Browsing Tag

Acoustic Rock

Blomqvist & Mattjus borrowed a few tones from Dogs D’Amour for their acoustic rock triumph, Dangerous Curves

Any fans of bluesy rock in the same vein as Dogs D’Amour, Pretty Boy Floyd, and The Quireboys won’t want to hesitate to get the acoustic rock LP, Right on Time, from the devilishly reverent duo, Blomqvist & Mattjus, in rotation.

Track 6, Dangerous Curves, is the perfect introduction to the duo’s redefinition of the iconic rock tones that built the sonic landscape in the 70s, 80s and 90s. With vocals that could give Massive Wagons a run for their money and catchy choruses that would be best enjoyed while driving with the top down, this infectiously low-down and dirty acoustic anthem is far too irresistible for a solitary play. The celebration of sensuality veers just close enough to 80s sleaze to scintillate it with salaciousness, but the sense of bluesy soul quickly perturbed any sense of vulgarity.

Right on Time was officially released on May 23; get stuck into it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

WD-HAN evoke rock n roll nostalgia while paying an ode to the compassionate in ‘Good Man’

It has been a while since a track evoked tears and chills in me; WD-HAN did all that and more with their latest soulfully nostalgic rock n roll single, Good Man, which was officially released on April 7.

Somewhere between Buckley and Springsteen, the sentimentally humble single starts with an acoustic intro before the track builds into an orchestrally full-bodied rock rendezvous. Yet the same emotional intensity from the prelude runs right into the outro after the colossally arresting alt-rock crescendo.

Lyrically, it is such a bitter-sweet reminder of how this world chews up and spits out the most sensitive dreamers that traipse across the jagged teeth of their landscapes but the soulful optimistically bright vocal performance gives a potent shot of persuasion that you should stick to your compassionate guns. The conceptually layered single also touches on the paradox of the best of us being full of self-doubt and those proclaiming to be good is often a major red flag.

Stream Good Man on SoundCloud now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Beau James Wilding’s latest single, The Dove, spread its wings through artfully gritty folk-rock beguile

For his latest Waitsy roughneck folk-rock release, The Dove, the enigmatically captivating singer-songwriter Beau James Wilding collaborated with the violinist, David Stone, to create a gripping trip through unadulterated emotion.

With the folky strings bringing a touch of The Levellers to the single, the bluesy acoustic guitar tones and the devilishly innovative percussion, The Dove spread its wings through a fair amount of artful beguile while Wilding vocally riffed from his almost sermonic soul. The lyricality of the gritty release, which only lets the light in through the high timbres of Stone’s strings, is enough to make Nick Cave’s discography sound like Gospel.

Usually, Cali-hailing artists spill sun into their soundscapes; it is beyond refreshing to hear an artist resisting the atmosphere and perusing his affinity for dark Bukowski-ESQUE poetry.

The Dove is due for official release on March 10th. Hear it on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Joey Sherman sings the beatnik blues in his acoustic rock single, Moonlit Night

Moonlit Night is the seminal lo-fi acoustic rock single from the singer-songwriter, Joey Sherman, who needs little more than an acoustic guitar, his engrossingly assured vocal timbre and his beatnik lyrics that will easily appeal to any fans of Jack Kerouac and Bob Dylan.

As the ardent chords ring, Sherman transfuses Midwestern soul into the soundscape that may be rough around the edges, but it is still a shot to the heart for anyone who knows how it feels to constantly be rebuilding themselves from the ashes of their former lives with scant foresight over which path to push forward on at the crossroads.

Moonlit Night is now available to stream on YouTube.

Follow Joey Sherman on Facebook.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Marc Ambrosia is over sentimentialism in his devilishly clever post-breakup single, Cold Shoulder

Born and raised New Jersey native Marc Ambrosia created the breakup track to end all others with his latest single, Cold Shoulder, which captures the sweetness of freedom in the spicey lyrics which go in the opposite direction of sentimentalising.

With resonantly devilish lines such as “Misery loves company, but I hate that you’re so close to me” and “too much of a good thing, was it any good at all? you can’t help but fall in love with his realist uninhibited candour.

With the same fiery energy of Pat Benatar’s Hit Me with Your Best Shot in the chorus, the intricately bluesy rock meets power pop single is a surefire way to pull anyone out of a self-pity pit. His lyricism is god-tier level, and his hooky instrumental loops aren’t far behind that celestial plateau.

Catch Cold Shoulder on SoundCloud and await the third LP, EDGE, which is set to drop on October 28th.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Robin Lewis speaks for the malaised in his Waitsy Americana acoustic rock single, No Light

Armed with his trusty resonator guitar and Gibson 63, the BMI published folk singer-songwriter & producer, Robin Lewis, has released his Americana acoustic rock heartbreaker of a Waitsy release, No Light, taken from his moody and retrospective lockdown-born album, Everyone Has a Story.

No Light was compassionately composed for listeners all too accustomed to the days which become signified by malaise. In all sincerity, it imparts solace in the reminder that the sun sets on even the darkest of days. Lockdown releases may often get tarred with the same trite brush, but No Light will be resonant for years to come. It’s a stunning exposition of the collective state of our consciousness; now that we know the ‘new normal’ generally blows and there’s no putting the gloss back on the facade of our modern existence. We honestly couldn’t be more psyched to have Lewis on our radar. We’d advise that you reserve him space on yours.

No Light, taken from Robin Lewis’ album, Everyone Has a Story, was officially released on May 16th. You can check it out for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

 

Nav’s Hook paid tribute to the heroes that we are all indebted to in his latest single, L.I.A.H.

It seems a lifetime ago since we were all empathising with the plight and applauding the heroism of frontline health workers; for his latest single, L.I.A.H., Nav’s Hook brought us right back with his fitting tribute to their selfless resolve and resilience.

L.I.A.H. (Lighthouse in a Hurricane) gives Soul Asylum a run for its money in terms of intrinsic emotional gravity; vocally, Nav’s Hook carries the gravitas of Chris Cornell over the delicately strummed acoustic strings, shimmering reverb from electric guitars and efficaciously minimalist percussion.

We’re stoked to hear Nav’s Hook on stellar form once again. His songwriting ability makes this increasingly confusing planet make infinitely more sense. When you pair that with his refreshing introspection, it’s a winning combination.

The official lyric video to L.I.A.H. premiered on March 17th, 2022. You can check it out for yourselves by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

KillerMiracle has released their grungy acoustic rock ballad, Dreamcatcher.

For any fans of Soul Asylum’s pensive side, KillerMiracle’s acoustic rock ballad Dreamcatcher is a must-experience sonic slice of raw emotion. The easy acoustic guitar chords paired with the hard melancholy is an intoxicatingly cathartic mix.

The mournful lyricism is served through hazily scorned whiskey-soaked vocals against the almost cinematic instrumental score that goes far beyond your average rugged and rough rock ballad. There’s so much poise within the intensity of Dreamcatcher; KillerMiracle’s matured songwriting style is a breath of fresh air on the airwaves. We can’t wait to hear how he follows on from this bitter-sweet sophomore release.

Dreamcatcher was officially released on November 25th. You can check it out yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Superbloom stripped back the vintage fuzz to deliver a heartfelt semi-orchestral version of their hit single, Paper & Stone.

After the successful release of their shoegaze-tinged alt 90s track, Paper & Stone, Superbloom released the unexpected but intensely appreciated semi-orchestral acoustic version.

They’ve left the high-octane fuzz by the wayside in the unplugged version to give their intellectual lyrics even more room to breathe in the cinematic track that highlights the impassioned conviction that pours into their expression. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that the acoustic version of Paper & Stone rivals Corey Taylor’s solo work. Superbloom will only be rated highly enough when they’re topping the alt music charts.

The collective of artists, fronted by North London’s Robert James and Sam Lidington, works alongside producer  Ed Sokolowski. I can’t speak for everyone, but as someone who has never quite gotten over the 90s, you couldn’t ask for a better mix of revival nostalgia and intellectual aural autonomy.

Paper & Stone is due for official release on November 5th. You can check out the official video via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Sparks in the Garden have released their swoon-worthy earworm, Let’s Fall in Love Again.

Sparks in the Garden

Sparks in the Garden’s latest pop-rock EP, Trails of Light, comes with an alt-country twang, a sense of soul that makes every single swoon-worthy, and some of the most honed-in talent that we’ve heard this year.

In the standout single, Let’s Fall in Love Again, the folky foot stompin’ rhythms in the verses break into stadium-filling choruses around the indulgently affable lyrics and the 80s rock-style solos that ground the soundscape in gravitas.

The Floridian brother duo has been playing together since 1989, but it wasn’t until 2015 that their sound started to pick up traction. Trails of Light is Sparks in the Garden’s first studio project, we hope there is plenty more in the pipeline.

Let’s Fall in Love Again is now available to stream and purchase via apple music.

Review by Amelia Vandergast