Browsing Tag

Indie Folk

Slip into the hazy catharsis of No Lonesome’s Indie-Psych-Folk single, It’s

Posted on 16 August 2023

With tones that will do as much for your nostalgia-seeking soul as songs from The Beatles, The Maccabees, and The Violent Femmes, the debut album, Flowers Recomposing, from the Chicago-hailing alt-folk outfit No Lonesome is a Tour De Vintage Force.

Between the blissful timbres of the harmonies and the serotonin that spills from the foggy with euphoria horn stabs, the standout single on the album, It’s, is the perfect introduction to the ingenuity of No Lonesome, which can be tracked through the distinction in the production that melds the quirky intimacy lo-fi with higher fidelity instrumental recordings.

If you were under any illusion that fresh alchemy can’t be squeezed out of amalgamating folk, 60s psych-pop and indie Americana, the seminally sticky-sweet LP will prove you otherwise as soon as you slip into the hazy catharsis.

The debut album from No Lonesome is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Lara Eidi crafted a jazz-folk remedy for modern malady in her latest single, Breathe Love

Posted on 10 August 2023

Semblances of hope, empowerment, and freedom may be scant in our malady-rich modern era, but the jazz-folk soulstress Lara Eidi more than made up for the shortfall in her latest single, Breathe Love.

By complementing her profoundly powerful with ethereal soul vocals, which become a guiding light towards self-actualisation and acceptance, with orchestrally-layered vibrant jazz-folk motifs, the record comes to life under the duress of her accessibly inviting stylings. At the centre of this sonic universe lies the message that when you embrace your entire being, idiosyncrasies and all, you can freely breathe love into the universe and receive it back tenfold.

Breathe Love is the first single to be released from Lara Eidi’s debut LP, Sun, which will be released via Pastiche Records on the 4th of September. If you found yourself emboldened by the artfully sun-bleached gravitas in Breathe Love, stay tuned for it.

Stream the official music video for Breathe Love by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

McKay versed indie-folk-punk poetry in their latest sardonically scintillating single, Bad Liar

Posted on 1 August 2023
McKay

Bridging the sonic gap between Neutral Milk Hotel, Mumford and Sons, and Bob Dylan is the confessionally exhilarant indie folk single, Bad Liar, from the storytelling four-piece, McKay.

While the vocal melodies prove all too well that McKay know how to hit their harmonised vocal notes with euphonic precision and honed cadence, Bad Liar favours the visceralism of raw spoken word expression, allowing the meta lyrics to hit harder than a candid meteor from space.

With each progression, the single drifts from different eras of folk, while the harmonica timbre will throw you right back to the 70s, the folk-punk energy and massive indie folk choruses fast-forward through the decades at breakneck speed.

The Nashville-hailing outfit may be best known for their passionate performances during live shows, but thankfully, for all of us across the pond, their insightful lyricism and dynamic presence resonate just as well on record.

Bad Liar will hit the airwaves on August 1st; stream it on SoundCloud and follow the affably rogue outfit via Instagram and TikTok.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Ervin Munir left us on the hook with his lo-fi indie folk single, Pick up the Phone

Posted on 14 July 2023
Ervin Munir

Norfolk’s most affable folk raconteur, Ervin Munir, has left us on the hook with his latest lo-fi indie folk pop single, Pick up the Phone, featuring the honeyed vocal lines of Tina Blaber.

With plenty of songwriting and vocal reminiscences to Nicky Wire’s debut solo LP, it is impossible not to be endeared by the quintessentially folky sticky-sweet sentimentality of the release, which amplifies around the fiddle solos and the irresistibly enrapturing melodies that find the perfect places to blossom in the single.

The diehard romanticism of the lyricality, which shows you the beauty of taking a few non-reciprocal arrows and still not faltering on the optimism front, also plays its captivating part in making Pick up the Phone an unforgettably exhilarant release.

Pick up the Phone will officially release on July 14th. Stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Welcome Stranger set an intimately artful indie-folk score with ‘You Need Me’

Posted on 31 March 2023
https://soundcloud.com/user-853304457/you-need-me/s-ZPUmj7J2TKU?si=5a1550f8f29f44ce8fffbf3b65c94e6a&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

From chamber strings to honkytonk Americana tones to indie art-rock crescendos, Welcome Stranger rolled with all the evocative punches when instrumentally composing their latest single, You Need Me.

After taking inspiration from the likes of Ben Howard and Justin Vernon, the devilishly talented duo scribed their own eloquently indie folk signature in You Need Me, the lead single from the debut album, Running Out of Miles. The LP title is heartbreak material alone.

With the whisky and melancholy-soaked vocal lines, you will lock into the lyrics from the first hit of this stunningly orchestrated single, which definitively proves that beauty still thrives in the world, regardless of the entropy and disillusion that so easily manifests whenever the full picture is in view. Yet, with this poetically candid single, Welcome Stranger exhibits that intimacy and intricate detail is everything.

You Need Me will officially release on March 31st. You can hear it via SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

 

Prussian Folklore’s ‘Devil’: An Atmospheric Tale of Temptation and Resistance

Posted on 20 March 2023

Prussian Folklore’s new single “Devil” is a captivating and atmospheric track that showcases the Montana-based artist’s unique style and storytelling ability. The song’s opening guitar riff immediately sets the tone for the rest of the track, with haunting vocals that draw the listener in and hold their attention throughout.

The sparse yet effective instrumentation on “Devil” includes subtle percussion and synth-esque textures that perfectly complement the vocals, building to a powerful and intense chorus. Netzloff’s lyrics tell a story of temptation and resistance, with a melody that is both evocative and memorable.

It’s clear that Prussian Folklore has found his own voice and style as a solo artist, with a sound that is a departure from his work with Wartime Blues. The artist’s ability to capture the essence of his hometown in his music is a testament to his talent as a songwriter and musician.

I have no problem recommending this standout track that highlights Prussian Folklore’s talent for creating emotionally-charged, atmospheric music. Fans of indie folk and atmospheric rock will find much to appreciate in this single and in Prussian Folklore’s wider body of work. “Devil” is a promising glimpse into the artist’s future and leaves us excited to see what he has in store for us next.

Australian alt-indie singer-songwriter Greg Barnett advocated for nature in his existential serenade, ‘The C-Bomb’

Posted on 15 January 2023

Starting his single with clips of Donald Trump’s cognitive dissonance was a bold choice, but his obnoxious tones will always evoke a visceral reaction from the minds Greg Barnett aimed to compel with his standout single, The C-Bomb.

Taken from his massive 30-track debut LP, The Flat White Album, the single reminds us of the role we all need to play in salvaging the planet before it burns hotter than the temper of a right winger when expected to find a modicum of empathy or awareness.

The orchestrally laced alt-indie-folk soundscape that will make any Elliott Smith fans feel instantaneously at home delivers a shot of vindication through the affirmation that you’re not alone in your climate anxiety. Which is as warranted as it is a necessity if we want to take back our world from the disaster capitalists who would be happy to walk in the ashes as long as there are enough 0s in their bank balance before the curtains close on humanity.

The C-Bomb is available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Sam Scherdel narrated the descent of the ‘BOY WHO FELL TO EARTH’ in his artful indie-folk piano ballad

Posted on 6 January 2023
Sam Scherdel

2022 saw a cascade of hit singles from the superlatively talented indie singer-songwriter Sam Scherdel; to round off a perfect year, he eked new melancholy from Fairytale of New York with Harri Larkin. If there was any cultural justice in the UK, it would have made it to number one.

Now he’s starting 2023 with a bitter-sweet bang with the release of his live recorded single, BOY WHO FELL TO EARTH. It shares a few of the sombre tones of his Christmas release, but this emotionally layered piano ballad, complete with orchestral strings, stemmed from his own compassion-gifted mind.

As much as we adored the indie anthems, this folky turn that gives a more intimate view into a mindset that resonates with the contemporary atmosphere of collective ennui is just as seminal.

The live recording efficaciously captures every ounce of vulnerability pouring from the vocals that inhibit nothing to deliver a sincerely profound experience. Between the artfulness of Radiohead’s High and Dry and the hammering keys of Elton John’s Rocket Man rests this tender sonic narration of the boy who fell to earth. Prepare to be viscerally disarmed.

BOY WHO FELL TO EARTH will be available to stream and download on all platforms from January 6th via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Ye Angst – 15: A Superlatively Succinct Alt-Indie Rock Remedy for the Soul

Posted on 2 January 2023

The indie singer-songwriter Ye Angst is renowned for sharing his artistic vision through the looking glass of youthful angst. In his evocatively enriched discography, which dates back to 2011, the perfect example is his exemplary single, 15. The jazz-blues piano keys around the Americana folk-rock body unravels as a superlatively succinct remedy for the soul.

In the same way, Cohen, Cat Stevens and Lou Reed emanate elevated grace, Ye Angst is in the habit of implanting ethereally cathartic instrumental accord in his singles that will effortlessly take you to a higher plateau while the lyrics and vocals pull you back down to our ennui-imparting earth.

Nearly a decade has passed since the release of 15, but the timeless single still resounds with glistening gospel for the impiously disenfranchised. Even around the complex instrumental interludes that give way to Journey-Esque heart-in-throat vocals, you’ll be caressed by the upliftingly melodic single, which perfectly rounds itself with orchestral strings for a filmic touch.

Succumb to the soul in 15 by heading over to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Gwac paves the way towards acquiescence in his alt-indie-folk single, Stacks

Posted on 30 December 2022

South Korea-based singer-songwriter, Gwac, unveiled the quiescent alt-indie-folk melancholy in his debut EP, MOHO, on December 19th. Narrating themes of loss, denial, regret and acceptance, the 4-track EP flows through the grief cycle, hitting the most visceral spot on track two, Stacks.

With hints of Neutral Milk Hotel’s In the Aeroplane Over the Sea paired with the monoculturalism-shattering world music motifs, innovation mellifluously spills. The accordance set up by the angular guitar work and woodwind instrumentals fed through torrid effects reflects the storms we weather before we arrive at a state of mind where we break through the listless frustration and arrive at a place of acquiescence.

“Throughout the making of this EP and digging through past experiences, I learned that sadness has a lot of dimensions for me. Some of the saddest memories are sometimes the most beautiful things I know. There’s no need to try and erase them or run from them. By just letting it be, I see a bit of light in my unsettling mind”.

On that note, Gwac’s mind may be one of the most beautiful things I’ve encountered in 2022. His tangible songwriting and instrumentally conceptual talents are one thing; his ability to recontextualise pain and share a brighter philosophical perspective with his listeners is fundamentally requisite in these times.

Stream Stacks on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music

Review by Amelia Vandergast