Browsing Tag

Folk Rock

New Earth Farmers share their reverent soul in their psych-tinged compassionate single, Everything Was Beautiful, Goodbye.

Posted on 26 November 2021
Into The Great Unknown by New Earth Farmers

After the pandemic inspired Nicole Storto and Paul Knowles to share pensive narratives with the world by forming New Earth Farmers, the duo delivered the resonance that the airwaves have been crying out for. Instead of musing on the most obvious facets of torment and malaise that gripped the world in 2020, New Earth Farmers delved deeper and explored ego-loss in their latest single, Everything Was Beautiful, Goodbye. Tom Petty and Bob Dylan fans won’t be disappointed with the vintage ease that the single carries through the progressions.

The track would bruise a few narcissistic egos if narcissists were emotionally aware enough to fathom their nefariousness. Considering that they will only ever look in the mirror with rose-tinted glasses, this sweetly psychedelically-tinged single is one for the enlightened.

Everything Was Beautiful, Goodbye, is now available with the rest of their album, Into The Great Unknown,  via Bandcamp.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Indie alt-folk artist Rhett O’Connor has released his sonorously colourful double A-side, Galactophagist/Untitled 31 Retry.

Posted on 8 October 2021
https://soundcloud.com/user-375093285/sets/im-a-galactophagist/s-RHSAuEw8Mjl

If you recognise Neutral Milk Hotel’s In the Aeroplane over the Sea as one of the greatest albums of all time, you will want to get acquainted with up and coming indie folk-rock singer-songwriter Rhett O’Connor.

Through his latest two-track single, I’m a Galactophagist/Untitled 31 Retry, O’Connor revives familiar folk-punk tones while adding plenty more accordance to the instrumentals while his dreamy vocals lull you into the visceral emotion caged in the acoustic soundscape.

Galactophagist and Untitled 31 Retry are just as sweet as the most honeyed singles from the Maccabees to add yet another layer to his colourfully sonorous sound; there is a slight cosmic kick in the melodies.

Rhett O’Connor’s new singles will be available to stream from October 8th via SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Gary Wight takes us to A House by a Beach in his accordantly sweet debut single.

Posted on 1 October 2021

‘A House by a Beach’ is the heart-wrenchingly soulful debut single by the up and coming North East of England hailing singer-songwriter Gary Wight.

Even though the debut falls into the 70s acoustic rock n roll camp, the artist’s inclination to incorporate genres from across the spectrum permits his sound to resound free from rock n roll cliché. Instead, he delivers unassimilated soul that won’t fail to pull you in through the folky affectionate lyrics and the ring of the accordantly picked guitar notes.

If Syd Barrett and Elliott Smith met in the middle, the aural result would be infinitely reminiscent of A House by a Beach.

A House by a beach is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Jonas and I reach the pinnacle of contemporary folk with ‘Love’

Posted on 27 August 2021
Jonas and I

Indie folk-rock artist, Jonas and I, are right on the contemporary curve with their latest single, Love, released via Humu Records. The deeply atmospheric track is cinematic enough that it wouldn’t be out of place in a Hollywood Blockbuster, yet Love wasn’t written with commercial potential solely in mind.

Refreshingly, Jonas and I didn’t fall into the trap of becoming yet another Mumford and Sons assimilator. They went further back to the roots of folk to create a richly narrative radio-ready single that easily distinguishes itself from the rest.

With the tenderness of Tom Odell in the vocals with visceral robustness that gives the lyrics far more meaning, it’s hard not to get absorbed with the rich sonic textures.

Love was released on August 27th, you can check it out via SoundCloud.

Check out Jonas and I on their website or Facebook.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Apres Pompeii has released his poetic folk-rock single, Clay.

Posted on 3 August 2021

‘Clay’ is the latest poetic folk-rock single released by singer-songwriter Apres Pompeii. What starts as a conceptually intimate and bleary soundscape seamlessly builds into a sonically choral indie hit with sweet psychedelic kicks in the percussion and plenty of colour in the artfully crafted melodies.

After a sonic crescendo of angular indie guitars, the Pittsburgh-based artist brings the tempo back down to conclude the single on a note that will enamour any fan of Violet Femmes, Frightened Rabbit or Manchester Orchestra. If you are always on the lookout for the Elliott Smith of our generation, hit play.

Check out Apres Pompeii’s latest single on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Eleanor Goldfield has made her solo debut with the radical Americana EP, ‘No Solo’.

Posted on 21 May 2021

After opening for acts such as Helmet and Tom Morello in her band Rooftop Revolutionaries, Elanor Goldfield has launched her solo debut EP, ‘No Solo,’ which consists of three original songs and two spoken-word pieces. It’s a far cry from her political hard rock sound in Rooftop Revolutionaries, but the queer creative radical, journalist and filmmaker’s versatile sound still comes with a bruising impact.

The single, ‘Pyre’, is the perfect introduction to her visceral songwriting style. The enthralling slice of Americana lays its foundation in swampy bluegrass roots, while the easy acoustic guitar chords bring a light accordant air of singer-songwriter country folk. While tackling themes of damnation, the radical track unapologetically forces into consciousness the destruction that collectively surrounds us while speaking to your soul with a recognition that only exceptional songwriters can achieve.

With lyrics such as, “What do you live for if they’re dying to kill for a dime?”, if you don’t feel something listening to Pyre, you may want to check you’ve still got a pulse.

If you find space on your playlists for Bonny Light Horseman, Angel Olsen or Sharen Van Etten on your playlists, you’ll definitely want to make room for Goldfield’s debut EP.

Elanor Goldfield’s debut EP is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

 

Billy Sinclair has released his relatable retro rock track, ‘Gotta Get Away’.

Posted on 20 April 2021

Glasgow hailing solo artist Billy Sinclair shared a sentiment that we have all felt over the winter with his latest single Gotta Get Away. His retro rock vibes emanate the same rhythmic prowess as Springsteen, The Eagles and Generation Terrorists-era Manics; through the simplicity of his soulful sound, you will catch his folk influences that bleed through his intimate vocals and driving guitar riffs.

The clever repetition of the line ‘gotta get away’ increases the sense of desperation for escape, in the same way that the Doors’ single, People Are Strange, hammers home the sense of alienation.

Rarely do you encounter a single that is intimate and sonically powerful. But thanks to Billy Sinclair’s eclectic array of influence and non-assimilative approach to production and instrumentation, he’s offering something that no one else is; his unapologetic self.

Gotta Get Away is now available to stream via Spotify.

Follow Billy Sinclair via Facebook.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

 

Bill E Daly gives us a soulful introduction to his music with ‘Hey Baby Hey’

Posted on 26 December 2020

Americana-tinged modern folk is the order of the day from Dublin’s Bill E Daly with this, from his new EP ‘Parachute & Oxygen’. ‘Hey Baby Hey’ is a gentle acoustic-guitar-and-vocal love song with a catchy little chord progression and Daly’s deep baritone voice. Tinged with country and modern rock overtones, this is mature, well-polished, and accomplished, little guitar flourishes on the ends of lines interplaying with Daly’s chilled vocal delivery.

Daly’s previous album, 2017’s ‘There Is A Time’, charted at number 2 in Google Play’s ‘Folk’ category, and there’s every chance that ‘Parachute & Oxygen’ will do similarly well. ‘Hey Baby Hey’ is the ideal introduction to Bill E Daly’s music.

Hear ‘Hey Baby Hey’ on Spotify; check out Daly’s website here.

Review by Alex Holmes

Alt Indie Rock artist Tom Morris invites you to share ‘The Dark Hours’ with him through his debut release

Posted on 17 December 2020
https://tommorris.bandcamp.com/track/the-dark-hours

Like many artists, Scottish singer-songwriter Tom Morris released his debut single, The Dark Hours’, this summer, but unlike most new releases, the soundscape exhibited the artist’s prowess when it comes to instilling overwhelming emotion as the track becomes so much more than the sum of all parts.

The moody hints of 80s Electro hum around the intricate bluesy indie rock guitars while Tom Morris crafts one of the most infectious vocal melodies I’ve heard this year.

No artist carries the influence of Kurt Vile without picking up the hypnotically mellifluous textures of his meanderingly enticing guitar, which is exactly what is on offer in The Dark Hours which captures the agony of those twilight hours when your body loses most of its capacity for function while your mind runs rampant through every avenue for melancholy.

When I first hit play, I was intrigued by the stylistic collision of genres, by the time The Dark Hours faded out, I was overcome by the artist’s invaluable ability to alchemically offer compassion and comfort through relaying his own bitter-sweet introspection.

You can find out more about Tom Morris by heading over to his official website.

Head over to Bandcamp to stream and download The Dark Hours.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

More Than Skies – Tomorrow Won’t Bother: Psychedelically Cinematic Angsty Folk Rock

Posted on 26 November 2020

More Than Skies is the project of New York singer-songwriter Adam James. With two EP’s and a self-released double-album since its inception in 2006, James now drops his new album, ‘Tomorrow Won’t Bother’, leading off with this, the title track.

Perhaps best described as mildly psychedelic-sounding angsty folk-rock, ‘Tomorrow Won’t Bother’ has a distinctly Beatles-y vibe to it, all beautiful wavering strings, strummed acoustic guitar, and a hugely classy piano-led intro, all held together by James’ effortless vocal. There’s a pizzicato element to the strings adding some percussive drive to the middle section, a charmingly ‘Leslie Cabinet’ dopplering tremolo effect to James’ voice, and that delicious piano intro and outro, all adding serious class to an already beautifully crafted and performed track. ‘Tomorrow Won’t Bother’ is the perfect taster.

Hear ‘Tomorrow Won’t Bother’ on Spotify; check out More Than Skies on Facebook.

Review by Alex Holmes