Browsing Tag

Indie

Suni blended harmony, hope and heartbreak in his alt-indie dreamscape, Cherry

Posted on 5 March 2024

Suni’s sophomore single, Cherry, captivates with a cathartically melodious blend of dream pop, ethereal trip-hop, and 8Bit-esque synthpop, marking a distinct evolution from his debut single, At the heart of things, moving beyond the nostalgia of Elliott Smith and the influence of The 1975, into a realm uniquely his own.

In Cherry, the Edinburgh-hailing artist crafted a soundscape that reaches the epitome of mellow intricacy. The track synthesises its influences without becoming a mere pastiche, showcasing Steven’s skill in blending genres. The instrumental layers are a rich, future-forward tapestry; there’s an 8Bit charm which twines with sophisticated, ethereal synths, creating a backdrop that’s both nostalgically retro and cutting-edge.

The vocal harmonies are a standout feature. Light yet laden with emotion, his voice weaves through the Cigarettes After Sex-esque production, delivering lyrics that explore the complexities of affection and self-identity; it’s a lyrical journey that is fated to resonate with listeners, encouraging authenticity and introspection.

As he continues to evolve and refine his musical identity, Suni is far from a work in progress, he is already one to watch in the alt-indie-pop scene.

Cherry fell from the tree and onto the airwaves on February 23rd; stream the single on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Welsh Singer-Songwriter, Samuel Evanson, changed the indie anthem game with ‘She Was Blind’

Posted on 5 March 2024

Samuel Evanson’s sophomore single, ‘She Was Blind’, is an intricate weave of sharp instrumental hooks and indie rock melodies that echo the infectious energy of The Vaccines. Yet, Evanson carves his own niche with a vocal performance that is both evocatively charged and endlessly affecting. His voice, rich in vibrato, effortlessly traverses a wide range, carrying the weight of heavy emotion with a finesse that is as haunting as it is exhilarating.

The track is more than just a wounded love song; it’s a raw, emotional outpouring that rages with a fervour akin to Sam Fender’s passionate narratives. His ability to convey deep-seated emotion while maintaining a distinct sonic signature is a clear sign Samuel Evanson has everything it takes to cut through the noise and climb the charts.

As a prelude to his upcoming debut LP, We Are Meant to Break the Rules, which is due for release in June 2024, ‘She Was Blind’ is a tantalising glimpse into Evanson’s artistic soul which was born in the heart of Denbighshire and honed in the vibrant music scene of Liverpool. Evanson’s journey resonates through every note of this emotionally charged anthem.

Watch the official music video for She Was Blind via YouTube or add the single to your Spotify playlists.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Anxious affection resounds in The Good Neighbors’ synth-swathed synthesis of alt-pop and indie-rock, Room for You

Posted on 4 March 2024

The Good Neighbors borrowed a cup of earmilk from The Strokes for their latest single, Room for You, before pouring it into a synth-swathed production that eclipses the contemporary indie synthwave trend.

After moving away from their syntheses of alt-rock and punk, The Good Neighbors aligned their creative ambitions with their passion for painting across the alt-pop and indie-rock spectrum. Room for You not only exhibits the duo’s softer side; you can FEEL the authenticity, soul and delicious devil-may-care approach to constraint-less fusionism. The seminal single is uninhibited expression in scintillatingly melodic motion.

The jazzy neo-pop middle eight extends the experimentalism to the nth degree to assert the Buffalo, NY-hailing duo as genre fusionists that are a cut above the rest as they regale a vignette of anxious affection and explore the neuroscience of expanding our minds to accommodate people capable of turning our world’s upside down. Hit play and meet your new aural addiction.

Room for You will hit the airwaves on March 1st. Stream the single on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Jessie Berkshires – Enough: An Ethereal Synth-Soaked Lesson in Self-Discovery

Posted on 29 February 2024

Jessie Berkshires’ latest single, Enough, is a masterful blend of alt-pop finesse and 80s nostalgia, wrapped in a neon glow of modernity and soulful conviction. The single opens with Berkshires’ ethereal harmonies which weightlessly drift across the stabbing synth lines.

The intro’s melodic foundation sets the stage for a rhythmically compelling backbeat that kicks against the rest of the reverb-swathed instrumentation to create an immersive experience reminiscent of a neon-drenched dreamscape.

Berkshires’ vocal delivery is a study in artful beguile, echoing the haunting allure of Kate Bush. Her voice, a serene yet strident force, weaves through the track, delivering catharsis and conviction with equal measure. The lyrics, a poignant reflection on independence and empowerment, resonate with a poetic clarity that strikes at the heart.

The track’s production is a deft mix of contemporary magnetism and retro charm. Imagine pouring Warpaint’s style into The Human League’s mould, and you’re close to the unique cocktail that is ‘Enough’. It’s a sound that’s as deliciously poured as it is thoughtfully concocted.

In ‘Enough’, Jessie Berkshires offers a lesson in how to blend past and present, pain and hope, into a track that’s as empowering as it is enchanting.

Enough arrived on the airwaves on February 16. Stream the single on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Synthpop meets pop-punk in Crashes’ elementally augmented anthem, Living in the Future

Posted on 26 February 2024

Crashes may be ‘Living in the Future’ in their latest single, but there are plenty of ties to sonic nostalgia in their pop-punk meets jangly new wave indie synthpop hit that electrifies from the first synth-charged note.

The elementally augmented anthem is dynamically intense enough to run a power grid off, make you lose your head and the dancefloor and become your new favourite adrenaline-fueled earworm. If there were any more boxes to tick, Crashes would brandish their sonic signature right through them.

Living in the Future is a clear sign of how honed Crashes’ songwriting has become since their debut in 2017; you just can’t help getting swept up in the tumultuously hooked momentum. Following the success of their 2022 EP, Infinite, the track is set to seal the Glasgow-hailing band’s illustrious fate in the industry.

While other artists stop with new wave assimilation, Crashes are pouring their innovative volition, achingly honest emotion and curveball-throwing creativity into the high-octane mix, to a dizzyingly euphoric effect. Even with the antagonism and agony projected into the performance of Living in the Future, the ecstasy isn’t just heard, it resounds.

Living in the Future was officially released on January 26th. It is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Strange Cities bled a kaleidoscope of light and soul through the monochromatic prism of post-punk with ‘Where Stars Collide’

Posted on 26 February 2024

Just when I thought I’d seen every scene in the post-punk landscape, Strange Cities appeared on my radar and shattered my aurally jaded heart with Where Stars Collide from their debut album, Moments Stolen.

With the Interpol-esque angular guitar lines cutting through the warmth in the atmosphere that proves post-punk melancholy doesn’t always need to be monochromatic, the San Francisco-hailing visionaries amalgamated a soulful new trajectory of the genre, giving it a definitive place in the contemporary music industry.

As the palpitatingly sweet melodies in the dynamically sepia-tinged production evoke energy and give you kinetic rhythms to move to, the vocals make no bones about relaying the achingly raw lyricism and inciting bitter-sweet desolation in your soul. Versing about cheating death, watching your friends taking their final breath and seeing their faded faces framed in memories was always going to hit hard, but the impact in Where Stars Collide is a collision you’ll never forget.

Imagine if Editors in their An End Has a Start era hired Marin Hannett as a producer and radiated the hues of New Order’s Temptation, and you’ll get an idea of what Strange Cities constructed in Where Stars Collide. Or, you can get acquainted with the band renowned for their live performance, who have recently opened for Sisters of Mercy and Gene Loves Jezebel.

The Moments Stolen LP was officially released on February 2nd; stream the album on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Matt Camillo – Stop to Look Around: A Transatlantic Synthesis of Americana-Tinged Folk-Rock and UK Indie

Posted on 24 February 2024

Matt Camillo’s seminal single, Stop to Look Around, is a striking synthesis of 90s-tinged UK Indie and American Folk Rock which proves that aged 23, the London-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist possesses a maturity in his music that belies his years.

The track resonates with the melodic influences of Travis, Stereophonics, and Beady Eye, evident in its steady indie rock chords. Yet, it’s the subtle infusion of Americana into the rhythmics that sets this song apart, creating an uplifting yet bittersweet sound that is quintessentially English in its melancholy.

Lyrically, ‘Stop to Look Around’ carries the essence of a love song, yet it’s imbued with a level of artistic ambiguity that allows listeners to find their own meaning within its verses. This narrative flexibility ensures that the track leaves a lasting impression, regardless of how one interprets it.

Camillo, who began composing music at 13 and has since dabbled in Electronica and Pop before settling into the singer-songwriter genre, shows a keen understanding of his musical influences. His experience, including opening for acclaimed acts like Never the Bride and playing at notable venues shines through in this single.

The song’s production balances simplicity with sophistication, allowing Camillo’s vocal delivery to take centre stage. The instrumentation supports without overpowering, creating a harmonious backdrop that complements the lyrical journey. As a precursor to his upcoming acoustic debut EP ‘(Would You) Believe?’, this track cements Camillo’s status as a rising star in the indie scene.

Stop to Look Around was officially released on February 9th. Stream the single on Spotify

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Ava Valianti Became a Matchless Entity in the Music Industry with Her Turbulently Fervent Single, Middle Ground

Posted on 24 February 2024

Ava Valianti set the bar plateau-high with her debut single, Bubble Wrap; with her sophomore release, Middle Ground, the Massachusetts-residing singer-songwriter exhibited how honed her evocative approach to song crafting has become.

The striking tour de force starts with piano keys that would be right at home on a Radiohead LP or the Westworld soundtrack before the instrumental arrangement builds into a synthesis of moodily turbulent electronica and ornate orchestral motifs to reflect the disquietness of emotional upheaval.

The lyrical refrain of “I’m a broken record but at least I’m playing, music blaring louder than the pain” within the monumentally progressive release is a testament to how easily Ava Valianti reached the epitome of affecting alchemy.

Her vocal lines become an anchor in the instrumental storm and fervently resound through her artistic authenticity and determination to pour visceralism into every note of the intensely augmented release. She’s a matchless entity in the music industry, it’s only a matter of time before she ascends through the charts if she keeps producing tracks in the same phenomenal vein as Middle Ground.

Middle Ground will hit all major streaming platforms, including Spotify, on February 23rd.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Etherdene – Summer Dreams: An Indietronica Ode to Seasonal Longing

Posted on 22 February 2024

Etherdene’s latest single, ‘Summer Dreams‘, is a masterstroke in indietronica, blending the magnetic allure of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs with the Smiths’ jangle-pop melodies, all while infusing a shoegaze and retro-futuristic electronica reminiscent of Tiny Ghosts.

Since her solo debut in June 2023, Etherdene has been an indomitable force in the music industry. Each release has solidified her place in the hearts of listeners and playlist curators. Her music, an affectingly arresting cocktail of empowering messages and evocative soundscapes, resonates deeply on every conceivable level.

‘Summer Dreams’, released in the heart of February, initially strikes as a paradoxical choice. However, the track’s lyrical yearning for the warmth and sticky-sweet hues of summer, set against the backdrop of the Pacific Northwest’s rainy winters, unifies through the affirmation that we’re all in it together, and now we have the ultimate soundtrack to our unified longing.

We didn’t think there was much scope for improvement from Etherdene’s previous single, You Are My World, but the complexities within Summer Dreams that reveal a new reason to fall head over heels for the single with every listen prove that Etherdene is poised to become an indietronica firebrand in 2024.

Summer Dreams was officially released on February 9th; stream the single on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Jack Cade – The Glitter Around Your Eyes: Achingly Affecting Americana

Posted on 21 February 2024
Bewilderland by Jack Cade and the Everyday Sinners

If you always turn to Cohen, Waits and Nick Cave for sonic solace, redirect your quest for sanctity toward Jack Cade’s folk-meets-alt-country LP, Bewilderland.

His gruff baritone notes against Helen Muggeridge’s glassy-with-soul harmonies create a heart-wrenchingly sentimental dynamic in the standout single, The Glitter Around Your Eyes. Like all of the most affecting love songs, the alchemic feat of Americana lyrically locks into the minute details of affection to elucidate how deep in the veins the affection runs.

Around the bluesy guitar bends, honkytonk piano keys that give the track a touch of the 70s and the roots-wrapped tones as a courtesy of the slide guitar, the two vocalists portray a hesitant yet fervent testament of passion which reaches the epitome of compelling. Slow dance to it, cry your heart out to it as you mourn lost loves, or make it a playlist staple; whatever you do, don’t pass up on this timelessly touching serenade from the UK-hailing conduit of candour.

The Glitter Around Your Eyes was officially released on January 26th; stream the single and Jack Cade’s seminal LP, Bewilderland, on Bandcamp.

Review by Amelia Vandergast