Browsing Tag

Scottish Indie

Slip into a post-punk dream with Forgotten Garden’s hauntingly ethereal single, Memoriam

Posted on 22 April 2024

Forgotten Garden’s sophomore EP, ‘In Memoriam,’ brings us the single ‘Memoriam,’ a track that deftly carves its niche within the indie post-punk landscape with its distinct blend of sound and sensibility. The hauntingly ethereal vocal lines in ‘Memoriam’ find a hallowed ground between Mazzy Star, Florence Welch, and Siouxsie Sioux, imbuing the track with an arcane nuance that resonates deeply.

This unique piece strides far from indie mediocrity, propelled by the quintessential angular intensity of indie post-punk instrumentals that jangle with a monochromatic yet vibrant dynamism. ‘Memoriam’ offers enough familiarity to draw listeners in but retains them with its ingenious deviations and its gothic tribute to shoegazed post-punk.

In an era flooded with throwaway indie filler, ‘Memoriam’ stands out as a track that spectrally stays with you, proving Forgotten Garden to be a razor-sharp cut above the rest. The power of ‘Memoriam’ not only captivates but also cements Forgotten Garden’s place in the music world as pioneers with a clear and compelling artistic vision.

In Memoriam was officially released on March 29th; stream the single on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

archie razed the airwaves with his latest augmented with attitude and style alt-indie hit, Mayalyn

Posted on 20 November 2023

With a voice which resonates with over 155k monthly listeners on Spotify and the confidence to create under the mononym archie, knowing that the name will become synonymous with his anthemic new wave indie aesthetic, it is no surprise to see that the 19-year-old singer-songwriter has hit razed the airwaves with his latest augmented with attitude and style single, Mayalyn.

With a vice-like grip which hits all the provocative and evocative marks, the track that starts with a saturated in delay jangly indie pop instrumental arrangement beneath his raspy croons, reminiscent of the 1975, evolves into a fiery feat of overdriven and modernised rock. With a seemingly infinite sequence of twists and turns, every progression is a revelation with Mayalyn. A revelation which paints its orchestrator as one of the most essential artists in 2023.

The classically trained Scottish singer-songwriter may only be getting started but he’s already giving every other up-and-coming act tips on how to raise the bar with lyrical ingenuity, which goes hand in virtuosic hand with his ear for a melody that will consume you when brought to life with his impassioned intensity.

Mayalyn was officially released on September 22; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Dictator stood at the vanguard of social action in their psychedelically funked indie-rock single, Enough is Enough

Posted on 1 September 2023

The latest single, Enough is Enough, from the Scottish four-piece, Dictator, is a grooving odyssey of indie synth-rock socialist rancour. Socialism may have become a dirty word as of late; Dictator wore it as a badge of honour in their track that pushes back against the political elite and supports strike action, knowing it’s better than having late-stage capitalist blood on your hands.

They may have taken a different approach to the Manics to prise eyes and ears open to the hypocrisy that could easily be obliterated if there was enough momentum for a Masses Against the Classes movement. But by opting for a synthy and sugared with shimmering pop hooks arrangement and pouring as much soul into the indie croons as humanly possible, they efficaciously got the message across their rhythm section that reminisces with the Happy Mondays and their brand of psychedelia that was delivered with as much colour as hits from the Zombies.

Enough is Enough was officially released on August 30^th, and we’re officially obsessed. Get hooked by heading over to SoundCloud or Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Alt Indie Rock artist Tom Morris invites you to share ‘The Dark Hours’ with him through his debut release

Posted on 17 December 2020

https://tommorris.bandcamp.com/track/the-dark-hours

Like many artists, Scottish singer-songwriter Tom Morris released his debut single, The Dark Hours’, this summer, but unlike most new releases, the soundscape exhibited the artist’s prowess when it comes to instilling overwhelming emotion as the track becomes so much more than the sum of all parts.

The moody hints of 80s Electro hum around the intricate bluesy indie rock guitars while Tom Morris crafts one of the most infectious vocal melodies I’ve heard this year.

No artist carries the influence of Kurt Vile without picking up the hypnotically mellifluous textures of his meanderingly enticing guitar, which is exactly what is on offer in The Dark Hours which captures the agony of those twilight hours when your body loses most of its capacity for function while your mind runs rampant through every avenue for melancholy.

When I first hit play, I was intrigued by the stylistic collision of genres, by the time The Dark Hours faded out, I was overcome by the artist’s invaluable ability to alchemically offer compassion and comfort through relaying his own bitter-sweet introspection.

You can find out more about Tom Morris by heading over to his official website.

Head over to Bandcamp to stream and download The Dark Hours.

Review by Amelia Vandergast