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Bristol

wych elm gave grunge a place on 21st-century airwaves with their pitchfork-permeated single, ‘Burnt at the Stake’

Posted on 11 October 2023

Wearing their Angel Olsen and Courtney Barnett influences on the sleeve of their guitarwork and their devil-may-care vocal lines, the Bristol-based trio, wych elm, gave their latest psychedelically sludgy feat of alt-indie, Burnt at the Stake, as much mainstream appeal as their hits that have surpassed the million stream mark.

The winding carnivalesque-with-macabre-glamour melodies are carved through by the angular syncopated notes to ensure the tension is succinctly taught before the breaks into the choruses that blister with catharsis.

Burnt at the Stake is the first single to drip from the forthcoming EP, Field Crow, which will drop on November 13th. Make sure wych elm is on your radar for the deliverance of it and in your gig calendar for when they embark on their UK tour from the same date.

Burnt at the Stake was officially released on September 30th; stream it on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Loulita Gill shared a message of resilience and hope in her classic pop score, Silenced

Posted on 8 October 2023

The singer-songwriter Loulita Gill oozed classic pop class with her recently released single, Silenced, which goes back to the darkest and most vulnerable chapter of her life to offer consolation and solidarity to survivors of abuse.

Few people will ever know the strength needed to keep your head high after you have been subjected to abuse by the people who brought you into the world to cherish and protect you. After the unveiling of this arcanely orchestral score, a deeper sense of empathy will be ingrained in anyone who has never had the crushing experience of vulnerability being exploited first-hand.

Her celestial vocal range, which effortlessly coalesces with the minor piano keys and swells of the classical strings, opens a doorway to compassion. We certainly weren’t coloured surprised when learning the Bristol-based singer’s career has been decorated by accolades. Her music regularly features on global Christian radio stations, GODTV and BBC Radio Bristol.

Watch the official music video for Silenced, which premiered on September 22nd on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Join Harry Bone in his ambient retro synthscape, Journey

Posted on 7 September 2023

After gaining a background in classical music and a conservatoire degree in orchestral percussion production, the Bristol, UK-based producer, composer, and mixing and mastering engineer Harry Bone started to take a more experimental and lo-fi approach to his sound after discovering that almost anything can serve a musical purpose.

His 2023 ambient album, Ambi, featuring the odyssey voyage of a single, Journey, is a cathartic exhibition of his freshly rendered explorative talents. The reverb-lavish keys weave cinematic melodies while still delivering a chill synthy lo-fi smorgasbord of nostalgic alleviation.

The single was constructed to depict the journey from naval-gazing self-pity towards gratitude and positive affirmative action. By euphonically visualising a trip through the woods while allowing elements of nature to coalesce with memories that still evoke positive emotion, Bone succeeded in crafting a consoling score that will set your imagination alight.

If you’re always on the hunt for soundscapes that facilitate tranquil mental repose, don’t hang around waiting to discover the quiescent gems in Harry Bone’s discography.

Stream the Ambi album on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Bristol singer-songwriter Dolly Doo put the soul into ephemeral connections with ‘Aint Nothing Serious’

Posted on 14 July 2023

Hook-up culture may get a superficial rep, but as the siren of soul, Dolly Doo, alludes to in her latest single, Aint Nothing Serious, no-strings-attached arrangements can be the ultimate ephemeral remedy.

The jazzy RnB pop amalgam is an extension of the Bristol-based singer-songwriter’s limitless genre fluidity; whichever stylistic territories her harmonically ethereal vocal lines and richly Elysian instrumentals drift into as she is following the muse, one thing remains a constant, the grace with which she brings to life her complex metaphorical concepts.

Her songwriting style and the genre pools she dips her superlative toe into evoke a certain amount of nostalgia, but there is just enough contemporary light bleaching her harmonious hits to give her sound swathes of contemporary appeal.

With a debut EP in the pipeline and performances at Boomtown and Bristol Harbourside Festival behind her, she is definitively one to watch.

Aint Nothing Serious will be available to stream from July 14 on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Chandra’s Lighters to the Sky is a pop punk-hooked hit for the dreamers

Posted on 2 May 2023

Holding your lighters in the air at rock shows might be a slightly nostalgic way to signify how much a hit has touched your soul, but it’s a pretty fitting parable for the vintage rock aesthetics in Chandra’s latest single, Lighters to the Sky, which will throw you right back to the early 00s.

If you can imagine what Glen Hansard’s single, Falling Slowly, would sound like if it was boldly augmented with pop-punk hooks, you’ll get a great idea of the songwriting chops the Bristol, UK-based solo artist possesses.

Lyrically, Lighters to the Sky is an ode to the big dreamers whose visions are often met with cynicism from people with smaller ambitions. It is a stunning reminder that no one will ever be able to see the future you’re painting in your mind until you reach your respective top and exhibit it all for all to see.

Lighters to the Sky will officially release on April 28. Stream it on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Miss Kill sharpened their knives in their evocatively jagged alt-90s revival EP, Don’t Tell Me Twice

Posted on 18 September 2022

Few artists create a route back to the 90s as creatively as the Bristol sister duo, Miss Kill. Their debut EP, Don’t Tell Me Twice, hits the sonic Seattle mark just as well as it channels the emotional energy of the golden era of raw, sludgy anthems.

I’ve seen countless bios attesting to the influence of Hole, Pearl Jam and Placebo from artists too evocatively inadept to revive that clawingly consuming candour, not Miss Kill. Even the non-lexical vocals are a skeleton key to insecure soul. Each track on the 5-track release affirms the power of their tenaciously heart-breaking songwriting talent that feels so viscerally comforting in a time of such little relative comfort.

One of the lead singles from the EP, All You Gotta Do, kicks up a tumultuous storm of frustration around artful alt-rock instrumentals while the vocals unfalteringly stretch across the melancholic landscape that deserves to be firmly implanted on the playlists you turn to in protest to the exhausting unfulfillment of life and everything it has to throw at you.

Don’t Tell Me Twice was officially released on September 16th. Sink into it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

 

Bristol’s Dolly Doo just wants that one tender kiss to go so slow and seductive on ‘Medusa’

Posted on 24 March 2022

As she tries not to stare and let her heart open too far wide again and get let down like last time, Dolly Doo is quite sensational on this kiss-filled new single all about wanting to be close to that sweet crush on ‘Medusa‘.

Dolly Doo is a Bristol, UK-based indie alternative artist who has the kind of vocal ability and lyrical awareness that sends your imagination into a whole new galaxy.

”Drawing on metaphors lyrically, Dolly Doo connects stories of the past with the present that evoke feelings of nostalgia, loss and heartbreak in a contemporary light.” ~ Dolly Doo

Sending her potential new lover a heartfelt message that is heard loud and clear, Dolly Doo is unquestionably immaculate with a wonderfully electric display that will catch your attention and have your tender lips tingling with anticipation.

‘Medusa‘ from Bristol, UK-based indie alternative artist Dolly Doo, is a superb single that is one of the most sensual gems you might hear all year. This is the message of wanting that one sweet kiss that might open up so many doors, to that romantic night that could change everything and cause sparks to fly all evening. With a sizzling vocalist on fire who seems to only be getting better after each release as her self-awareness grows – this is an ear-shaker beyond comprehension – that will possibly have you blushing as you dream about that passionate moment you have desired forever.

Listen to her wonderful new creation on Spotify and check out her stunning IG for more.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Irish RnB artist Sarah O’Moore returns with a special single about keeping your inner peace on ‘All In My Head’

Posted on 16 March 2022

With a vocal ability that reminds one somewhat of the late great Amy Winehouse, Sarah O’Moore shows us all the way into how she is feeling in this strange world on her latest single that is named, ‘All In My Head‘.

Sarah O’Moore is an Irish RnB/soul indie singer-songwriter who grew up listening to and being inspired by legends such as Nina Simone, Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen and Van Morrison.

”Borrowing from her Corkonian roots, Sarah’s songs carry the dark underbelly of societal demise and her hybrid fusion of rich lyricism and melodic roots make her a touchstone for current times.” ~ Sarah O’Moore

With her debut EP ‘social paralysis‘ due for a release later on in 2022, Sarah O’Moore is at her best here with a glorious single that is projected with so much class and features a beat that is perfect for her style. There is nothing rushed here, as the energy transmits a gloriously calm flow that has you tanning in the rays of such excellence throughout this wonderful new release.

‘All In My Head‘ from Bristol, UK-based RnB/soul artist Sarah O’Moore, sends us into a whole new world with vocals so dreamy you might feel like closing your eyes and going into a better place. In a story all about knowing that you need to block out the noise of the small-minded who love to finger point, she sings with such genuine care and love. This is the kind of song that interlaces your consciousness from the cold into the warmth, from someone rather uniquely brilliant who needs to be cherished forever. A true underground Queen awaits our support.

Hear this new single on Spotify and support her creative energy on IG.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Bristol’s The Inside wishes to be lost in space with the transfixing release, ‘Misery’

Posted on 13 February 2022

As he feels so disconnected from the existing world that makes no sense to his smart mind, The Inside floats up above and takes his precious consciousness away from all the madness that seems to numb all over his body on ‘Misery‘.

The Inside is a Bristol, UK-based indie singer-songwriter, rapper and music producer who is inspired by legendary artists such as Frank Ocean and the late greats Mac Miller and David Bowie.

”A music nerd devoted to studying melodies and lyrics, The Inside mood swinging music is a mix of alternative pop, art-rock and experimental hip hop in a cluster grenade of sound.” ~ The Inside

Ultimately, the compelling vocals and transformative class of The Inside is something to truly treasure. There is a mystique here that is rather remarkable, as he carefully takes us for a thought-provoking expedition that is such a mind-bending mission we can all enjoy no matter what our tastes in music are.

‘Misery‘ from Bristol, UK-based indie singer-songwriter, rapper and music producer The Inside, is the call for everything to be fine again as something is clearly not right. This is an experimental track of the very highest order – with an artist who sends us into another galaxy – as he dreams of something better than he currently sees while transmitting a track that is so rich in such distinct quality you just have to strap in and enjoy the ride.

Hear this deep experience on Spotify and see more of the story on IG.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Lies Through Your Head: Bristol’s Enter Red are quite first-class on ‘De Novo’

Posted on 14 November 2021

With a vibrantly terrific vibe that forms spectacularly through your thoughtful mind, Enter Red bust angrily through the creaky door and show us their world-class appeal with ‘De Novo‘.

Enter Red is a thrilling four-piece indie alt-rock act from Bristol in the UK. They skillfully make a distinctive blend of that desirable music for the soul to reside inside, that you just want to let your hair down to and jump up and down like it was 2019 all over again.

Goodness me. Enter Red are the type of UK band that leaves your whole ecstatic body sweating from their ferocious energy that seems to transform your spirit, to a whole new state of appreciation for such a talented outfit.

‘De Novo‘ from the exuberant Bristol-based indie alt-rock band Enter Red, is a rip-roaring effort from a terrific group that is certainly headed to a whole new level. You can feel the rooted passion flowing through their blood-thirsty veins on each second here, with a tasty edge that has you thinking that they might be your new favourite rock band. The class is easy to spot and the eloquently desirably vocals stand out from the rest, as the tight-knit crew certainly deliver in all facets with a truly brilliant new single.

Hear this top new effort on their Spotify and see more news via the band’s IG.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen