Browsing Tag

Folk Singer Songwriter

Settle in for a ‘Long Hard Winter’ with Ben Brooks’ Americana Folk single, ft EG Vines

Posted on 9 November 2023

If you can already feel Seasonal Affective Disorder kicking in, sink into the latest single, Long Hard Winter, by the Americana folk raconteur Ben Brooks.

Created in collaboration with EG Vines, the meta single cleverly runs in the parallels between the winter phases of our lifetimes and the bitterly cold season which leaves serotonin in short supply; both of which leave us yearning for the spring and summer of youth and the warmth that allows the trees to blossom.

With a sonic style as arrestingly affecting as Bob Dylan and Neil Young, Ben Brooks, who has recently found his voice and inspiration again post-Covid, is perceptibly back in his stride. This bitter-sweet earworm will undoubtedly become a great source of comfort for many as the leaf litter thickens and days darken. Even though it was written during the hardest winter during the pandemic, it’s a smorgasbord of sun-toned soul.

Stream Long Hard Winter on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Grainne Eve paid a poignant homage to Sam Henry with her cover of ‘Maid of Culmore’

Posted on 31 October 2023

Taken from Grainne Eve’s debut album, The Songs of Sam Henry, the standout orchestral folk single, Maid of Culmore, is so much more than a narrative tale; the inexplicably anachronistic arrangement conjures panoramic imagery to ensure you’re not solely looking at a portrait of the lyrical protagonist, you are in the landscape within her, completely abstracted from the 21st century.

The debut LP is just a scratch on the surface of the Portstewart, Northern Ireland-hailing folk singer-songwriter’s lifelong mission to understand and pay homage to the legacy of the folklorist and ballad crafter Sam Henry, who was integral to the preservation of Northern Irish folk tradition. Grainne Eve is currently in the final stages of writing her PhD, which focuses on Henry’s vast folk collection after completing a BA and MA in Music at Newcastle University.

‘The Songs of Sam Henry’ made its official debut on July 8th, 2022, at the Riverside Theatre in Coleraine. The album launch event was graciously introduced by the renowned TV presenter Joe Mahon. It was also presented live on Raidio Failte as part of the Belfast TradFest 2022 and received airplay on BBC Radio Ulster. Notably, ‘The Songs of Sam Henry’ earned a nomination for the NI Music Prize in 2022. Here’s to hoping we hear plenty more from Eve in the not-too-distant future.

Stream Maid of Culmore on Spotify and find out more about the exemplary artist and aural academic by visiting her official website.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Jeff Jepson spoke for the disillusioned masses in his jovially schadenfreude folk single, Here Comes Trouble

Posted on 14 October 2023

The Liverpool-born Isle of Man-residing singer-songwriter Jeff Jepson spoke for the disillusioned masses with the jovially schadenfreude standout single, Here Comes Trouble, from his latest album, Meaning Waves.

If you are nostalgic for the days when you used to hide in bed because you were dysfunctional instead of as a protective measure to shield yourself from the chaos in our climate, you won’t fail to find the melodic magic in this masterpiece of instrumental and lyrical ingenuity.

If you want a song to sing along with as the fabric of society tears under our precarious footing in it, consider making Here Comes Trouble a sanity-saving playlist staple. You’d be hard-pressed to forget the enchantingly alchemic progressions anyway.

Here Comes Trouble will be available to stream with the rest of his hotly anticipated LP, Meaning Waves on October 13; stream it on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Dora Gola – The Last Tear (Ostatnia Lza): Electronic Folklore Has a New Eloquent Author

Posted on 10 October 2023

For her latest single, The Last Tear (Ostatnia Lza), the electronic folk artist Dora Gola tapped into the divinity of her femininity to create an innately spiritual Clannad-esque score of pure beguile.

With her ethereal vocal timbre scintillating the orchestration of awakening Eastern beats and the reverb-swathed synth lines which give the release an ambiently explorative energy, the Polish Ireland-residing singer-songwriter and dancer reached the pinnacle of transcendent folktronica soul.

After her debut single, Dark Sand, saw her revered by Hot Press and The Irish Times Magazine as one of the most exciting acts to emerge from Ireland in recent years, expectations on the rhythmic seamstress were set high; with each new release, she’s surpassed all expectations.

Stream the official music video for The Last Tear by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Sadness plays the blues in the latest folk composition by Italian virtuoso, Stefano Manotti

Posted on 10 October 2023

A cosmically arcane air breezes right through the latest folk single from the Italian singer, songwriter, composer and guitarist Stefano Manotti. He may be only a few years on from the release of his Soulgem Records-distributed debut single, but he is already making major waves in the industry by climbing the charts and supporting internationally acclaimed artists.

The amorous melancholy that lingers in his vocal lines as they drift above the folky instrumental arrangement in Endless Road, which paints a panoramic picture of estrangement and wantonness for connection, invites you into an intimately electrifying and orchestrally ornate world. Sonically visualising the middle ground between Bowie & Tom Waits while orchestrating an exemplary manifestation of Italian folk, Manotti’s sound couldn’t be more refined in this odyssey of folk blues.

