Browsing Tag

Folk Singer Songwriter

Michael Golden sends a haunting Alt Folk Christmas card with ‘Some Kind of Holiday’

Posted on 10 January 2021

Michael Golden’s latest single ‘Some Kind of Holiday’ perfectly captures that contemplative morosity-tinged mood that everyone has the proclivity to fall into the festive season. Through the sparse lyrics and haunting choral tones, there’s an invaluable affirmation that the state of seasonally-inspired forlorn introspection is universal, regardless of what facades are worn.

The tenderly compelling single may be the ultimate antithesis of a Christmas single, but it is all the better for it. It is performed without pretence, odious capitalistic desire or cliché wistfulness. Instead, it brings emotions to the surface which you wouldn’t have independently experienced, it allows you to get lost within the romantic imagery in the lyricism, it allows you to shed tears for all the right reasons.

The official music video for Some Kind of Holiday premiered on December 23rd. You can check it for yourselves via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Mauri Dark – Poison Woman: Cinematically Dark Alt Folk

Posted on 6 January 2021

If you could imagine what it would sound like if Nick Cave and Johnny Cash aurally met in the middle, you’ll get a good idea of what is on offer in Finnish singer-songwriter, Mauri Dark’s, latest single ‘Poison Woman’ taken from their LP ‘Dreams of a Middle-Aged Man’.

With rhythms which will throw into a dark Western while sending a few postcards from 70s Folk, Poison Woman is an eclectic smorgasbord of familiarity, rearranged to offer undiluted ingenuity. It’s as immersive as any Tarantino film but easily eclipses them on an emotional level. The sonorously low vocal timbre coalesces with the baritone guitar, setting a dismally cinematic tone which draws you into the melancholic mindset the single was written with. But with the level of emotion on display, listening to Poison Woman is anything but an exercise in morosity.

You can check out Poison Woman via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Clara Day has made her hauntingly hypnotic debut with ‘The Ritual’

Posted on 29 December 2020
https://claraday.bandcamp.com/?fbclid=IwAR0Y1uPgteh4QQ3rg5njzWJtND5tV-lxq1ovg-UNyJVPOc-QfxlyShf_L-U

Bristol-based singer-songwriter, Clara Day, made her debut with the stunning Psych Folk single, ‘The Ritual’, on December 17th, without a hint of hyperbole, it may be the most enthralling single released in 2020.

By taking inspiration from 70s folk horror films, Clara Day was able to bring hypnotically hexing energy to the ambient semi-orchestral single which oozes sensuality, beguile and tender intimacy, all in equal measure.

Any fans of Mazzy Star, Angel Olsen and Big Thief will find Clara Day’s haunting vocal timbre just as enchanting. Yet, with the celestial psychedelia which the singer-songwriter brings to her transfixing sound, there’s an extra layer of alchemy to sink your teeth into.

You can check out The Ritual for yourselves by heading over to Bandcamp now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

CORBETT – Under the Tree: An Alt-Folk Festive Playlist Staple

Posted on 18 November 2020
CORBETT

Usually, when you think of Christmas music, you think of the grating classics you hear in supermarkets or whichever iconic track John Lewis has decided to butcher with their Christmas ad, but CORBETT’s forthcoming single ‘Under the Tree’ will shatter your perception of festively-inclined aural offerings.

With the London Folk singer-songwriter’s enigmatic whiskey-soaked raspy vocals which will send an ethereal chill up your spine interlacing with a stripped-back jazzy Folk arrangement and lyrics lamenting over lactose intolerance, it’s impossible not to be endeared.

I didn’t think that I’d ever see the day where a Christmas song touched my soul and made me turn a smile, it’s practically a Christmas miracle.

Under the Tree is due for official release on December 1st. You’ll be able to check it out via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Dom Malin – Eye of the Storm: Sweetly Tempestuous Modern Indie Folk

Posted on 6 November 2020

As soon as you hit play on West Midlands-based singer-songwriter Dom Malin’s third self-produced Indie Folk single, you’ll see why it is titled “Eye of the Storm”.

The parable between heartbreak and elemental chaos is intensely palpable. You’ll find yourself swept up in the evocatively raw, melodically crafted radio-ready production and ardently in awe of Malin’s intimate connectable vulnerability.

It’s so much more than the deliverance of piteous self-indulgent woe. Eye of the Storm deals with the unendurable emotions which come to fruition when you realise that there’s no chance of keeping a fire in a relationship breathing as the last ember has already faded. Malin notes the inconsolability which accompanies heartbreak, but with Eye of the Storm, he offers a temporary aural escape by delivering emotion which may just displace your own romantic lament.

Your soul would have to be fairly dilapidated not to register the painful emotion which has been projected into the soundscape which will go down a storm (excuse the pun) with any fans of John Mayer, The Lumineers, Damien Rice and Ben Howard.

Even though there are some stylistic nods to the likes of Paul Simon, Malin’s sound is anything but archaic. Malin achieves a sonically massive sound which would have no trouble filling a stadium, all the while delivering one of the most tenderly poetic singles which you’ll hear this year.

Ahead of the official release, Eye of the Storm has already been chosen as track of the week by BBC introducing Lincolnshire. It would be no surprise if it featured on plenty of other Radio A-lists throughout Autumn 2020 and beyond.

Eye of the Storm was released on Friday, November 6th, 2020. You can check it out via Spotify.

Stay up to date with new releases from Dom Malin by following him on Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Funk and Jazz meet Folk Pop in Annabel Hailey’s latest single “Love is Like a Breeze”

Posted on 9 October 2020
Annabel Hailey

With her upcoming single “Love is Like a Breeze”, Annabel Hailey proves that Funk has a place in Acoustic Folk Pop. Their romantic, urgent, melodically intoxicating approach to songwriting incorporates elements of old school yet, it’s more than fitting for 21st-century airwaves. Love is Like a Breeze is enough to make Ed Sheeran’s back catalogue sound banal.

The slightly baroque and cabaret touch to the classic Pop vocals allowed Annabel Hailey to smother the track with her magnetic yet undemanding playfully sultry vocals. With nuances of Jazz and Neo-Soul weaved into the organically enrapturing soundscape, every second of the 3:40-duration will leave you gratified for finding this truly exceptional artist.

You can check out Annabel Hailey’s single from October 23rd on all major platforms including SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Get high with Michael Golden’s intoxicating Alt Folk single “Mr. Ecstasy”

Posted on 8 October 2020

Slip into the soul contained in US singer-songwriter Michael Golden’s debut album Some Kind of Holiday, it’s a candidly compelling narration of the artist’s experience navigating life, you’ll find plenty of familiar moments staring back at you.

The perfect introduction to their melodically haunting style is irrefutably “Mr. Ecstasy”. Any fans of Leonard Cohen and Tom Waits are going to get stung by the melancholy. Just like dropping a pill, there are blissfully radiant highs and soul-scraping lows. Yet, Mr. Ecstasy is able to offer far more than narcotics could.

The tender nostalgic comfort contained in Mr. Ecstasy is worth its weight in gold. Michael Golden has palpably succeeded in recreating the 70s sound with a modern digital folk edge.

You can check out Mr. Ecstasy for yourselves by heading over to YouTube now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Kristen Beckwith tells a piano-led story of love, longing and betrayal with ‘Already Chosen Her’

Posted on 18 September 2020
Kristen Beckwith

Utah-based pop/folk singer-songwriter Kristen Beckwith’s heartfelt piano-led story of love, longing, and betrayal, is an intense, mournful tale of heartbreak, the refrain ‘if you loved me, why’d you tell me, when you knew/you were never coming back here, you’d already chosen her’ plaintive and haunting over the delicate minor chord arrangement.

It’s beautiful, Beckwith’s voice is more than able to carry the space in the style of Beverly Craven or Norah Jones, soothing, hurt, and sorrowful all at once, the anguish in the realisation of lost love – ‘…and I thought you were the one…’-  clear and heartfelt. The sparse instrumentation detracts nothing, instead, adding a pensive melancholy to the track that perfectly matches Beckwith’s vocal.

‘Already Chosen Her’ comes from Kristen Beckwith’s debut album ‘A True Story’, released on October 2nd. You can hear more from Kristen here.

Review by Alex Holmes

Indie Folk vibes with Jeff Jepson’s ‘On Repeat’

Posted on 19 August 2020

Isle of Man based singer Jeff Jepson reminisces about love on his brand new single called ‘On Repeat‘.

Jeff Jepson is a prolific singer-songwriter who was born in music city Liverpool. Now recording & performing in the Isle of Man and beyond to a loyal and attentive following, he has been a mainstay of the thriving Liverpool acoustic scene, having supported artists as diverse as Martin Carthy, Slow Club and the Fratellis.

An artist with a voice of gold that makes each day better. This is a fine singer-songwriter that sings from the soul with his real lyrics and passionate vocals that are a pleasure to listen to.

‘On Repeat‘ is a fine song from the talented singer-songwriter that has a strong voice and who tells real stories. The passion in his voice tells you the story of this artist that loves to be on stage. Also a producer, there is nothing Jeff can’t do in the music scene. I love his honesty and the music makes you feel calm. Just what 2020 needs.

Stream here on Soundcloud.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Blonde Lion has released their enrapturing ennui-laden Alt Folk single “Ordinary Day”

Posted on 5 August 2020

Folk-Pop singer-songwriter Blonde Lion released their latest single “Ordinary Day” on August 5th. Elliott Smith may not be with us anymore, but Blonde Lion’s melancholic style is just as efficacious at drawing pensive emotions from you and offering aural resolve.

Obviously, I didn’t make it to the end of Ordinary Day with dry eyes. The delicateness of the atmospheric and intricate acoustic instrumentals was one thing, the resonance in the lyrics was quite another.  Ordinary Days was inspired by the days where you wake up and struggle to find anything which offers any meaning. The jaded ennui was all too relatable and it’s safe to say that after the global lockdown, plenty more people will see themselves in this sublime soundscape which serves as the perfect introduction to Blonde Lion’s compelling style.

You can check out Blonde Lion’s latest release by heading over to SoundCloud now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast