Browsing Tag

Alt Indie Folk

Spotlight Feature: Girl Annual sparked a flicker of folky melancholic serenity with their dream pop debut, Ember

Posted on 11 November 2024

With the single Ember, the enigmatic independent artist Girl Annual steps into the indie scene by setting an exquisitely reflective tone, merging folk-esque lyrical storytelling with the ethereal aesthetics of dream pop. The debut single is a seraphically melancholic invitation to lose yourself in the bitter-sweet chasm of reverie and let Girl Annual’s mournfully sublime vocal lines spellbind as they wash over you and pour raw vulnerability into the sonic atmosphere.

The diaphanous instrumental elements amplify the sense of introspection that flows from the poetic candour within the vocals, building the perfect soundtrack for an intimate autumnal scene. With a commercial appeal reminiscent of First Aid Kit, Girl Annual holds the potential to cut through the static of the oversaturated alt-indie dream pop sphere.

It’s an aural experience of oceanic depth, inviting listeners to drift within the serene textures that cascade and intertwine. This release doesn’t just play out – it envelops, and with each ebb and flow, it gently pulls you further in. All industry eyes should be on Girl Annual, anticipating their next move.

Ember was officially released on September 27; stream it on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify, now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Somewhere In Between – Mr & Mrs: An Orchestral Indie Folk Tale of Amour for the Ages

Posted on 2 September 2024

Somewhere In Between, the soul-embracing union of Deena Robertson and Austin Bisnow is so much more than a new alt-indie folk act on the scene; the duo is a profound testament to love’s resilience.

Their debut single Mr & Mrs, taken from their double A-Side which also includes the single Wildflower, unfurls as an artfully orchestral folk narrative, resonating with emotional depths through dual-layered harmonies. The intimate glimpse into a romance that has battled odds as daunting as cancer and triumphed with a story sung through their very being reaches the epitome of heart-rending.

The single channels the delicate nuances of Thom Yorke’s artful signatures, the diaphanous echoes of Tom Odell, and the undeniable chemistry reminiscent of Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova. It’s an ornately ethereal vignette of romanticism so vivid, it might just redefine your understanding of love, illustrating that true affection demands patience, compassion, and understanding.

Their journey began when Austin first heard Deena singing in Sanskrit during a hot yoga class in LA, leading to an inseparable bond forged at a retreat in Utah. Challenges soon followed, notably Deena’s cancer battle, compelling them to immortalise their vows in song with the aid of Grammy Award-winning artist Ry-X. Today, their Quebec barn-turned-studio is not just a place of creation but a sanctuary where their lives and art intertwine.

For those jaded by Hollywood’s glossy depictions of love, Mr & Mrs offers a real, raw, and profoundly authentic alternative. Hit play, and let the seraphic sentimentality carry you to where love reigns supreme, unscripted and unequivocally honest.

Mr & Mrs is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Bristol’s Most Strident Troubador, Alex Comaish, Augmented the Ultimate Indie-Folk Anthem with ‘Brother’

Posted on 7 March 2024

Alex Comaish’s latest single ‘Brother‘ is a poignant narrative wrapped in an augmented fusionist production that splices jangly indie pop with warm echoes of Americana, transmits the essence of college radio rock, and throws back to the 90s Britpop era while following in Billy Bragg’s footsteps. The crisp and unpretentious production allows the song’s emotional core and Comaish’s raw talent to shine through and illuminate the airwaves with affectionate fervour.

This Bristol-based troubadour brings a fresh sincerity to the genre as he elucidates that brotherly bonds may not always tie you to the perfect person, but those connections are worth their weight in gold. His strident vocal performance is an energetically affecting testament to the unspoken love and unbreakable ties between siblings.

The vignette behind the song is as compelling as the track itself. Comaish’s lyrics, penned in the throes of adventure, are imbued with genuine gratitude and affection that’s often left unsaid in the hustle of daily life.

As the first of a series of releases planned for the year, ‘Brother’ sets a high bar. It’s a track that not only showcases Comaish’s songwriting prowess but also his ability to connect with his audience on a deeply personal level.

Brother was officially released on March 1st; stream the single on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Never look at apocalyptic fiction the same again after losing yourself in McKay’s indie-folk earworm,  Last Man Alive

Posted on 28 January 2024

Staying true to folk roots while not getting entrenched in its antiquities, the Nashville indie folk quartet McKay made the genre relevant for this generation with their larger-than-life rendition of their latest single, Last Man Alive.

If you have ever immersed yourself in apocalyptic sci-fi media and wondered if you would have the determination to endeavour or simply submit to the same fate that removed the majority of the planet, you’ll hear familiar thoughts and questions echoed back at you. But McKay goes even further by touching on all of the ways that we make sense of space and time as society keeps on buzzing away. It’s impossible not to become caught up in a state of contemplation as you listen to the harmonica blow over the raw folk chords and Hudson Haining’s pontificating vocals, which bring you right into the introspective world the promising outfit constructed.

With the evocative pull of Deathcab for Cutie fused with the sonics of Neutral Milk Hotel, McKay’s sound is original as it is intimately affecting.

Last Man Alive will be available to stream on all major platforms from January 28; stream it on SoundCloud first.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Immaculate Crows held a mirror to human-derived harrow in their psychedelic alt-indie single, Dolly

Posted on 10 June 2023

The Immaculate Crows never fail to strike all the right chords with their sympathetic sensitivity and superfluous arrangements; their single, Dolly, was no exception to the rule. With a Southern country folk twist to psychedelic new wave indie, they orchestrated the ultimate soundscape for profound reflection.

A tale of torment-driven suicide and domestic violence could have easily sat heavily on the soul, but with the rich tapestry of psych, folk, indie, pop and country rock, The Immaculate Crows efficaciously advocate for a reality that gravitates around compassion and kindness.

The sonic olive branch may be small, but sometimes, all it can take is one push in a more positive direction to create a ripple effect of change, and therein lies the beauty of The Immaculate Crows’ discography. It holds a mirror to human-derived harrow before melodiously illustrating the capacity for tenderness, which lies in us all.

Stream Dolly on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Australian alt-indie singer-songwriter Greg Barnett advocated for nature in his existential serenade, ‘The C-Bomb’

Posted on 15 January 2023

Starting his single with clips of Donald Trump’s cognitive dissonance was a bold choice, but his obnoxious tones will always evoke a visceral reaction from the minds Greg Barnett aimed to compel with his standout single, The C-Bomb.

Taken from his massive 30-track debut LP, The Flat White Album, the single reminds us of the role we all need to play in salvaging the planet before it burns hotter than the temper of a right winger when expected to find a modicum of empathy or awareness.

The orchestrally laced alt-indie-folk soundscape that will make any Elliott Smith fans feel instantaneously at home delivers a shot of vindication through the affirmation that you’re not alone in your climate anxiety. Which is as warranted as it is a necessity if we want to take back our world from the disaster capitalists who would be happy to walk in the ashes as long as there are enough 0s in their bank balance before the curtains close on humanity.

The C-Bomb is available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

EMRYS gifted compassion with her EP, Christmas Songs 4 Sad People

Posted on 24 December 2022

Following the success of her debut album, Downstruck, the independent singer-songwriter EMRYS has launched her refreshing antithesis of a Christmas EP, Christmas Songs 4 Sad People.

For anyone who can see through the capitalistic ploy the festive season has become and are reluctant to feign superficial joy because the calendar demands it, the five singles on the compassionately quaint EP will prove that you’re not alone in your seasonal pessimism.

After the harp strings in track one, Merry Christmas to the Miserable, have lulled you into a state of catharsis and assured you that you’re not isolated in your misery, EMRYS utilises her 2020 single, Christmas Will Be Silent This Year, to take us back to the frustrations of COVID deniers waving restrictions to celebrate a holiday as though it’s their God-given right.

Not Great, But Grateful is an exposition of what it means to be grateful while enduring a not-so-perfect life with humble grace. Serotonin for Christmas is a haunting reflection of how consumerism does little to quell the pain of mental health issues.

The concluding single, O Lonely Night, is a quiescently orchestral lullaby which instrumentally encapsulates the phenomenon of Christmas amplifying the isolation for anyone not at the centre of a picture-perfect nuclear family.

From start to finish, the EP is a gracefully elevated release, which definitively proves that true artistic beauty always lies in quirky creative autonomy. As someone who shares a similar mindset to EMRYS, I can fully attest to how seminal the EP is. Amanda Palmer couldn’t have said it better.

Christmas Songs 4 Sad People is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Winternom – True: Meet your new existential alt-indie playlist staple

Posted on 8 March 2022

The alt-indie-folk-rock newcomers, Winternom, are set to bring souls in from the cold with the standout single, True, from their sophomore album, The Cold or the Crowd. Sonically, the hazily sweet single sits between Elliott Smith and Pavement, with a few proto-punk-meets-psych-pop nuances.

Lyrically, the Ottawa, Canada-hailing artist comes into their own with their witticisms that walk the line between existentialism and affection in a way that pays ode to the Alt 90s while still delivering emotive modernism. Despite its overarching lo-fi vibe, the dreamy textures in True never resonate as brash. Instead, they keep the tones bright to contrast the less than sunny, deeply relatable vocal disposition.

True is now available to stream along with the rest of Winternom’s triumph of an album, The Cold or the Crowd via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Embrace the radiating energy in Mr Hidden Treasure’s sophomore alt indie folk single ‘By the River’

Posted on 11 March 2021

Southampton-born artist and producer, Mr Hidden Treasure placed another gem on the airwaves with their sophomore single ‘By the River’. With a touch of Pete Doherty-Esque. swagger to the vocals and high-vibe staccato rhythms in the stripped-back folky alt-indie single, you can’t help but embrace the warm tones; the energy in By the River radiates.

By the River which was inspired by the artist’s late wife was released on the first anniversary of her funeral on February 10th, it perfectly depicts the power of perception and resilience. In a time where the smallest first world problems are enough to send us over the edge, By the River exhibits true perception-shifting strength.

If you need anymore convincing to put Mr Hidden Treasure on your radar, their debut album is due for release in 2021. On the basis of By the River, your sanity may depend on leaving your mind open to the artist’s inspiring introspection and ability to overcome tragic adversity.

By the River is available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Home Stretch made a seafaringly sweet debut with their album ‘Ocean Boy’

Posted on 1 March 2021

Discernibly, it isn’t just the artwork for The Home Stretch’s album ‘Ocean Boy’ which Neutral Milk Hotel inspired, the same lo-fi psych folk sound resounds right through the debut album from the Birmingham-based newcomers.

The seafaringly sweet album starts with the title-track which allows you to wade into The Home Stretch’s cathartically panoramic signature sound which will undoubtedly be a hit with any fans of Deerhunter.

There’s nothing ambient about the intricate art rock guitar progressions which pop with bluesy pronunciation, but you’ll feel serenity wash over you as you let this mellifluously stunning soundscape arrest your rhythmic pulses and offer indulgent aurally-derived escapism.

Ocean Boy is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast