Browsing Tag

blues

Your Words: Jon Kenzie avoids the weaving observations on Two Plus Two Is Five

Posted on 22 April 2023

Sung with a calm intensity and reminding us of that soulful blues to sip on all night long, Jon Kenzie looks for the all-important truth inside a lie-filled world on the catchy new track to meditate with, Two Plus Two Is Five.

Jon Kenzie is an experienced Manchester, UK-based indie blues solo singer-songwriter and music producer who loves to fuse folk and soul into his wholehearted compositions.

”He has truly worked his way up from the grassroots, first playing on the streets and in the clubs of Manchester and then travelling Europe and the States, performing in every town that he comes to.” ~ Jon Kenzie

Taking our minds into a truly introspective soundtrack which has been made with so much poise and ingrained brilliance, Jon Kenzie sizzles our earlobes in the best possible way. This is quality stuff from an honest poet who sings with so much glorious class and love for his craft.

Two Plus Two Is Five from Manchester, UK-based indie blues solo singer-songwriter Jon Kenzie is a rather intriguing single for anyone who believes that humanity is actually going backwards. Thinking about the past and sending us a quality track to learn from, this is a must-listen single if you like things super bluesy and real.

Turn this up on Spotify.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Jazz Blues songstress Senobia is demurely pure in her single, Time to Breathe

Posted on 7 April 2023

Jazz, RnB, and blues fusionist, Senobia has declared it Time to Breathe in her new four-track EP, which soaked the airwaves in organically absolving soul on March 31. The standout title single is a sublime reminder of how sweet music used to be when it came straight from the soul, away from the strain of chart success.

The smoky blues layers enmeshed with the swaying jazz breeze and the ardent RnB piano keys pull together to create a superlatively impassioned platform for Senobia’s celestial vocal lines that are enough to compel you to take time in our fast-paced era, which forces you to feel that we should keep on moving, especially when it comes to moving on.

Before Senobia turned her talents to jazz, she projected her voice in the realm of gospel, doo-wop and pop; evidently, she hasn’t left her roots far behind her. Her demurely pure vocals will leave evocative surges ricocheting between your synapses, even when she’s harmonising her non-lexical vocal lines that will subdue you to her mesmerising grace.

Stream the Time to Breathe EP on SoundCloud and YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Reverend James Elmore Jenkins keeps the devil at bay in his blues rock jam, Diapsalmata Blues

Posted on 16 March 2023

Few artists do bluesy rock n roll as reverently as Tennessee-born, South Carolina-residing artist Reverend James Elmore Jenkins, as proven by the unadulterated groove-driven swagger in his latest single, Diapsalmata Blues.

His red-hot vintage overdriven tones make The Black Keys sound like cultural appropriation while he’s blazing through the raunch-laced jam riffs that any blues rock fan will want spread across their speakers. If you can tear your attention away from the audible smoky beguile, you’ll hear the minister’s intent to push sermonic gospel through his root-wrapped hits. I may be of the impious inclination, but the uplifting soul entwined with worldly well-intentioned wisdom in Diapsalmata Blues did more than hit the wholesome spot. For your own sake, hit play.

Diapsalmata Blues will be available to stream from March 16th. Hear it on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Ariel Skye is a silver-screen sonic dream in her latest bluesy single, Bang Bang

Posted on 26 February 2023

With a prelude of Tarantino-Esque Gretsch-y guitar tones to bring in Ariel Skye’s gravelly demure timbre, the intro to her latest nostalgia-entrenched single, Bang Bang, is nothing short of beguiling.

Finding the middle ground between Angel Olsen and April March, Bang Bang is a sultry feat of bluesy mesmerism from the up-and-coming artist, who has made light work out of carving out a niche in the industry with her evocatively sharp distinction.

Ariel Skye may have only started her music writing venture in 2019, but the Blockbuster-worthy cinematic storytelling never alludes to how recently she has started to perfect her craft. Since making her debut, she has collaborated with some impressive names in the industry, including Jim Stephens and Shaun Martin. She has also toured across Philadelphia, New York and LA with her vulnerably enticing lyricality. We’re sure the best is yet to come for Skye.

Bang Bang is now available to stream on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Mike Blue gazed into the twilight of the soul in his jazzy feat of soulful folk, Saphire

Posted on 24 February 2023
Mike Blue

The soulful rhythmicality of the folk singer-songwriter, Mike Blue’s latest single, Saphire, will tattoo itself to your memory from the first euphonically melodic meeting. As a departure from his previous sound, along with his band, Blue melded elements of blues, jazz, prog and rock to construct a track visceral in authenticity and sticky sweet in emotionally balanced sentimentality.

The first single taken from his forthcoming album, The Unbearable Weight of All Things Considered, stands as a soul-stirring testament to his ability to envelop you in the stories he eloquently weaves atop his acoustic guitar strings. The sax solos, which soar as high in the mix as the electric guitar riffs, amplify the intimacy of the lyrical expression while never compromising the resonant impact.

If the singer-songwriter was born decades ago when folk raconteurs were celebrated in modern culture, there would be few names as revered as Mike Blue. After the release of Saphire, the luminary artist will take his full band on tour across the UK, which also featured on the accordantly-bodied release that has the capacity to captivate a stadium.

Saphire will officially release on February 24th. Hear it via Mike Blue’s website.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Chris Spruit is star-roving in her spacey blues pop single, LifeSway

Posted on 2 February 2023

Bowie and David Lynch never came together when the sonic star man was of this earth; if they did, their combined artistic alchemy would have undoubtedly had the same disarming appeal as Chris Spruit’s latest single, LifeSway.

With the singer-songwriter sharing the same timelessly spiritual timbre as Stevie Nicks, there was no better pairing for the instrumentals, which pull together as a sonorously virtuosic amalgam of blues, jazz, pop, and soul.

When Chris Spruit isn’t orchestrating her solo singles, she’s pouring soul into the blues rock band Blue Attitude. If LifeSway has given you an insatiable need for more sonic beguile, you will be gratified to hear it is the first of eight tracks from her forthcoming album, Trip to Mars, due for release in February 2023.

LifeSway was officially released on January 29th. Hear it on Spotify. Check out Chris Spruit via her official website.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Shake, Rattle and Roll Away the Blues with Mark Nunis’ Riotously Euphoric Jazz Infusion, I Don’t Mind It

Posted on 20 January 2023
Alrighty Then! by Mark Nunis

Melbourne songwriter Mark Nunis eked soul out of the ivories in his jazzy instrumental amalgam of blues, gospel, and New Orleans RnB in the standout single, I Don’t Mind It, taken from his solo album Alrighty Then!

With glitzy glissandos by the smorgasbord, smoky horn stabs, the percussive shake rattles and rolls, all topped off by the shimmering organ timbre, few will be immune to the vibrantly cultured euphoria in I Don’t Mind It.

The accoladed and accomplished multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer has toured the world with his superlatively sophisticated pianist skills and smooth vocals, which sadly you won’t get to hear on his new 9-track album. But when the instrumentals are as riotously enlivening as the ones barely sonically caged on his LP, words can go unspoken at no detriment to the multi-sensory experience that unfolds under the duress of his unparalleled artistic reverence.

I Don’t Mind It is now available to stream and purchase on Bandcamp. If you want to treat your sonic tastebuds to the LP, it will be available to stream in full from January 20th.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Terry Blade warns even unconditional love has its limits in his Country-Blues single, ‘Won’t Be Around’

Posted on 6 January 2023

Two-time recipient of the Global Music Awards, Terry Blade, lined himself up for more prestigious accolades by recording his latest single, Won’t Be Around. The stripped-back simmering melting pot of Gospel-Esque Soul, Blues and Country commands your adoration from the first gravelled in feisty-fervour vocal note.

From there on out, the lyrics compel you to take stock of the protagonists in your life as you’re reminded that unconditional love always has its limits. With his voice commanding the soundscape, which paid homage to the roots of Americana with the minimalistic trickle of bluesy keys and strummed acoustic guitar notes, you’re left with no option but to be arrested.

During his career, which sheds light on his experience as a black gay artist, Terry Blade has picked up over 40 awards, And something tells us his glory days are far from behind him.

Won’t Be Around will officially release on January 6th. Hear it on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

What it means to be lost: Jamos Blood – Flesh and Back to Bone

Posted on 25 December 2022

Jamos Blood sludged up blues-rock in the standout single, Flesh and Back to Bone, from his debut EP, Blood Brothers, which delivers swampy riffs, train track rhythms and a sense of ennui that cries out to the disenfranchised by uncertain futures masses.

“Gonna walk my dog til he don’t walk no more” beautifully and sentimentally encompasses the notion that everything is fleeting in a cruel world which pulls away every anchor, eventually.

The EP was recorded with Blood’s late brother, Clayton, which puts even more context behind the titular disposition and the themes of love and loss that will wash with any Waits and Petty fans.

As someone who is no stranger to grief, it was all too easy to connect with Jamos Blood’s psyche in Flesh and Back to Bone. The sense of lost listlessness with splinters of optimism that can often feel naïve was captured with such finesse in the roots-driven rock hit it is easy to view Jamos Blood as one of the most important voices of our era.

Flesh and Back to Bone is available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Pennsylvania-based fusionist Ikechi Onyenaka shows us what inspiring music sounds like with Hardships

Posted on 7 December 2022

Pacifying our exasperated heads with a mellow vibe to ease all nerves into the distance, Ikechi Onyenaka shall warm all icy hearts who needed a long hug with the supremely dreamy single Hardships.

Ikechi Onyenaka is an Upper Darby, Pennsylvania-based indie jazz and blues fusionist who makes a stunning blend of smooth music vibrations for the world to be thrilled by.

After previously bringing us those twilight grooves with City Dreams, Ikechi Onyenaka performs with a rare class and shows world class skills on this latest gem. Calming to the max and never letting our hand go, this is a special soundtrack when you need 7 minutes of calm to enter the galaxy.

Hardships from Upper Darby, Pennsylvania-based jazz and blues fusionist Ikechi Onyenaka is a wonderful single which will surely make many humans smile. There is no fake flash here, only realness, and for that we must all be truly thankful. Bringing through an array of goodness, we float into a release with so much to heal with.

Hear this top new single on Spotify and see more of his journey on IG.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen