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Blog Showcasing Singer Songwriter Talent

ShadowHart’s ‘Calcified’ Hits Like a Gothic Cathedral Crumbling Under the Weight of Time

Posted on 18 March 2025

ShadowHart, AKA Richard Nelson, redefines pop-punk with the weight of his orchestral motifs and baroque-leaning vocals. ‘Calcified’ commands attention with its colossal crescendos and atmospherically charged angst.

A lifetime of musical obsession and technical expertise bleeds through every note. Raised in a household where guitars were practically heirlooms, Nelson cut his teeth young, climbing the ranks as one of Tennessee’s top jazz musicians before taking his talent through Auburn University and a career in aerospace engineering. Now, armed with a Master’s in Music Technology, he’s sculpting sound with the precision of someone who understands its mechanics from the inside out.

‘Calcified’ is a haunting contradiction. It carries the visceral energy of early 2000s pop-punk but leans into a cinematic darkness that sets ShadowHart apart. The emotive riffs and orchestral undertones carve out space for his vocals to amplify every lyric’s weight, swelling with the kind of gothic grandeur rarely heard in the genre. The theatrics never overshadow the sincerity—his voice cuts through the production like an elegy for youth, delivered with wisdom most of his contemporaries lack.

For a genre oversaturated with imitators, ShadowHart’s approach is an anomaly. With his full-length debut album dropping on April 25th, 2025, he won’t be lingering in the shadows for much longer.

‘Calcified’ is available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

CALEBAKACNOTE Raises the Stakes on Hyper Pop with ‘Forever’

Posted on 16 March 2025

CALEBAKACNOTE isn’t interested in half-measures, and his latest single, Forever, makes that abundantly clear. With a hyper pop structure that spirals skyward, guided by faith, hope, and sheer force of will, the single transforms a bitter-sweet trap pop heartbeat into a track you can effortlessly get into sync with.

The future-forward production melds effortlessly with the pitch-perfect harmonies, creating an electronic pulse that refuses to settle into the background. There’s no divide between the melody and the emotion—it’s all stitched together in a way that makes Forever one of the most affecting pop hits of 2025. The track doesn’t waste time on empty sentimentality; instead, it builds on realism, offering a resonantly grounded take on 21st century relationship dynamics.

CALEBAKACNOTE’s instinctive approach to pop draws from a genre-fluid background, his sound fuses pop, R&B, gospel, and alternative influences into a unique sonic signature you will want scribed through your playlists. His refusal to be confined extends beyond the music—his presence in the creative world spans songwriting, production, and visual storytelling, ensuring that his artistry is as immersive as it is immediate.

It’s rare to find a hyper pop track that lingers without gimmicks, but Forever is an earworm with substance, engineered for longevity. Whether it pulls you in for the euphoric rush or the lyrical weight, one thing’s certain—it won’t let go.

Stream Forever on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Chelsea Lyn Meyer Fires Up the Future of Pop-Punk Nostalgia with ‘tease’

Posted on 15 March 2025

Chelsea Lyn Meyer slams the accelerator on early 2000s pop-punk nostalgia with tease, a track that revisits the era and rips through it with full-throttle energy. Over crunched, hyped, and gnarled guitar chords, she fuels the anthemic momentum with cannonball vocal lines, unleashing heavy emotive artillery. The hooks hit hard, the attitude is undeniable, and while the sound may spark memories of the genre’s golden days, Meyer is pushing it forward with visceral conviction.

Before launching her solo career, Meyer cut her teeth in the pop-punk outfit 2AM, where she built a reputation for crafting infectious, high-energy anthems. The band’s success led to music award wins, radio play, and slots supporting Capitol Records-signed artists. After 2AM disbanded, Meyer’s solo releases, including Between the Lies and This One’s On You, dominated indie radio charts, securing #1 spots on stations like Gaslight Radio in NYC and Indie Rock Radio in Nashville. Working with producer Michael Wuerth, she continued to amplify her presence with tracks that critics hailed as reinventions of the genre.

Now leading her debut EP, tease proves Meyer’s ability to reignite pop-punk’s essence while keeping it firmly planted in the present. With high-energy hooks and sharp, seductive confidence, this is a revival with teeth.

tease is now available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Suite for Claddagh by Conor Churchill featuring Philip Bowen – A Love Letter Cast in Folk Gold

Posted on 15 March 2025

Conor Churchill doesn’t chase reinvention; he understands the weight of tradition and wields it with quiet confidence. Suite for Claddagh is unapologetically Americana to its roots-reverent core, with folk motifs threading an even more timeless touch through its sweeping production. There’s no pretence, no self-indulgence—just razor-sharp songwriting and grandeur born from restraint, allowing every note to breathe.

Philip Bowen’s violin work carves through the track like an autumn wind stirring old memories, lifting Churchill’s introspective storytelling into something cinematic. The rich imagery in the lyrics drives the song forward with the same contemplative solace found in watching water ripple—offering fleeting glimpses into something deeper beneath the surface. It’s a love story, but more than that, it’s an ode to finding meaning in the quiet spaces, the spaces that change and shape us even when we’re not looking.

As a glimpse into his debut album, Brand New Branches, Suite for Claddagh cements Churchill as a songwriter primed for a long-lasting legacy. With a sound that pays homage to the legacies of John Prine and Jason Isbell while staying firmly his own, Churchill captures the melancholy of change and the beauty in embracing it. His debut may be long-awaited, but with songwriting this refined, it’s clear he’s been growing into it all along.

Suite for Claddagh is available now on all major streaming platforms, including YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Secondhand Smoke – Sinking Ships’ Twang-Soaked Hymn for the Wandering Soul

Posted on 14 March 2025
Sinking Ships by Sinking Ships

Sinking Ships doesn’t play Americana by the book—he stains it with Detroit’s garage rock grit and lets it linger in the air like Secondhand Smoke, which also happens to be the title of his latest single. With twangy, roots-reverent guitars cradling the intro, the track gently pulls you in before his gravelly, whiskey-soaked vocals take centre stage. Echoing the swagger of Dogs D’Amour and The Stones, his delivery balances rugged sincerity with a devil-may-care coolness.

The sepia-toned lull doesn’t last long. As the crescendo kicks in, the single shifts from dusky introspection to full-blown rock ‘n’ roll earworm. Winding guitar strings, steel guitar timbres, and brashy chords ensure the alt-country undercurrent never fades completely—it stays locked in, an uplifting presence coursing through the track’s folk storytelling heartbeat.

True to tradition, Secondhand Smoke paints a panorama of a portrait, tracing a beatnik attempt at self-discovery, where hope clings to the horizon like the last glow of a setting sun. Whether meaning is found or not seems almost secondary—the real story is in the search itself.

With this release, Sinking Ships proves he’s found his footing in the crossfire of alt-country, indie, and garage rock. His sound isn’t polished, it isn’t predictable, but it lands exactly where it needs to—right in the marrow of modern Americana’s restless spirit.

Stream Secondhand Smoke on all major platforms, including Bandcamp.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Why Do I? – Martin Reynolds’ Rock ‘n’ Roll Rebellion with a Side of Swagger

Posted on 14 March 2025

If you thought the golden age of riff-driven, rule-breaking rock ‘n’ roll was dead and buried, Martin Reynolds is here to prove you wrong. With Why Do I?, the Tamworth-based renegade doesn’t just tap into the past—he drags it into the present, kicking and screaming.

The brashy, upbeat momentum never falters as Reynolds plays devil’s advocate with playfully Machiavellian vocals, injecting roguish charm into an earworm built to rattle the rafters. Between the swanky piano licks, double bass lines, and horn stabs courtesy of jazz legend Tom “Bones” Malone, Why Do I? is a full-throttle aural pick-me-up for anyone who prefers to get high on their own terms.

Lyrically, Reynolds lays it all out—questioning self-sacrifice and the cost of putting others before yourself. But there’s no wallowing here; even when he’s grappling with life’s bruises, the defiance stays intact. It’s rock ‘n’ roll at its core—unapologetic, infectious, and utterly unshackled from the mundane.

Recorded at Sinewave Studios, mixed and produced by Reynolds himself, and mastered by Pete Maher (The Pixies, Jack White, The Rolling Stones), Why Do I? makes it clear that Reynolds and his band, The Minor Detours, are here to shake things up. If the past few years saw Reynolds step out from behind the drumkit, 2025 is the year he plants his flag firmly in the ground.

Stream Why Do I? on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

James Austin Melton Strips Jazz to Its Core and Rebuilds It with ‘Adaptive Fiction’

Posted on 14 March 2025
James Austin Melton

James Austin Melton may still be breaking ground in the jazz scene, but Adaptive Fiction proves he’s set to shake the foundations. His intricate, classically influenced guitar style intertwines seamlessly with a cinematically smoky brass section, creating a deeply rooted and refreshingly unrestrained sonic signature.

The single is catharsis in melodic motion. As the Latin-esque guitars set the groove, the energy only intensifies with the arrival of Melton’s soul-imbued vocals, soaring above the instrumentation with effortless conviction. The production strips jazz to its core and rearranges it with a vision that few would dare to share, yet every note remains as accessible as it is sanctifying.

A musician, educator, and writer, Melton approaches his craft with the kind of thoughtfulness that turns compositions into experiences. His discography is quickly shaping into a sanctuary of sound, offering respite from the noise with arrangements that challenge convention without ever alienating the listener.

With Adaptive Fiction, Melton reaffirms that jazz isn’t just alive—it’s still evolving in ways that demand attention.

Adaptive Fiction is now available to stream on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Fleeting Paris’ ‘Movie Star Quality’ Stages a Reality Without a Curtain Call

Posted on 13 March 2025

Fleeting Paris may take an unconventional approach to songwriting, but even with the sonic rulebook ripped up and its ashes scattered, Movie Star Quality doesn’t sacrifice accessibility or affectability. The sticky-sweet vocals, unfeigned in their emotion, drift through the sting of unflinching staccato guitar rhythms, revealing a mastery of tension-building. There’s little rhythmic release in the track, and that’s exactly where its ingenuity lies—it subverts expectation, bypassing the cliché of a soaring chorus to stay true to reality, where we wait for breaks that never come.

Lyrically, the track dissects the Hollywood-glamorised human experience, exposing the diminishment of those who don’t don the façade, even as we acknowledge that our idols have long shed their autonomy. This lyrical meditation becomes even more immersive through Fleeting Paris’ Paul Simon-esque vocal lines, which know exactly how to lock emotion into melody.

The rejection of conventional song structure only strengthens the track’s impact. Instead of offering the instant gratification of predictability, Movie Star Quality forces listeners to sit in the discomfort of unresolved tension. It’s a soundtrack to disillusionment, but one that never alienates—because beneath the abstraction, there’s a raw sincerity that makes every note resonate.

Movie Star Quality is available now on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Jerrelle’s ‘Bluetooth’ Links Emotion to Strategy in a Hypnotic RnB Trap Pop Hit

Posted on 12 March 2025

You’ll have no problem connecting with Bluetooth, Jerrelle’s latest RnB trap pop single that ensnares with the beat and pulls you in deeper through his cultivated approach to lyrical storytelling. The track is a calculated and cultivated interplay of emotion and strategy, where every verse keeps you locked in.

As the single progresses, the full picture manifests through polished electro hooks and Jerrelle’s charismatically sharp vocal presence, which remains unflinchingly magnetic throughout the track. Adding an almost mind-bending dynamic is a carnivalesque polyphonic melody that cavorts around the bass-swathed beats, injecting unpredictability into the rhythm while the lyrics cut through with an awareness of modern connection as a game of moves and counter-moves. Who said romance was dead?

Jerrelle’s ability to hold the reins between vulnerability and control mirrors his diverse influences, spanning from Lauryn Hill to Brent Faiyaz. There’s a quiet intensity in his delivery, a balance of smoothness and sharp edges, reinforcing the complexity of human interaction that Bluetooth lays bare.

Bluetooth is available now on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Raven (G185TARR Vandal Mix) – A Hypersonic Surge of Industrial Chaos and Alt-Rock Melodicism

Posted on 12 March 2025

The G185TARR Vandal Mix of Ami Leigh’s seminal single, The Raven, detonates with hypersonic industrial electro rock before the mechanical intensity makes way for indie rock melodicism that finds new intersections through punk ethos. It’s a sonic collision course, where rallyingly magnetic vocals evoke alt-90s nostalgia as they glide across white-hot guitars and the brutal percussive force driving the track forward.

Bringing the rough with the smooth, the seductive with the savage, Leigh lands in an intrinsically distinctive alt-rock domain, toying with elements of post-hardcore before tossing them aside in favour of a pop-hooked chorus. The contrast is a masterstroke—every shift in momentum feels calculated yet completely untamed.

The mix affirms that Ami Leigh isn’t just making noise in the North East—she’s forging a path with her fearless genre fluidity. As a fixture on BBC Introducing and international radio charts, her ability to adapt and innovate is on full display in The Raven. It’s the epitome of an infectious anthem, engineered to leave an imprint long after the final synth riff signals its departure.

Stream the official video of The Raven Remix on YouTube now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast