Browsing Tag

Blues Pop

Cat Rian conjured smoky Americana alchemy in her latest single, Read the Room

Cat Rian cast an arcanely bluesy spell in her latest synthesis of country, soul, pop, and feminine firepower, Read the Room. The Las Vegas singer-songwriter delivered a fatal shot to the kinds of protagonists who only get anywhere in life through manipulation. The demure, smoky refrain of “read the room, it’s the least you can do” is an olive branch of catharsis to anyone who has ever felt the frustration of dealing with someone with no boundaries or self-awareness to compel them to step away after the damage is done.

The flawless command of her sultry vocal lines atop the organic luxe grooves allows you to slip into an alchemic sonic experience; one which evokes a sense of emboldened empowerment. Read the Room is right on brand for Cat Rian. Who, along with fronting resident bands at notorious landmarks on the Las Vegas strip, has also teamed up with the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, donated proceeds from her song, You are Strong, and headlined the Anti-Bullying School Tour.

As she continues to stake her claim in the industry, she’s determined to bring others to a position of power. She’s an icon in every conceivable way.

Read the Room will be able to stream on all major platforms from February 2nd. Stream it on here first.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Leah J Jones captured the grace of grief in her latest single, Saints and Stars

As tenderly compelling as I Will Follow You Into the Dark by Death Cab for Cutie, with all the ethereal iconography and tonality to boot, the latest stripped-back and sonorous score, Saints and Stars, from Leah J Jones strikes all the right evocative chords while establishing the singer-songwriter as the Joni Mitchell of our generation.

With a perfect touch of baroque melancholic malady to tinge the magnetic release with a mournful resonance, it’s impossible not to be affected by this attest to grief which captures the interplay between sorrow and gratitude for what a loved and lost figure granted us with their life. It’s a stunning testament to how influence is one of the few things in this life that isn’t ephemeral. We can’t wait to hear what is in the pipeline from the celestial song crafter.

Saints and Stars was officially released on November 5th; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Josh Rosenblum Band rhythmically prised listeners from the purgatory of self-scrutiny with ‘Wandering Heart’

Though he has enjoyed spates of success, amassed a loyal fanbase, and become a trailblazing troubadour across the Central Coast, the Cali-hailing singer-songwriter & multi-instrumentalist Josh Rosenblum remains one of the most criminally underrated artists of our time.

His latest album, Love Letter, is yet another testament to his honed ability to echo the old soul of pop, rock, and blues in a way that greets you with familiarity and accommodates you with melodiously reimagined cross-generational sensibilities to prove that there’s no such thing as a sonic bygone era. The door is always left open by artists masterful enough to reignite the same spark ignited by artists whose entry into the hall of fame will never be ephemeral.

His ability to rip a blues riff like it’s nobody’s business is one thing. His talent in delivering consolation through his song crafting, which makes the human experience an infinitely less alienating one, is another entirely.

Take the standout single Wandering Heart as the prime example. By encompassing our universal tendency to self-scrutinise until we’re torn up inside and delivering eloquently rhythmic redemption along with the affirmation we all owe ourselves forgiveness, the sanctity which resounds in the rich harmonic vocal timbre meeting the percussive fingerpicked guitar notes is almost ironically unholy.

With lyricism that gets more profound with every repeat listen for the way the metaphors recontextualise the preceding lines to prise more poetry out of the confessionalism and melodies that never lose their timeless beguile, the single deserves to be equally as revered as the hits in John Mayer and Gary Clark Jr’s discography.

In a time when pressure is building around everyone to be the perfect model citizen, Josh Rosenblum debuted an arrestive vignette attesting to the infallibility of us all. Even if you screamed your virtues from the rooftops, it wouldn’t come close to the arrestive credibleness of Wandering Heart.

If you need a pick-me-up following that profound aural experience, tune into the intoxicating zeal of Crazy as Me, which celebrates the celestial experience of falling in love with someone who doesn’t make you want to conceal your idiosyncrasies. The organ-decorated, riff-soaked blues-pop-rock synthesis is a riot of exhilaratingly sweetened romanticism. The euphoria of uninhibited connection and belonging lingers in every sequence of syncopation, crescendo, and soaring vocal note to almost take you as high as the plateau of unconditional love itself.

Stream the latest LP from Josh Rosenblum via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Chris Spruit is star-roving in her spacey blues pop single, LifeSway

Bowie and David Lynch never came together when the sonic star man was of this earth; if they did, their combined artistic alchemy would have undoubtedly had the same disarming appeal as Chris Spruit’s latest single, LifeSway.

With the singer-songwriter sharing the same timelessly spiritual timbre as Stevie Nicks, there was no better pairing for the instrumentals, which pull together as a sonorously virtuosic amalgam of blues, jazz, pop, and soul.

When Chris Spruit isn’t orchestrating her solo singles, she’s pouring soul into the blues rock band Blue Attitude. If LifeSway has given you an insatiable need for more sonic beguile, you will be gratified to hear it is the first of eight tracks from her forthcoming album, Trip to Mars, due for release in February 2023.

LifeSway was officially released on January 29th. Hear it on Spotify. Check out Chris Spruit via her official website.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Contemporary Indie Pop Chanteuse EASAE Soulfully Summons Satan in ‘Pretty Little Devil Song’

Buffalo, NY-hailing indie-pop singer-songwriter, EASAE, exhibited the extent of the bewitching dynamism in her vocal range in the standout single, Pretty Little Devil Song, taken from her intimately powerful debut album, Not Sure I Love It Here Yet.

With the grace and finesse of a 50s pop chanteuse, the spellbinding soul of Stevie Nicks and the contemporary kick of Maggie Rogers, EASAE effortlessly carves a niche with her strident approach to indie pop. With the dirty bluesy guitars around her glassy vocal timbre, it is impossible not to be enraptured by this progressively fascinating release, which walks you through confessional introspection that gives her the girl-next-door-edge while her talent sets her so far apart, she’s metaphorically on another plateau from us mere mortals.

Pretty Little Devil Song was released on December 16th; hear it on Spotify with the LP, which navigates loss while stoking the fires of lust for life.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Philip Brocklehurst is set to start a new epidemic with his catchy pop track, Who Am I?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFcXhTf4uE8

Philip Brocklehurst’s single, Who Am I? is an identity crisis that is more than relatable. The Birmingham, UK singer-songwriter made his lyrical debut with this seminal bluesy pop single – not that the resonance would allow you to believe it.

As the term existential crisis becomes a common lexicon, it is getting harder and harder to eke nuance from concepts of them, but Brocklehurst more than succeeded through his questioning reprises which channel desperation for identity validation.

To contrast the heavy lyrical content, there’s a catchy upbeat vibe to the rock n roll to the soul instrumentals that will stick to your synapses like super glue. We can’t wait to hear the next installation of candour.

Check out Who Am I? by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Annabel Brett makes sure we get the message in her alt-soul pop single, Voicemails

With the vocal poise of a 1950’s bluesy soulstress and the cutting indie folk pop edge of artists such as Mitski and Phoebe Bridgers, Annabel Brett is breath-taking in her dreamy pop single, Voicemails.

The vocal distinction gives few clues to the 23-year-old independent artist’s influences, and it’s a very similar story with the light, minimalist and acoustics. The two-minute tender track eclipses everything lo-fi should be; Voicemails resounds like you’ve just caught a Truman Capote character in an intimate melancholic moment.

Check out Annabel Brett’s latest single, Voicemails on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Ariana Molkara showed us the epitome of country-pop class in her coming of age debut single, Birdies Gotta Fly By

With all of the class and arcane beguile of a Parisian Chanteuse, the alt-country pop singer-songwriter Ariana Molkara has made a theatrical yet intimately captivating entrance with her debut single, Birdies Gotta Fly By.

Cinematic scarcely covers the luminous production, which comes complete with pianos that would leave Ben Folds weak at the knees paired with infectiously upbeat percussion and orchestral strings to amplify the bitter-sweet coming of age sentiments expressed in the profoundly flawless single.

If this is her coming of age single, Ariana Molkara has a seriously bright future ahead of her.

Birdies Gotta Fly By was officially released on June 3rd. You can hear it for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Nav’s Hook takes us through the artistic journey with his uplifting blues pop single, Scribbled Lines.

Up and coming indie luminary Nav’s Hook is fresh from the release of his latest single, Scribbled Lines, which couldn’t be more radio-ready. The affably penned single is enough to single-handedly dilute the bitterness of artists lamenting the hard graft and lack of success. The bluesy pop single paints the full picture of an artists’ often lonely journey and leaves plenty of room for the beauty of the humbling experience.

The single was written during an 18-hour airport layover in a sleep-deprived state that allowed Nav’s Hook to get a fresh delirious perspective on the artistic journey. The sentiment is just as sweet as the chords that shimmer with ease throughout the grooving single. The vocals also do their fair share of uplifting as they work through the lyrics that will be more than resonant for any artist that knows the struggle of sacrificing their financial security for their chance to make connections and positively influence the world.

The official lyric video is now available to stream on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Cooper Walker gives us a 60s soul ‘Fix’ in his standout release.

Pop, jazz and blues entwine in the debut album from LA singer-songwriter and multi-instrumental artist Cooper Walker. His intoxicating mash of vintage guitars,  crooned vocals and uplifting piano chords will send you right back to the 60s while providing the ultimate proof that music contemporary music *can* hold a candle to music from iconic eras.

His modernist spin on sounds of the 60s is best enjoyed in the standout single, Fix, which is just as instantly cathartic as The Zombies, as sultry as John Mayall, and carries the sonic power of the Rolling Stones.

Walker’s infallible talent is one thing, the soul that is spilt in his debut album is quite another. You couldn’t ask for a better playlist staple in these dystopic times.

Fix, along with his debut 15-track album, is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast