Browsing Tag

Pop-Rock

LUCID LIP brought jazzy-synth-laden soul in their latest release, ‘Burnt Matches’

Posted on 1 May 2021

‘Burnt Matches’ is the latest cinematically smooth single released from the soul-pop-rock outfit, LUCID LIP. With jazzy interstellar interjections between Frankie Favasuli’s vocals, the track leaves plenty of room for you to explore the eras the timeline-spanning single takes you to.

You’ll only realise how teasing the prelude is after hearing the progressively inventive twists LUCID LIP laid out to keep you consistently arrested. As the melodicism falls away and jazzy improvisations start to dominate the soundscape, Favasuli effortlessly reaches for the high notes. Any fans of Sam Cooke and Otis Redding will find the same soul-filling mesmerising appeal in his vocal timbre.

The NYC outfit has been breathing soul into the city for over a decade, but their easily international sound will undoubtedly take them further in the years to come.

Burnt Matches is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Singer-songwriter [ai] has released their archaically infectious serenade, ‘Love in the Time of Tuberculosis’.

Posted on 27 April 2021

The idea of archaic disease probably won’t leave your heart beating faster in any positive way but the latest subversively amorous single from [ai], ‘Love in the Time of Tuberculosis’, definitely can.

If you can imagine what would happen if Nick Cave’s macabre mind melded with Tim Minchin’s ability to lyrically laugh in the face of mortality and the not so romantic aspects of existence, you’ll get an idea of what is on offer in this uniquely captivating soundscape.

The baroquely theatrical pop track comes with Brian May-style guitar solos, arresting piano-led progressions and [ai]’s ability to pull poetic parallels from across the ages. The single is a poignant reminder that the world has always been full of catastrophe, and it didn’t just start going to pot in 2020, we’ve had 100 years of adversity, no matter how much we feel personally slighted in the present.

You can check out Love in the Time of Tuberculosis for yourselves by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast.

There’s quite literally ‘No End’ to the talents of Quite Vice

Posted on 26 April 2021

Catchy, hooky, easy-singalong-y (is that a word?), ‘No End’ – from debut album ‘Bedrock’ – is airy, dance-y shimmering electronic (as distinct from electro-) pop that sticks in your head from the first line of the first verse and refuses to leave again for a significantly long time.

If we say ‘a funky Lightning Seeds with maybe a touch of the Bluetones’, maybe even adding the song-writing perfection of Paul Heaton and the Beautiful South, you’ll immediately get the ball-park we’re in here; that instantly recognisable yet utterly fresh summery feel of irresistible, well-crafted timeless pop. That’s not to downplay it – it takes a disproportionate amount of skill to create something that sounds as effortless and easy-going as ‘No End’, with an instant familiarity that makes it sound both exciting and up-to-date and as comforting as a visit from an old friend, all at once.

Stylistically, the synths bring an obvious electronic vibe here – Daft Punk spring to mind – but there’s also heavy funk, disco, and 70’s pop influences, the Nile Rodgers staccato guitar and old-school Rhodes piano parts adding to the groove and loungey, nu-disco feel. Quite Vice might have just written the first perfect pop song of Summer 2021.

You can hear ‘No End’ on Spotify, and follow Quite Vice here or on Facebook.

Review by Alex Holmes

 

Alexis Naylor is ‘Stealing Moments’ in her avant-garde pop rock track

Posted on 26 April 2021

Soft, arpeggiated piano, big, gated snare, and emotional, reverb-soaked vocals are the order of the day here for Perth-native Alexis Naylor’s ‘Stealing Moments’, a story of love and loss and the easy, open-ended social media world of single-click engagements. It’s a compelling track, made more potent still by the excellent narrative video which accompanies it. Naylor’s voice is powerful, alternating between soft and sorrowful and angry and accusative, the lyrics telling a tale of trust, tears, and uncomfortable truths.

Taken from her debut album ‘Pages From A Past Life’, and fully in the best traditions of solo female singer-songwriters, there’s elements of Delta Goodrum and Dido in Naylor’s vocal, the track melancholy without ever over-stepping into maudlin, emotive without ever becoming over-earnest. There’s elements of ‘rock ballad’ sneaking in there from the production, but it’s by no means worse-off for that, the big drum sound adding to the punch of the track and contrasting nicely with the softer piano and Naylor’s downcast vocal performance, adding to the evincing of heartbreak and pain from a relationship that just can’t, quite, let go.

You can check out the superb video for ‘Stealing Moments’, including the excellent choreography of Peta Coy and the narrative moves of dancers Lockie Ransom and Madeline Dona, on YouTube; follow Alexis Naylor on Facebook and Instagram.

Review by Alex Holmes

The Impersonators evoke campus radio nostalgia with ‘Scarlett Hell’

Posted on 25 April 2021

The Impersonators unleashed the ultimate perennial pop-rock earworm with the release of ‘Scarlett Hell’, just one of the soul-kissed tracks found on the duo’s debut LP, ‘Life of Grant’.

If you could imagine what it would sound like if Ricky Martin collaborated with R.E.M., you’ll get an idea of just how enlivening the timeless pop melodies in Scarlett Hell are. With funk-infused instrumental breakdowns between the choppy sun-bleached staccato guitar chords and the upraising vocals that are sure to evoke campus radio nostalgia, it is a serious contender for your alt pop-rock Summer playlists.

Scarlett Hell is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

LA singer songwriter Ali Angel wants to ‘Play Pretend’ in her bluesy pop-rock track

Posted on 22 April 2021
Ali Angel

Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Ali Angel brings us her new single ‘Play Pretend’, a slice of summery upbeat Americana-tinged bluesy pop-rock that’s reminiscent of Sheryl Crow, KT Tunstall, or Meredith Brooks, all twangy Telecaster riffs, horn section fills, and Texas Shuffle drum patterns, capped off with Angel’s soulful, resonant vocal.

It’s ‘top down’ driving music of the very best kind, long straight dusty roads, sandy deserts, and palm trees; that timeless, classic feel of the very best summertime ‘radio’ rock, the lyrics humorous and lighthearted yet full of sunshine and self-knowing. Angel’s voice really is good, a little vibrato and a lot of heart, and the music swings, swaggers, and grooves in equal measure. It’s a perfect summer tune, and it heralds great things for Angel’s forthcoming debut EP, due later this year.

You can hear ‘Play Pretend’ via Ali Angel’s website and across all major streaming platforms from the 23rdApril. Check out Ali Angel on Facebook and Instagram.

Review by Alex Holmes

The Blooms have released their hallucinatory pop-rock serenade, ‘Daydreaming’.

Posted on 19 April 2021

The Blooms have shown us the pinnacle of contemporary pop-rock with ‘Daydreaming’, the standout single from their debut EP, ‘Something’s Changed’, which hit the airwaves March 14th.

The Croatian artist consistently exhibits the versatility of their style from release to release; with Daydreaming, they submerge you into an artfully intense soundscape that allows you to swim through the infusion of soft tonal hues while keeling the adrenalizing baselines which mimic a frantic heartbeat. It’s a swoon-worthy feat of pop-rock that gives you little option in surrendering your consciousness entirely and being vocally serenaded.

Daydreaming is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Last Second Save takes us back to the golden era of pop-punk with ‘I Remember’.

Posted on 17 April 2021

‘I Remember’ is the latest single to be released by The Last Second Save; an alt-pop artist that wears his pop-punk influences on his sleeve while marrying elements of hip hop and alt-rock.

After I Remember hit the airwaves, staying in the 21st-century became optional. Hit play, and you’ll be thrown back to the golden era of pop-punk; when Blink-182 were king and life seemed infinitely simpler.

The track may join a host of other urban singles which paint with the darker and colder end of the tonal spectrum; but with I Remember, the Maryland-based solo artist allowed his multifaceted personality to shine through, making it practically impossible not to become enamoured by his optimism – in spite of existentialism.

I Remember is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Danny Vye – Chasing Time featuring Stefan Kelk

Posted on 16 April 2021

In collaboration with Stefan Kelk, up and coming indie-pop artist Danny Vye released their debut album, ‘Blown Away’; and that’s exactly how it left us.

The standout single ‘Chasing Time’ is a testament to the UK-based artist’s talent in orchestrating simple yet simultaneously phenomenal feats of folky indie-pop. He didn’t need to deviate too far from the mould to create a viscerally magnetic single. Instead, he relied on the potency of vocal emotion, the poetry in the lyrics and the havoc that the progressive instrumentals play with your rhythmic pulses. If any track can leave you feeling like your soul is creeping up into your throat, it’s Chasing Time.

There’s a slight alt 90s feel to the track that seems to ooze the substance and gravitas that mainstream artists sorely lack. If you appreciate tracks that remind you of your capacity to feel, hit play.

Danny Vye’s EP, Blown Away, is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Rebel Kicks takes the existential weight off with their indie pop-rock track, ‘Floating’.

Posted on 14 April 2021

There’s no better breeding ground for power pop than NYC, as proven by the latest release, ‘Floating’, by Rebel Kicks. With similarities to evocative pop-rock outfits such as The Calling and Lifehouse, the brother-fronted duo welcomes you into a familiar soundscape before setting themselves apart with their angular indie jangle-pop guitar notes and the sincerity in their optimism.

Rebel Kicks’ tour plans may have been crushed by the pandemic, but they still endeavoured to lead their listeners to a brighter perspective after recognising the dangers of internal reflection. In short, Floating is an invitation to cut through the noise and reserve energy for positivity. It’s an invitation that you don’t get much of an option in accepting thanks to the infectious positivity.

Floating is now available to stream via SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast