Browsing Tag

maroon 5

Max Muscato’s razor-sharp pop-rock hooks cut like a knife in his latest earworm, Valarie.

Posted on 27 February 2022

After a five-year stint away from the airwaves, Max Muscato proved that you can’t rush perfection with the release of his rock-licked smitten seminal single, Valerie.

The singer-songwriter, guitarist, and CEO of the NPO, Rock Autism, allowed Valarie to unravel as a matured version of Girl All the Bad Guys Want by Bowling for Soup with his eclectic range of influences, which include John Mayer, Maroon 5, Wolfmother, Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Beck.

The long-awaited track which follows on from his 2017 debut album, Act One, is an intoxicating blend of razor-sharp pop-rock hooks, virtuosic riffs, blues rock interludes and, of course, Muscato’s endlessly energetic sense of soul that pours through his drunk-in-love raconteur vocals. We eagerly anticipate what follows.

Valerie is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Josh Sky have us in a ‘Love Daze’ with their latest indie soul pop single

Posted on 18 March 2021

Under the influence of Frank Ocean, Boy Pablo, and Tame Impala, up and coming indie three-piece, Josh Sky orchestrated their own melodiously romantic signature sound that is just as prestigious.

Their latest single, ‘Love Daze’, is the perfect introduction to their genre-melding nostalgic sound. The mellow grooves make sure that your attention never falters from the affable sincerity as it drips from the vocals while they capture the anxiety and adrenaline which manifest when you start to feel rifts widen in a relationship.

Love Days is as stunning as it is smooth. If any up and coming artist has what it takes to ascend from the underground in 2021, it’s Josh Sky.

Love Daze is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

In Reverse – Ready: Soul-Driven Indie Synthpop  

Posted on 30 January 2021
In Reverse

If you could imagine what it would sound like if the 1975 and the Midnight met in the middle while incorporating elements of soul pop in the style of Maroon 5, you’ll get an idea of the stylistic melding which took place for In Reverse to create their latest single ‘Ready’.

The Oslo-based Norwegian Pop band’s approach to Pop may break free of the usual constraints which Pop artists find themselves bound by when they’re writing tracks with commercial potential in mind, but their sound is all the more immersive for it.

The unpredictably progressive electronic pop hit blends elements of contemporary synthpop with hints of indie jangle pop which are palpable in the guitar progressions, yet, Ready still unravels without experimentalism being the main focus. It’s a track which makes sure that the sentiment it was inspired by is harmonically hammered home. It may leave you with a little bit of procrastination guilt, but if any track is going to leave you psyched to attack everything you have been deliberating on, it’s this one.

The ‘Rona may have hindered In Reverse’s plans of aural domination, but on the basis of Ready, we can’t imagine they’ll let anything as small as a global pandemic get in the way.

Ready was released on January 15th, you can check it out for yourselves by heading over to In Reverse’s official website.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Ristlynn takes us with him in his funk pop hit ‘I’m Going Down’.

Posted on 9 January 2021

Anchorage, Alaska-hailing artist, Ristlynn, dropped their debut single, ‘I’m Going Down’, on November 20th. The party pop-rock anthem has already received an exponential amount of attention; it is almost like we are all simultaneously experiencing the most confusing period of our lifetimes and need an aural pick-me-up.

Timeliness aside, I’m Going Down is a riotously enamouring single, while the instrumentals adrenalize, the lyrics raise an eyebrow and ask “really?” at self-destructive behaviour patterns which have previously been mindlessly glamorised by alt-rock artists. The single was penned during a transitional phase where the artist was starting to acknowledge the pitfalls of hedonism-aided avoidance, I’m Going Down is a subversively-titled reflection of that turning point which led to the commitment of making positive change.

Through pulsating bass, funk-riddled riffs, snappy rhythmic temper and Ristlynn’s sardonically charismatic vocals, you will be pulled into the infectious piece of hyperpop rock from a plethora of angles. Ristlynn’s talent is exhibited throughout the release, but it is in the chorus where he proves that he deserves a spot on your radar with their soul-filling sound. Especially, as there will be plenty more to come in 2021 and beyond.

Any fans of Panic! at the Disco, Prince, Maroon 5, Fallout Boy and Maroon 5 will undoubtedly find the same appeal in the artist’s funk-pop earworms.

You can check out the official video to Ristlynn’s single, I’m Going Down, via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Lil Rascal Jusi has made their debut with their dynamically ambient urban album “Broken Record”.

Posted on 11 July 2020

Lil Rascal Jusi AKA SINJUNHEE has dropped their sweet Lo-Fi debut album “Broken Record”, a collection of seven tracks which come together as a sublimely soulful melting pot of Urban culture.

From the roots of Soul to offerings of contemporary soulful RnB Trap melodies, the release offers it all. Even more distinctively, Lil Rascal Jusi offered up a different track/vibe for every day of the week.

The track which left us tension-stripped and cathartically enamoured was “Sunday: Vibing” featuring Masego. Maroon 5’s original track was a soul-soother, but Lil Racal Jusi’s rework of the chorus in Vibing gave the catchy chorus even more enamouring appeal.

There’s little room to wonder why that there’s so much hype around the artist’s modernistic Jazzy hits. He’s definitely one to watch.

You can check out Lil Rascal Jusi’s debut album for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud

Review by Amelia Vandergast

A modern and commercial pop hit: The Vision’s ‘Right Now’

Posted on 14 May 2020

Up and coming 3-piece Essex band The Vision drop their new song Right Now, a modern and commercial pop hit that wins its place among major artists’ latest singles.

The upbeat tempo adorned by claps and dense synths widens the harmony without overfilling the structure, and produces some good dance vibes you can’t help but enjoy within the very first minute.

Beautiful pop vocals sing about diversity and acceptance, concepts we’re all sensitive to, while the seriousness of the theme provides a great contrast with the easiness of the music – all for a contagiously fresh outcome.

The Vision’s commercial style handprint must not be taken for granted, so give them some credit by listening to Right Now on Youtube.

Review by Jim Esposito.

ROFI JAMES HAVE RELEASED THEIR NEW SINGLE ‘EVERYTIME I MAKE YOU HATE ME’

Posted on 27 April 2020

Irish indie rock band Rofi James released their new single ‘Everytime I Make You Hate Me’ on April 24th 2020, an alternative pop effort that follows the success of their previous debut singles ‘Fools For Your Love’ and ‘Open Eyes’.

‘Everytime I Make You Hate Me’ is a compelling combination of the best indie pop and indie rock influences of the last decade, with its melodies sounding original and fresh among the contemporary alternative scene.

The song presents a range of pads and rhythmic guitars that broaden the sound both in the verses and choruses, and grows even wider with the balanced pop drums resulting in a almost epic harmony. The little crunch in the vocals perfectly suits the sweetness of the overall song, a fantastic contrast that will immediately catch your ear.

Head over to Spotify and listen to ‘Everytime I Make You Hate Me’.

Review by Jim Esposito.

Nikhil Swaroop – The Light: The Acoustic Zeitgeist

Posted on 15 November 2017

I’ve only just had the pleasure of being acquainted with Nikhil Swaroop. It took me approximately 10 seconds to fall completely in love with him from when I hit play on his new track The Light (The Original). The video of the light takes place within Nikhil’s inner sanctum, allowing you a personal view into his life, past and pain, with no holds barred.

He’s a stunning singer song writer currently living in India, I have to say it was my first experience listening to Indian acoustic, but one things for sure, it won’t be the last. He has the same pensive delectableness of the quaint sonorous likes of Ray LaMontagne, Keith Urban and Glen Hansard. The light is charged with upliftingly harrow emotion that flows with inexplicable ease.

Aside from his original work, Nikhil has become the master at breathing a little soul into British and American songs, from Lady Gaga to Ed Sheeran, each sound is as staggering as the last. The whole production for the video to The Light only took 50 minutes. He’s kindly left the track as raw as it gets for his fans. If only more artists were that honest with their work.

Danelle’s “Broken” Is A Risky Production, But The Payoff Is Worth It

Posted on 26 October 2017

Have you ever found it odd that so many songs about feeling damaged or distraught are put together in a way that seems to convey the opposite. Major keys and crystal-clear production doesn’t exactly scream trouble. Artists, particularly singers, tend to find juxtaposing contrasting emotions to be a way of creating something unique, but when a singer has a tone in mind and can also find the perfect backdrop to amplify that feeling, we get something more powerful. Broken by Danelle is a song that builds incredibly well using slightly off-kilter elements to its advantage.

From the opening, the slightly transduced vocals have a quality about them that’s hard to pin down. They seem somewhat lo-fi in how they’re recorded, but they’re much more ambitious in their performance than what a lo-fi artist would be comfortable with. Between humanly off-beat claps and progressively more layered vocals, we get to enjoy a frightening and dynamic mix that evolves over time into something much grander than the original parts led on. In this way, the key to the song is sticking to the theme without sacrificing quality. Broken is a risky production altogether, but the payoff is well worth it.

-Paul Weyer

Hot Potato Band’s ‘Little Bird’ Will Get You Moving

Posted on 9 September 2017

I am sitting in a coffee shop with my headphones as I am writing this music review – immediately after pressing play, I noticed my head couldn’t stop moving and my feet were tapping on the wooden floor – people were looking at me a little bit, but I didn’t really care, because “Little Bird” is one of those tracks that want to make you move unapologetically. Hot Potato Band set out to create a unique sonic texture by combining great pop and R&B with funk and “Big Band” sounds. Think of what would happened if Maroon 5 where to jam with Vulfpek!

The result is a driven, eclectic and bright sound with a positive atmosphere and a really stunning groove, perfect to appeal to listeners of all walks of life.

The song has a driven and edgy feel, but it takes a step back in the bridge, toning it down a notch only to bring it back later on into the mix! It’s not easy to create catchy music without sounding trite and without compromising on the integrity of the musicianship, but Hot Potato Band certainly nailed it on this track!