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Garfield Mayor shredded inhibition with soul in his nu-disco pop hit, Foolish Feet

Hot on the blazing heels of his critically acclaimed single, Been Thinking, the British singer-songwriter Garfield Mayor, grooved the bar even higher with his lush self-produced summer anthem, Foolish Feet.

Knowing exactly how to command the mic with magnetic soul, Mayor ensures that being drawn into Foolish Feet hook, line and sinker is as obligatory as giving into the compulsive beat and surrendering to the melodies which reach the epitome of infectious fluidity.

Equally as sweet as the sonics which subvert the expectations of summer pop hits are the lyrics which tenderly implore the listener to throw away inhibition and self-consciousness. The lyric, “Who cares about cliches, let’s dance like the old days, we’re all the same species” exemplifies the essence of the single which advocates for living in the moment and casting aside self-preservation to make room for rhythm-led euphoria.

“I was the designated driver at a party. Get Lucky by Daft Punk started playing. I wanted to dance but it had been a while, and I was self-conscious… I went for it anyway, and I remembered how much I’d missed it. It reminded me what a valuable part of life dancing is.”

Coincidently, Foolish Feet is the perfect hit to get footloose with. The echoes of Nile Rodgers’ funked-up guitar and Daft Punk’s kinetic rhythms filtered through a vibe-driven nu-disco lens allow the release to hammer home the razor-sharp propensities of Mayor’s songwriting chops.

Foolish Feet hit the airwaves on August 9th; stream the single on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Bari Mcknight synthed away the pain of ephemeral affection in ‘SUMMER THINGS’

Two things are guaranteed every summer: swathes of stellar summer pop hits and the inevitable ashes of quick-to-burn romances. In his latest single, SUMMER THINGS, the independent artist, Bari Mcknight, brought one of the former and consoled casualties of the latter by fusing echoes of Afrobeat with catchy pop hooks, the soul of stylistically synth-driven RnB and a trappy beat, resulting in an irresistible earworm which is weighted in evocative realism, contrasting the dreamy etherealism of the track.

If the lingering sting of ephemeral affection is making the onslaught of autumn feel that much colder, SUMMER THINGS is the ultimate source of salvation. The echoes of The Weeknd’s aesthetic coursing through the neon-lit, synaesthesia-inducing production leaves enough room for Mcknight’s sonic signature which is scribing his legacy – one hit at a time.

It’s rare to find a pop track with the potential to dominate the charts while resonating with the sincerity of a diary entry, but that’s exactly what the New Jersey-residing independent artist achieved in SUMMER THINGS, which features on his latest album, Summer of Love; a curated anthology of laidback melodies and relatable narratives.

SUMMER THINGS dropped on August 2nd; stream the single on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Spotlight Feature: Embrace the Chaos with the Visceral Visualisation of Emotional Discord in Dilly Dally Alley’s Electro Jazz Pop Attack, This Just In

Dilly Dally Alley

Fresh off the heels of their last single, Find Out, Minneapolis Indie-Pop jazz-adjacent collective, Dilly Dally Alley, led by the magnetic emissary of soul Sophia Spiegel, has unleashed their second single of the summerThis Just In.

Feeling deeply can often feel like a curse, yet, a proclivity towards heightened emotion only serves to sweeten the resonance in this incitement of an indie art pop riot, which feeds an abrasive electro pulse through John Carpenter-reminiscent synths, deliciously delirious reverb and distorted jazz-punk sax riffs capable of driving you to the brink of euphoria and beyond to experience a cathartic release from emotional turmoil.

The opening lyrics – “there was a sharpness in the land, sharpness in the beat, sharpness in your eyes, made me feel complete” – reflect the conflation of emotions and conflicts, perfectly matched by the avant-garde instrumentals that create a vivid, visceral, whirlwind of an experience which transcends sound.

You couldn’t ask for a more accurate mirror of the mental discordance that accompanies emotional dichotomies or for more blissful salvation from them.

This Just In will be available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify, from August 23rd, ahead of Dilly Dally Alley’s sophomore LP, which will permeate the airwaves in January 2025.

Stay up to date with the latest releases from Dilly Dally Alley on Facebook and Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

EGO DEF struck only the rawest chords with the alt-indie trap hit, wings

Fans of Fijmar, Alixx, and LIL NYX won’t want to miss EGO DEF’s single, wings, which transports through the darker recesses of indie-licked electronic alchemy, merging emo’s raw emotional intensity with the rhythmic pulse of trap.

The track’s plaintively striking beats lock you in as you sink into the razor-sharp tendrils of melancholy, making it a deeply resonant experience that echoes the all-too-relatable growing pains of youth.

wings laments over feelings of inadequacy, the overwhelming uncertainties of life, and the reckless desires that often accompany them. With every beat and lyric, EGO DEF’s polished and magnetic melodicism pulls you deeper into his world, where vulnerability meets the danger of desire.

As EGO DEF inches closer to the coveted 1 million streams mark, it’s clear that his achingly resonant productions are striking a chord with listeners. His ability to channel raw emotion into agonised earworms suggests he’s destined for top chart positions.

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

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Lara Eidi and Ed Blunt conjured the sweetest sound of the summer in the soul-folk single, Orange Sundress

For her latest single, Orange Sundress, the Grecian soul folk goddess, Lara Eidi, collaborated with the equally esteemed artist Ed Blunt to hold the magic of summer.

After a chance meeting at a songwriting retreat in Edinburgh, Orange Sundress was written as an impromptu act of sonic serendipity, and that’s so much more than the origin story behind the single. The naturalistically spontaneous synergy resounds through the weightlessly blissful single which is fraught with the imagery of a love story unfurling to an Athenian backdrop.

Slip into the single and live vicariously through the tenderly warm narrative which serves as yet another attestation to Lara Eidi’s ability to transcend sound with the soul she infuses into each of her sonic landscapes.

With acoustic instrumentation as seraphically sweet as the interplay between the harmonies of Eidi and Blunt, Orange Sundress immortalises the ephemeral utopia of sun-kissed days marked by the rapture of devotion.

Orange Sundress was officially released on August 2nd; stream the single on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Spotlight Feature: The LA Prog RnB supercluster of creatives, No False Ego, is all about the vibes in their authenticity-advocating debut single, We Are the Soul

In their debut single, We Are the Soul, LA’s Prog RnB collective No False Ego introduces themselves with a resonant proclamation of authenticity, amplified through an exploratively diverse sonic expanse. The blend of jazzy saxophones, indie guitar licks, and fluid genre transitions are undeniable attestations to how No False Ego is leading by example with their unique vision.

Fronted by the ethereal vocals of Kassandra, the track weaves through groove pockets of dreamy reverie, underpinned by a rich tapestry of sounds that reflect the band’s ethos of genuine self-expression. The production, crafted in the Big Bad Band Studios and finely tuned by Camilo Cedeno and Ronnie Silos, underscores a polished, heartfelt debut that promises so much for the future of the collective.

With a backbone of seasoned musicians including Steve Murillo on sax and keys, Carter on bass, Corey Scimenes on guitar, and Roach on drums, No False Ego is a veritable supercluster of creative minds with a clear message everyone should heed: embrace your authentic self, ditch the façade, and revel in the power of unfeigned originality.

As they prepare to broaden their horizons beyond the LA scene with upcoming releases, including the anticipated single Sunshine and a forthcoming EP, No False Ego is poised to uplift and empower a wider audience with their heartfelt vibrations and innovative sonic signature.

Stream We Are the Soul on Spotify now.

Stay up to date with news of the sophomore release by following No False Ego on Instagram and TikTok.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Sink into the solace of Nesta Stephan’s future-forward neo-soul single, (don’t) Call me

Gabon-born, London-based artist, Nesta Stephan, didn’t just reach the crowning point of her career (so far) with her latest single, (don’t) Call me; she set a new reflectively candid standard while constructing a new trajectory in the evolution of RnB.

The half-French, half-Gabonese artist’s journey from global traveller to singer-songwriter shines through her work; her latest single, which is no exception, initiates with arcane gospel choir-esque harmonies that set a reverent tone, which is quickly juxtaposed with the intimacy of a voicemail message playing in the celestial outro.

As the track progresses, minor key melodies emerge under Stephan’s meditatively ethereal vocals, which paint a vivid portrait of isolation and abandonment. Stephan’s lyrics are a raw exposition of her inner world, addressing the tough theme of finding faith after maternal abandonment. Rather than succumbing to despair, the track radiates hope and compassion through its future-forward blend of afrobeat and neo-soul RnB, signalling a journey of reaching the other side of pain.

(don’t) Call me is the ultimate attestation of how plausible it is to reinvent yourself, regardless of what you’ve been through if you look outwards with empathy and inwards with self-regard.

(don’t) Call me was officially released on July 19; stream the single on Spotify now.

Follow Nesta Stephan on Instagram and Facebook to stay up to date with her latest releases.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

London’s Maninder Murfin met the epitome of finesse in her pop ballad, Wonder How We Wandered

The classical pop ballad was refined to a rarified grace in the debut single, Wonder How We Wandered, by the singer-songwriter, Maninder Murfin. The elevated and gilded-with-ornate-motifs release follows the West-London-hailing artist’s collaborative partnership with merfy on the Teach Me the Song You Know EP which hit the airwaves in 2023.

Standing alone, she floods the production of her solo debut with her celestial vocal presence which organically resounds without limit; as diaphanous as the minor piano keys, yet powerful enough to permeate the soul with maximum conviction, her voice embodies the epitome of aesthetic grace while pulling you into the reverie of the lyrics which narrate an almost fantastical tale of affectionate intoxication.

The underpinning essence of yearning painfully attests to how some of the most beautiful facets of existence are ephemeral but there’s no room for melancholy in the dreamy euphonia of this flawless release which paints a promising future for Maninder Murfin who is known for her live performances in Soho and her ability to invigorate hits from Billie Eilish, Adele, Olivia Rodrigo, and Kelly Clarkson with her uniquely evocative sensibilities.

Wonder How We Wandered is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

 

Miss Terious exhibited the power and pain of alter-egos in ‘Misty’

Miss Terious’ latest single, Misty, bridges the gap between the tender indie pop magnetism of boygenius, the artful expression of Kate Bush, and the gothic sombre glamour reminiscent of Evanescence. This coalescence is perfectly interwoven in the arcane atmosphere of the indie piano pop ballad, where the sparse instrumentals allow Miss Terious’ emotionally heightened vocals to spectrally overpower the production.

Each verse tightens the heartstrings as you become consumed by the raw emotion conveyed through the confession of how pseudonyms can deliver confidence while concealing the person behind the greatness. The deeply felt pain of being wanted through association rather than true connection resonates throughout Misty; anyone who has experienced this pain will find the ultimate consolation within the candour.

Miss Terious is a British-born alternative musician from the West Midlands, known for her originated mix of electronic and classical instruments. Since debuting with her EP Bleeding Green in 2020, she has tackled topics such as abuse, mental health, and her separation from the ballet industry. In 2022, she was honoured as BBC Introducing’s Artist of the Month for Coventry and Warwickshire and performed at the Backyard Festival in Leamington Spa. Her contribution to the music scene earned her the Local Hero Award for AIM Awards 2022.

After hearing Misty, there isn’t an industry accolade we wouldn’t see her as fit for.

Misty was officially released on July 19; stream the single on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Diehard Romantics Will Meet Their Match in Kaleb Cohen’s Bluesy Indie-Folk Release, Our Eyes Met on Friday

Kaleb Cohen is set to become the second biggest Cohen in folk after the release of his bluesy indie single, Our Eyes Met on Friday.

After opening with an introspectively tender extended prelude, inviting listeners into a defining moment that captures the essence of a soul finally finding its home the song unfolds through increments of upbeat folk elements reminiscent of the Lumineers and Mumford and Sons which surge through the ingenuity within the genre-bending energy.

This release showcases Kaleb’s profound ability to make loungey piano keys bleed pure raw emotion, complemented by his seraphically timbered vocals that masterfully blend the gruff with the smooth. The continuous sonic reinventions throughout the track play havoc with rhythmic expectations, yet each new arrangement is as euphonic as the last, exhibiting the devilishly playful innovation of an artist who could easily skate by on his larynx of gold but chooses instead to go the extra aural mile to beguile.

Kaleb Cohen, an indie-folk-rock prodigy from Connecticut who writes, records, and self-produces his music is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film & Television Production. As an omen of the illustrious path he is destined to pave, his first-ever show in New Haven was a sell-out with fans coming as far as Pennsylvania to witness one of Indie Folk’s most promising names etch their legacy.

Our Eyes Met on Friday will be officially released on July 26; stream the single on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast