Browsing Tag

Acoustic Rock

A New Jerusalem: Judas Goat & The Bellwether’s Arcane Anthem Against the Climate Crisis

Posted on 4 May 2024
There Is Always a Dawn by Judas Goat & the Bellwether

“There Is Always a Dawn” by Judas Goat & The Bellwether pours the ardour of the Neoclassical Romantic Era into a vessel of arcane folk-rock. In a similar vein as William Blake’s evocative poem, Jerusalem, which became an influential precipice for the duo to lyrically jump off, the duo’s aura reverberates around morality while keeping a finely tuned balance of rationality and emotion in the evocatively conjured performance which is a call to arms against the impending threat of ecological collapse, with religious iconography replacing the more direct climate-conscious conversations.

The power of the metaphor came into full force in this fiery protest of how we’ve put the noose around the neck of the environment all in the name of progress that will ultimately become our downfall. The duo, Sara Vian and Pete Vincent, crafted the ultimate clarion call to arms, wrapped in the trappings of folk reverence and light-handed production which corrodes none of the arcane performance. You can’t help but lose yourself in the existential introspection, which exemplifies why the duo have won accolades in The Climates Songwriting Competition.

There Is Always a Dawn hit Bandcamp on April 22 ahead of its release across all major platforms on May 8th.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Kentucky penned a patriotic rock-licked love letter with ‘America, The Beautiful’

Posted on 21 April 2024

Kentucky’s latest single, America, The Beautiful, is a soul-imbued tribute to the multifaceted allure of the United States, delivered with a rock ‘n’ roll heart that pulses with a distinct Americana twang.

The love letter captures the sweeping landscapes and rich cultural tapestry of the USA, offering listeners a sonic road trip across its vast expanse with pop culture pitstops along the way. With an approach that will resonate with fans of Bruce Springsteen and Guns n Roses alike, Kentucky weaves a narrative rich with patriotic pride, crafting a soundtrack that is both a celebration and a reflection.

The production melds classic rock influences with a nuanced Americana style, making it an essential addition for those who adorn their playlists with heartland rock. Despite the stripped and simplistic instrumental arrangement, there is no lack of depth. Each acoustic guitar-led progression strikes a resonant chord, echoing with rich, cathartic timbres under Kentucky’s gravelly vocal delivery that resonates with an aura of sincerity.

America, The Beautiful invites listeners to feel the pride and beauty of the American spirit. Its release, which stirred enough emotion to briefly face a ban on TikTok, underscores its impactful message and the poignant exploration of American identity that Kentucky so masterfully encapsulates in this acoustic rock anthem.

America, The Beautiful was officially released on April 1st; stream the single on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

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

Posted on 10 June 2023

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’

Posted on 13 April 2023

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

Posted on 10 March 2023

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

Posted on 18 January 2023

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

Posted on 16 October 2022

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

Posted on 26 May 2022

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.

Posted on 29 March 2022

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.

Posted on 29 November 2021

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