Browsing Tag

Folk Singer Songwriter

Charlie Diamond is the last of the die-hard romantic dreamers in his latest serenade, The Star Studded Girl and the Sunset Kid

Posted on 26 September 2022
The Star Studded Girl and The Sunset Kid by Charlie Diamond

Armed with his harmonica, acoustic guitar and poetically romantic sensibility, the Connecticut folk singer-songwriter, Charlie Diamond, orchestrated the ultimate outpour of affection in his latest single, The Star Studded Girl and the Sunset Kid.

Released on September 5th, The Star Studded Girl and the Sunset Kid carries Bob Dylan-style overtones, with outlier dreamer candour as the affirmation of his artistic autonomy. With the almost spoken word versing of the lyrics, which takes you to breathtaking landscapes and even more arresting attests of passion, it’s the ultimate aural escapism for die-hard romantics.

The Star Studded Girl and the Sunset Kid is now available to stream and purchase on Bandcamp.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

There’s something in the arcane air in Lara Eidi’s latest folk single, Summer Winds

Posted on 26 August 2022

Bask in the blissful aural accordance of Lara Eidi’s latest single, Summer Winds. The Athens-born, Lebanon and Canada-hailing, and London-residing artist is known for her genre-transcending style, which invites the listener into storytelling catharsis. Summer Winds is no exception to her resolving rule.

The soul and presence of an artist will always make a world of difference before talent is brought into the equation; it is impossible not to get caught up in the romanticism of her vivid vocal dynamism and ever-ascending melodies crafted on mandolin, guitar and cello.

In the course of her career, Eidi has played at iconic venues, such as The Barbican, garnered critical acclaim from across the board, and perhaps most pertinently, healed listeners with the candour in her lyrics. With Summer Winds, she crafted one of the most uplifting expositions on anxiety that you could care to listen to.

The official music video for Summer Winds premiered on August 7th. Check it out for yourselves by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Escape in the roots of Drew Peterson’s Americana folk single, Duck

Posted on 25 August 2022

With the quirky intensity of Neutral Milk Hotel and the bluegrass crooning of Tom Waits, we couldn’t help succumbing to the soul in Drew Peterson’s album, St. Jude, A Duck and the Crooked Line.

The opening single, Duck, is a narratively escapist Midwest adventure from the independent roots singer-songwriter who has been twanging acoustic strings and entertaining rowdy bars on the Minnesota scene for over two decades. The softly gruff vocals work their way through the dry humour in the lyrics over the minimalist production, consisting of little more than accordion and strings. But that is all Peterson needed to sonically consume you with the endearingly titled, Duck.

Check out Drew Peterson’s debut solo album via his official website and Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Deep Sea Tourist explored our embitteringly perplexing world in his alt-folk single, Bodies

Posted on 23 August 2022

Scottish singer-songwriter, Deep Sea Tourist, channelled the melodious evocativeness of Frightened Rabbit in his alt-folk single, Bodies, taken from his 2022 album, Everything Will Be Okay, Probably.

The loss of Scott Hutchinson left a massive empathy-shaped hole in the Scottish indie scene. If anyone has the astute compassion to fill it, it is Deep Sea Tourist. He dove deep into introspection to pull out comforting melancholy and blissfully resolving acoustic melodies accentuated by folky strings.

Bodies almost unravels as an intimate conversation on the confusion that transpires when we try to excavate an understanding of our human experience in this ever-perplexing and imbittering world. Bodies is genuinely one of the most stunning singles I have listened to this year. If I wasn’t on so many antidepressants, the floodgates would have undoubtedly opened to the tune of it.

Everything Will Be Okay, Probably is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Ildy Lee has unveiled her sermonic folk ‘Requiem for Peace’

Posted on 17 August 2022

With her latest single, the international singer-songwriter, Ildy Lee made her much-needed contribution to peace and sanctity. Requiem for Peace is an otherworldly sermonic folk extension of her empathy for those grieving in Ukraine. After facing Russian tanks in her home country of Budapest, she’s well placed to give us the sum of this colossal loss with a sense of sincerity that is scarcely heard on the subject.

I’ll never forget the Adam Curtis documentary, which pointed out that Patti Smith was as much of a part of her system for her reaction against it. Ildy Lee is one of the rare voices that can earnestly say that she’s efficaciously fighting against ever-prevalent justice. The compassion in Requiem for Peace is enough to force you into shedding a cathartic tear. In a time when a sense of humanity seems a scarcity, Ildy Lee is worth her weight in gold.

The official music video for Requiem for Peace is available to stream on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Intuitively spiritual rhythm meets sensual folk in DORA GOLA’s latest single, Dance with Danger

Posted on 17 June 2022

If any track is going to tempt the weary and wary out of their comfort zones after sanity diminishing lockdowns, it is the artfully fierce electronic folk-pop earworm, Dance with Danger, from the spiritually magnetic singer-songwriter, DORA GOLA.

With the intuitiveness of the rhythm, you scarcely need her bio to tell you that she’s a dancer. Her connection to music is enviably strong, but at least she’s had the grace to share her natural gift with the world through emboldening hits that tease your rhythmic pulses as much as they stir the soul.

Following the release of Dance with Danger, the Poland-born, West Ireland-based artist will continue to make her discography a rediscovery of ancestral roots, mystery and sensuality. We can’t wait to hear what follows. She shines luminously bright in a sea of ego-driven artists.

Dance with Danger will hit the airwaves on June 17th. Stream it here.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Henry Liggins orchestrated every hopeless romantic’s quintessential playlist staple with his folk single, Makeup

Posted on 10 June 2022

After a Cohen-Esque acoustic guitar intro, Henry Liggins’ vocals mellifluously float in with the same captivating ease over his tenderly orchestrated piano and guitar progressions as Glenn Hansard in his latest single, Makeup.

The hopeless romanticism in Makeup is nothing short of breath-taking poetry as Liggins muses on his muse, capturing the fragile beauty within the vulnerability of relationships in our chaotic existence. The amount of sincerity is almost a shock to the system. There’s no doubt that this dreamy serenade came straight from Liggins’ sugared Shakespearean soul.

While staying true to his timelessly intimate style, the Birmingham-based singer-songwriter notably has a tirade of commercial appeal behind his ornately captivating sound.

Makeup will officially release on June 10th. Hear it here.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Robin Lewis speaks for the malaised in his Waitsy Americana acoustic rock single, No Light

Posted on 26 May 2022

Armed with his trusty resonator guitar and Gibson 63, the BMI published folk singer-songwriter & producer, Robin Lewis, has released his Americana acoustic rock heartbreaker of a Waitsy release, No Light, taken from his moody and retrospective lockdown-born album, Everyone Has a Story.

No Light was compassionately composed for listeners all too accustomed to the days which become signified by malaise. In all sincerity, it imparts solace in the reminder that the sun sets on even the darkest of days. Lockdown releases may often get tarred with the same trite brush, but No Light will be resonant for years to come. It’s a stunning exposition of the collective state of our consciousness; now that we know the ‘new normal’ generally blows and there’s no putting the gloss back on the facade of our modern existence. We honestly couldn’t be more psyched to have Lewis on our radar. We’d advise that you reserve him space on yours.

No Light, taken from Robin Lewis’ album, Everyone Has a Story, was officially released on May 16th. You can check it out for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

 

Jessie Dipper spoke for her frustrated generation in her grunge-folk feat of candour, Where Do I Go

Posted on 26 May 2022

The folk-grunge maverick and award-winning singer-songwriter, Jessie Dipper, has stayed true to her sincerely originalist style with her latest single, Where Do I Go, taken from her coming of age second album.

However many times you’ve taken a trip around the sun before hearing this fiery yet soulfully flawless single, you’re sure to find the resonance in the frustration that easily stems from the uncertainty that confounds around our mental maps of the future. She didn’t just speak for her generation; she spoke for all of them.

With guitar licks that would serenade any Springsteen fan, the stridently distinctive vocals and Ben Folds-Esque pianos, the Cardiff-based singer-songwriter orchestrated a matchless hit that is going to put her on an even bigger map than the one that has seen her picking up awards, lauded by the BBC and touring across the globe.

Where Do I Go was officially released on May 20th. You can catch it for yourselves by heading over to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Max Minardi took us to Northern California with his folk-pop single, Young & Green

Posted on 13 May 2022

North California’s folk singer-songwriter, Max Minardi, wore his heart on his sleeve and gave us all his shirt in his latest narratively spellbinding indie folk-pop single, Young & Green.

The Lumineers and Mumford and Sons may have given folk-pop a bad rep, but the pop hooks and Americana roots in Young & Green is more than enough to restore the reputation with a single sonic hand.

The intricately spirited piano melodies and the orchestral layers bring the instrumental gravitas to the same level as his naturally magnetic vocals, which carry the same timeless beguile as Cat Stevens, Paul Simon, and Ben Howard, while up against the effortlessly synergistic female vocals.

Young & Green is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast