Browsing Tag

Country Pop Rock

Gain the permission to live autonomously free with The Close’s 90s pop-rock single, Living It Right

With a nostalgically 90s pop-rock edge which cuts as deep as the hits from Jewel, Sheryl Crow, and Alanis Morrisette, The Close came close to perfect with the standout single, Living It Right, from their debut album, Orbit.

The debut LP pushed the introspective genre-bending outfit’s monthly listeners up to impressive heights. Now, over 36k listeners are repetitively tuning into their intricately airy melodies which transcend expectation and effortlessly share effervescent transcendence.

You’ll be torn between attempting to match the flawlessly magnetic timbres in the vocal delivery as they verse the virtues of living autonomously free and leaning into the mellifluous interplay of the ethereal synergy within the instrumental arrangements and harmonies.

Aside from the very obvious superlative song crafting which sets The Close apart, the outfit also finds distinction by employing each member as a lyricist, musician and lead vocalist, resulting in a dynamic discography, which dabbles in everything from Americana to contemporary folk to country. A commercial pop sensibility is one of the few constants within their euphonically unshackling collection of lyrically intimate releases.

Living It Right was officially released on October 27; stream it on Spotify with the rest of the Orbit LP.

Review by Amelia Vandergast  

Dave Wilbert was born to take the wheel and drive in his country-rock earworm, Tractors and Trucks

Springsteen was born to run, but Dave Wilbert was born to take the wheel and drive in his country-rock earworm Tractors and Trucks, which delves beyond the stereotypes and into the intricacies of the identities of people who spend their lives outside of the city smoke.

Tractors and Trucks rips up all the tropes and cliches of country and scatters them like confetti within the anthemically polished production which will lure you in with the bluesy pop grooves and ensure you’re suitably hooked by the slide guitars which follow the solos which exhibit Dave Wilbert’s command of a fretboard.

The Fairview, Tennessee-residing artist was born and raised in rural Indiana, where he practised the hard-working virtues extolled in this infectiously feel-good hit, which will undoubtedly give those living the rural life a potent shot of pride.

Tractors and Trucks was officially released on October 6th; add it to your country-rock playlists by heading over to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Blake Robert served Southern-twanged high-octane soul in his country pop-rock single, On My Mind

The Austin sound resounds in the eponymous debut country pop-rock album from the up-and-coming singer-songwriter Blake Robert.

The heart-on-sleeve standout single, On My Mind, spills Southern-twanged high-octane soul by the smorgasbord as the radio-ready production lends itself effortlessly well to drunk-in-love euphoria. With over two decades of experience crafting Eagles-esque earwormy guitar hooks, the rhythmically sharp ones implanted in On My Mind effortlessly reel you into the romanticism, which is just as magnetically sticky-sweet as the affectionate escapism found in Taylor Swift’s upbeat hits.

If you’re a fellow TX native and you can’t get enough of the debut album, catch Blake on his 2024 live tour through Austin, and keep him on your radar for more addictively energetic releases.

Blake Robert’s self-titled LP is available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Marc Ambrosia has debuted his electrifying country-pop-rock reclamation, Gay and Proud

With all the hate that has been spilt across the internet during Pride Month, Marc Ambrosia’s latest country-rock anthem, Gay and Proud, is an electrifyingly seminal release which celebrates his identity after keeping it hidden for twenty years.

With tinges to Against Me! in the strident vocal lines and some of the guitar work, the country-pop rock hit is a fiery reclamation, one that will instil the same sense of pride in every listener who also happens to fly under the rainbow flag. Despite alluding to the dark days that paved the way towards recording the single, Ambrosia kept the vibes high while delivering a fistful of resonance for his audience.

“I’ve known I was gay since I was eight years old. Despite that, I never in a million years would have thought I’d be able to admit that to anyone, let alone publicly. For so long, I felt rage, shame, and fear. I was so angry that I just couldn’t be “normal;” I felt ashamed that I couldn’t change myself, and I felt so afraid that someone might find out my secret. It took me twenty years to not only say I’m gay out loud, but also to accept that about myself and love that about myself.”

Gay and Proud is the title single from Ambrosia’s upcoming studio album, which promises to carry the same themes of overcoming self-hate and moving towards self-love, acceptance and peace.

Gay and Proud will hit the airwaves on June 23rd. Stream it on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Lorne Riley has released his page-turning upbeat country earworm, That’s All She Wrote

‘That’s All She Wrote’ is the latest quintessentially country single from the singer-songwriter Lorne Riley, who ingeniously cloaked his latest pop and rock-encompassing feat of Americana with swathes of 80s nostalgia to take you on a sonic journey you’ve never muddied your metaphorical boots with before.

You just can’t help falling in love with the small-town boy who has dug up his Northern Ontario roots and implanted them in his new residence in Dubai. Evidently, you can take the boy out of the country, but you can never take the country out of the boy.

Since making his debut in 2019, he’s featured on the Nashville Music Row Chart; That’s All She Wrote is yet another hooky chart-worthy hit from the singer-songwriter who knows exactly how to infuse his vignettes with bold imagery and a sense of soul that will awaken your own.

That’s All She Wrote was officially released on April 28; hear it on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Simona-Valentina compels her listeners to follow their dreams in her confessionally quaint country pop-rock single, Head Outta Washing Machine

London-based singer-songwriter and guitarist, Simona-Valentina, gave her listeners an intimate view into how her creative life began with her country-tinged pop-rock single, Head Outta Washing Machine, which officially released on October 22nd and spilt 90s nostalgia onto the airwaves.

With a similar snappy melody to Avril Lavinge’s game-changing earworm, Complicated, in the intro, along with a few nods to the 90s, Head Outta Washing Machine is an immersive unravelling of the singer-songwriter’s humble and adorable beginnings as a singer-songwriter. You only have to hit play to see how far she has come as an expressive advocator of following your dreams.

Head Outta Washing Machine is the 12th single released by Simona-Valentina after she made her debut with her single, Unspoken Love, in 2019. She’s also one-half of the acoustic duo SVRPoole, who are melodically enlivening the London music scene.

Here’s what Simona-Valentina had to say about her latest release:

“I used to sing with my head in the washing machine when I was around six years old. This is my genuine and retrospectively funny music story, and what I am basically confessing with this new song.

I was shy and introverted at that age, lacking the confidence and courage to sing in front of people; hence, the darkness and intimacy of singing with my head inside the washing machine appealed to me greatly.”

Listen to Head Outta Washing Machine on Spotify.

Follow Simona-Valentina on Facebook and Instagram

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Nicki Shakes shares a relatable thirst in her single, I Need a Drink

Country singer-songwriter-sensation Nicki Shakes shared a relatable thirst in the standout single, I Need a Drink, from her debut album, Rise. For everyone that has ever wanted to evade the nefariousness of their consciousness, the bluesy swagger of the melodically upbeat Country pop rock single has all the makings of a playlist staple.

Her eclectically matured sound may sonically take you to a dive bar in Tennessee, but the accomplished UK-residing artist tours her soulful tales of heartbreak and woe across Essex and London. What comes as much less of a surprise is the international airplay Nicki Shakes has garnered with her energy that epitomises artistic dynamism.

I Need a Drink is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Spin out of control with Nav’s Hook latest indie folk-pop single, Drivin’ Me Crazy

In his latest single, Drivin’ Me Crazy, up and coming artist Nav’s Hook pulled up the roots of rhythm, country and blues to create an indie-folk-pop jam that pays ode to romantic mania. The infectiously uplifting track comes complete with shimmering Gretschy guitars, foot-stompin’ rhythms and some all too efficacious vocal hooks which make an earworm out of the release.

Any fans of Ryan Adams, Chris Cornell, John Mayer and Jason Isbell won’t want to miss out on this expressively seductive radio-ready track that practically begs for repeat attention.

You can check out the official lyric video for yourselves by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Ralph Pezzullo sings the ‘Lockdown Blues’ in his latest single

Plenty of artists have released lockdown-inspired singles, but no one can sing the lockdown blues quite like a blues artist, case in point, Ralph Pezzullo’s latest sonically swampy bluegrass single, ‘Lockdown Blues’.

The up-vibe funk-bridled single comes complete with frenetic keys, quite simply virtuosic guitar work and Pezzullo’s expressively honest lyrics that come alive through his country pop-rock vocal timbre. If you could bottle what Lockdown Blues has to offer, we’d finally have bottled Serotonin.

The anthem is all too efficacious when it comes to reminding you that everyone can pull light out of the dark, even if we don’t have the multi-faceted talent that was exhibited in Lockdown Blues. If you could imagine what it would sound like if the Stray Cats merged styles with Wild Cherry, you’ll get an idea of the aural euphoria that laces the soundscape.

Lockdown Blues is now available to stream via SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Jennifer Alvarado is red hot and ‘Playing With Fire’

Songwriting from the tender age of four, and with an album of Christian music (2015’s ‘Hello Life’) already under her belt, Jennifer Alvarado was named ‘One To Watch’ by the Nashville Songwriters Association off the back of her 2020 single ‘I Break Things’ and its four follow-ups. With a Commscope award for original songwriting, Alevarado’s new single – from the freshly released EP of the same name – ‘Playing With Fire’ is a gentle, mid-tempoBlues-tinged Country ballad.

Acoustic-guitar and chilled Texas shuffle drums on the verses, with big powerchord uplifts on the choruses, ‘Playing With Fire’ is perfect summer driving music; simple and immediate, catchy as hell, gritty and honest, with a big pentatonic-focused guitar break and Alvarado’s excellent, emotive vocal carrying the song. There’s obvious reference points; Shania, Taylor, maybe a little of the Meredith Brooks, but it’s exactly the sort of song that should be all over daytime radio and Country Music Television. It’s a great single, and it’s easy to see why it’s already been voted Number 1 on Indie Star Radio’s ‘Top 21’.

Check out ‘Playing With Fire’ on Spotify now; follow Jennifer Alvarado on Facebook and here.

Review by Alex Holmes