Browsing Tag

UK Pop

Scott the Pisces welcomes us to Summer ’22 in his latest pop stormer featuring BINX

Posted on 27 May 2022
https://soundcloud.com/scottthepisces/summer-22-feat-binxwip-private-link/s-mK1ApBZFXoC

Pop artists may have had their work cut out over the past two summers trying to feed sonic euphoria; now that summer anthems have ceased souring moods by reminding us of what we’re missing out on, Scott the Pisces is here with his viral worthy-track, Summer ’22, featuring BINX. It hits the contemporary curve while throwing right back to the originators of the ultimate summer hits (the Beach Boys, obviously).

Summer ’22 starts with the sun-bleached crunching electric guitar tones that will instantly hook in any indie rock aficionados. By the time the blissfully enlivening production has reached the driving momentum in the chorus, you’ll be wrapped up in the strident celebration of the season. Getting psyched by this blissfully hook-filled track by the up and coming UK artist is practically non-optional.

Summer ’22 is due for official release on May 27th; you can check it out via Spotify and SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Spotlight Feature: Laura Loh delivered deeply entrenched empathy in her seminal self-produced single, Closer

Posted on 20 May 2022

After releasing her 2020 debut EP, which instantly attracted attention from BBC Introducing, Laura Loh has continued to move into her profoundly empathetic pop own. The Hampshire, UK-based classically-trained vocalist and instrumentalist is fresh from the release of her self-recorded and produced latest single, Closer.

Closer contends with the very real issue of our innate human tendency to put ourselves through the wringer every time we have realised that we aren’t infallible. In a therapeutically intimate way, the alt-pop single lulls you into a state of self-compassion, guided by Loh’s glassy vocals, the ethereal organ layers and massive percussion that aurally shows you the beauty in resilience.

If only all sonic mental health advocacy had the same visceral pull of Closer, we’d be an infinitely more self-actualised society. The deeply entrenched empathy in the single is an evocative bruiser. We can’t wait to hear what follows from Loh’s freshly discovered production boldness.

In her own words, here is what Loh had to say about her latest single:

“Closer is a song about recovery and personal growth, inspired by my experience with mental health; it is a reminder that it is okay to fall and take your time picking yourself back up. We all tend to be too hard on ourselves; I hope this song can encourage people to celebrate the progress they make every day, no matter how small.”

Closer will officially drop on May 20th; hear it on SoundCloud & Spotify.

Follow Laura Loh on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

UK indie pop duo ISYLA has unveiled their consciousness-driven cinematic single, Pretty Lies

Posted on 30 April 2022

The UK’s most promising pop duo, ISYLA (Lizzie Freeborn & Woodburn) has further staked their claim with the release of their latest dynamically cinematic single, Pretty Lies.

There is a touch of Nadine Shah’s Kitchen Sink to the jazz-tinged prelude, but ISYLA soon breezed into their ethereal own through the breathy vocals, flamenco guitars and arresting lyricism. “I live and let live but what if a choice takes a life” may just be the most perfect lyric I’ll hear this year. Yet, that’s just a splinter of the refreshing consciousness carried by the duo that formed in 2020 as a musical response to the climate crisis.

Since making their debut, they have featured on BBC Introducing, Music Declares Emergency, and the Consciousness Festival. Their selfless sense of holistic interconnectedness makes every soundscape they touch resound with a rare sense soul that is enough to make everything else on the airwaves feel superficial.

Pretty Lies is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

MACY looks at heartbreak through a sticky-sweet prism of optimism in her latest single, Pink Bandana

Posted on 28 April 2022

Nu-disco meets funk-pop in the latest single from the UK pop luminary, MACY. ‘Pink Bandana’ pops the bubblegum pop bubble with the overdriven guitar riffs, funk-laced bass guitar and vocals that will leave any Marina and the Diamonds fan with the inclination to make the perennial pop earworm a playlist staple.

Pink Bandana, which was produced by Owain Felstead, runs you through the early stages of heartache, seen through a sticky-sweet prism of self-empowered optimism. The emboldening energy reads through the high vibe hook-filled instrumentals and MACY’s playfully fiery vocal charisma. Together, they’e a powerfully infectious combination.

Pink Bandana is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Kassia B proves that patience is a painful virtue in her progressive dance-pop track, Waited Too Long

Posted on 6 April 2022

‘Waited Too Long’ is the latest progressive dance-pop track from Kassia B, who has been captivating audiences with her evocatively dynamic vocals and prodigal talent from an almost absurdly young age. She was 15 years old when she penned her debut single during the 2021 lockdown. If any artist can prove that artistic maturity doesn’t necessarily equate with how many years you’ve existed on the planet, it is Kassia.

With a few singles behind her, she truly came into her stride with Waited Too Long which gives the teenage perspective of the pandemic through the lyrics and liberates the listener from any sense of lingering morosity with the galvanizingly euphoric build-ups and dizzying crescendos. We can’t wait to hear what follows.

Waited Too Long is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Lex Gibbon – All I Do (Is Cry): The Only Viral Pop Newcomer You Need on Your 2022 Playlists

Posted on 28 March 2022

All I Do (Is Cry) is the latest bruisingly candid pop track to infuse emotional realism on the airwaves from the UK pop singer-songwriter Lex Gibbon.

Seventeen years old may be young to start a pop career, but age is irrelevant in the presence of her emotional intelligence and unflinchingly fearless honesty. She’s a viral sensation on platforms, such as TikTok, has featured on BBC Introducing and ITV and even made strides in the fashion industry as the first curve teen model to walk at London, Paris, New York and LA fashion weeks. Perhaps more impressively, she’s fresh from a UK school tour that promoted her single, Dear Hater and advocated for mental health, positive body image and against bullying.

After being bullied from a young age, Lex carries the same outlier introspection as Camus and Bukowski. The main difference is her ability to craft rhythmically arrestive hooks around her pensive admissions. I don’t say this lightly, but Lex Gibbon evidently has what it takes to be a bigger aurally talented supermodel of the world than Ru Paul. Get her on your radar.

All I Do is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Spotlight Feature: Sam Handy is ‘Done’ in his soul-fix of a pop hit

Posted on 18 December 2021

Reading UK-based solo artist, Sam Handy, has been lauded by Jeff Beck, the BBC and everyone lucky enough to catch his soul-spilling sound live. After his latest single, Done, he’s set to take his career to even greater heights – the world can’t sleep on this.

Like all of Sam Handy’s recent releases, Done was produced by Ed Stokes. Discernibly, Stokes shares Handy’s passion in keeping the focus on stellar songwriting and instrumental ability; instead of over-producing the raw elements out of the track.

With the funk of Nile Rogers in the light instrumental hooks, the raspy, harmonic neo-soul vocals that carry reminiscences to D’Angelo and the sniping lyricism, Done becomes so much more than a sum of its parts. The single that explores toxic relationships is an intoxicatingly all-consuming track that allows the instrumentals to bring the warm catharsis while the lyrics prove that soul and resilience go hand in hand. In an emboldening way, Done reminds you that everyone deserves a backbone. We can’t wait to hear what follows.

Done is now available to stream on Spotify. To keep up to date with new releases, follow Sam Handy on Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

 

Future-pop fuses with Britpop in Footless Kicks’ debut single, E1 2AM

Posted on 10 November 2021
Footless Kicks

In the ultimate pop-rock crossover, London-based rock guitarist, producer and songwriter, Footless Kicks sent us back to the Britpop era with his debut single, E1 2AM. The devilishly clever single carries the same blissful tones as the Roses along with the driving momentum of JBD’s anthemically charged riffs in The Manic’s most soul-sating hits. Vocally, Footless Kicks truly came into his own. The solo artist’s gruffly soulful vocal timbre is complemented by the dynamic range of the guest female vocalist whose dreamy harmonies sit between Mazzy Star and My Bloody Valentine.

With more singles in the pipeline and the teasing of an album, any alt-90s fan will want Footless Kicks on their radar.

E1 2AM is due for official release on November 8th; you can catch it for yourselves on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

UK singer-songwriter Hannyta has released her spirited folky synth-pop single, Wildflower.

Posted on 2 November 2021

UK-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Hannyta attracted a loyal fan following with her spellbindingly unique covers of singles such as Fight Song and Jar of Hearts. Her debut original single, Wildflower, proves that when she’s bringing life to products of her orchestration, even more visceral, spiritual alchemy breathes. The moody synth-pop stylings, Hannyta’s almost arcanely soulful vocals and the folkish elements create a brand-new brand of entrancing electro-pop.

Not only does Hannyta boast authenticity, but she also boasts the ability to make that authenticity infectious from the first hit. Hit play, and you will greet your new perennial pop earworm. How she has such a refined style at the age of seventeen is quite frankly beyond us. We can’t wait to hear what she has in store for her sophomore release.

Wildflower, which was officially released on October 22nd, is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Bow explores the nuances of intimacy in her sticky sweet pop hit, Tun Me On.

Posted on 26 October 2021

It tells you all you need to know about the South Coast, UK-based singer-songwriter Bow, that she was able to breathe innocence into a pop track titled, Turn Me On.

Rather than creating a provocative track, she layered plenty of soul into the atmospheric radio-ready electro-pop hit by running through the nuances of intimacy that many artists evade while penning the obvious and the salacious. Sonically, hints of 80s synthpop feed in around the jangly indie-pop guitars and the euphoria-breeding drops.

At the age of just 17-years-old, Bow’s already viral-worthy sound is ensuring that it won’t be long until she’s world-renown if she keeps on creating hits as sweet and infectious as Turn Me On.

Turn Me On is now available on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast