Browsing Tag

piano ballad

Igloo Hearts exhibited a new installation of art-folk in their ornately rendered vignette, Watering Can

Posted on 27 February 2024

Igloo Hearts’ latest offering, ‘Watering Can‘, is a masterful blend of folk sensibilities with a touch of baroque elegance. This single, emerging from the heart of Wrexham, positions the married duo as a folk force to be reckoned with while echoing the artistry of legends like Tori Amos, Kate Bush, and Mitski.

Katie Macgregor’s soprano vocals are the centrefold of the art-folk piece. Her haunting and ethereal timbres, cascade over the keys, enveloping the listener in a cocoon of timeless yet contemporary flair. The emotion conveyed through her performance is palpable, resonating with a depth that speaks to the soul.

Watering Can is an arresting showcase of their captivating sound, marked by classical piano, mesmerising chord progressions, and flawless harmonies, influenced by Jesca Hoop, Radiohead, and Kate Bush. The duo’s refined musicianship has earned them recognition as runners-up in the Purbeck Folk Rising Competition and Radio Wigwam’s Awards along with numerous BBC Introducing radio plays. Their live performances, held at esteemed venues like the Liverpool Philharmonic and Llangollen International Eisteddfod have received critical praise from across the board.

As they continue to gain acclaim, including an upcoming feature on the Channel 4 series ‘The Piano’, any self-respecting folk fan will want Igloo Hearts on their radar.

Watering Can was officially released on February 16. Stream the single on all major platforms via this link.

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

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

Alex Krisi comes in as an evocative heavyweight in her ethereal knockout indie pop ballad, Mama Please

Posted on 24 April 2022

https://soundcloud.com/alexandra-nowakowska/mama-please/s-wMybkzHZTGb?in=alexandra-nowakowska/sets/alex-kristi/s-GAYXHfHZMsK&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

‘Mama Please’ is just one of the sorrowfully seminal latest releases from the up-and-coming indie singer songwriter Alex Kristi who tapped deep into the sense of innate guilt that we all carry after witnessing parental suffering. Whether that be through the juvenile way that we push them away through the surge of youthful rebellion or the soul-crushing feeling of knowing that a parent is sharing your pain – for any given reason.

Sonically, Alex Kristi ensured that the piano score carried just as much tension and tenacity as the classically poised yet indie-tinged vocals as they run through the mournfully eloquent lyricism. In every conceivable way, Mama Please is an ethereal knockout. Even more so with the gospel-Esque outro.

Mama Please will be available to stream from April 22nd. You can check it out for yourselves via SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Unravel with a.patrick’s consoling modern masterpiece, fray

Posted on 1 September 2021

From the instant you hit play on the Minneapolis vocalist, pianist and producer, a.patrick’s, latest single, fray, your senses surrender to the ethereal quiescence that ensues through this modern masterpiece.

His artful neo-classic style is enough to bring tears to the surface as his accordant harmonies echo above his distinguished piano melodies that carry little, if any, assimilation. The way he leaves himself exposed through his lyrics and gentle vocal presence is enough to feel you feeling just as emotionally naked.

As someone who frequently finds themselves drawn to melancholia in music, I can earnestly say that you’d struggle to find another soundscape as captivating and consoling in equal measure as this beautifully scorned lullaby.

Fray is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Lost James – Chapman’s Pool: Numbing Piano Pop

Posted on 29 December 2019

“Inspired by a small cove on the Dorset coastline in the UK” is what Lost James quotes as his inspiration source of his 2019 EP called “Chapman’s Pool”. Isn’t it great, when the music actually fills the narrative, elevating a statement that otherwise could be perceived as cheesy, not to only compliment but be viewed as another aspect of the puzzle that is an artist’s music?

We have listened to the EP’s closing track, by the same name. It beautifully showcases Lost James’ ability to craft emotions that are crystallized melancholy parceled in songs and distributed as such. And he accomplishes that by playing the piano and his stunning, powerful voice. I can only assume that Lost James is a heavyweight when it comes to playing the piano; however it is his songwriting ability that I would wholeheartedly endorse. And don’t let me start on his voice – that thing can smash your heart to a hundred pieces and conflict some emotional crisis.

This is a slow-paced, piano ballad, as piano ballads should be created and delivered in the present day. There is nothing retro about it. Let this Londoner wrap you between his piano keys and his angelic throat, here

Review by Nektarios Oikonomakis