Browsing Tag

Folk Singer Songwriter

Lindsay Brazell reached the pinnacle of indie-folk with her single, ‘Midnight Gospel’.

Posted on 5 May 2021

With chord progressions that flow as easily as Courtney Barnett’s and the Beatles’, from the first note, you’re suckered right into Lindsay Brazell’s latest bluesy folk-pop single, ‘Midnight Gospel’.

The choruses practically act as transcendental experiences as you get caught up within Brazell’s chorally arcane vocals that give you the same vibe as Stevie Nicks as they work with the popping melodies that remain contemporary until the solo where the roots of bluegrass pull through.

With her sound exuding as much distinction as Amigo the Devil and the 2020 supergroup Bonny Light Horseman, combined with the impression that she lights up every room she walks in, it comes as no surprise that the singer-songwriter has been dubbed one to watch by The Nashville Songwriters Association International. We wholeheartedly agree.

Midnight Gospel is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Kevin Neary invites the lost to find themselves in ‘Hopelessly True’

Posted on 8 April 2021

It feels like there’s been a seismic infusion of soul-baring sincerity on the airwaves since the pandemic began, yet, not many candid tracks can hold a candle to Kevin Neary’s, ‘Hopelessly True’.

If a global pandemic isn’t enough to make you feel lost and uncertain, I don’t know what is, so for those feeling disjointed and deflated; you’ll find plenty of comfort in Hopelessly True. The indie folk-pop offers an impossible-to-resist feeling of solidarity which is enough to remind the listener that feeling lost is part of the journey – metaphorically and literally.

The 25-year-old Irish singer-songwriter has picked up plenty of accolades and acclaim for his unique yet distinctly familiar style. With the same tender magnetism as Tom Odell, Hozier and Paulo Nutini, his sound that stemmed from busking roots soon feels like home.

You can check out the animated music video via YouTube, or you can add the track to your Spotify playlists.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Snir Yamin: maybe your new favourite singer-songwriter with new single ‘Taking’

Posted on 31 March 2021

Snir Yamin might just be the best male singer-songwriter you’ve never heard of; his previous singles, ‘Down The Line’ and ‘Twenty Three’, both made it to number one on the iTunes Top 200 Alternative Tracks chart, but new single ‘Taking’ is simply stunning, a painfully wistful melancholic nostalgia to Yamin’s guitars and plaintive vocals.

It’s a great track, evocative and emotive, gentle yet powerful all at once, some intricate, melodic guitar picking underneath the poignancy. It’s reminiscent, a little, of The Calling, but also classic singer-songwriters like Elliot Smith and guitar-led artists like Snow Patrol and John Mayer, there’s also classic songwriting with elements of older influences such as the Stones, Dylan, or the Police in the mix too.

‘Taking’ is available on Spotify right now; check out Snir Yamin on Facebook and Instagram.

Review by Alex Holmes

Baneful Town tells an indie-folk tale of love, loss and hedonism with their latest single, ‘You and No One Else’.

Posted on 11 March 2021

Thanks to artists such as Baneful Town, folk will never become an archaic and outdated genre; as you pick bits of bluegrass out of the raw yet harmonically timbered single, you’ll also feel the sting of the contemporary resonance in the candid lyrics. If you’ve ever attempted to fill a hole with hedonism only to find yourself even more hollow, you’re sure to find plenty of yourself reflected at you in their latest single ‘You and No One Else’.

‘You and No One Else’ is the lead single from the Montreal-based three-piece’s debut self-titled album that comes with a promise of lyrically delivering nothing but soul-projected sincerity. After hearing the all-baring lead single that takes none of the torment of pining after something you’ll never have or replace while providing a harmonically uplifting track, it’s safe to say we’re excited. Fans of everyone from Jayhawks to Dinosaur Jr to the Dandy Warhols will find plenty to love about You and No One Else.

You and No One Else is now available to stream via Spotify. Their debut album is due for official release on March 12th, 2021.

You can keep up to date with Baneful Town’s latest releases via Facebook.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Canadian folk singer-songwriter, Mike Latimer has made an unforgettable debut with ‘Your Memory’

Posted on 8 March 2021

Canadian folk singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Mike Latimer has released the first single from their forthcoming album ‘Coastal Life’; ironically, ‘Your Memory’ is an unforgettable release.

The timeless single suckers you in through folk Americana familiarity, once you’re immersed, you’ll start to embrace the candidness of Mike Latimer’s adoringly sweet lyricism which wraps itself around the ghost of a lost lover. With the radiant tones and the affection in the vocals, the air of wistfulness doesn’t stand a chance when it comes to dominating this escapism-aiding release. Instead, Your Memory delivers a powerful lesson in the power of perception.

Your Memory is available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Martin Reynolds swaps the drum stool for the acoustic guitar on folk-pop solo debut ‘Strange Days Indeed’

Posted on 1 March 2021

Upfront with an acoustic guitar and a bunch of original tracks might not be Martin Reynolds’ usual place, but on the basis of ‘Strange Days Indeed’ it really, really ought to be far, far more often. Usually found thumping tubs behind Birmingham grunge-blues-rockers You Dirty Blue, Reynolds took the opportunity of lockdown to borrow a 24 track mixer and record an album’s worth of vaguely folky, jangly loosely sixties- and seventies-inspired numbers, the first of which to hit the public’s earlobes and consciousness being ‘Strange Days Indeed’. Think Del Amitri, Hothouse Flowers, Ray LaMontagne, Jack Johnson, or Ben Harper.

‘Strange Days Indeed’ is friendly, immediate and open, honest and confessional, speaking of a personal take on life and the emotions of the last twelve months, bittersweet but optimistic and upbeat, Reynolds’ voice lilting and melodic, the song itself poppy, catchy, and uplifting – a riot of strummed campfire guitar, tambourine, and backing vocals, but Reynolds’ musicianship shines through the whole time in the picked acoustic solo and the overall arrangement.

‘Where There’s Hope’ – the ten track album – is out shortly; check out ‘Strange Days Indeed’ on Spotify, and follow Martin Reynolds on Facebook and Instagram.

Review by Alex Holmes

Erick Beau – I Found Love in You: Hauntingly Intimate Alt-Folk Americana

Posted on 19 February 2021
Erick Beau

After racking up over a million streams with their single, ‘Waiting for You’, Erick Beau set his own bar fairly high, but their latest romantic-to-the-point-of-transcendence single ‘I Found Love in You’ easily rises above it.

The roots-deep country ballad is influenced by an eclectic array of timeless artists, from Bach to the Beatles, Keith Urban to Cat Stevens, but the soul it contains allows those hauntingly intimate alt-folk tones to resonate with innovative evocative appeal.

With the singer-songwriter’s ability to create a cinematically vivid experience with ardently gratified lyrics and emotion-capturing finger-picked guitar notes within the semi-orchestral soundscape, we wouldn’t be surprised to see his name in the OST credits for Hollywood blockbusters in the near future.

I Found Love in You is now available to stream by SoundCloud.

For more ways to listen, and more info on the trailblazing artist, head over to their website.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

 

 

Alt-folk alchemist, Bill E Daly, has pulled light from the darkness with ‘The World is Waiting’

Posted on 27 January 2021

In the same way you wouldn’t want to strike up a conversation with someone that had nothing to say, we should be mindful of which artists we take the time to listen to, any amount of time spent listening to Irish singer-songwriter, Bill E Daly will be well-invested.

The lifelong artist may have only just started to make waves as a solo artist, but after decades honing in on their craft and increasing the value of their introspection, there has been no better time to get acquainted with his unique alt-folk sound.

Their latest single ‘The World is Waiting’ was penned during the first lockdown in 2020 after sympathetically witnessing the impact of lockdown on young adults. While many struggle to see past their own plight, Bill E Daly extended his compassion to some of those hardest hit by the pandemic. Everything feels like it’s the end of the world to those still adjusting to adulthood, the levels of despair while the world stands still is unimaginable.

With reminiscences to Nick Cave, PJ Harvey and other alchemists of alt-folk who aren’t afraid to experiment with darker tones on the sonic palette, The World is Waiting atmospherically encapsulates the dull view which so many have taken upon the world. Lyrically, Bill E Daly finds unique ways to inspire optimism and instil confidence.

It’s a stunning single transpired from just as stunning sentiment.

The World is Waiting is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Vincent Sonder lights up our day with ‘Camel Lights’

Posted on 20 January 2021

In his day job, Vincent Sonder – the alter-ego of celebrated filmmaker Joe Connor – has worked with bands as diverse as The Rolling Stones, Sam Smith, Coldplay, Paul Weller, The Maccabees, and Placebo (among others), and that shoulder-rubbing pedigree has obviously stood him in good stead when it comes to his own creative flow. Recorded in 2017 but only now available across streaming services, ‘Vincent Sonder’ the album is a gorgeous, glorious affair, and ‘Camel Lights’ is a perfect introduction.

Beautiful, exquisite piano accompanies Sonder’s mellow storytelling vocal, the lyrical flow creating a perfect mood of contemplation and reverie, dreamlike and meditative, with a narrative feel that tells the story of ‘the memory of a man that I can’t find’. It’s bewitching, evocative, and anecdotal, made all the more memorable by the interplay with the second, female vocal intertwined between Sonder’s lead and those plaintive minor piano chords; you listen, and you can practically see cigarette smoke drifting from a discarded ashtray, monochrome, in the rain. It’s beautiful.

Follow Vincent Sonder on Instagram; hear ‘Camel Lights’, and the rest of the album, on Spotify.

Review by Alex Holmes

Escape the 21st century in the timeless tones of T.C. Tumbleweed’s Alt Folk single ‘Louise’

Posted on 18 January 2021

Folk-punk became an infinitely more enamouring genre with the release of Swedish-born singer-songwriter T.C. Tumbleweed’s latest EP, ‘Out of Tune’, with old school blues thrown in for good measure, plenty of timeless tones are revived, but through this humble exhibition of their amiable talent, it may as well be your first time cruising through upraising bluesy rhythms with shimmering organ wails bringing a touch of the celestial.

The standout track, ‘Louise (Love is Only a Day) is set to enamour fans of 70s era Stones, Bob Dylan, Frank Turner and Gogol Bordello alike. If you could imagine what Nick Cave would sound like if he had a soul, you’ll get an idea of what is in store when you hit play on the instantly enrapturing track which is impossible to pick apart. It becomes so much more than the sum of all parts with the swathes of emotion delivered in equal measure through the soulfully compelling vocals and the instrumentals which exhibit a level of prowess which affirms that T.C. Tumbleweed definitely deserves a spot on your radar. He’ll probably reserve a spot in your soul by the time you hit the first chorus.

You can check out T.C. Tumbleweed’s EP for yourselves by heading over to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast