Browsing Tag

Shiny Toy Guns

Lauren Ash scorched the pop-punk sphere with her trailblazingly vindicating earworm, Pathological

Posted on 18 October 2024
Lauren Ash

The pop-punk Billboard chart-topper Lauren Ash has been trailblazing her way through the industry since her debut single; with her latest hit, Pathological, she started a fire that could rival the inferno Dante walked through.

Nailing the Y2K pop-punk aesthetic, Ash intravenously infused swathes of nostalgia in the release, which finds an exhilaratingly cerebral way to protest against people glamorising mental illness-derived idiosyncrasies. The unfuckwithably emboldening lyrics reach their peak with, “You think I’m sexy, but I’m broken… you think I’m passionate or just irrational, no baby, I’m pathological.”

Sonically, Ash fuses the scintillating indietronica motifs of Shiny Toy Guns, the demure seduction of Garbage and hints of No Doubt with a little bit of Avril Lavigne to heighten the choruses, synthesising a sonic signature that scorches its way through the assimilative mundanity of the pop-punk scene. Clearly, she’s not here to play, she’s here to reign supreme.

Pathological will be available to stream and purchase on all major platforms from October 18th. Find your preferred way to listen via Lauren Ash’s official website.

Connect with the artist via TikTok and Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

tonka._.b has made her bedroom pop debut with the sticky-sweet indietronica single, Me & U

Posted on 29 August 2023

The bedroom pop artist tonka._.b has made her debut with the indietronic pop hit, Me & U. Right from the prelude you will be invited into a dreamy, almost ethereal electronically crafted universe, which shares a few proclivities with the tracks orchestrated by the likes of Shiny Toy Guns, Metric, and Kill Hannah. Just when you think the single is about to border on twee, bassier dance elements work their way into the progressive mix that delivers a barrage of curveballs to keep you on your toes right to the outro.

It may be rough around some of the songwriting edges in some parts, and transitions between the verses and chorus could be smoother, but the up-and-coming artist clearly has an ear for a melody, and there is no telling where it could take her in the future – stay tuned and keep her on your radar.

Me & U was officially released on August 21; stream it on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The gloves are off in Sarah Shafey’s latest indie-electro hit, Competitor

Posted on 27 May 2022

Fans of Shiny Toy Guns, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and She Wants Revenge will find just as many reasons to get addicted to the heavy production in the Toronto-based singer-songwriter, producer and mixing engineer Sarah Shafey’s latest single, Competitor.

The gloves are officially off in the stylishly fierce indie-electro hit, which is a harbinger of even more visceral things to come from her upcoming fourth album, Blackbox Universe, which is due for release in September 2022. With her tendency to meld genres outside of the electronica spectrum, there’s an immersive tapestry of original layers to her sound, which not only lends itself to the originality, but also to the synapses that will fire upon registering the unadulterated expression that knows very little, if anything of assimilation.

Competitor released in May 2022. You can check it out for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Sonarus – On My Way: Multiculturally Eclectic EDM

Posted on 26 December 2020

Dundee, Scotland-hailing artist, Sonarus brought her multicultural and multi-ethnic roots to her latest mesmerising single, ‘On My Way’. With elements of Afro Tech, Progressive Tech and Trance all breathing life into the galvanising mix, it’s as euphoric as it is intricately ingenious.

As trippy beats indulgently jar against arrestive synth-led melodies, Sonarus paints right across the tonal palette with cold chilling tones brushing up against transcendently light entrancing beats. Yet, the true hypnotic essence of On My Way lies within Sonarus’ smoothly evocative vocal timbre which is as close to an aural cuddle as you’re going to get.

If you could imagine what it would sound like if Shiny Toy Guns and Warpaint met in the middle, you’ll get an idea of what is in store when you hit play on this relentlessly enrapturing release.

You can check out On My Way for yourselves by heading over to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast