Browsing Tag

70s Pop Rock

Seßler/Zeeb packed a lyrical plea for compassion in a pop-rock ballad with ‘If No One’

Posted on 18 April 2024

The superlatively soulful German pop duo, Seßler/Zeeb, sprinkled swathes of (Ziggy) stardust into the production of their 70s folk singer-songwriter-tinged rock-pop ballad, If No One, which implores the listener not to discard humanity and compassion in an era which is becoming increasingly hard to bear.

Over the gentle major piano keys, the lyrics find a way of directly engaging you, pulling you into the plea to bolster the strength of humanity by one act of kindness at a time. The reprise of “if no one really cares” affirms that feeling as though you’re all alone in your plights is one of the most devastating shots to the heart of the human condition. The duo’s handling of this tender subject matter stands as a testament to their ability to evoke emotion with their provokingly pure approach to classic pop songwriting.

Between the lyrical messaging, which will leave you questioning what you can do for someone else today, and the upbeat tones which carry the timbres of the gospel choir in the chorus until it’s time for the guitar solo to inject the release with euphonic zeal, If No One will stay with you, long after the final note has faded.

If No One was officially released on April 5th; stream the single on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Denim Dan falls slowly in their 70s-tinged pop-rock serenade, Santa Maria’s Dome

Posted on 11 December 2023

Santa Maria’s Dome, the eponymous single from Denim Dan’s latest LP, is a captivating piece, rich in both emotional depth and musical charm. This track, set against the backdrop of the band’s established dusted with 70s pop-rock tones, offers listeners a heartfelt narrative wrapped in a nostalgically magnetic soundscape.

The song tells the story of a budding May-December romance, exploring themes of connection and age difference with a poignant yet optimistic lens. It speaks to the universal experience of meeting someone you want to share life’s journeys with because going it alone would only make you feel far from home.

The vocal warmth adds a layer of affability, creating a balance between the potentially tear-jerking subject matter and a more light-hearted, playful air. This juxtaposition is meticulously handled, ensuring the song remains emotionally engaging without becoming overly sentimental.

Denim Dan, hailing from Boulder, Colorado, has been a consistent presence in the music scene since their formation in 1996. Their journey from the debut album Your Foreign Town to their internationally acknowledged sixth album This Way That Way The Other Way showcases a band that has matured and evolved while maintaining its core musical identity. Santa Maria’s Dome, their seventh studio album, continues this trajectory, offering both long-time fans and new listeners a deeply engaging experience.

Stream the Santa Maria’s Dome album in full on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Denim Dan has released his blissfully bitter-sweet folky pop-rock serenade, 3AM (I Call You Up)

Posted on 15 January 2023

Denim Dan is fresh from the release of his fourth studio LP, 3AM; the 70s folky pop-rock album is one you will want to while away the small hours with to keep at bay the nefarious thoughts your mind summons when it hits the pillow.

The dreamy, spacey sincerity of the title single, which proves die-hard romanticism will never go out of trend, takes a break from the trippy colourful psych tones to serenade with an ardent rock riff that stands as a testament to the creative power and talent poured into the blissfully bitter-sweet serenade.

For any Bob Dylan fans, Denim Dan has also recently debuted his cover album, Denim Dan Meets Dylan… A Tribute. No matter how much you think you know Dylan, you’ve never met him quite like this before. Denim Dan’s quintessentially affable vocal command and his swanky yet innocently sweet instrumental style are cutely visionary.

Hear both albums via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Fullers welcome you to the ‘Unreal City’ with their classical folk single.

Posted on 13 August 2021

The brutalist architecture in the single artwork perfectly captures the bleak tone in the Fullers’ latest semi-orchestral single, Unreal City, which comes with 70s melancholic pop-rock nostalgia and a sorrowful indie post-punk edge.

The Fullers have been in formation since 2018; they garnered the attention of BBC Surrey and Essex before transforming their rock sound to make the most of songwriter Peter Neilan’s classical training. The evolution in their sound allows classical motifs to coalesce with folk elements; any fans of Ben Folds will want to pay attention.

Unreal City was officially released on August 13th; you can check it out for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Ruby Tears launch their first ‘Satellite’ and are about to hit orbit

Posted on 29 November 2020
https://therubytears.bandcamp.com/track/satellite-2

Formed at the start of the first Covid 19 lockdown in March by Manchester musician and former frontman of John Peel punk-pop picks The Bloody Marys John Goodfellow and Jeff Skellon (former bassist with 80’s Liverpool favourites Lalabambam), ‘The Empty Heart EP’ – the third (yes count ‘em) release from The Ruby Tears – shows just what can be achieved by ‘remote working’, Goodfellow and Skellon not (yet) actually having met in the flesh.

Working instead from their respective home studios during the pandemic, with ‘Satellite’ the pair have crafted a piece of classic, seventies-styled-yet-updated New Wave pop-rock in the vein of The Attractions, The Stanglers, or Magazine.

There’s some stellar guitar work from Skellon, all percussive muted strumming and mellow, ‘woman-tone’ lead, Goodfellow’s vocal laid-back and gruff in the way that all good rock music should be, the ‘with the words you never said’ refrain sticking around long after the final notes of Skellon’s guitar have died away. ‘Classic’ is an overused word these days, but ‘Satellite’ is a slice of classic New Wave in the best possible way; climb on board with The Ruby Tears, because there’s every chance this is going to go stellar.

The ‘Empty Heart EP’ drops across streaming platforms on the 4th December. You can listen to ‘Satellite’ on Bandcamp, and follow The Ruby Tears on Facebook.

Review by Alex Holmes