Browsing Tag

Country Pop Rock

Heidi Vincent – Criminal: A Ruggedly Western Vignette of Vengeance

Posted on 17 November 2024

Vancouver’s Heidi Vincent fuelled her latest single, Criminal, with Femme Fatale fire-branded soul. Within the pistols at dawn ruggedly Western vignette of vengeance, the country-pop-rock siren reclaims her power after a sour romantic encounter while giving April March a run for her twangy rockabilly money.

As the ultimate soundtrack for the recently lothario-scorned, Criminal delivers enough vindication to devour your spite whole as you lose yourself within the stylised earworm which is a thematic continuation from her previous denial and betrayal-encompassing single, What Love Can Do.

While cinema may fail to write female redemption stories which don’t resonate as exploitative, that’s exactly where the independent singer-songwriter succeeded with Criminal, there’s catharsis by the smorgasbord in the invitation for every listener to find their power through the narratively electrifying sonic blockbuster.

Criminal hit all major platforms on November 1st; stream it on Spotify and connect with Heidi Vincent on Instagram and Facebook.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Samana Rising is radiantly irreplicable in their summer soul-rock anthem, Sunshine

Posted on 30 June 2024

Samana Rising’s summer soul-rock anthem, Sunshine, is a radiant declaration of musical vitality and versatility. This first release since their debut album in 2020 confirms that the Norwegian band hasn’t just been biding time. Between life’s milestones and global upheavals, they’ve refined a sound that shines and erupts with irreplicable radiance.

Recorded at ArtBeat Studio in Bryne, with the adept Bjørn Erik Sørensen at the production helm, Sunshine marries an instantly memorable guitar intro with a reggae-inspired rhythm that’s irresistibly danceable. This track is engineered to lift spirits and coax listeners from the mundane to the magical. Mastered with precision in Nashville by Alex McCollough, every note is crafted to perfection, capturing the essence of pop rock while promising more than typical chart-toppers.

Hanne Sivertsen’s vocals could light up any room, soul or playlist; the immense power in the delivery, paired with the charismatically magnetic proclivity, ensures that this latest sonic triumph resounds with maximum euphoric impact.

Lyrically, Sunshine presents an opportunity to celebrate the people who light up your world as much as solar rays; wherever you play it, you won’t be able to resist its demand to be played LOUD.

Sunshine was officially released on June 21; stream the single on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Brian Berggoetz gave hopeless romantics hope in his pop-rock serenade, More Than You’ll Ever Know

Posted on 13 April 2024

Sweet enough to give hopeless romantics hope, the standout single, More Than You’ll Ever Know, from singer-songwriter Brian Berggoetz is a melodious ode to a true love that can be alluded to in words but never fully captured.

Springsteen may have been born to run, but Berggoetz was born to bring warmth and depth to the pop-rock scene; More Than You’ll Ever Know is the ultimate attestation to his legacy. With vocals that caress as tenderly as the simple yet profoundly affecting instrumental arrangement, the single unravels as the dreamiest earworm you’ll hear this year.

With the stunning serenade, Brian Berggoetz emanated the aura that resounds through the soul in inexplicable throws of unflinching affection and passion. Lock into the blissful-bordering-on-arcane melodies, and tune into the affirmation that Berggoetz is a superlatively eloquent conduit of soul.

Between the folk strings, the twang of alt-country, the rugged roots of rock and the hallmarks of singer-songwriter pop lies a synergy which has become synonymous with the Tuscon, Arizona-hailing artist who finds influence in a diverse confluence of styles and genres.

More Than You’ll Ever Know is available to stream on Spotify with the latest LP from Brian Berggoetz, Magical Times.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Gain the permission to live autonomously free with The Close’s 90s pop-rock single, Living It Right

Posted on 13 November 2023

With a nostalgically 90s pop-rock edge which cuts as deep as the hits from Jewel, Sheryl Crow, and Alanis Morrisette, The Close came close to perfect with the standout single, Living It Right, from their debut album, Orbit.

The debut LP pushed the introspective genre-bending outfit’s monthly listeners up to impressive heights. Now, over 36k listeners are repetitively tuning into their intricately airy melodies which transcend expectation and effortlessly share effervescent transcendence.

You’ll be torn between attempting to match the flawlessly magnetic timbres in the vocal delivery as they verse the virtues of living autonomously free and leaning into the mellifluous interplay of the ethereal synergy within the instrumental arrangements and harmonies.

Aside from the very obvious superlative song crafting which sets The Close apart, the outfit also finds distinction by employing each member as a lyricist, musician and lead vocalist, resulting in a dynamic discography, which dabbles in everything from Americana to contemporary folk to country. A commercial pop sensibility is one of the few constants within their euphonically unshackling collection of lyrically intimate releases.

Living It Right was officially released on October 27; stream it on Spotify with the rest of the Orbit LP.

Review by Amelia Vandergast  

Dave Wilbert was born to take the wheel and drive in his country-rock earworm, Tractors and Trucks

Posted on 29 October 2023

Springsteen was born to run, but Dave Wilbert was born to take the wheel and drive in his country-rock earworm Tractors and Trucks, which delves beyond the stereotypes and into the intricacies of the identities of people who spend their lives outside of the city smoke.

Tractors and Trucks rips up all the tropes and cliches of country and scatters them like confetti within the anthemically polished production which will lure you in with the bluesy pop grooves and ensure you’re suitably hooked by the slide guitars which follow the solos which exhibit Dave Wilbert’s command of a fretboard.

The Fairview, Tennessee-residing artist was born and raised in rural Indiana, where he practised the hard-working virtues extolled in this infectiously feel-good hit, which will undoubtedly give those living the rural life a potent shot of pride.

Tractors and Trucks was officially released on October 6th; add it to your country-rock playlists by heading over to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Blake Robert served Southern-twanged high-octane soul in his country pop-rock single, On My Mind

Posted on 10 August 2023

The Austin sound resounds in the eponymous debut country pop-rock album from the up-and-coming singer-songwriter Blake Robert.

The heart-on-sleeve standout single, On My Mind, spills Southern-twanged high-octane soul by the smorgasbord as the radio-ready production lends itself effortlessly well to drunk-in-love euphoria. With over two decades of experience crafting Eagles-esque earwormy guitar hooks, the rhythmically sharp ones implanted in On My Mind effortlessly reel you into the romanticism, which is just as magnetically sticky-sweet as the affectionate escapism found in Taylor Swift’s upbeat hits.

If you’re a fellow TX native and you can’t get enough of the debut album, catch Blake on his 2024 live tour through Austin, and keep him on your radar for more addictively energetic releases.

Blake Robert’s self-titled LP is available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Marc Ambrosia has debuted his electrifying country-pop-rock reclamation, Gay and Proud

Posted on 23 June 2023

With all the hate that has been spilt across the internet during Pride Month, Marc Ambrosia’s latest country-rock anthem, Gay and Proud, is an electrifyingly seminal release which celebrates his identity after keeping it hidden for twenty years.

With tinges to Against Me! in the strident vocal lines and some of the guitar work, the country-pop rock hit is a fiery reclamation, one that will instil the same sense of pride in every listener who also happens to fly under the rainbow flag. Despite alluding to the dark days that paved the way towards recording the single, Ambrosia kept the vibes high while delivering a fistful of resonance for his audience.

“I’ve known I was gay since I was eight years old. Despite that, I never in a million years would have thought I’d be able to admit that to anyone, let alone publicly. For so long, I felt rage, shame, and fear. I was so angry that I just couldn’t be “normal;” I felt ashamed that I couldn’t change myself, and I felt so afraid that someone might find out my secret. It took me twenty years to not only say I’m gay out loud, but also to accept that about myself and love that about myself.”

Gay and Proud is the title single from Ambrosia’s upcoming studio album, which promises to carry the same themes of overcoming self-hate and moving towards self-love, acceptance and peace.

Gay and Proud will hit the airwaves on June 23rd. Stream it on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Lorne Riley has released his page-turning upbeat country earworm, That’s All She Wrote

Posted on 4 June 2023

‘That’s All She Wrote’ is the latest quintessentially country single from the singer-songwriter Lorne Riley, who ingeniously cloaked his latest pop and rock-encompassing feat of Americana with swathes of 80s nostalgia to take you on a sonic journey you’ve never muddied your metaphorical boots with before.

You just can’t help falling in love with the small-town boy who has dug up his Northern Ontario roots and implanted them in his new residence in Dubai. Evidently, you can take the boy out of the country, but you can never take the country out of the boy.

Since making his debut in 2019, he’s featured on the Nashville Music Row Chart; That’s All She Wrote is yet another hooky chart-worthy hit from the singer-songwriter who knows exactly how to infuse his vignettes with bold imagery and a sense of soul that will awaken your own.

That’s All She Wrote was officially released on April 28; hear it on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Simona-Valentina compels her listeners to follow their dreams in her confessionally quaint country pop-rock single, Head Outta Washing Machine

Posted on 2 November 2022

London-based singer-songwriter and guitarist, Simona-Valentina, gave her listeners an intimate view into how her creative life began with her country-tinged pop-rock single, Head Outta Washing Machine, which officially released on October 22nd and spilt 90s nostalgia onto the airwaves.

With a similar snappy melody to Avril Lavinge’s game-changing earworm, Complicated, in the intro, along with a few nods to the 90s, Head Outta Washing Machine is an immersive unravelling of the singer-songwriter’s humble and adorable beginnings as a singer-songwriter. You only have to hit play to see how far she has come as an expressive advocator of following your dreams.

Head Outta Washing Machine is the 12th single released by Simona-Valentina after she made her debut with her single, Unspoken Love, in 2019. She’s also one-half of the acoustic duo SVRPoole, who are melodically enlivening the London music scene.

Here’s what Simona-Valentina had to say about her latest release:

“I used to sing with my head in the washing machine when I was around six years old. This is my genuine and retrospectively funny music story, and what I am basically confessing with this new song.

I was shy and introverted at that age, lacking the confidence and courage to sing in front of people; hence, the darkness and intimacy of singing with my head inside the washing machine appealed to me greatly.”

Listen to Head Outta Washing Machine on Spotify.

Follow Simona-Valentina on Facebook and Instagram

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Nicki Shakes shares a relatable thirst in her single, I Need a Drink

Posted on 17 September 2022

Country singer-songwriter-sensation Nicki Shakes shared a relatable thirst in the standout single, I Need a Drink, from her debut album, Rise. For everyone that has ever wanted to evade the nefariousness of their consciousness, the bluesy swagger of the melodically upbeat Country pop rock single has all the makings of a playlist staple.

Her eclectically matured sound may sonically take you to a dive bar in Tennessee, but the accomplished UK-residing artist tours her soulful tales of heartbreak and woe across Essex and London. What comes as much less of a surprise is the international airplay Nicki Shakes has garnered with her energy that epitomises artistic dynamism.

I Need a Drink is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast