Browsing Tag

Indie Folk

Joshua Wales – Don’t Worry: Sublimely Seraphic Indie Folk

Posted on 13 November 2024

If The National veered into acoustic indie folk territory and took a few leaves from Cigarettes After Sex’s intimately expansive book, the result would echo the same affectingly tender alchemy which drifts through Joshua Wales’ latest single, Don’t Worry.

The indie folk singer-songwriter’s sombrely honeyed, low-timbered vocal register subdues you into the melodious sentimentality of the acoustic guitar-driven single, which sees quiescent swells of orchestral strings brush past the plaintively warm guitar notes.

With “Don’t worry, we’ve got all the time in the world” reprising throughout the sublimely seraphic release, listeners are reminded that pace is the trick as Joshua Wales issues a reminder to his frenetically minded younger self.

The reflectively sonorous score features in Joshua Wales’ discography as a standalone entity and as the opening title single to his debut EP which you will need little convincing to devour in full after bearing witness to the introspective magnetism in the opening salvo.

Stream Joshua Wales’ latest single, Don’t Worry, on all major platforms, including Spotify, now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Laura Mock took her listeners from poetic depth to ethereal heights in her standout single, Acadia

Posted on 11 November 2024

After two years of pouring her poetry, candour and sublimely affecting unique aura into her debut EP, home//body, the NYC-residing songstress, Laura Mock has finally unveiled one of the most sensuous sounds of 2024.

The standout single, Acadia, starts with tenderly warm piano chords which echo Nick Cave’s ‘Into My Arms’ before the single veers into stylistically seraphic easy listening territory and concludes following an arcane neo-classic folk pop crescendo which reaches the epitome of sonic serenity.

Despite the diaphanous propensities of each of the motifs in Acadia, the artfully composed, orchestrally laced progressions are strong enough to carry the weight of the heaviest souls as Mock uses the organic reverie within her vocal register to wrap you up within a vignette where naturalistic beauty resounds in equal measure to the divine nature of her talent.

Stream Laura Mock’s debut EP, home//body, on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Spotlight Feature: Girl Annual sparked a flicker of folky melancholic serenity with their dream pop debut, Ember

Posted on 11 November 2024

With the single Ember, the enigmatic independent artist Girl Annual steps into the indie scene by setting an exquisitely reflective tone, merging folk-esque lyrical storytelling with the ethereal aesthetics of dream pop. The debut single is a seraphically melancholic invitation to lose yourself in the bitter-sweet chasm of reverie and let Girl Annual’s mournfully sublime vocal lines spellbind as they wash over you and pour raw vulnerability into the sonic atmosphere.

The diaphanous instrumental elements amplify the sense of introspection that flows from the poetic candour within the vocals, building the perfect soundtrack for an intimate autumnal scene. With a commercial appeal reminiscent of First Aid Kit, Girl Annual holds the potential to cut through the static of the oversaturated alt-indie dream pop sphere.

It’s an aural experience of oceanic depth, inviting listeners to drift within the serene textures that cascade and intertwine. This release doesn’t just play out – it envelops, and with each ebb and flow, it gently pulls you further in. All industry eyes should be on Girl Annual, anticipating their next move.

Ember was officially released on September 27; stream it on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify, now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Broghan – The Calm Before the Storm: Southern Gothic Glaswegian Alt-Indie Folk

Posted on 4 November 2024

The Glaswegian alt-indie-folk singer-songwriter Broghan has come a long way from busking in Glasgow and Edinburgh at 14 years old. Her latest single, The Calm Before the Storm, which sees the haunting aesthetics of Southern Gothic Folk meet Scottish Art Folk, is set to push her to even greater heights. I wouldn’t be surprised if roles were reversed in the near future and Lewis Capaldi opens for her in front of a 12k cap capacity crowd!

The ethereally Avant-Garde score builds from a minimalistic instrumental piece into an arcane tour de force, with a series of filmically thematic transgressions pulling you through the shadowed corridors of the single which exhibits how Broghan has mastered the art of tonality and spatial effect.

The anticipation before the crescendo will leave your rhythmic pulses on the brink; the angular notes that haunt the soundscape following the first climatic build testify to how immersive this visceral ride through the singer-songwriter’s talent truly is. She’s a phenomenon in her own right, and it is only a matter of time before she’s showered with plaudits and songwriting awards.

The Calm Before the Storm reached the airwaves on November 1st; stream the single on all major platforms, including Spotify, now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

 

Keep your soul warm with Daniela Galasso’s slice of indie folk-pop reverie, Comfortable

Posted on 1 November 2024
Daniela Galasso

With an emotional richness and resonance that puts her in parallel to the most introspective works of First Aid Kit, Daniela Galasso, with her seminal single, Comfortable, radiates vulnerability and tonal warmth

Aside from the cinematic sonic sublimity, the real beauty of Comfortable resides in how the Italian-born, California-based singer-songwriter turns becoming comfortable in a relationship into something profoundly poetic. While so many people would perceive that as the moment the romance dies, Galasso flips the script with her ethereally tender, orchestrally scored single, allowing listeners to see comfort in a relationship as something just as sweet as the initial butterflies.

As an award-winning artist who has clearly mastered the art of textural alchemy within her productions, Galasso has stepped out of the shadows of her influences in the vein of Taylor Swift, Ellie Goulding and Imogen Heap and irrefutably come into her own through her installations of vulnerable reverie.

Comfortable will be available to stream on all major platforms from November 1st. Find your preferred way to listen via the artist’s official website.

Keep up to date with news of new releases from Daniela Galasso on Instagram and Facebook.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Sepia-Tinged Serenity: GOODTIME’s ‘Damsel Eyes’ Dances Between Tenderness and Nostalgia

Posted on 26 October 2024
GOODTIME

GOODTIME, a rising artist from New York City, affirmed his tonal mastery in his single, ‘Damsel Eyes’. The warmth bleeding from his guitar and the soul carried by his harmonies create a sonic landscape that lands somewhere between Nick Drake and Elliott Smith. He doesn’t just replicate indie folk’s past; he redefines it with a unique blend of traditional acoustic songwriting and atmospheric elements. His ability to seamlessly weave nostalgia with his signature ‘twisted lullabies’ invites listeners into soothing subversion that can easily become a sanctuary.

The haunting crescendos in ‘Damsel Eyes’, paired with the smoky sax lines, pull you deeper into its intimate atmosphere; with a melody akin to Oasis’ ‘Half the World Away’, the song nestles into an emotional place where beauty meets bittersweet reflection. It’s the kind of track that could make anyone misty-eyed, proving that GOODTIME has more than earned his place on the indie folk scene.

After tending to his creative spark as a percussionist at the age of 5, he earned more instrumental stripes at age 15 by self-teaching himself guitar, piano, bass, and banjo. Today, he crafts, produces, and mixes all his work from his home studio. After dedicating himself to his craft, his live performances have earned him a spot alongside artists such as Will Paquin and Dana & Alden, performing at iconic venues like The Bitter End and Mercury Lounge. Yet perceptibly, the best is yet to come for the lyrical lumiary.

Damsel Eyes will be available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify, from October 25th.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Spotlight Feature: Kaitlin Cassady – Home Away from Home: A 12-Part Panorama of Indie Folk Rock Candour

Posted on 23 October 2024

Kaitlin Cassady’s inaugural album, Home Away from Home, is an emotive expedition into the heart of indie folk rock, through which she secures her place in the lineage of songwriters who stir souls with their harmonies and strings.

Home Away from Home unfolds over twelve tracks that promise to resonate with anyone harbouring a penchant for profound storytelling wrapped in melodious harmony. It’s an exploration of self-discovery, articulated with a candour that soothes as it sears. Cassady, drawing on the narrative depth reminiscent of Aimee Mann and the tender, plaintive tones akin to Kacey Musgraves, crafted each song as a chapter in an intimate diary of longing and introspection.

The album’s inception, nurtured within the confines of an Oakland apartment, mirrors the personal and unpolished stories that Cassady chooses to tell. Supported from afar by her father, a seasoned songwriter, her work not only explores her roots but also the bittersweet sting of leaving them behind.

With nuances of country, jazz and melodic rock, all adding evocative motifs to the work, the album can’t be acknowledged as anything less than a profound triumph. The inclusion of notable musicians such as Thad Polk and Julia Floberg touches the anthology of growing pains with dynamic tender strokes without overshadowing Cassady’s raw, narrative sonic signature as she scribes through sonic diary entries covering love, loss, addiction and mental health, turning personal plight into universal themes which speak to a generation grappling with similar issues.

As the streams and accolades accumulate, it’s clear that Cassady’s Home Away from Home asserts her as a vital voice in the indie folk-rock scene. Her ability to convey depth, connection, and haunting nostalgia ensures that this album will resonate with listeners long after the final note has played.

Stream Home Away from Home on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Follow Kaitlin Cassady on Instagram to stay up to date with news of her sophomore LP.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Through the Wire: The Poetic Resonance of Mike Maurice’s ‘Telephone’

Posted on 11 October 2024

Mike Maurice’s latest single, ‘Telephone‘ intercepted the static of formulaic melodies by belying the minimalist instrumentalism with the profound euphony in the production. Nestled within the contours of indie folk and brushed with Americana hues, telephone orchestrates an ambient symphony where the instrumentals speak as profoundly as the lyrics.

Maurice’s skill in merging soul-stirring acoustic layers with his poignant narrative stitches together a sonic space where the deeply, almost shamefully, personal transmutes into the universally relatable.

telephone intertwines the melancholy of isolation with a lyrical richness that peaks with the confession, “I want the truth so bad I’d even lie.” This line alone encapsulates the dual nature of truth and deception, weaving them into the fabric of the affecting release, which was born through a collaboration between Mike Maurice and Danny Black of Good Old War and a pedal steel player from Gregory Alan Isakov’s ensemble.

From the rustic town of Biddeford, Maine, Mike Maurice has made a name for himself, coming out of the shadows of the John Mayer and Bon Iver comparisons. Maurice, alongside his seven-piece ensemble, continues to foster a sense of community at each performance, their collective sound reverberating through venues renowned and intimate alike.

Telephone will be available to stream on all major platforms, including YouTube, from October 11th.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Wading Through the In-Between: The Dilettante’s ‘Someone’ Bleeds Melancholy with Avant-Garde Soul

Posted on 30 September 2024
The Life and Times of.... by The Dilettante

The Dilettante, the enigmatic persona of David Hirst, has delivered a stunningly emotive sonic exploration with his debut LP, The Life and Times of….

The album’s standout single, Someone, traverses the turbulent undercurrent of indie folk melancholy, aching with the raw vulnerability that echoes the likes of Frightened Rabbit. The gentle intro sets a melancholic tone that bristles with candour before distorted and synthesised vocal harmonies flood in. This off-kilter twist weaves a sense of dissonance through the track, establishing The Dilettante as a veritable troubadour of avant-garde indie.

There’s immense comfort to be found in the chord progressions of Someone, which gives permission to embrace the full force of your emotions, if only for 4:55 minutes before you slip back under the ‘I’m fine’ façade.

With ‘Someone’, The Dilettante invites listeners into the most introspective corridors of his existential psyche, a space where anxiety, self-doubt, and the quiet battle for self-acceptance reign supreme.

The Life and Times of…. is not a record of extremes but of the struggle to navigate life’s liminal spaces where outliers emotionally linger. If you constantly find yourselves on the fringes, don’t hesitate to hit play.

Stream and download the debut LP from The Dilettante on Bandcamp now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Kaitlin Cassady unveiled a kaleidoscope of indie folk reverie with ‘Unconditionally’

Posted on 29 September 2024

Kaitlin Cassady’s seminal indie-folk single ‘Unconditionally’ from her debut LP, Home Away From Home strikes an intimate chord with its dreamy, lo-fi reverie.

Hit play and prepare to be swept up within the euphonic breeze of the mellifluous acoustic guitar strings, which seamlessly harmonise with vocals that echo the 90s indie pop ethos. The track reaches even further back in time by integrating 70s-esque pop-rock piano keys that lend endlessly ascending melodies to the all-encompassing production. It’s a sonic kryptonite for the diehard romantics who refuse to buy into the claims that romance is dead. Despite its bedroom pop aesthetic, this track could effortlessly soundtrack a Hollywood epic, showcasing Cassady’s humble yet world-class songwriting chops.

Hailing from Minneapolis, indie-folk-rock artist Kaitlin Cassady draws from a kaleidoscope of influences such as Aimee Mann, Carole King, and Elliott Smith, to contemporary icons like Billie Eilish and Coldplay. Cassady’s music—rich with introspective lyrics, lush harmonies, and intricate arrangements—captures themes of love, loss, and resilience.

Her latest self-recorded project, Home Away From Home, marks a major stride in her burgeoning career. We can’t wait to see what follows.

Stream Kaitlin Cassady’s debut album in full via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast