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From Berlin with Flavour: WRY’s ‘Sweet n Salty’ Mixes Up Alt-RnB

Posted on 15 September 2024

The Berlin-based artist WRY doesn’t just fit into the contemporary alt-RnB dynamic, she has reached the zenith of it with her debut EP, Sweet n Salty, which she has been gearing up towards since she hit the airwaves running with her first single, Anywhere, in 2021.

The title track drenches the senses in the sublimity of the downtempo soul which harnesses the quintessence of RnB while pushing the genre forward through rhythmically eloquent innovation. The reverb-drenched melodies seamlessly float above perfectly syncopated beats which mimic the rapid thumping of a heartfelt emotion, crafting an atmosphere thick with anticipation and serenity.

WRY’s vocal delivery is a fiery cascade, yet it possesses a sensuous lightness that whispers secrets only the most attentive listeners will discern. With influences from iconic figures like Amy Winehouse, Banks, and Charlotte Cardin, WRY constructed a solid foundation of inspiration to construct her own authentic aural aura.

Each track in her growing discography is a shift away from the predictable, and Sweet n Salty is no exception. The emotional discourse, articulated through a minimalist yet powerful arrangement solidifies WRY’s position as one of the most promising names in the Berlin alt-RnB scene.

Stream the Sweet n Salty EP on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Jake Marshall allowed the anxiously attached to unite in his retro synth-pop hit, TOO MUCH!

Posted on 14 September 2024

We may be in an era of throwaway pop hits but if any track is worth holding onto it is Jake Marshall’s sad-boy synth pop sophomore release, TOO MUCH! Marshall and his 5-octave range set the bar high with his titularly ironic debut single, Bad Singer, and transcended it with the 80s aesthetics and indie hyper-pop nuances in TOO MUCH.

The candidly riotous track finds an earwormy way to articulate the trials and tribulations of contending with an insecure attachment style and battling with the inner monologue which constantly gnaws with crushing self-reflections of overbearingness. Even if you don’t have bags of childhood trauma attached to your attachment style, we can all relate to some degree to how it feels to feel too much as we try and seek assurance and affection.

Safe to say, Jake Marshall is the queer icon we never knew we needed; his discography is shaping up to be far more than just outpours of pained introspection, it’s a safe space where outliers, the heartbroken and the LGBT+ community can find swathes of consoling resonance.

With his upcoming EP, love(s) of my life, in the pipeline, the future looks iridescently bright for Jake Marshall.

TOO MUCH! Dropped on September 6th; stream the track on SoundCloud now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Heal your ‘Heavy Heart’ with Kay Soul’s instant RnB classic

Posted on 10 September 2024

Hot on the heels of her seminal EP, Heavy Love, the Chicago-raised RnB singer-songwriter, Kay Soul lived up to her moniker once again with the unveiling of her latest single, Heavy Heart, which exhibits her peerless ability to fuse soul-stirring evocations with classic RnB elements.

With a wistful sigh as the first note, Kay Soul set the tone for an aching emotional journey before the melodies swiftly take hold and cradle the harmonies which resound with seemingly endless honeyed sustain, crafting an installation of pure catharsis for the romantically jaded.

Her lyrics weave a rich narrative of how heavy heartbreak weighs on the soul, yet leave ample space for listeners to instil their own despair before finding swathes of consolation. The instrumental arrangement, driven by reverb-laden synths and evocative piano keys, works in synergy with the vocal lines to testify to the healing power of music as the breakthrough artist radiates nothing but pure love and profound connection.

Recognised widely for her artistry, including accolades for her gospel performances and significant album releases, Kay Soul continues to leave a lasting impression on the music industry. Be a part of her legacy and hit play.

Heavy Heart was officially released on August 23rd; stream the single on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Revel in the artfully crafted resonance of J.MYSTERY’s indie pop exploration of heartbreak, Reverie

Posted on 8 September 2024

The ethereal indie pop enigma, J.MYSTERY, struck again with the sublimity in his latest single, Reverie, which launched on August 9th and sonically delivered exactly what it says on the titular tin.

Diaphanous notes of the finger-picked guitars lead you into a séance of melancholic reflection which builds into a soundscape that crescendos through swells of reverb-drenched synths, enveloping the evocative Elbow-esque timbre of J.MYSTERY’s weighted with aching emotion harmonies.

The meditation on the heartache which follows a connection fraying at the seams epitomises hopeless romanticism while revolutionising the heartfelt indie ballad with a depiction of how yearning often entwines with fantasy as you attempt to reconcile with the isolation.

The Portuguese singer-songwriter’s cultivated approach to synthesising alt-rock, electronica and atmospheric pop has culminated in a loyal army of fans who revel in the artfully crafted resonance. In an oversaturated scene, he’s reigning supreme by weaving his heartstrings through his melodies. Even more reverence undoubtedly awaits the alt-indie pioneer as he charts a path through innovative, authentic expression.

Stream Reverie on Spotify now and follow J.MYSTERY on Facebook and Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Preston Scott Straus became a member of queer pop royalty with ‘For Love’

Posted on 5 September 2024

Infinitely more affirming, affecting and empowering than anything RuPaul has produced in their 15 studio album span, the latest single, For Love, from Preston Scott Straus will hit you in places you never knew music could touch.

To bridge the gap between the ballad and the dance-pop anthem, the Cleveland Ohio-originating singer-songwriter delivered an evocatively-charged synthesis of sincerity and vulnerability into a kinetically euphoric production which doesn’t just carry his lyrics, they amplify the verses which become mantras, ensuring they will stick with you for long after the outdo

After his humble upbringing where escaping into fantasy was the only way to feel free, Straus found music at the age of 12 when he played in the Cleveland Youth Wind Symphony and cut his vocal teeth by singing in the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Chorus.

At 18, Straus honed his songwriting and production talents which eventually helped him to overcome a challenging and homophobic childhood as he pursued love, freedom and creativity away from the church community.

Today, the artist is still endlessly devoted to making the world better for people who are just trying to be themselves, which shines through luminously in For Love which may be a feel-good track, but you’ll have to choke back the tears while embracing the soul of the single.

For Love dropped on the 30th of August; stream the single on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Laptop Singers captured the quintessence of Swedish Pop with ‘Scandinavian Home’

Posted on 4 September 2024

Laptop Singers synthesised the rhythmically hooked quintessence of Swedish Pop into their latest album, The Battle for the Future of Pop. If the soul-scintillating track, Scandinavian Home, is anything to go by, the battle has already been won and Laptop Singers are sitting pretty at the helm of the genre.

By fusing the perpetually stylistic sonic signature of Kraftwerk and the chilly chromatics of Covenant into a perennial dance-pop earworm with post-punk-esque guitars, a pulse-pounding beat and vocals that make you want to melt through the flawlessly pitched seraphic harmonies, Laptop Singers carved out one of the most affecting pop anthems of 2024 with Scandinavian Home.

There’s absolutely nothing guilty about this funk and groove-slicked in all the right places from the Swedish brother duo, Per and Lars Andersson; it’s edgy enough to be a hit in the indie and alt-scene while giving mainstream pop fans all the dance-worthy euphony they could possibly ask for.

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

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Silver Magpie’s alt-indie single ‘Dickens’ is the perfect package of style, substance, and scintillation

Posted on 3 September 2024

Forget about the Oasis reunion, Silver Magpie’s return to the airwaves following a two-year hiatus with the single, Dickens, is infinitely more laudable. The trippy in all the right places alt-indie art-pop single, which embodies the classic songwriting of epochs gone by, is a tonal triumph. The glistening piano keys and angular guitar notes against the moody reverberations create an evocative platform for the singer-songwriter to pour candour across as he covers the pain of coming to terms with externally and internally concealed truths.

The consistently in flux vocal presence delivers everything from punchy cadences that punctuate the track as much as the percussion to resigned yearning to fiery swaggering outpours of unfeigned emotion to ethereal harmonies which endlessly ascend through the production.

Jesus Gutierrez hit pause on the Silver Magpie project after his 2022 single, Cartoon Hero, to refine his sound; given the kaleidoscopic gravity which pulls you into the poetic cosmos of Dickens, it is safe to say that the singer-songwriter has got his sonic signature down to a fine art.

The way Dickens implores you to swim with the thematic currents establishes Silver Magpie as so much more than an artist paying homage to the alt 80s and 90s; he’s a 21st-century pioneer, filtering his evocative narrative through lenses of textural nostalgia, resulting in a sound that you can sink into and instantly feel at home while prising new-found resonance from his eloquently penned productions.

Dickens was officially released on August 22nd; stream the single on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Jeff Goldsmith – Before Dawn: Stillness in Electronic Neo-Classic Motion

Posted on 2 September 2024
This Beast by Jeff Goldsmith

Ahead of the release of his This Beast EP, the award-winning Minneapolis film composer and sound designer, Jeff Goldsmith teased the reflective ambience to come with the unveiling of ‘Before Dawn’.

The instrumental score captures the beauty of the stillness before dawn breaks and the humdrum of modernity unfurls. The electronic synthetics reverberate around the softly plaintive keys which keep the momentum quiescently pushing forward through the layers of ethereal reverb which border on ominous as the single progresses reaches a subtle crescendo.

The track then winds back down through an installation of artfully composed neo-classic trip-hop, exhibiting Jeff Goldsmith’s versatility as a musician and engineer. His ability to beguile through electronic sound design fused with treated samples and evocative acoustic instrumentation has earned him several accolades in the industry.

When he’s not composing for the airwaves, he’s scoring soundtracks for horror and thriller films. His most recent project, This Beast, may be a departure from his industrial leanings, but for the sonic sanctuary it delivers, it is more than worth your attention.

Stream and purchase Before Dawn on Bandcamp now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Somewhere In Between – Mr & Mrs: An Orchestral Indie Folk Tale of Amour for the Ages

Posted on 2 September 2024

Somewhere In Between, the soul-embracing union of Deena Robertson and Austin Bisnow is so much more than a new alt-indie folk act on the scene; the duo is a profound testament to love’s resilience.

Their debut single Mr & Mrs, taken from their double A-Side which also includes the single Wildflower, unfurls as an artfully orchestral folk narrative, resonating with emotional depths through dual-layered harmonies. The intimate glimpse into a romance that has battled odds as daunting as cancer and triumphed with a story sung through their very being reaches the epitome of heart-rending.

The single channels the delicate nuances of Thom Yorke’s artful signatures, the diaphanous echoes of Tom Odell, and the undeniable chemistry reminiscent of Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova. It’s an ornately ethereal vignette of romanticism so vivid, it might just redefine your understanding of love, illustrating that true affection demands patience, compassion, and understanding.

Their journey began when Austin first heard Deena singing in Sanskrit during a hot yoga class in LA, leading to an inseparable bond forged at a retreat in Utah. Challenges soon followed, notably Deena’s cancer battle, compelling them to immortalise their vows in song with the aid of Grammy Award-winning artist Ry-X. Today, their Quebec barn-turned-studio is not just a place of creation but a sanctuary where their lives and art intertwine.

For those jaded by Hollywood’s glossy depictions of love, Mr & Mrs offers a real, raw, and profoundly authentic alternative. Hit play, and let the seraphic sentimentality carry you to where love reigns supreme, unscripted and unequivocally honest.

Mr & Mrs is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Denim Dan is in the borderlands between optimism and pensive resignation in the folky 60s psych-pop single, ‘Guess I’ll Be Alright’

Posted on 2 September 2024
Denim Dan

The invitation to celebrate Denim Dan’s 25th Anniversary (1994 – 2024) is the hottest sonic ticket on the airwaves. The commemorative LP compilates some of the biggest hits from the band’s seven studio album legacy, including 3AM, Don’t Throw it Away, Let Your Love Fall Down on Me (Too) and Down By the River Bend Flow.

Every release earned its coveted space on the expansive double album, yet potentially none more so than the quintessential kaleidoscope of eccentric nostalgia, Guess I’ll Be Alright. After a smoky 60s psych-pop overture, the single unravels in Denim Dan’s signature folk troubadour style, which permits his vocals to flood the mix over the cosmically swanky melodies.

Few artists dare to lyrically roam in the grey area between pensive resignation and optimism, yet Denim Dan boldly ventured over unchartered emotional territory to sonically visualise a relatable sensation of suffering a blow to the soul but looking ahead with jaded self-assurance that wounds will eventually heal.

Following the release of Denim Dan’s 25th Anniversary (1994 – 2024), Denim Dan is starting a new chapter with a new album in the pipeline and set to drop in November 2024.

The anniversary album will be available to stream on all platforms, including Spotify, from September 2nd.

Review by Amelia Vandergast