Browsing Tag

John Denver

Chris Bannister unleashed the black dog of depression in his latest Americana folk vignette, William, You Lied

Posted on 27 July 2024

The roots-reverent folk singer-songwriter, Chris Bannister, broke the radio silence which followed the successful release of his 2020 album, Truth, with his latest lyrically panoramic single, William, You Lied.

Taken from the UK-residing professional musician’s upcoming sophomore album, The Calling Course, which is due for release in August, William, You Lied is a sonically stripped, tonally paralysing, emotionally charged vignette of how heavy depression weighs on the soul and how it clouds vision with confusion and loss of direction.

The single, which follows the release of seven critically acclaimed LPs, aches with authenticity as Chris Bannister takes influence from folk greats in the vein of Cohen, Nick Drake, and Steve Earl while using his distinctive Americana-tinged acoustic folk signature to scribe a striking account of the all-consuming afflictions imposed by a melancholy mind.

William, You Lied was officially released on July 26th; stream the single on Spotify and discover more about Chris Bannister via his official website.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Phil Coomer prescribed love as a drug in his latest release, All the Medicine I Need

Posted on 7 February 2024
https://youtu.be/eNRKiL6PZT0?si=2dDJrrguCrbBzFlA

The folk-pop evocateur Phil Coomer used all his award-winning song-writing stripes to decorate his latest single, All the Medicine I Need, with a sense of sentimentality that will see your soul swell with gratitude for everyone who sweetens your world.

As the orchestral strings quiver, the tenderly fingerpicked acoustic guitar strings amplify the warmth spilling from Coomer’s folky Americana harmonies which shine with crystalline soul as they emanate the soft and intimate folk vocal style of the late 60s and carry the same affecting mesmerism of Nick Drake.

Even when artists pen their own material, it isn’t a given that they will orchestrate something original; there’s never any danger of assimilative pedestrianism when you slip into a Phil Coomer folk score; just how it is possible for a salve for the soul to feel so expressively raw is an alchemic paradox that stands as a testament to his songwriting virtuosity.

All the Medicine I Need will be available to stream and purchase on all major platforms from 05/06/2024. Until then, you can stream the music video on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast