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Sharpen your sense of self-worth in the groove pockets of TAZ’s latest RnB Funk release, tunnel vision

Posted on 10 December 2024

With her latest single, Tunnel Vision, TAZ claims her place as the goddess of groove, delivering a funk-wrapped celebration of self-love and empowerment. Hailing from Surrey, the rising star built on the acclaim of her debut, Summertime x, with an up-tempo Neo-Soul release that bursts with vibrant energy and candid lyrical storytelling.

The lush harmonies in Tunnel Vision pop with radiant colour, intertwining seamlessly with staccato guitar chops that electrify the track’s rhythmic pulse. As the song unfolds, the emotive intensity crescendos, with TAZ’s soulful vocals becoming a clarion call for romantic empowerment.

For anyone who suffered fools in the name of love, Tunnel Vision has what it takes to convince the new generation of RnB fans to take every fragment of their self-worth into the battleground, otherwise known as the modern dating scene. The live feel of the production amplifies the authenticity of her message, with each lyric cutting straight to the listener.

Inspired by legends such as Amy Winehouse, Lauryn Hill, and Alicia Keys, TAZ fuses Neo-Soul, Jazz, and Pop influences to scribe an arrestingly unique sonic signature into her critically acclaimed hits.

Stream tunnel vision on major platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Thalia Jailene spun emotion into rhythmic gold with her standout single, Sueñitos

Posted on 9 December 2024

Thalia Jailene’s latest single, Sueñitos, weaves hypnotic rhythms straight into the soul. From the opening notes, choppy staccato reggae guitars tease the senses, making way for warm flamenco licks that unravel through the vibrant sonic fabric. Thalia’s smooth, serotonin-laced vocals glide effortlessly over the textured layers, delivering an exotic and arcane soundscape that feels as seraphic as it is unique.

The Latina singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and music educator, now based in North Carolina, demonstrates her ability to blend her eclectic influences—from Paramore and No Doubt to Amy Winehouse and Bob Marley—into a sound that transcends genres. Her self-described “music alchemy” transforms raw emotions into an intoxicating mix of pop, rock, and reggae, with Sueñitos embodying her commitment to organic euphoria while the rest of her discography attests to how she never shies away from darker themes.

Hi play and prepare for full immersion as your senses are flooded with colour.

Sueñitos is available to stream on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

‘!! Stand’ by RoBB!EMAC: Reinventing Pop with Y2K Nostalgia and Emotional Cadence

Posted on 4 December 2024

The prolific pop prodigy, RoBB!EMAC, may have only made his official debut in 2023 with the drop of his LP, The Anecdotes of Mr. Songsmith, but he’s already delivered his fifth album, Howling at the Moon, proving that there’s no end to the flow of his creativity or his ability to find fresh alt-pop intersections to explore.

The standout single from his expansive 16-track anthology of pop-hooked vulnerability, ‘!! Stand’ kicks into rhythm through a melodic piano-driven prelude followed by a mash of pseudo-trap, Y2K nostalgia and the twang of alt-country pop; a synthesis which orchestrates a dreamy sense of reverie to drift within as you lock into the vocal cadence which sinks into synergy with the solid backbeats.

If anyone can bring back the trend of putting lighters in the air instead of iPhone cameras, it’s RoBB!EMAC, with his sound that leans into nostalgia while illuminating the path to the pop pantheon which is ready and waiting for his arrival.

RoBB!EMAC, the New Jersey-Hailing, Dallas-based innovator, is far from your average genre-fusionist; he’s mastered the art of ensuring every aesthetic at his disposal lends itself to the mood and meaning of his sound. In ‘!! Stand’, the singer-songwriter strips back all sense of pretence to outpour a vignette that assures the listener that, as we all make our way through the disillusionments of life, we’re all a work in progress, regardless of how perfect our facades appear to be.

Stream RoBB!EMAC’s Howling at the Moon LP on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

figaro heralded the new wave of darkwave indie with their ‘Good Bones’ EP

Posted on 1 December 2024

If your playlists are littered with tracks from White Lies and Editors, the latest EP, Good Bones, from the Brooklyn-based alt-indie trailblazer figaro is a homecoming for malaised souls seeking salvation in moody synth-driven indie guitar-licked pulsative euphony.

Haunting the borderlands between post-punk-tinged industrial indie sleaze and darkwave synth-pop, the 6-track release is an anthology of strobing ennui. The opening single, Maybe Cherry, has infiltrated swathes of influential indie playlists with its aching atmospherics, angular guitars and abstract crooned lyrics, which paint poetry throughout the hypnotic oscillations.

In Foreva, the indie artist wears their 80s influence on their guitar strings, harking back to the tonal mesmerism of Echo and the Bunnymen while delivering hymnally intimate installations of introspection. All I Know is yet another standout on the EP; with sweeping guitars which echo Interpol, polyphonic synths, a syncopated beat, and the delicious sonic dejection of PEACE and Jaws, figaro scorched their way through the oversaturated synth-pop scene, reigning supreme over the indie landfill pawns as one of the most organically original artists who has graced the darkwaves in recent years.

Stream figaro’s sophomore EP, Good Bones, which dropped on November 22nd, on all major platforms, including Spotify.

For more ways to listen and connect with figaro use this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Penny Taylor’s ‘Cuff’ Unchains the Soul of Modern RnB

Posted on 28 November 2024

‘Cuff’ by Penny Taylor smooths out the edges of contemporary RnB. With a trappy pulse, wavy oscillations of reverb wrapping around the melodies, and Taylor’s constantly in-flux vocal presence, it’s the definition of a melodious feat of sonic mesmerism. Hit play and sink into the single, which sees the singer-songwriter lay it all on the line while teasing salaciously hot imagery into the mix, ensuring it hits on every conceivable level.

Having honed his unique sound for over a decade—starting from humble beginnings with a USB mic hanging from his childhood room’s ceiling fan—Taylor has evolved into an unreckonable force in the music industry. Drawing inspiration from Bryson Tiller, Drake, Kendrick Lamar, and J. Cole, his distinctive hip hop, neo-soul, and RnB fusion makes him peerless, as does his ability to tune into universal emotion and make them hit with personal resonance.

Taylor may not have reinvented the RnB wheel with ‘Cuff’, but his authentic contribution ensures he has earned his place in the innovative vanguard as the genre shifts with the times, keeping the vibes raw, real, and relatable for this generation and beyond.

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

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Gemma Felicity – AM I TOXIC: A Kinetically Electric Alt-Pop Candid Confession

Posted on 28 October 2024

‘AM I TOXIC’ by Gemma Felicity proves that a good pop hit is so much more than a polished set of hooks, a honeyed set of pipes and a catchy chorus line; it’s a songwriter who knows exactly how to stretch your perceptions to let new resonance in through the use of confessional candour.

Felicity’s personal flaws are laid bare in the accountability-driven dance-pop anthem, but even the most scrupulous critic would struggle to find a flaw in the single itself. The perennial pop earworm transcends an auditory experience through the way it alters your emotional state with the euphoric energy in the high-octane, kinetically electric pulse of the track, which is all too easy to get addicted to.

The London-based alt-pop artist has been honing her eloquent craft since the age of 9; in 2024, it has all paid off with AM I TOXIC, which will feature on her first EP, Baggage, which explores how personal baggage can weigh heavy romantic relationships.

Having performed at iconic venues and been featured on BBC Introducing, Gemma’s presence is both resonant and transformative, continuing to mesmerise and energise audiences worldwide as she prepares for a performance at the Miss Planet International Beauty Pageant.

Stream AM I TOXIC on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Tightening the Straitjacket: The Intense Clutch of Everything is Nothings’s Industrial Metal Hit, ‘Soak’

Posted on 25 October 2024

Everything is Nothing, emerging from the industrial metal shadows of the North East of England, unleashed ‘Soak‘, a sonic maelstrom that begins with the tribal fury of a ‘Down with the Sickness’-esque drum beat before morphing into an industrial juggernaut with echoes of Static X and metal motifs borrowed from bands in the vein of Soil.

For two minutes and fifty-one seconds, ‘Soak’ invades the senses and drags you through the emotional mire of being unwillingly drenched in others’ self-indulgent disillusionment and despair, capturing the frustration of being caught up in the toxicity of surrounding chaos, whether desired or not, with instrumentals as tight as a straitjacket, illustrating the binding frustration and angst.

Formed in 2023, influenced by giants like Nine Inch Nails, Slipknot, and Deftones, Everything is Nothing represents the culmination of years steeped in the depths of powerful musical influences. Their unique sonic blueprint is an explosive expression of raw, biting emotion in Soak, which challenges the listener to confront the psychological impact of external despair as it seeps into their psyche. The abrasively cathartic track efficaciously encapsulates the struggle against the pull of abject psychic contamination while exhibiting how Everything is Nothing are carving their own fierce path through the industrial metal scene.

Soak was officially released on October 14; stream the single on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Il Nemico Dentro by Francesca Pichierri – A Cinematic Soul Serenade That Burns Through Avant-Garde Flame

Posted on 25 October 2024

In her standout single, Il Nemico Dentro, the alchemist of soulfully avant-garde alt-pop Francesca Pichierri fused Mediterranean warmth with avant-garde pop inclinations, creating a tonally spiritual multi-sensory experience that is as cinematic as it is visceral.

Born under the sun of Apulia, the singer-songwriter has unflinchingly dedicated herself to honing her talents as a sonic vignette painter, culminating in the masterful strokes in Il Nemico Dentro. The quiescent reverberance emanating from the first notes is enough to serenade your senses to stand to attention; the hairs on the back of your neck will prick up in synergy with your ears as Francesca Pichierri seraphically commands complete emotional immersion, and the filmic undertones tug at your emotions in waves.

As the score unravels, you’re seduced by the provocative originality, derived from the fusion of indie, blues, and jazz. Just when you think you’ve found your rhythm with the release, avant-garde samples cut through, pulling you deeper into the evocative chaos.

The catharsis hits hard, only to give way to an electrifying crescendo that pulses with the raw emotionality Francesca is known for. The song blazes its own trail, driven by the weight of Francesca’s lived experiences and her poetic knack for transforming personal grief into universal art.

Francesca is so much more than alt-pop royalty – in her niche, she stands as a goddess, creating borderlands between celestiality and material reality.

Stream Il Nemico Dentro on all major platforms, including SoundCloud from October 25.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Spotlight Feature: Kaitlin Cassady – Home Away from Home: A 12-Part Panorama of Indie Folk Rock Candour

Posted on 23 October 2024

Kaitlin Cassady’s inaugural album, Home Away from Home, is an emotive expedition into the heart of indie folk rock, through which she secures her place in the lineage of songwriters who stir souls with their harmonies and strings.

Home Away from Home unfolds over twelve tracks that promise to resonate with anyone harbouring a penchant for profound storytelling wrapped in melodious harmony. It’s an exploration of self-discovery, articulated with a candour that soothes as it sears. Cassady, drawing on the narrative depth reminiscent of Aimee Mann and the tender, plaintive tones akin to Kacey Musgraves, crafted each song as a chapter in an intimate diary of longing and introspection.

The album’s inception, nurtured within the confines of an Oakland apartment, mirrors the personal and unpolished stories that Cassady chooses to tell. Supported from afar by her father, a seasoned songwriter, her work not only explores her roots but also the bittersweet sting of leaving them behind.

With nuances of country, jazz and melodic rock, all adding evocative motifs to the work, the album can’t be acknowledged as anything less than a profound triumph. The inclusion of notable musicians such as Thad Polk and Julia Floberg touches the anthology of growing pains with dynamic tender strokes without overshadowing Cassady’s raw, narrative sonic signature as she scribes through sonic diary entries covering love, loss, addiction and mental health, turning personal plight into universal themes which speak to a generation grappling with similar issues.

As the streams and accolades accumulate, it’s clear that Cassady’s Home Away from Home asserts her as a vital voice in the indie folk-rock scene. Her ability to convey depth, connection, and haunting nostalgia ensures that this album will resonate with listeners long after the final note has played.

Stream Home Away from Home on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Follow Kaitlin Cassady on Instagram to stay up to date with news of her sophomore LP.

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