Browsing Tag

Classical Folk

Lotta St Joan created a scintillating mise en scene with the sapience in her cinematic folk single, Once

Posted on 27 January 2024
Lotta St Joan

With the opening lyric, “I’m waiting for someone to die to have a reason to be upset”, Lotta St Joan’s latest cinematic folk single, Once, will speak to countless people in ways they never knew they needed to be conversed with. Anyone who has always lived with black clouds lingering above them will know how compelling the idea of a real reason to mourn is. From there on out, the resonance only gets (bitter)sweeter.

Haunting enough to bring you to the brink of tears, consoling enough to make Lotta St Joan your new confidant, Once, with its mise en scene of a film noir classic reverberating through the crescendos, and the Southern Gothic timbres bringing a decadent sense of romanticism, is a masterclass of redolence.

No review of Once would be complete without mentioning how the Berlin-based singer-songwriter carries such emotional weight in her light yet flawlessly commanded vocal harmonies. With all the grace of a Chanteuse in her vocal performance and a scintillating sapience in the lyricism, Once could easily be one of the most affecting singles released in 2024. Although, I suppose it depends on what Lotta St Joan has prepared for her upcoming album, Song for the Undecided, which will be released on March 22.

Once will be available to stream on Spotify and purchase on Bandcamp from January 26th.

Find out more about Lotta St Joan via her official website and follow her on Instagram to stay up to date with her latest releases.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Brian Berggoetz tenderly chases an ethereal spectre in his orchestral folk score, Just a Dream

Posted on 26 September 2023

Just a Dream is the latest orchestrally ornate single meticulously crafted by the Tucson, Arizona artist, Brian Berggoetz. While the acoustic guitar strings keep the orchestration humble, intimate and folky, the cinematic interplay between the cello and violin strings brings a profound sense of elegant refinement to the lyricism, which tenderly chases an ethereal spectre.

With his backing band, Brian Berggoetz has become a prominent fixture in the Tucson live circuit and beyond; his live shows, whether he’s opening for Reverend Horton Heat, Charlie Sexton and Chris Murphy or topping the bill, have a reputation for rendering audiences enraptured.

Original songwriting is just one of his talents in a vast repertoire; he also has an affinity for reimagining classical songs in his distinctive style, which balances euphonic decadence with the intense affability of folk rock to make classical overtones effortlessly accessible to a wide audience. If Eddie Vedder’s soundtrack for Into the Wild infused more orchestral strings, I’m not entirely convinced it would emanate the same delicate visceral mesmerism of Just a Dream.

Just a Dream is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Evergreen is astronomical in her latest folk single, Meteors

Posted on 2 April 2023

The Austin-hailing multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and cello teacher, Evergreen, is renowned for her narrative folk soundscapes that can rejuvenate love and lust for life. Her latest single, Meteors, is another vibrant extension of her mission to paint portraits of phenomenological beauty and prove that music is a global element of humanity. If any single could be accurately described as a high vibe folk lullaby, it’s Meteors.

With a twinge of Twain in her vocals atop the classical cellos, folky strings, and artfully baroque elements, Evergreen reached the pinnacle of sonic beguile in Meteors, which is as accessible as oxygen, with no shortage of virtuosic flare.

Evergreen is now available to stream on Spotify; her debut album, Delicious Vignettes of Recent American Kind, which will be a mash of academic and classical music, is due for release on March 31st.

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