Browsing Tag

Acoustic Indie

8udDha bl0od – HAUn71ng: D3M0n5: Candidly Cathartic Alt Folk Blues

https://soundcloud.com/william-orpen/haunting

Any fans of Alt Folk which comes with an ethereal chill will undoubtedly want to check out the smoking gun of a single “HAUn71ng: D3M0n5” from the experimentally dynamic Brighton-based artist 8udDha bl0od.

8udDha bl0od put his distinctive mark on a timeless sound with HAUn71ng: D3M0n5. It was more downtempo, accordant, and organic than their recent releases. Yet, it was engorging to hear the artist put their soul at the centre of the vocally-led track. 8udDha bl0od’s Indie Blues vocals float synergistically above the stripped-back acoustic soundscape which is candid as it is cathartic.

HAUn71ng: D3M0n5 shares the same accordant arrestive allure as tracks by the like of Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, and Elliott Smith, but 8udDha bl0od definitely didn’t fail to make the soundscape his own. It feels like that should go without saying when it comes to 8udDha bl0od’s music.

You can check out HAUn71ng: D3M0n5 for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Prepare to Lose Yourselves in the Concordant Resonance Found in Anika’s Latest Single Twilight Phase

Any fans of Sharon Van Etten and Angel Olsen are going to want to jump on the latest transfixing Indie Folk Pop release Twilight Phase from up and coming artist Anika.

Twilight Phase is a beguilingly reflective soundscape from start to finish. With ethereal resonance dripping from both the vocals and softly sonorous Indie instrumentals, you’ll get a double dose of calming, tension-stripping catharsis.

From the pace to the pitch, everything in Twilight Phase amplifies the immersive nature of the single. The North Carolina artist may only be 16 years old, but there’s already a maturity in her sound which some artists spend a lifetime trying to gain.

You can check out Twilight Phase for yourselves by heading over to Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Ramsey Perkins – My Time’s Run Out: Accordantly Captivating Acoustic Indie

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylP3m90jAtY

Up and coming singer-songwriter Ramsey Perkins dropped their latest video; a transfixing rendition of their single “My Time’s Run Out” on January 21st.

Armed with just an acoustic guitar, Ramsey Perkins was able to instantly captivate through the lo-fi recording of their single which is sure to enamour any fans of Johnny Marr’s virtuosic Jangly guitar style. Paired with the reflectively deep lyrics, Ramsey Perkins succeeded where many artists fail. He made connectable human emotion the cornerstone of his sound and utilised his nuanced instrumental and vocal ability to make the soundscape arrestive from the first verse to the last.

You can check out My Time’s Run Out for yourselves by heading over to YouTube now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Sonorous vocals meet minimalist melodies in anisos’ latest Indie Folk single “treetops”

https://anisos.bandcamp.com/

Brisbane-based Indie Folk innovator anisos released their latest rapturously sweet single “treetops” on January 17th.  And my soul feels infinitely lighter for hearing it.

The quiescently quaint Folk soundscape leaves the instrumental arrangement minimal. Which leaves plenty of room for the resoundingly arrestive vocals to fill the soundscape full of personable passion which makes it all too easy to surrender yourself completely to the single. The ethereally light air to treetops along with the reflectively poetic lyricism makes for a sonorously unforgettable experience.

If you could imagine what Nick Cave’s music would sound like in an alternate universe where he didn’t aim to disconcert with his music. Instead, he aimed to captivate through pure indulgent rhythmic alchemy, you may be able to get an idea of what’s on offer in treetops. Of course, you’d get a much more accurate picture by hitting play for yourselves!

You can check out the latest track from anisos for yourselves by heading over to Bandcamp.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Birch Releases Their Third Strikingly Pensive Indie Single “Dry Lungs”  

Up and coming Indie Singer-songwriter Birch has returned with their third single “Dry Lungs”. They say all the best things come in three’s, but I highly doubt that we’ve come close to hearing the best from Birch yet. Their ability to compose emotively raw soundscapes seems to be getting more refined with each new release.

With Dry Lungs, Birch has used their creative talent to contort undiluted emotion into an aural experience which won’t fail to offer you resonance. I don’t find empathy through lyricism all too often, but the lyrics and the veracity of the delivery in Dry Lungs will stay with me for quite some time.

Dry Lungs kicks off with the finger-picked notes of the acoustic guitar which emit an intimate sense of urgency before introducing Birch’s sombrely magnetic vocals and leading into the verses where the ethereally compelling soundscape ebbs and flows in momentum. The explosive bursts of energy and instrumental eclecticism make the candid nature of the lyrics even more striking.

You can check out Birch’s latest single Dry Lungs for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Oliver James Brooks – It’s Not Just Me: A Debut of Bendy Acoustic Blues

After making the move from Northern Canada to Brooklyn, New York, Oliver James Brooks’ debut album “A Turn in the Bend” was born. Each of the singles from the up and coming artist reflects on a new contrast between the landscapes.

“It’s Not Just Me” is the perfect introduction to Oliver James Brooks’ enigmatic style as an artist. The tentatively eerie acoustic soundscape moves at a slow creeping tempo allowing the lyrics to resonate with ease. While the instrumentals are stripped bare allowing you to drink in the raw essence of the sound. Anyone who enjoys listening to the forthcoming honesty of the likes of Bob Dylan and Tom Waits are sure to appreciate the mellifluous steady rhythms found in the bendy acoustic Blues.

You can check out Oliver James Brooks latest album by heading over to Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Calan Mai – Friend of a Friend: Piercingly Evocative Indie

I can’t pretend that listening to Calan Mai’s latest single “Friend of a Friend” was the first time I’ve shed a tear listening to striking piano melodies and poignantly narrative lyrics. Nick Cave, and Amanda Palmer, they’ve both managed it. But none hit quite in the same way as Friend of a Friend.

While the friendzone is most definitely not a thing, the track still depicts that bitter-sweet crushing feeling of caring for someone that’s being inadequately treated by someone else. It’s devastating for both parties involved, and somehow through the lyrics you get hit with the emotion from both perspectives from just one narrative.

Calan Mai’s distinctive vocal style paired with how honest and raw the vocals were and his deft ability on a set of keys were always going to create a potently evocative cocktail when infused.

You can prepare to fall apart to Calan Mai’s stunning single Friend of a Friend for yourselves by heading over to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Barney Cortez – Patti Smith: Upliftingly Reflective Acoustic Indie with a Psychedelic Twist

If you think about it, it’s surprising that there aren’t that many aural odes to the legendary singer songwriter, artist and activist Patti Smith. But Barney Cortez stepped up to the plate with his standout single from his latest EP “Pretty Thin”. The melodic meanderings of the Indie Acoustic Folk track packs in plenty of poignant imagery around the upliftingly reflective lyrics. The style of Barney Cortez is one that any fans of the Coral need to check out for the playfully psychedelic layers which are weaved into the instrumental arrangements which are sporadically interrupted by the licks of the electric guitar. To describe the up and coming artist’s style as ethereal almost seems like an understatement considering that it unfolded with a chill-inducing capacity.

You can check out Barney Cortez’s latest single along with the rest of the stunningly dynamic release out for yourselves by heading over to Spotify

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Darragh Chaplin – Don’t Worry: Acoustic Indie Fans; Get Ready For the Goosebumps

If it’s been a while since a track gave you goose bumps, I strongly suggest turning your attention to Darragh Chaplin’s latest single ‘Don’t Worry’. The resonance that bleeds over the Acoustic Indie Folk track is overwhelmingly captivating, your mind doesn’t even get the chance to deconstruct the sound, instead the synergised melodic waves simply crash over you. The level of harmony in Don’t Worry is unparalleled by any track I’ve checked out this year by far.

After the track fades out, you’re left with so many questions, and an almost agonising desire to answer them by hitting repeat. All of the instrumental aural alchemy allows Darragh’s vocals and pensively penned lyrics to really speak to you whilst every throb and swell of the stringed instruments and piano draws you further into the soundscape.

Fans of Lewis Watson, Damien Rice and Lewis Capaldi you’re going to absolutely love the soundscapes on offer from the prodigally, yet timelessly talented singer songwriter and instrumentalist.

You can check out Darragh Chaplin’s latest single Don’t Worry for yourselves by heading over to Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast