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Matt Brown – Mr. Nice Guy: The Contemporary Sonority of Nu-Jazz

Posted on 26 March 2018

This isn’t the first time I’ve stumbled across Matt Brown’s staggeringly soulful sounds; his debut track Mona Lisa has had me hooked on his sound since I first hit play. His contemporary Jazz infusions are one that are easily universal, he creates music that’s an invitation to accessibility of the Neo Soul Genre.

Yet, with Mr. Nice Guy, it’s clear that Matt Brown has homed in his skills even closer for his music to refract his soulful passion through each note. There is a palpably high-vibe sensibility to his track, which will without doubt put a smile on the most nihilistic of face. I love the fact that Matt Brown plays around with the nice guy concept that are always treated with cynical scepticism and makes you see those nice guys in a brand-new light. Through this track Matt Brown mixed his R&B soul sensibilities with classical Jazz piano and flugelhorn from the help of some sickeningly talented session instrumentalists.

Mr. Nice Guy was released on March 7th, 2018 you can check it out on SoundCloud

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Blowing The Whistle On Kitsch Piano-Pop

Posted on 25 March 2018

When we think of solo piano music, even in the more commercial world, we generally think of the high-concept and artistic direction of Kate Bush or Tori Amos or the kitsch dinosaurs that the likes of Elton John or Billy Joel have become as they became successful. Thankfully there are artists such as Martin Mayer to inject a bit of excitement and panache into the format of the pop-piano.

And it is pop, more than anything else, but it is what he adds into the formula that makes tracks like Whistler so good. It runs on a groove which borrows from a more muscular rock environment and surrounds itself with wide-screen cinematics to build tension and intrigue. But what lies at the heart of the song is a simple but dexterous combination of pop piano, classical flourish and orchestral drama. Sitting somewhere between high energy film soundtrack and commercial recital, Martin Mayer is literally changing the role and potential of the piano in commercial realms.

Genre Trampling Acoustic Pop-Funk From Dallas David Ochoa

Posted on 20 March 2018

If you hear the term solo acoustic guitarist and your thoughts immediately turn to skinny jeaned, fashionistas in wide brimmed hats pouring their woes out in the chord of A minor, then you need a bit of Dallas David Ochoa in your life. Yes, he plays acoustic guitar, yes, he us a singer-song writer but he manages to harness more groove and vibrancy in one bar than most of the aforementioned would be troubadours do in their first three albums.

Direct, infectious, joyous abandon…. Pop-funk style. How can you not like this guy? And it isn’t just the dexterity of his playing that ticks all the boxes, the fact that he kicks all generic boundaries into touch just by picking up an acoustic guitar is long over due. Classical deftness, funky workouts, dark folky undertones, pop sass and flamenco flourishes all get their turn and anyone who can fit all that together without it feeling forced or showboaty has definitely got to be one to watch. Dallas David Ochoa is without doubt one to watch.

Frank Banks – Ten Steps Ahead ft. LennStacks: A Riddle Of Immersive Hip Hop Entwined in Orchestral Harmony

Posted on 17 March 2018

6 months after it’s first release, Green City, US based Hip Hop Rap artist Frank Banks track Ten Steps Ahead is still ringing it’s hyped up tune in our ears. A track so energetically seamless isn’t easily forgotten about. The chilling yet playful Hip Hop beat incorporates the harsh snaps, snares and riddles that are pretty typical from the Trap sound. What’s so refreshing is the immersivity hidden in the layers of the sound is found in the orchestral harmony provided by the almost classical use of strings. There aren’t many underground urban artists around who can orchestrate a beat this seamless. LennStacks vocal pairing creates a fresh new dynamic to Frank Banks sound, this is a track Hip Hop fans really don’t want to miss out on. The only slight criticism I would throw at the track is the lack of substance behind the lyrics. I must have heard a 1000 rap flows that pay reference to Hennessey this year. It gets a bit tedious for a lyrical snob such as I. Yet not even the small lyrical misdemeanour can take away from the elemental power of this beat.

You can check out Ten Steps Ahead on SoundCloud using the link below:

https://soundcloud.com/frankbanks207/ten-steps-ahead

Review by Amelia Vandergast

RĂI – Back to Life: Ethereally Uplifting R&B That Has A Place in the 21st Century

Posted on 13 March 2018

RĂI’s latest track Back to Life is due for official release from April 1st, 2018, his Soulful Rhythm and Blues sound is definitely not something you want to miss out on. The passion he layers behind his style is so palpable it’s impossible not to be moved by the romantically orchestrated sentiment that really puts his music in an element of its own. The New York based singer song writer uses his talent to share his infectious positivity with R&B fans bringing substance to a genre that is so often plagued by superficiality. To create his fresh sound, he uses a mix of R&B roots with the contemporary to make R&B has a place in the 21st century. It should come as no surprise that RĂI’s vocal delivery is so sensually impressive, the R&B aficionado is a classically trained singer that uses Soul and Southern Gospel as an outlet for his passion.

You can check out Back to Life on SoundCloud using the link below:

https://soundcloud.com/therealraimusic/05-back-to-life

For more from RĂI check out his official website:

www.therealrai.com

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Summarae – Love Hurts: The Epitome of Sultry Harmony

Posted on 11 March 2018

There are only a few ways a track that can win me over in a few seconds and a poignant violin cacophony Is one of them. Summarae has always had a beautiful way of bringing Classical into the contemporary with her captivating Neo-Soul style which she fuses with Blues & R&B. Love Hurts was the artists debut track where she treated Soul fans to her soothing yet uplifting vocals around a whole lot of funk and soaring guitar melodies. To say her music is on another level would be the understatement of the century. Her latest track Come With Me was released in 2018 and deserves an infinite amount of recognition. Summarae is an artist unperturbed by the current fads and trends floating around the R&B arena, she’s stuck to her own sultry pioneering style to create yet another sublime track. Summarae has been a successful recording artist since the age of 19, however Love Hurts saw the start of Summarae’s stunning career as a solo artist.

You can check out Summarae’s first release Love Hurts on SoundCloud using the link below:

https://soundcloud.com/soulprovidamgmt/love-hurtsv

For more ways to listen to Summarae’s sound head on over to her official website:

http://www.summarae.com/

Review by Amelia Vandergast

James Crichton – Another Way: An Irish Guitar Hero with Infinitely More Charm Than Bono

Posted on 10 March 2018

The Emerald Isle of Ireland has always been home to sensational rock musicians, and in my humble (not so humble) opinion, James Crichton’s guitar skills in his latest project Rock JLC puts him up there with the Best of them. Compared to likes of Thin Lizzy, Skid Row, Therapy? And of course, The Undertones, James Crichton has all that they exude and more. There’s something uniquely succinct about Crichton’s latest single Another Way. The contrast between the vocals and the relentless soaring guitar riffs that just never let up is astounding. His vocal range bore a sweet reminiscence to more pensive vocalists such as Thom Yorke (Radiohead) and Sigur Ros. When those sweet high notes hit over a blend of classical rock guitar it’s utter aural alchemy that any Rock fan will appreciate.

You can check out the official music video to Another Way via the Facebook link below, I’d make sure you have the lights on though. I’m certainly going to be having nightmares after watching that delightfully macabre feature.

https://www.facebook.com/RockJLC/videos/1932222150360796/?type=1

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Philip D. Zach – Gradient Album Review: A Neo-Classical Minimalist Composition of Reflection & Ambience

Posted on 10 March 2018

From the moment that I hit play on the first track of Philip D. Zach’s new album Gradient, I knew that the stunningly neo-classically trained instrumentalist had found a home in my Spotify playlist right next to Nils Frahm and Phillip Glass. The Lincoln, Nebraska’s sound has an ethereal way of drawing you in, even around the silence, there is so much substance and tentative anticipation for Zach to lure you further into his sweet piano melodies. Each track from his debut album serves as a testament to his effortless dexterity and warmth which exudes from his minimalistic mash up of Classical and Ambient sound.

Philip D. Zach is a composer that deserves to pack out concert halls and arena tours with his sound, not just prop up pianos in piano bars, the synergy that he creates with such a minimalist sound is almost electrifying. Of all the tracks on the album, I’d most definitely recommend you check out Pyramid Lung, it damn well nearly brought a tear to my eye. Contained within the reflective pieces and layers within each track is the artists perpetual flow and passion which drives you to its climax and you’re left hypnotised by the pure aural alchemy of the artists fascinating style.

Head on over to Spotify where you can check out the stunning album Gradient by one of the most talented young pianists around today:

https://open.spotify.com/album/71elLJ5p048ZvpRSSVOSvp

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Leo Wood – My Luck: An Unfathomably Stunning Mix of DnB, Folk & Blues

Posted on 7 March 2018

I’m absolutely stumped trying to figure out a way to describe Leo Wood’s stunning sound in her debut single My Luck. Sure, it mixes DnB with Pop, Soul, Blues and Acoustic Folk, but hearing that fusion for the first time from such a strong female voice is an experience of pure aural alchemy that you definitely will want to check out for yourself. The funk of the bass contrasts against the more synthy elements of DnB, which creates a rich, perplexing sound that you can’t help slipping into. If you mixed Scroobius Pip with The Sugababes you might get somewhere close to the idea of Leo Wood’s unfathomably stunning sound.

Leo Wood is a Bristol, UK based songwriter and vocalist that uses her sound to test the boundaries of the acoustic and electronic partnership. There was clearly no rulebook in sight when Leo Wood set out to make her debut track My Luck instead, she took her own inspirations, classical training and penchant for Blues and Soul to create a truly pioneering sound.

You can check out the stunning official video to My Luck on YouTube using the link below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYPYcjpDBEQ

Follow Leo Wood on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/LeoWoodOriginal

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Susannah B – Far More: Goose Bump Inducing Hypnotic Indie Pop

Posted on 27 February 2018

Music just doesn’t get any more moving than Susannah B’s bewitching sound. I’ve dabbled in pretty much every genre under the sun and I’ve never found a musician that’s essence is this uplifting, it’s almost chilling.

Susannah B’s sound which is predominantly domineered from her ethereal vocals loosely fits within the Pop arena, yet the sound that Susannah B has orchestrated in her latest album Far More is unchained. The tracks that make up the album incorporate elements of Pop, Classical, Funk & Soul to create a pioneering sound that I can guarantee that you’ve never heard the likes of before. The production and instrumentals curtesy of John Ballinger are utterly sublime and create the perfect aural alchemy behind each of the tracks.

Susannah is a powerhouse of talent who uses her pleasant vocals (understatement of the century) to create beautifully uplifting tracks that will stand the test of time.  Susannah B’s voice of female empowerment is not something the world will ever tire of hearing.

You can check out the 5-track album Far More using the link below:

http://susannahb.squarespace.com

Review by Amelia Vandergast.