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Indie Piano Ballad

Bella Gate usurped Lorde in her introspectively arcane piano-driven indie ballad, The Death of an Icon

Bella Gate has ushered in her debut album ‘Gateway‘; a sonic anthology that promises an introspective journey mirrored in its poignant title. At 23, the London-based evocateur has evolved from a child prodigy to an artist with a mature, resonant voice, chronicling her odyssey from adolescence to adulthood with lyrical sincerity and a rich sonic palette.

‘The Death of an Icon’, an iridescent highlight from the album, offers a narrative steeped in personal revelation and artistic struggle. This single, draped in folk nuances and anchored by an ornate piano arrangement, gazes into the torment of an agoraphobic, creatively stifled protagonist. Whether reflecting Bella’s past selves or purely fictive, the track’s emotional gravity is undeniable.

Produced remotely by Jordan Round and polished by Geoff Pesche at Abbey Road, ‘Gateway’ spans a spectrum from balladic solemnity to buoyant folk, all the while maintaining an emotive coherence which eschews conventional hooks for lyrical imagery which pierces the soul and haunts long after the last note fades.

Forget Lorde, Bella Gate is reigning supreme in the sphere of introspectively stylised indie ballads.

Stream Bella Gate’s debut LP, Gateway, 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

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