Browsing Category

Soul

NYC’s MG & the Orbs delivered a remedy for self-pity with their timelessly swanky jazz blues alchemy in HELP is What You’re Needin’

Posted on 31 May 2024

With Maria Giorgio at the helm, MG & the Orbs is a peerless ensemble, revered throughout the Big Apple and beyond for their soul-imbued brand of jazz blues. Their latest single, HELP is What You’re Needin’ is enough to make you want to turn back time to add them to your radar earlier.

The resolute rejection of an invitation to a pity party is the ultimate remedy for anyone who finds themselves perpetually employed to do other people’s emotional labour. The soulful defiance in the blues shuffle which Giorgio penned after a writer on a movie set she was working on started to sing his own relationship blues. After instantly finding the inspiration in the exchange, Giorgio enlisted her cultivated collective to breathe life into the upliftingly unreckonable single that proves just how dangerous it can be to bring out the hellcat in a conduit of soul.

MG & the Orbs don’t just believe in music as a healing force, they deliver the cure in their timelessly swanky jazz blues alchemy.

HELP is What You’re Needin’ was officially released on May 24; stream the single on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Sebas De Varona Opened a Portal to the Psychedelic Soul of the 70s with ‘Preachers’

Posted on 30 May 2024

The gospel in Sebas De Varona’s latest single, Preachers, opens a portal to the psychedelic soul of the 70s; it’s a doorway into the mind of a visionary artist you’ll never want to close. As an architect of melodies you instantly melt into and a lyricist that captures your mind as much as your soul, there are few artists of this generation as affecting as Sebas De Varona,

Thankfully, with the impending release of his new EP, Dynamics in the Fourth Dimension, you’ll have plenty more opportunities to trip with Varona’s dynamically electric vocal timbre that rests easy in the rooted-in-emotion synthesis of genres which illustrates the singer, songwriter, instrumentalist and producer’s expansive bedrock of influences. Primed to soak fans of Tame Impala and Pink Floyd alike in celestial euphony, the EP will easily be one of the most cultivated releases of the year.

After hearing the Hendrix-esque fret wizardry which blazes through a divine connection to the soul of blues in Preachers you’ll want to flock to the Floridian artist’s live performances like a moth to an arcane flame.

Preachers was officially released on May 15; stream the single on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

NYC’s Summer Fling put the soul in funk-rock with ‘Blissful Haze’

Posted on 25 May 2024

NYC’s Summer Fling broke their two-year spell of silence by conjuring an elemental force of feel-good furore in their single, Blissful Haze, which delivers exactly what it says on the titular tin.

Using high-energy funk-rock as the stylistic bedrock of the release and finding room to inject soul, blues, pop, and jazz, the seven-piece powerhouse ensured Blissful Haze transcends sound to visualise a state of mind you can enter simply by hitting play on the single which filters nostalgia through a modern indie pop lens.

Few vocalists could match the electrifying energy of the dynamic instrumental arrangement that layers shimmering organs over funk rhythms and hard-hitting horns, but Eddie Kam, an indomitable emissary of charisma, went supernova on the infectiously zealous soul.

With each member of Summer Fling a recently graduated jazz musician, you can rest assured that you’re in rhythmically safe hands as you get taken through the helter-skelter ride of rapture.

Blissful Haze was officially released on May 10th; stream the single on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Nick Pritchard promised perpetuity in his pop ballad  ‘Forever with You’

Posted on 23 May 2024

After breaking international ground in the jazz scene, leading to sold-out shows in major theatres across the globe and holding residencies in prestigious venues in London and Dubai, the endlessly ascending artist Nick Pritchard has proven his heart-wrenching mettle as a balladeer in his latest single, Forever with You.

Though the arcane production which amplifies the affecting impact of the singer-songwriter’s velvet-toned serenade resonates akin to a sonic fantasy weaved out of the fabric of an imagination locked into unrealistic romantic expectation, the single narrates Nick’s own life story; how his world was transformed by a chance encounter on a train with his girlfriend.

“This is the most heartfelt, meaningful song that I have released. It comes from a place of pure emotion, that I believe everybody will be able to relate to. Everyone has someone special to them that has impacted their life”

While the piano keys echo the deeply touching progressions of Lou Reed’s Perfect Day, the ornate instrumental crescendos match the expansive soul-stirring intensity of earworms in the same vein as Take That’s Rule the World. Yet, Nick Pritchard’s awe-inspiringly dynamic octave range, tenderly flawless pitch-perfection and striking sense of sincerity are beyond compare. Few artists could ever hold a candle to his luminous presence on the airwaves.

Forever with You was officially released on May 10th. Stream the single on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Starleen alchemised the key to self-liberty in their electronic alt-pop salve for the soul, Let Me Go

Posted on 23 May 2024
Starleen

Starleen’s latest single, Let Me Go, marks a must-read chapter in the San Antonio duo’s career, showcasing a transcendent synthesis of alt-electronica, trip-hop, soul, and pop, which elevates the listener into a state of auditory bliss and liberty.

From the outset, the track envelopes you in a cocoon of lush dream pop, slowly intertwining with elements of serene yet visceral avant-garde trip-hop to deliver a fusionist sound that is as revolutionary as it is ethereally beguiling. Once the single reaches its full rhythmic momentum, the backbone of Let Me Go becomes its robust and fiery backbeat, which propels the track forward, complemented by layers of sonorous synths that build a crescendo of sound, mimicking the uplifting process of self-liberation.

The masterful production sets the stage for the vocal mettle of Starleen Holmes, whose voice shifts effortlessly between crystalline harmonies and powerful outpours of emotion, matching the sonic complexity crafted by Zachary Holmes, whose production skills shine luminously throughout the track. Each note and beat in Let Me Go is skilfully placed, leaving the listener wide open to the message of the sanctity of freedom; especially when that freedom is by your own hand.

The official music video accompanying the sanctifying ritual of a release mirrors the song’s themes of freedom and self-discovery and is likely to add another accolade to Starleen’s collection of music video awards.

Stream Let Me Go on all major platforms, including Spotify, from May 23rd.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Zen Warship – Get Higher: A Fusionist Riot to Awaken the Soul

Posted on 23 May 2024
The Renewal by Zen Warship

Zen Warship’s latest single, Get Higher, from their forthcoming LP, The Renewal, is a testament to the Washington DC band’s dedication to following anything that grooves. This time, they’ve ignited a fusionist riot that will awaken the soul. With groove pockets as deep as the Grand Canyon, it’s all too easy to nestle into the vibrant euphoria of this release, which signifies the band’s ambition to deliver their listeners from their own funk into an exhilarating synthesis of funk, soul, ska, and disco.

Get Higher is feel-good transcendence at its finest, capturing the effervescently electrifying energy of Zen Warship’s live performance perfectly. As soon as you lock into the groove, your rhythmic pulses will be commandeered by the kinetic rapture. The single’s lush horns and dynamic rhythm section create a contagious beat that elevates the psyche and embodies the band’s ethos of delivering emotional renewal.

Set to release on June 30, 2024, The Renewal reflects the band’s journey through the post-COVID era with new members and a fresh sound. Guitarist Tyler Moselle, bassist Roberto Giberti, singer Preethy Kolinjivadi, and multi-instrumentalist Emre Tufekcioglu have crafted an album brimming with collaborative spirit and creative tension. The addition of a robust horn section, including trumpet, trombone, and saxophones, brings an intricate and layered sound to the compositions of trumpeter Zack Forbes.

Get Higher was officially released on May 14. Stream and purchase the single on Bandcamp now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

New Jersey Heavyweight SirC.A.P delivered raw RnB emotion with his standout single, Toxic Love

Posted on 21 May 2024

SirC.A.P served an authentically fresh RnB flavour in his standout single, Toxic Love, from his stylistically dynamic sophomore LP, What We Became.

The New Jersey-hailing 18-year-old independent artist’s dreamy, cinematically luxe iteration of Afrobeat RnB is definitive proof of how deep trauma bonds dig into the soul. His vocal lines wrap around the wounds inflicted by a relationship which veered from adoration into masochism as the wavy instrumentals depict a mind out of sync with sensibility. Everything about the soul-piercing production signifies a flawless execution; SirC.A.P’s vision came to life and pulsates with its own heartbeat of confessional visceral pain.

The artist formerly known as C.A.P The Rapper adopted his new moniker after sensing a shift in the tides of his creativity and no longer wanting to be confined by the expectations his former creative alias imposed. Together with his producer and co-CEO of 5 Star Records, 22cali, SirC.A.P dawned a new era of expressionism with his hotly anticipated LP, What We Became, which went live on the airwaves on May 10th.

Toxic Love is now available to stream with SirC.A.P’s second album, What We Became, on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Elizabeth Metcalfe prescribed synth-pop serenity with her latest single, Falling

Posted on 20 May 2024

New Zealand singer-songwriter, Elizabeth Metcalfe’s career reached its zenith following the launch of her latest single, Falling. The dreamy synth-pop melodies rival the ethereal pastel hues within Swift’s Tortured Poet’s Society album as Metcalfe transcends the soul delivered in the hyped-to-the-nth-degree LP.

If you’ve been sleeping on Metcalfe since she made her debut in 2019, there’s no better way to awaken your senses to her ability to push future-forward synth-pop into unchartered spiritual territory with the force of her arcane vocal register.

While some love songs only scratch the surface of the light love can bring to our lives and how it casts away the shadows of the past, Elizabeth Metcalfe delivered a love story that is arguably more fully rounded than the Notebook. It’s a panoramic Blockbuster encased in a 3-minute pop production that leaves you hanging on the outro lyric “What if give you my heart and you break it” which juxtaposes the soulful lyrical serenity and Enya-esque beguile that drifted through the chorus and verses.

If you can’t get enough of Metcalfe’s discography, you won’t have long to wait until she unveils her debut EP later this year.

Falling cascaded onto the airwaves on April 19; stream the single on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

David Seymour constructed a euphonic paradise in his jazz-folk piece, What a Life

Posted on 20 May 2024

Easy listening doesn’t come much easier than, What a Life, a standout piece on David Seymour’s jazz-folk fusion EP, Shelter. The elegant-with-soul slice of euphonic paradise doesn’t allow sophistication to get in the way of the accessibility of the release which prises minds open to the possibility of utopias lying wherever your rose-tinted perception looks for them.

The Latin guitar flourishes which beckons the outro adds another layer of auditory serenity to the organically free-flowing release after the female vocalist spills her equable graceful beguile over the score written and composed by David Seymour who has been integral to the London music scene for the past three decades. Following his position as a world music agent at Jenako Arts, he studied with the one and only Amancio D’Silva before studying at the music department at New City College with Chris Wilson.

By filtering jazz through a lens of folk and ensuring soul spills from every note of the instrumentation, David Seymour established himself as an essential artist for anyone who seeks the spiritual sanctity of folk and the expressive fluency of easy-listening jazz. With more music in the pipeline, Seymour is undoubtedly one to watch throughout 2024.

Stream What a Life with the rest of David Seymour’s seminal EP on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Dani Enli opened the doorway to the RnB Pop pantheon with ‘till the end of time’

Posted on 19 May 2024

After the phenomenal success of her debut single, used to it, singer-songwriter & producer Dani Enli ensured the momentum amassing around her stayed high by releasing her sophomore single, till the end of time. By synthesising future-forward RnB melodies with a pensive trap beat and the sentimentality of pop balladry, Enli opened the doorway to the RnB pop pantheon with the downtempo release which gives every aching word to breathe and resonate over the synths that echo emotion as much as the lyrical poetry.

The bittersweet RnB pop symphony delivers the heart-wrenching epiphany that in the mind and reality of the one that got away, all you will ever be is a memory that fades. Inspired, written, composed and produced following a breakup, the single tenderly explores the transitions between resentment and longing, regret and mourning, proving that nothing is ever black and white; everything lies on a spectrum which Enli profoundly explores with the blissful tonal hues that drift between the progressions in this mellifluously flawless production.

till the end of time reached the airwaves on May 10th; add the single to your Spotify playlists or stream the single on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast