Browsing Tag

UK Indie Folk

Tune into Matt Sayers’ latest tender indie-folk transmission, Radio

In the intricate weave of indie folk, Matt Sayers’ single, Radio, is a razor-sharp cut above the rest. With its artful flourishes and aching eloquence, you’ll feel your soul tremble with the vibrato of his vocals as they sink the teeth of melancholy into melodies that come alive through enmeshing mellifluous rhythms with syncopated layers. There is a palpable tension between the fluid musical movements and the sharp edges of a mind in turmoil, reminiscent of Frightened Rabbit’s ability to sculpt pain into sonic beauty.

Sayers, hailing from England, channels the spirit of 70s Laurel Canyon legends like Jackson Browne and Joni Mitchell, while echoing modern folk influences such as Gregory Alan Isakov and Noah Gundersen. His lyrical journeys vignette life’s profound themes—from the ephemeral dance of existence in Dancing Girl to the quest for belonging in Jericho.

Radio itself is an affecting display of Sayers’ talent to distil torment into art. Needless to say, it’s as radio-ready as the songs that haunted him and inspired this masterpiece which marries lush reverie with the primal pain of a hopeless romantic cascading into despair.

Radio was officially released on September 5th; stream the single on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Allan Hill muses on impermanence in his sophomore album, Oxford

Unlike many lockdown-born projects, the Indie-folk solo artist, Allan Hill, didn’t give up the ghost when the bars opened again. After his 2021 debut, he’s revealed the delicate melancholia refined in his sophomore 2022 album, Oxford.

In his own words, the LP is a “coming of age turning inwards and an exploration of impermanence, nostalgia, isolation and queerness.” In the title single, the invitingly warm plaintive soul wraps around the simplistic admission, “everything keeps changing, and I’m fine”, which isn’t profound in itself until you start to consider the journey an artist had to go through to make that proclamation.

The fingerpicked Either/Or-era Elliott Smith reminiscences may be strong in the nature entwined single, but Hill’s autonomy as a stunningly talented artist in his own right is enough to quiescently beat them into submission.

Oxford is now available to stream on Spotify. Grab some tissues first though, yeah?

Review by Amelia Vandergast