & multi-instrumentalist, December Fades, has delivered what will undoubtedly be revered as the most seductive synthwave sound of the summer with his latest single, With You.

The moody reverberations beneath the transcendent tones emulating from the glassy synths which echo the neon-lit euphoria of the Weeknd create a scintillating contrast while simultaneously injecting profound depth into the unfiltered passion in the love song that invites you to witness the darkness beyond the light of connection.

With all the makings of a radio-ready perennial pop earworm and the sincerity of a soul-bleeding candour in its rawest form, With You broke the summer pop mould. The single stands as a testament to December Fades’ affecting approach to rendering romanticism into his productions which may drift between styles but they always arrive on the airwaves with cinematic flair, infectious melodies, and lyrics sharp enough to tear their way through the coldest of souls.

Stream With You on all major platforms, including Spotify, from June 14.

For more ways to listen and connect with the artist, check out December Fades’ official website.

Review by Amelia Vandergast