Browsing Tag

Funk Pop

Ism takes us to unchartered waters with his indie funk-pop track, Unchartered Waters

Posted on 1 April 2022

Instead of focusing on emulating a genre, the up-and-coming artist, Ism, keeps political ideology and the artistic lens as the essence of his sound. In his latest single, Unchartered Waters, taken from his album of the same name, there’s a groove-deep blend of rock, indie, funk, pop and rap that fuses around Ism’s socially dissecting philosophy.

Unchartered Waters finds a nuanced and almost subliminal way to reflect our fears of upsetting the societal apple cart and note how exhausting autonomy can be when an unquestioning mind is far more comfortable. Every time you listen to it, you find something new to pontificate on. We can’t wait to hear what Ism brings with the rest of his highly anticipated LP.

Unchartered Waters is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Robbie Maroon has released his catchier than Corona funk-pop track, Rewind

Posted on 24 March 2022

“Rewind” is the latest jazzy rock-licked funk-pop track from the raw-soul-peddling Australian singer-songwriter Robbie Maroon. After being introduced to his sombre and spacey sound in 2019 through his single, Stepping Stone, this new profoundly hopeful approach to production is quite literally music to our ears. You can’t help but catch the positive vibes that radiate through the release that captures the chaos of our lives and releases us from it with the era-spanning old school grooves.

With vocals that sit somewhere in between Shinedown and the sultry timbre of George Michael, it’s all too easy to find yourself in the heart of the hook-filled track which comes complete with stabbing horns and layers of funk-riding progressions which pull together to deliver a nostalgia hit you’ve never tasted before.

Rewind was officially released on March 18th. You can check it out for yourselves on Robbie Maroon’s website or via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Future bass goes pop in Andrea’s latest single, All I Want

Posted on 17 March 2022
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlC34Gd1QIk

The London-based singer-songwriter and producer, Andrea, has staked her biggest claim in the UK pop industry to date with the release of her funk-dipped bass-swathed hit, All I Want, which was co-produced by the Grammy-award-winning Andre Lindal.

Even without the club remix, All I Want is a guaranteed floor-filler. You can practically feel the hedonism building around the drops and crescendos, which make Andrea’s latest single addictive from the first hit.

As if Andrea’s effortlessly arrestive vocals and synth-carved hooks weren’t enough, even more admiration can be found within the 20-year-old artist’s MO as a 100% independent artist. She’s currently studying production in London, which leaves her completely autonomous in the male-dominated industry that takes up 96% of the room. She’s following in the footsteps of the icons that paved the way and making room for even more aspiring artists. Just as Courtney Love compelled girls to pick up a guitar in the 90s, Andrea is making a just as revolutionary act in the world of pop production.

You can meet your new perennial pop earworm by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Make listening to Nav’s Hook’s funk-infused pop-rock single, New Beginnings, a New Year Resolution

Posted on 27 January 2022

After making us fall hook, line, and sinker with his previous releases, the indie singer-songwriter Nav’s Hook has released the poppy funk-rock track, New Beginnings. The prospect of this new year bringing good new beginnings has understandably left many people cynical under the weight they are still carrying the weight of the previous two years. By the time the chorus hits, that cynicism will fall victim to the strident optimism in the groove-filled high-vibe track.

When the perception-shifting introspection in an artist’s previous releases leaves you stoked to hear the intellectual gold in their new releases, it’s a clear sign that they’re a sharp cut above the rest. We will never get tired of Hook’s sound that constantly evolves around his unpredictable creative vision and lyrics that seek to pull the light from the dark. Many of us felt like we were shunted into a pitch-black 2022; tracks like New Beginnings prove that the light at the end of the tunnel isn’t always a train. Sometimes, it’s a visionary artist sharing his hard-fought-for optimism.

The official lyric video to New Beginnings premiered on January 13th; you can check it out for yourselves by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

New York’s alt-soul pioneer Leifer lets the good vibes groove next to heartbreak in his funk-laced indie synthpop single, Vacancy

Posted on 2 January 2022

It was impossible to imagine room for improvement after hearing Leifer’s standout single, Say You’re Mine, in 2021. Yet, his latest release, Vacancy, which hit the airwaves on New Year’s Eve, even caught us broadsided by the way it pulls you down with mellow tones in the intro and brings you back up fast enough to give you whiplash.

Vacancy starts by teasing serenity in the easy, hazy guitar chords before bursting into a high-vibe alt-indie pop track, complete with euphoric synths, funk riding basslines and vocals that make an earworm out of the release.

Despite the vibrant energy, Vacancy forces you to reflect on the spaces that we leave other people’s lives, while the high-energy progressions ensure that you don’t get caught up in rumination. We can only hope that Leifer starts a trend with his meaningful approach to pop. If there’s one thing that this world needs more of, it is self-awareness, and Leifer’s emotionally intelligent lyrics offer the perfect mantras to follow.

Vacancy is now available to stream on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Spotlight Feature: Sam Handy is ‘Done’ in his soul-fix of a pop hit

Posted on 18 December 2021

Reading UK-based solo artist, Sam Handy, has been lauded by Jeff Beck, the BBC and everyone lucky enough to catch his soul-spilling sound live. After his latest single, Done, he’s set to take his career to even greater heights – the world can’t sleep on this.

Like all of Sam Handy’s recent releases, Done was produced by Ed Stokes. Discernibly, Stokes shares Handy’s passion in keeping the focus on stellar songwriting and instrumental ability; instead of over-producing the raw elements out of the track.

With the funk of Nile Rogers in the light instrumental hooks, the raspy, harmonic neo-soul vocals that carry reminiscences to D’Angelo and the sniping lyricism, Done becomes so much more than a sum of its parts. The single that explores toxic relationships is an intoxicatingly all-consuming track that allows the instrumentals to bring the warm catharsis while the lyrics prove that soul and resilience go hand in hand. In an emboldening way, Done reminds you that everyone deserves a backbone. We can’t wait to hear what follows.

Done is now available to stream on Spotify. To keep up to date with new releases, follow Sam Handy on Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

 

New Sense released the ultimate funk-soaked synth-pop nostalgia hit with ‘Lavender Tea.

Posted on 8 November 2021

‘Lavender Tea’ is the latest indie synth-pop nostalgia hit from the experimental Bay Area solo artist New Sense (Ethan Brown). The funk-soaked ode to the 80s takes influence from icons, Earth Wind and Fire, Tame Impala and Still Woozy; New Sense also wears his MJ influences on his sonic sleeve in the high-energy track that is infectious from the first hit.

There is plenty of authenticity in Lavender Tea to quench your thirst for fresh funk; we can’t wait to hear what New Sense serves next.

Lavender Tea is now available to stream on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Indie folk-pop duo The Graes have released their 80s-inspired earworm Figure it Out.

Posted on 10 October 2021

If you can’t get enough hits of nostalgia recently, hit play on The Graes 80s pop-rock banger, Figure it Out. If Boyz II Men made their debut in the contemporary indie-pop era, we’re fairly convinced their tracks would unravel as eclectically and harmonically as Figure it Out.

With sticky-sweet lyrics such as “I know we’ve got issues, but I like them too”, The husband and wife folk-pop duo brought realism into the romantic narrative without ever bursting the affectionate bubble. At this point, we shouldn’t need to tell you that the single comes charged with commercial and earworm potential. If any song is going to convince you to accept your other half’s idiosyncrasies, it’s this infectiously honest release.

Figure it Out officially released on 22nd October 2021; you can check it out for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Christopher George goes ‘All the Way for the Win’ in his debut single.

Posted on 24 September 2021
Christopher George

Pop artist Christopher George is set to release his optimistic floor-filler, All the Way for the Win, which carries the untainted soul of Bananarama along with elements of funk and disco to ensure that the euphoria really flows through this stridently enlivening release.

Before you even get to the chorus, you can tell that Christopher George has a soul of gold. His technical ability is one thing, his ability to appeal to human emotion in such a visceral and compelling way is quite another. His his Jazz degree and years of experience as a professional session musician allowed him to be primed and radio-ready for his solo debut. We can’t wait to hear what follows.

Check out Christopher George on his official website, Facebook and Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

15DL tries ‘Something Different’ in his latest single

Posted on 24 August 2021

Get your soul-fix with 15DL’s smoother than smooth bluesy funk-pop track, Something Different, which affectionately explores the mission to break the cycle of romantic monotony. It is singles such as Something Different that remind you the opposite to love isn’t hate; it is indifference, the thing that we greet most people with through their lack of ability to set our souls on fire.

With the cleverly provoking lyrical concept, vocals that your soul will want to surrender to and the rich organic tones that will take you to an aural plateau, it is easy to see why so much hype has amassed around 15DL who made his debut earlier this year with the single DAWN.

Something Different is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast