Browsing Tag

pop ballad

Ashley James takes us back to the 70s with their Pop ballad “Take Your Time”

Posted on 6 November 2020
Ashley James

Ashley James may not be a well-known name (yet), but any fans of 00’s Indie Rock should be familiar with their previous outfit Likely Lads who received rapturous acclaim for their brutally honest lyrical style.

Now, Ashley James has gone solo, and we’re seeing a more soulful side to the artist’s multifaceted talents. With a touch of aural nostalgia and lashings of laceratingly raw emotion, their debut single “Take Your Time” was born.

The 70s-inspired Pop ballad is sure to be a hit with any fans of Rod Stewart and Elton John or any Pop fans who are looking to lock into sincerity, pitch-perfect harmony, and melodic alchemy.

You can check out the official video to  Take Your Time via Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Leah Martin – Inside: Soul-Awakening Celestial Pop

Posted on 2 November 2020
Leah Martin

US Singer-songwriter Leah Martin has teamed up with Platinum record producer, Barb Morrison, to create her most sensationally soul-awakening single yet, Inside.

Inside is a resounding example of how an artist offering introspection in their music doesn’t just share their intimate thoughts and emotions, but how their honesty can heal. Hit play on Inside and become overwhelmed by the sincerity of the self-assurance which has been found through the refusal to fall apart.

The celestially reflective soundscape orchestrated by Barb Morrison created the perfect platform for Leah Martin’s invitingly consoling vocals.

Inside is due for release on November 1st, you’ll be able to check it out via Spotify.

Keep up to date with news of the release via Facebook or Leah Martin’s website.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Hager – All at Once: Consolingly Stunning Neo-Classic Ambient Pop

Posted on 1 November 2020

Starting off with ambient neo-classic keys, Hager’s single All at Once from her 2020 album Miscellaneous Melodies takes pensive Indie Pop to a new level of quiescent ingenuity.

The melodies in All at Once may be tender, but evocatively, it hits hard enough to leave you aurally bruised. All at Once has the same effect as someone asking in full sincerity if you’re okay, when you’re really not okay. It brings torrid emotions to the surface as you listen to the melancholy in Hager’s striking vocals, but we all need outlets and I couldn’t point you in the direction of a more consolingly stunning single.

I have zero shame in the admission that the floodgates opened with All at Once, my tear ducts never stood a chance with this celestially compelling feat of Pop.

You can check out All at Once and the rest of the artist’s Miscellaneous Melodies album by heading over to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast  

Never Forget Charlotte Lansman.

Posted on 5 October 2020
https://soundcloud.com/charlotte-lansman/never-forget-44-16/s-Gn17Yobf4Lw

Kicking in with a simple piano riff and Lansman’s smoky vocal before seamlessly shifting into a full-on powerful pop ballad, ‘Never Forget’ is a smooth, poignant cry to lost love, mellow and plaintive on the verses and kick-ass catchy on the chorus, the beats and instrumentation never overshadowing Lansman’s excellent voice.

Inspired by jazz artists such as Jamie Culham, Melody Gardot, and the great Amy Winehouse, ‘Never Forget’ takes those elements and mixes them with a great pop-rock sensibility, creating a strong, passionate, and compelling track that truly deserves to be all over the radio this autumn.

You can follow Charlotte Lansman on Facebook; ‘Never Forget’ is on Soundcloud now.

Review by Alex Holmes

Nv.sincere plays with Neo-Classic elements in their new Alt Pop track “Nv Miss Love”

Posted on 2 October 2020
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rz5LQtuSi5w&feature=youtu.be&ab_channel=STREET-ROXX

If you’ve never had the pleasure of experiencing Neo-Classic Trap Pop, delve into the evocative tones contained in Nv.sincere’s latest single “Nv Miss Love” which dropped on September 6th.

With the tender piano melodies up against dexterously light EDM elements, the past and the future stylistically combine in Nv Miss Love. It’s right on the contemporary curve with a moody yet soulful vibe, yet the delicacy of the neo-classical nuances took Nv Miss Love to emotional new heights.

There really is no wonder why so much hype has amassed around this wistfully lovelorn instant classic.

You can check out the cinematically immersive official music video to Nv.sincere’s single by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Kristen Beckwith tells a piano-led story of love, longing and betrayal with ‘Already Chosen Her’

Posted on 18 September 2020
Kristen Beckwith

Utah-based pop/folk singer-songwriter Kristen Beckwith’s heartfelt piano-led story of love, longing, and betrayal, is an intense, mournful tale of heartbreak, the refrain ‘if you loved me, why’d you tell me, when you knew/you were never coming back here, you’d already chosen her’ plaintive and haunting over the delicate minor chord arrangement.

It’s beautiful, Beckwith’s voice is more than able to carry the space in the style of Beverly Craven or Norah Jones, soothing, hurt, and sorrowful all at once, the anguish in the realisation of lost love – ‘…and I thought you were the one…’-  clear and heartfelt. The sparse instrumentation detracts nothing, instead, adding a pensive melancholy to the track that perfectly matches Beckwith’s vocal.

‘Already Chosen Her’ comes from Kristen Beckwith’s debut album ‘A True Story’, released on October 2nd. You can hear more from Kristen here.

Review by Alex Holmes

Bisola has released her latest soulfully magnetic Funk-filled Urban ballad “Grace upon Grace”

Posted on 10 April 2020

With the unique production style, Bisola’s latest single “Grace upon Grace” almost acts as a soulful aural vacuum which pulls you in straight from the prelude.

The up and coming artist freshened up 90s Pop with a nuanced infusion of Hip Hop and RnB, but Grace upon Grace is a ballad through and through. With the effervescent orchestral swells, the soundscape boasts an ethereal feel, as well as a sure enough serving of soul and funky contemporary grooves. As long as your soul is still working, the emotion contained in Grace upon Grace won’t fail to resonate.

Grace upon Grace was released on March 20th, and you can check it out for yourselves by heading over to Bisola’s website or Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Vince Palmeri – It’s Complicated: straight-from-the-soul Pop

Posted on 14 March 2020

Prepare to pacify your scorned hearts with NYC Breaking Pop artist Vince Palmeri’s latest release. He’s provided the perfect soundtrack for your frustrative romantic confusion with their latest single “It’s Complicated”.

The straight-from-the-soul Pop single puts a fresh and adrenalizing twist on your average lovelorn love ballad. The harmonic hit may be perfectly polished and radio-ready. But there’s still a raw and evocative nature which won’t fail to grip you as you listen to the eclectic instrumental arrangement. Expect to find stylistic orchestral swells which infuse melancholy amongst the deftly curated melodies and soaring vocal harmonies.

You can check out It’s Complicated via YouTube now. The official music video for It’s Complicated is due to drop in March 2020, so make sure you subscribe to the artist’s channel.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Damon K. Clark – Love Me Now: Spellbinding Soul Pop

Posted on 27 February 2020
https://www.soundcloud.com/damonkclark/lovemenowclean/s-nLjFP

Contemporary ballad-style Soul Pop doesn’t come much more captivatingly efficacious than Damon K. Clark’s latest single “Love Me Now”.

Through the directness of the lyrics, Love Me Now feels like a confession straight from the soul. The opening verse pulls you into an evocatively piercing soundscape which utilises soft percussion, nuancedly spellbinding lyrics, and crescendos which will make your own soul recognise the pure unadulterated emotion in the single.

There may be plenty of old school sonorous appeal in Love Me Now, but the Dallas-based artist’s contribution to the airwaves still carries ample amounts of contemporary appeal.

You can listen to Damon K. Clark’s mesmerizingly evocative single Love Me Now by heading over to SoundCloud.

Keep up to date with the artist’s latest releases via Facebook.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Crystal Oshana – Alone: Empoweringly Pensive Pop

Posted on 8 February 2020

Loneliness even resonates in the notes of Crystal Oshana’s latest single “Alone” which deftly fuses elements of Pop, Neo-Classical, RnB and Ambient Electronica.

Yet within the wistful pensive nature of Alone, you’ll find olive branches of optimism through Crystal Oshana’s comforting lyrical affirmations that being alone isn’t the end of the world. And it really isn’t. Being comfortable in your own solitude is one of the most empowering things you can ever do.

I can’t tell you how refreshing it is to hear such a deep, contemplative three-dimensional lyrical narrative from an artist. But I can tell you that Crystal Oshana is exactly the kind of artist we need to hear more of on the airwaves.

The four-minute downtempo track serves a smorgasbord of raw unfiltered emotion. So, despite how ambient and smooth the production is, it still unfolds as a striking track which will shift your perceptions if you allow it to.

You can check out Alone for yourselves by heading over to Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast