Browsing Tag

ballad

Michael Rendon – The Look: A Red, White and Blue Shadow of Love and Longing

Posted on 6 March 2025

Michael Rendon, a true red, white, and blue Americana singer-songwriter, carries a deep reverence for the roots of country in his unadulterated sound. More than a troubadour, Rendon is an evocateur in The Look, with his wistfully affecting crooning hitting all the rawest chords in his orchestrally laced classic country ballad. If you don’t find yourself on the brink of tears while this cinematically visceral, slick-with-longing love song is in session, you may find that your soul checked out a while ago.

Born and raised in San Antonio, Rendon has spent years earning his stripes across Texas, Ohio, Massachusetts, and beyond. With performances alongside country icons like Martina McBride, Sammy Kershaw, and Doug Stone, he’s built a career on authenticity, letting his voice and songwriting do the heavy lifting. The Look is a testament to that—delicate yet devastating in its execution, steeped in the timeless ache of country storytelling.

While I generally agree with the theory that there’s no such thing as perfection in art, there’s something in the way The Look transcends sound to remind you of the true beauty of unconditional love and affection.

The Look is now available to stream on all major platforms, including YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

‘Ghosts’ by Liz Owen: A Luminous Hymn to the Shadows of Memory

Posted on 28 January 2025

With her hauntingly seraphic ballad Ghosts, the Merseyside breakthrough singer-songwriter Liz Owen delivered an introspective piece, marked by diaphanous instrumentation that cradles her powerhouse vocals, which soar with an ethereal resonance while grounding the listener in the emotive weight of her lyricism. Exploring how the spectres of memory can obscure our clarity, Owens turns a personal reckoning into a universally affecting experience.

Hailing from Wirral, Merseyside, Liz has already carved a name for herself on the national stage, touring with icons like Midge Ure and Joan Armatrading. Her extensive BBC Radio features and reputation for rhythmic, fingerstyle acoustic guitar work lend an air of accomplished artistry to everything she creates. On Ghosts, the neo-classical elegance of the arrangement intertwines with an accessibility that nods to her ability to straddle the mainstream without compromising her craft.

Released as part of her debut LP Beautiful Beasts, which arrived in October 2024, Ghosts stands as a glowing testament to her lyrical and vocal talent, which deserves to be revered as fervently as the works of Tori Amos and the Anchoress.

Between Ghosts and her recently released festive single It’s Different This Christmas, Liz Owen is laying the groundwork for a career defined by her ability to amalgamate vulnerability, technical skill, and storytelling in ways that resonate beyond sound.

Stream Ghosts on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

A Crystalline Cathedral of Sound: The Sleepless Elite’s ‘Glass’ Reimagines Heartbreak

Posted on 1 October 2024

From humble beginnings in Boston to renown as indie pop royalty, The Sleepless Elite has carved out a niche where sincerity and ethereal soundscapes coexist in haunting harmony.

Listening to the arcane harmonies in their latest single, Glass, glide against the intricately evocative melodies, it is easy to understand their rapid ascent. The euphonically crystalline production wraps an arcane aura around powerhouse vocal lines, which bleed unadulterated emotion into a release that deftly weaves together the most affecting elements of Fleetwood Mac, Kate Bush, London Grammar, and Enya.

It’s a phenomenal score that will linger long after the final artfully poised note and practically a spiritual awakening in sound form. Forget art pop; this is haute couture heartbreak.

The project originated when Carolina Kehoe met Baylor Carter at Berklee and found its feet when, via a Craigslist ad, the duo ended up living with Ben Deily of the Lemonheads, which set their creative spark alight. Encouraged to pursue their own style, Carolina and Baylor honed their unique sound, inspired by Paramore, Blondie, and Sia, and drawing from their collective love of Blink-182, The Strokes, and No Doubt.

With Carolina’s theatrical roots and Baylor’s indie-punk edge, they created a distinct sonic palette, first heard under the name Carolina’s War. Now, as The Sleepless Elite, they’ve found their stride, producing two albums and opening for Thunderpussy. Glass epitomises their evolution, offering an otherworldly catharsis that showcases their innovative, emotional storytelling. For fans of alternative music, this is a siren song worth answering.

Check out the official music video for Glass, which has already racked up 15k streams, on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

JANAYAH balanced power and vulnerability in her neo-classic pop ballad, Back to You

Posted on 24 September 2024

After JANAYAH stormed our radar with her single, ‘Can’t Get Enough,’ we knew she had her forte in high-octane pop earworms. With her latest release, ‘Back to You,’ she defied all expectations while straying from the trend of breathy, emotionally void pop ballads. This stripped-back outpour of candour sees JANAYAH laying her soul bare over near-frantic, intricately sharp neo-classical piano keys that skilfully underscore her powerhouse vocals.

The achingly sublime track explores the turmoil of trying to emotionally disconnect from a relationship once it has ended, while the mind, in its relentless tenacity, continues to chart paths back ‘home’, even when the door is firmly closed.

With roots in Auckland, New Zealand, and a growing career in London, JANAYAH has shown her versatility across multiple genres, from pop and rock to dance and DnB. Her latest single is a stark departure from her previous work, such as the EDM-infused ‘Remedy’ and the dancefloor-driven ‘Nothing To Lose’. ‘Back to You’ serves as a testament to her vocal power and ability to channel raw emotion into her music.

Currently working on her debut EP, JANAYAH is undoubtedly on a trajectory to becoming a household name. Her powerful live performances and ability to connect with audiences have already earned her significant acclaim, including features on the iconic Piccadilly Lights and a recent set at Trafalgar Square. If ‘Back to You’ is anything to go by, we can expect her forthcoming releases to be just as phenomenal.

Back to You was officially released on August 30th; stream the single on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Bella Gate usurped Lorde in her introspectively arcane piano-driven indie ballad, The Death of an Icon

Posted on 18 September 2024

Bella Gate has ushered in her debut album ‘Gateway‘; a sonic anthology that promises an introspective journey mirrored in its poignant title. At 23, the London-based evocateur has evolved from a child prodigy to an artist with a mature, resonant voice, chronicling her odyssey from adolescence to adulthood with lyrical sincerity and a rich sonic palette.

‘The Death of an Icon’, an iridescent highlight from the album, offers a narrative steeped in personal revelation and artistic struggle. This single, draped in folk nuances and anchored by an ornate piano arrangement, gazes into the torment of an agoraphobic, creatively stifled protagonist. Whether reflecting Bella’s past selves or purely fictive, the track’s emotional gravity is undeniable.

Produced remotely by Jordan Round and polished by Geoff Pesche at Abbey Road, ‘Gateway’ spans a spectrum from balladic solemnity to buoyant folk, all the while maintaining an emotive coherence which eschews conventional hooks for lyrical imagery which pierces the soul and haunts long after the last note fades.

Forget Lorde, Bella Gate is reigning supreme in the sphere of introspectively stylised indie ballads.

Stream Bella Gate’s debut LP, Gateway, on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Somewhere In Between – Mr & Mrs: An Orchestral Indie Folk Tale of Amour for the Ages

Posted on 2 September 2024

Somewhere In Between, the soul-embracing union of Deena Robertson and Austin Bisnow is so much more than a new alt-indie folk act on the scene; the duo is a profound testament to love’s resilience.

Their debut single Mr & Mrs, taken from their double A-Side which also includes the single Wildflower, unfurls as an artfully orchestral folk narrative, resonating with emotional depths through dual-layered harmonies. The intimate glimpse into a romance that has battled odds as daunting as cancer and triumphed with a story sung through their very being reaches the epitome of heart-rending.

The single channels the delicate nuances of Thom Yorke’s artful signatures, the diaphanous echoes of Tom Odell, and the undeniable chemistry reminiscent of Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova. It’s an ornately ethereal vignette of romanticism so vivid, it might just redefine your understanding of love, illustrating that true affection demands patience, compassion, and understanding.

Their journey began when Austin first heard Deena singing in Sanskrit during a hot yoga class in LA, leading to an inseparable bond forged at a retreat in Utah. Challenges soon followed, notably Deena’s cancer battle, compelling them to immortalise their vows in song with the aid of Grammy Award-winning artist Ry-X. Today, their Quebec barn-turned-studio is not just a place of creation but a sanctuary where their lives and art intertwine.

For those jaded by Hollywood’s glossy depictions of love, Mr & Mrs offers a real, raw, and profoundly authentic alternative. Hit play, and let the seraphic sentimentality carry you to where love reigns supreme, unscripted and unequivocally honest.

Mr & Mrs is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Nick Pritchard promised perpetuity in his pop ballad  ‘Forever with You’

Posted on 23 May 2024

After breaking international ground in the jazz scene, leading to sold-out shows in major theatres across the globe and holding residencies in prestigious venues in London and Dubai, the endlessly ascending artist Nick Pritchard has proven his heart-wrenching mettle as a balladeer in his latest single, Forever with You.

Though the arcane production which amplifies the affecting impact of the singer-songwriter’s velvet-toned serenade resonates akin to a sonic fantasy weaved out of the fabric of an imagination locked into unrealistic romantic expectation, the single narrates Nick’s own life story; how his world was transformed by a chance encounter on a train with his girlfriend.

“This is the most heartfelt, meaningful song that I have released. It comes from a place of pure emotion, that I believe everybody will be able to relate to. Everyone has someone special to them that has impacted their life”

While the piano keys echo the deeply touching progressions of Lou Reed’s Perfect Day, the ornate instrumental crescendos match the expansive soul-stirring intensity of earworms in the same vein as Take That’s Rule the World. Yet, Nick Pritchard’s awe-inspiringly dynamic octave range, tenderly flawless pitch-perfection and striking sense of sincerity are beyond compare. Few artists could ever hold a candle to his luminous presence on the airwaves.

Forever with You was officially released on May 10th. Stream the single on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Keli Woods illuminated the keys with enlightenment in his latest piano composition, Skies

Posted on 18 October 2023

Fans of Tom Odell, James Bay and Birdy won’t fail to be consumed by the latest piano composition, Skies, from the UK multi-instrumentalist, composer, and producer, Keli Woods.

If his voice accompanied this year’s John Lewis Christmas advert, I wouldn’t be coloured surprised, and that is only the start of the crossover appeal of this sombrely intimate yet juxtaposing strident release, which seamlessly amasses evocative momentum and flair with every intricately laid progression in the epic 6-minute progressive ballad.

Keli Woods’ experience as a monk lent itself effortlessly well to the powerfully metaphorical introspection within Skies. His ability to conjure vivid pictures in the mind with his deeply affecting lyrical prose is second to none. He may have missed out on West End stardom at the age of 11, but all paths, which included performing jazz band in a decommissioned ambulance in Swansea and living the late-night rock ‘n’ roll life, have led him to this point of proving the transformative force of music.

Listen to the live recording of Skies from Real World Studios via YouTube from October 18.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

London’s queer pop queen Tana reached peak supremacy in her single, Kiss Me Like We’re Gonna Die

Posted on 25 July 2023

The queer pop queen, Tana, hasn’t fallen short of success and supremacy since we last heard her in 2022 with her pop-rap hit, Supermodel. For her latest single, Kiss Me Like We’re Gonna Die, the London-based genre-fluid originator stripped back the tempo to unveil an RnB pop single that is steamier than *that* scene in Titanic.

Instead of painting a portrait of perfect – and therefore unattainable – romance, Tana played it pure in Kiss Me Like We’re Gonna Die by nuancedly alluding to how promises of perpetual bliss only leave us lingering in naivety further down the line. Despite the visceral pain projected into the release, there’s a sense of romanticism that visualises the realities of love instead of paying homage to Hollywood tropes that never actualise in material reality.

In addition to orchestrating originated and awakeningly installations of candour, Tana has hit the main stage at UK Black Pride 2022, performed at NXNE Festival, London Pride and Tallinn Music Week, while being spun BBC Introducing, Soho Radio, Gaydio and Trace Urban. Even if you don’t watch this space, Tana is enough of a phenomenon that you’ll hear about her regardless if you put her on your radar.

Kiss Me Like We’re Gonna Die is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Mist’riii – Sometimes: Acknowledging the Temporary State of Everything Has Never Been More Beautiful.

Posted on 3 August 2022

Nairobi-hailing indie-pop newcomer, Mist’riii has released the ballad to end all others with her beautifully scored feat of expression, Sometimes.

It’s not often that I’m caught off guard, but that’s exactly where Sometimes succeeds. It resonates like a brand-new visceral experience that you desperately want to share with the rest of the world because you KNOW the emotional magnetism transcends genre preferences. It’s a strikingly ornate, moving ballad that deserves to be in the OST for the next Hollywood romance blockbuster – in spite of the intimate indie feels.

In her own words, here is what Mist’riii had to say about her latest release,

“Sometimes, we don’t want someone from our past back; we acknowledge that it is over, but from time to time, we can’t help but wonder if they ever think about us. Not sure if it’s the ego at play in such instances, or just nostalgia (or both lol) but I believe that it’s a sentiment that anyone who has ever lost someone (whether it’s an ex lover or friend) can relate to.”

Sometimes is now available to stream on SoundCloud, where the independently released track has already racked up over 17k streams.

Review by Amelia Vandergast