Endless Road is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Oliver James Brooks synthesised contemporary sickness with the fever of the 70s in ‘Technologically Stoned.

Posted on 28 September 2023
https://bit.ly/OJB-TechnologicallyStoned-Video

To hold a mirror to the dystopic sickness of the day, the critically acclaimed Toronto singer-songwriter, Oliver James Brooks, lyrically narrated our iPhone co-dependency issues in stark contrast to the 70s fever of psych-folk timbres with his alt-folk-rock single, Technologically Stoned.

Illuminating the reality of the evolution of technology which is spurring the regression of society while orchestrating a lava lamp warm soundscape that consoles through the dusky hues couldn’t have been an easy feat; the resolving raconteur succeeded nonetheless.

The accompanying music video, shot on super 8mm film along the Humber River Valley, also acts as a compelling visual exposition of how the chokehold of our phones is blinding us to the natural beauty that is everywhere we turn. If any single is going to convince you to get your dopamine fix in a more organic way, it is Technologically Stoned; the organic and raw production leads by efficacious example.

Technologically Stoned was officially released on September 22; it will also feature in the artist’s third studio LP, A Little Long While, which will be available to stream on all major platforms from November 24.

Watch the official music video for Technologically Stone on YouTube now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Brian Berggoetz tenderly chases an ethereal spectre in his orchestral folk score, Just a Dream

Posted on 26 September 2023

Just a Dream is the latest orchestrally ornate single meticulously crafted by the Tucson, Arizona artist, Brian Berggoetz. While the acoustic guitar strings keep the orchestration humble, intimate and folky, the cinematic interplay between the cello and violin strings brings a profound sense of elegant refinement to the lyricism, which tenderly chases an ethereal spectre.

With his backing band, Brian Berggoetz has become a prominent fixture in the Tucson live circuit and beyond; his live shows, whether he’s opening for Reverend Horton Heat, Charlie Sexton and Chris Murphy or topping the bill, have a reputation for rendering audiences enraptured.

Original songwriting is just one of his talents in a vast repertoire; he also has an affinity for reimagining classical songs in his distinctive style, which balances euphonic decadence with the intense affability of folk rock to make classical overtones effortlessly accessible to a wide audience. If Eddie Vedder’s soundtrack for Into the Wild infused more orchestral strings, I’m not entirely convinced it would emanate the same delicate visceral mesmerism of Just a Dream.

Just a Dream is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The indie raconteur Zarko let it flow in his acoustic expedition to ‘River Town’

Posted on 23 September 2023

If you still revere Closing Time by Tom Waits as one of the best albums of all time, you’ll find the latest single, River Town, from the Serbian indie folk raconteur Zarko just as resolving in its acoustic rapture.

The instrumentals may be minimal, but that didn’t get in the way of the up-and-coming singer-songwriter when he put his masterful mind to painting a panoramic picture of barflies in a town which used to conjure brighter emotions. I’m sure we can all relate to the alienating sense of dejection that ebbs away at our ability to feel anything but numb. With River Town on the airwaves, the sensation feels infinitely less lonely.

On the basis of River Town alone, Zarko should be celebrating the same success as Amigo the Devil with his delectable brand of folk blues. For your own sake, pay the hit song a visit.

River Town was officially released on September 2nd; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Mark Ben Wilson is searching on the other side in his compassionately warm folk-pop single, Horizons

Posted on 22 September 2023

Some tracks allow you to fall in love with a three-minute experience; others allow you to develop a deep kinship with the artist through their inviting warmth. After listening to Mark Ben Wilson’s single, Horizons, it is safe to say that he puts his listeners in the latter camp with the evocative resonance in his guitar work that is only matched by the compassionate honey that drips from his vocal lines.

His humble yet highly assured approach to passionately pure acoustic folk-pop is intoxicating from the first melodic breath; as Horizons continues to unravel, you’re taken along for the emotive ride as he searches for meaning on the other side of the kind of storm that leaves you alone holding up an umbrella. It’s a stunning vignette that will easily enamour any fans of Ben Howard, John Butler and Fink.

Horizons will release along with Wilson’s LP, Roots & Wings on September 22nd. Stream it on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Unknown River set the bar for honkytonk hits plateau-high with ‘Outlaws on My Trail’

Posted on 6 September 2023

The Floridan singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Unknown River set the bar for penning immersive escapist honkytonk hits plateau-high with the standout single, Outlaws on My Trail, taken from his debut album, The Dead River Passage.

The fiddle and banjo-driven single delivers a vignette of a man coming to regret the repercussions of his down-and-out actions; the combination of the simple country living exposition and the upbeat arrangement and vocals is enough to make the experience of outlaw-evading sound like a riotous way to see the sands of time slip away, and therein lies the beauty of Unknown River’s indomitable magnetism.

By taking the influence of bluegrass, delta blues, country, rock and old-timey traditional tunes, Unknown River’s amalgamated Americana signature is designed to strip away the plight of modern-day malaise and entrench you in the ease and euphoria of eras that are far from bygone – roots-crafted sanctuaries are just one hit on play away. Press it.

Outlaws on My Trail is available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast