Browsing Tag

PJ Harvey

Nasty Geographic tracks the descent of the pedestal-placed icons of culture in his jazzy trip hop single, Canceled

Taken from his latest album, Crooner, Nasty Geographic’s seminal single, Canceled, is a glitchy synth-driven, jazz-spliced triumph of a societal dissection which sinks its claws into the destructive egotism of the fame-obsessed.

If there was ever a male equivalent to PJ Harvey, it is Nasty Geographic in this trippy, rhythmically grooving descent into the dystopia of the modern age which starts with a euphoric glow which sonically dims with the diminishment of renown and respect. A journey that most pedestal-placed icons of culture eventually take.

By day, the solo songwriter is a social-justice-driven lawyer, freeing the wrongly convicted from life sentences imposed by racially biased juries. By night, he pours his passion for social justice into his art, with all proceeds going to the International Bipolar Foundation and the Promise of Justice Initiative.

Canceled is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Alt-folk alchemist, Bill E Daly, has pulled light from the darkness with ‘The World is Waiting’

In the same way you wouldn’t want to strike up a conversation with someone that had nothing to say, we should be mindful of which artists we take the time to listen to, any amount of time spent listening to Irish singer-songwriter, Bill E Daly will be well-invested.

The lifelong artist may have only just started to make waves as a solo artist, but after decades honing in on their craft and increasing the value of their introspection, there has been no better time to get acquainted with his unique alt-folk sound.

Their latest single ‘The World is Waiting’ was penned during the first lockdown in 2020 after sympathetically witnessing the impact of lockdown on young adults. While many struggle to see past their own plight, Bill E Daly extended his compassion to some of those hardest hit by the pandemic. Everything feels like it’s the end of the world to those still adjusting to adulthood, the levels of despair while the world stands still is unimaginable.

With reminiscences to Nick Cave, PJ Harvey and other alchemists of alt-folk who aren’t afraid to experiment with darker tones on the sonic palette, The World is Waiting atmospherically encapsulates the dull view which so many have taken upon the world. Lyrically, Bill E Daly finds unique ways to inspire optimism and instil confidence.

It’s a stunning single transpired from just as stunning sentiment.

The World is Waiting is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Pleaseprettylea – Yack!: Conceptually Avant-Garde Dark Pop

Pleaseprettylea

West Midlands, UK artist Pleaseprettylea is due to hit the airwaves with her artfully enticing Dark Pop single “Yack!” on November 25th. With elements of Hip Hop within the darkly hypnotic production, the single transcends genre as it unravels as a powerfully conceptual single which deals with the concept of sickness in relation to vulnerability, trauma and vices.

Pleaseprettylea is never afraid to tackle taboo or difficult concepts in her tracks, Yack! is definitely no exception. It unravels as a theatrical breath of fresh air in a time when baseless information around mental health and self-care seems to be found in every corner of the internet. But with Pleaseprettylea’s Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in counselling, you can fall into the soundscape and find trust in the artist’s wisdom and alluring sound which shares the same immense level of expression as artists such as Bjork, PJ Harvey, Amanda Palmer and Kate Bush.

Yack! is due for release from November 25th, pre-save the track on all major streaming platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast