Browsing Tag

Alt Folk

Stuart Wolfenden broke the Alt Folk mould with their upcoming single “One Last Time”

Posted on 3 August 2020
Stuart Wolfenden

Acclaimed actor and musician Stuart Wolfenden is set to release their debut album Songs From a Common Man. Anyone who prefers their Folk on the Alternative side and with a side serving of mesmerism is going to want to pay attention.

Alt Folk musicians aren’t commonly renowned for their captivating vocals, but with the release of Stuart Wolfenden’s album, that may all be set to change. While we’re sure that each of the singles is just as transfixing as the last, we were only lucky enough to get a sneak peek of their single “One Last Time”. Hit play, and you’ll find yourself imagining what it would sound like if Robbie Williams, Tom Waits and The Babe Rainbow collaborated. With a funky and Psychedelically Eastern feel to the instrumentals, One Last Time broke the monocultural mould which usually constraints Western Folk artists. It is never hyperbole when we say you’ve never heard anything like this before, but with One Last Time, that statement has never been truer.

You can check out a preview to One Last Time via this link. For more info, head over to the artist’s official website.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Alt Country Rock artist Siobhan Cotchin has released her nostalgically-inspired, stylistically-crafted Just the Way It Is

Posted on 26 July 2020

Once you get West Australian singer-songwriter Siobhan Cotchin on your radar, you’ll hit play on her tracks for the very same reasons you keep spinning iconic Alt Folk and Rock records.

Siobhan Cotchin may get her inspiration from the likes of Bob Dylan, but her ingenuity ensured that plenty of contemporary resonant appeal was instilled in her latest single Just the Way It Is.

With distorted crunching guitars behind her hauntingly visceral hard-hitting vocals, there’s a fresh intensity to the soundscape. It’s unpredictable, it’s evocatively seductive, and more importantly, it offers deeply connectable lyrics which will compel you to give the track repeat attention. Any fans of Angel Olsen definitely won’t hang around making Siobhan Cotchin a firm fixture to their playlists.

You can check out Just the Way It Is for yourselves by heading over to Spotify.

Her next single is due for release on September 12th. Follow the artist via Facebook to keep up to date with all new releases.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

UK Folk Singer-Songwriter Fabio Whyte Has Released Their Latest Masterfully Arrestive Single “Misty Words”

Posted on 20 July 2020

UK Folk Rock Singer-Songwriter Fabio Whyte has recently released their accordantly adrenalizing latest single “Misty Words”. If you’re looking for an aural pick me up which drips with ardent sincerity, look no further.

With the first few acoustic guitar notes, the infectious energy contained in Misty Words starts to resonate. From there on out you’re hooked in an upbeat Alt Folk earworm.

Don’t let Fabio Whyte’s flirtation with the Folk genre fool you, their intricately absorbing melodies aren’t a long way off what you can expect from Elliott Smith’s fretboard mastery. But instead of misery, you’ll get organic uplifting vibes from Misty Words. The track may tackle the subject of romantic mishaps, but it’s hard to feel downbeat while you’re listening to the progressively beguiling single unfold.

You can check out Fabio Whyte’s single Misty Words by heading over to Soundcloud now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Hourigan has released their optimism-invoking Indie RnB Folk Single “Fly Your Kite”

Posted on 6 July 2020

The word ‘arrestive’ may get thrown around a lot in reviews, but in the case of Hourigan’s Indie RnB Folk single “Fly Your Kite”, it’s more than justified.

The unfiltered soul which Hourigan projected into the Indie RnB mix has a way of crawling under your ribs as you drink in the organic accordant ecstasy in the sublimely serene soundscape.

If you could imagine what it would sound like if Jack Johnson, Hozier and Cosmo Sheldrake all collaborated on a single, you’d get an idea of how mesmerizingly transcendent Fly Your Kite is.

Lyrically, Fly Your Kite is a poignant message to the younger generations facing overwhelming levels of uncertainty. It’s a gentle optimism-invoking invitation to keep on going and to see past the crushing illusion society attempts to sell us.

You can check out Hourigan’s single Fly Your Kite for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Tessa Devine has released her pensively resolving single “Wild 2020”

Posted on 5 July 2020

With her recently released single “Wild 2020”, up and coming singer-songwriter Tessa Devine shared a stripped-back soulful soundscape with the airwaves which is guaranteed to sting.

From the first note in Wild 2020 the mesmeric pensive tone is set. From there on out, you follow the ambient, intricate guitar notes as they find perfect synergy with Tessa’s expressively imploring vocals.

With the lyricism poetically guiding you through the experience of a mind running wild and yearning for an anchor in a chaotic world, it’s all too easy to connect with the soundscape.

Wild 2020 has all the makings of an iconic hit given. It shares the same pensive yet resolving power as Tracy Chapman’s Fast Car. That’s not a comparison I make lightly.

There was no forgetting Tessa Devine’s Soulful Indie Pop single “Run”. After hearing Wild 2020, we have yet another testament to her simple yet striking songwriting style.

Tessa will be releasing plenty more singles in 2020. Get her on your radar.

You can check out Tessa Devine’s single via all major streaming platforms via this link.

To keep up to date with Tessa’s latest releases connect with her via Facebook or Instagram. For more information head over to her official website.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Grant Maloy Smith has shared their all too relatable Alt Country Folk single “Waiting for the Good Old Days Again” with the airwaves

Posted on 30 June 2020

We may not have heard any lockdown songs from Cat Stevens, but US artist Grant Maloy Smith has achieved the very same evocative effect as Wild World with his latest single “Waiting for the Good Old Days Again”.

The Alt Country Folk single shares the all too relatable emotion which has transpired from being left in stasis with the days bleeding into one another because there is nothing to set them apart. The soundscape certainly isn’t without its melancholy, but the stunning semi-orchestral instrumental arrangement makes it hard to slip into a morose state as your listening to the ethereal pull of the strings.

It really comes as no surprise that Grant Maloy Smith entered the Billboard charts with their previous releases. There is an incredibly nuanced and matured air to their latest single which can only come from an artist who has dedicated their life to their art.

You can check out the official music video for Waiting for the Good Old Days Again via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Milena Estelle has given the evolution of Indie Pop a brand-new direction with “Free” featuring Lef Germenlis

Posted on 25 June 2020

After hearing Milena Estelle’s latest single “Free” featuring Lef Germenlis, it’s evident that Indie Pop has a new pioneer at the vanguard. You’re unlikely to hear anyone else offering the same alchemy which spills from her infusion of Indie Jangle Pop, Future Pop and Alt Folk.

The track kicks off with cavernous drums and angularly cutting guitar notes before the momentum builds until Free becomes a supercharged feat of Electronic Pop. The one thing which remains a constant is the resounding power of Milena Estelle’s vocals which will appease any fans of Lorde and Florence and the Machine.

It’s impossible not to be excited when anticipating what will come next from Milena Estelle. Get her on your radar. With her colossally distinctive sound, she’ll end up in your ears one way or another.

You can check out Milena Estelle’s latest single Free for yourselves via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Leo Howse – A (nother F*cking) Heartfelt Love Song Featuring Suzi Jodie.

Posted on 24 June 2020
https://soundcloud.com/leo-howse-984550612/another-fucking-heartfelt-love-song-feat-suzi-jodie/s-C9F80swjBiZ

When love songs are as inventively titled as Leo Howse’s latest single “A (nother Fucking) Heartfelt Love Song” featuring Suzi Jodie, we were always going to pay attention.

From the first hint of sardonic wit in Leo Howse’s playfully bitter-sweet Indie Folk Pop single we instantly warmed to their sarcastic style which was perfectly complemented by Suzi Jodie’s ardently accordant vocals.

Anyone who appreciated the Fratellis’  off the cuff songwriting style will definitely want this melodic psychedelically-infused feat of Pop in their ears.

We can’t wait to hear what comes from the up and coming eccentric artist. Maybe, by the date of the next release, the earworm which this single left us with may have wriggled out.

You can check out A (nother Fucking) Heartfelt Love Song for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

New Canadian Indie-Folk singer Rachel Gleddie releases stunningly beautiful debut ”Catacomb”

Posted on 13 June 2020

There are rare moments when you hear a song and it completely changes your day. This just happened when I turned this soulfully sweet song on full volume. It shows how music can heal you up and get you in the right mindset.

We can be our own biggest obstacle sometimes and it can really hold you back. When you break though the feeling is immense and you unlock so much that you have been missing. The pure-voiced Rachel Gleddie from Edmonton in Canada has just released her first ever song and it’s of such quality you would think she has been doing this for years. ”Catacomb” takes us through the fear of being burned and just keeping things simple. This is such a true message and so relevant right now during these wild times on planet earth. I’m so glad that Rachel found a way to unlock herself out and is now flying, free as a bird with the wind at her back. She sings with such beauty and the guitar sounds make me feel happy and warm inside. This is stunning indie-folk up there with the best. Peaceful music with a true message. Rachel Gleddie is a name to watch and I hope she tours soon so we can watch her live.

Stream more from this upcoming talent with so much soul right here on her Soundcloud.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Laura Elizabeth Hughes – Pandemonium: Atmospherically Raw Neo-Classic Folk

Posted on 8 June 2020

With her latest release “Pandemonium”, Irish Folk singer-songwriter Laura Elizabeth Hughes orchestrated a tenderly pensive soundscape which will soothe your soul while simultaneously sending piercing aural daggers through your skin.

The soft vocals resoundingly fall into the atmosphere of the stripped-back single which utilises gentle piano melodies to complement Laura Elizabeth Hughes’s equally as ethereal vocals. From start to finish, you’re gifted with soft evocatively-charged alchemy.

I’d assume that anyone with the ability to listen to Pandemonium without feeling any discernible visceral emotion was categorically dead inside. It captures the chaos of our dystopic times while serving as a delicate reminder that we can still thrive within it.

Pandemonium is simply stunning. You wouldn’t find a more resonant single from an up and coming artist if you turned on the radio today.

Pandemonium is available to stream via Spotify.

You can keep up to date with the artist’s latest releases via Facebook.

Review by Amelia Vandergast