Browsing Tag

60s Soul

Flames of funk and soul lick JANAYAH’s latest indie rock earworm, Can’t Get Enough

Posted on 22 July 2024

Janayah’s latest rhythmic revelation, Can’t Get Enough, mainlines funk-licked soul into indie rock euphoria through a filter of ’60s and ’70s nostalgia to breathe life into timeless tonality.

Born and raised in Auckland and now based in London, Janayah has graced stages from a tender age and has left lasting impressions with her dynamic live performances. Her sophomore single, imbued with the raw vocal power of Christina Aguilera with moments that oscillate back to old-school soul around rhythmically magnetic melodies is an embodiment of her soul-rock fortitude.

The single, which testifies to the insatiability of desire, showcases her signature style that crosses boundaries from pop to rock and dance, with each genre succumbing to the weight of her powerful vocals. Her previous works, including collaborations with EDM artists and features in prominent music venues, have all paved the way for this riveting return to her roots.

Ironically, every note in Can’t Get Enough promises to leave Janayah’s audience wanting more from the one-woman powerhouse.

Can’t Get Enough was officially released on July 12; stream the single on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Jayne Sugg – Belief is Hard: A Soulful 60s Sojourn Through Secular Spirituality

Posted on 21 July 2024

With her standout single, Belief is Hard, the NYC Indie singer-songwriter, Jayne Sugg, unveiled a strikingly soulful testament to the tribulations that transpire from spiritual metamorphosis. The title track of her forthcoming LP unspools a rich kaleidoscope of introspection, filtered through the soulful echoes of the ‘60s, creating a profound space for Sugg to narrate her wrestle with the ethereal and material reality.

The refraining lyric, “Why should I bring myself to pray if I can’t even find faith”, speaks volumes of her transformation following a deeply religious upbringing in which she was constantly brushing against the billboard legends of her parent’s generation.

Initially confined within the walls of religious music, Sugg deconstructed the constraints to unleash herself from creative stagnation. This transformation is the soul of her crowdfunded album, Belief is Hard, a collection that traverses her shifting perspectives, resonating with a love for soulful, nostalgic sounds that nod respectfully towards icons like Bonnie Raitt and Joni Mitchell. The instrumental backdrop in the title single, a subtle homage to the 60s soul, envelops her lyrics in a cocoon of warmth and organic richness, ensuring the listener feels every vibration of her vocal tremors.

The Good Shepherd Music Collective, a sanctuary for artists exploring deconstructed spiritual themes, finds its spirit woven into the album’s fabric. This collective, and by extension the album, sings of peace, love, and acceptance, echoing Sugg’s liberated spiritual and creative stance.

Recorded in the hallowed halls of Sonic Ranch and Dreamland Studios, featuring the performances of musicians like Tim Lefebvre and Terrence Clark, the lush and layered single is a gateway to catharsis.

Stream Belief is Hard on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Cooper Walker gives us a 60s soul ‘Fix’ in his standout release.

Posted on 19 October 2021

Pop, jazz and blues entwine in the debut album from LA singer-songwriter and multi-instrumental artist Cooper Walker. His intoxicating mash of vintage guitars,  crooned vocals and uplifting piano chords will send you right back to the 60s while providing the ultimate proof that music contemporary music *can* hold a candle to music from iconic eras.

His modernist spin on sounds of the 60s is best enjoyed in the standout single, Fix, which is just as instantly cathartic as The Zombies, as sultry as John Mayall, and carries the sonic power of the Rolling Stones.

Walker’s infallible talent is one thing, the soul that is spilt in his debut album is quite another. You couldn’t ask for a better playlist staple in these dystopic times.

Fix, along with his debut 15-track album, is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast