Browsing Tag

first aid kit

Ava Valianti’s ‘Wishing Well’ is a Diaphanous Dive into Lost Innocence

Posted on 10 December 2024

At just 15, Ava Valianti has already mastered the art of weaving raw emotion into new-wave indie pop. With her latest single, ‘Wishing Well’, the Massachusetts singer-songwriter delivers a reverie-rich production that captures the ache of growing up and the bittersweet nostalgia for the innocence of youth.

Inspired by childhood memories, Ava channels her reflections on the fading simplicity of youth into soaring harmonies and sweeping melodies. Thematically, ‘Wishing Well’ resounds with longing and hope, its diaphanous textures sonically illustrating the vulnerability of clinging to the magic of belief. Ava’s lyrical candour doesn’t just invite listeners into her world; it offers them a mirror to their own experiences of inevitable change and loss. Her ability to find clarity in bittersweet moments transforms each note into a visceral connection.

Standing alongside her earlier singles—‘Bubble Wrap’, ‘Middle Ground’, and ‘January’—this track showcases her ability to fuse introspective lyrics with literally and figuratively haunting melodies. With comparisons to indie luminaries like Mitski and First Aid Kit easily and rightfully drawn, her trajectory has been meteoric, already earning her 10k monthly listeners, a nomination for the New England Music Awards’ “Pop Act of the Year,” and praise from over 60 radio stations across the US.

Ava’s music is a force propelling her into the heart of indie supremacy, and ‘Wishing Well’ solidifies her place as an artist who creates vessels of unfiltered soul, poised to resonate with listeners across generations.

Wishing Well was officially released on November 22nd; stream the single on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Spotlight Feature: Girl Annual sparked a flicker of folky melancholic serenity with their dream pop debut, Ember

Posted on 11 November 2024

With the single Ember, the enigmatic independent artist Girl Annual steps into the indie scene by setting an exquisitely reflective tone, merging folk-esque lyrical storytelling with the ethereal aesthetics of dream pop. The debut single is a seraphically melancholic invitation to lose yourself in the bitter-sweet chasm of reverie and let Girl Annual’s mournfully sublime vocal lines spellbind as they wash over you and pour raw vulnerability into the sonic atmosphere.

The diaphanous instrumental elements amplify the sense of introspection that flows from the poetic candour within the vocals, building the perfect soundtrack for an intimate autumnal scene. With a commercial appeal reminiscent of First Aid Kit, Girl Annual holds the potential to cut through the static of the oversaturated alt-indie dream pop sphere.

It’s an aural experience of oceanic depth, inviting listeners to drift within the serene textures that cascade and intertwine. This release doesn’t just play out – it envelops, and with each ebb and flow, it gently pulls you further in. All industry eyes should be on Girl Annual, anticipating their next move.

Ember was officially released on September 27; stream it on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify, now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Keep your soul warm with Daniela Galasso’s slice of indie folk-pop reverie, Comfortable

Posted on 1 November 2024
Daniela Galasso

With an emotional richness and resonance that puts her in parallel to the most introspective works of First Aid Kit, Daniela Galasso, with her seminal single, Comfortable, radiates vulnerability and tonal warmth

Aside from the cinematic sonic sublimity, the real beauty of Comfortable resides in how the Italian-born, California-based singer-songwriter turns becoming comfortable in a relationship into something profoundly poetic. While so many people would perceive that as the moment the romance dies, Galasso flips the script with her ethereally tender, orchestrally scored single, allowing listeners to see comfort in a relationship as something just as sweet as the initial butterflies.

As an award-winning artist who has clearly mastered the art of textural alchemy within her productions, Galasso has stepped out of the shadows of her influences in the vein of Taylor Swift, Ellie Goulding and Imogen Heap and irrefutably come into her own through her installations of vulnerable reverie.

Comfortable will be available to stream on all major platforms from November 1st. Find your preferred way to listen via the artist’s official website.

Keep up to date with news of new releases from Daniela Galasso on Instagram and Facebook.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Gravity: Millar’s Love-Induced Descent into Dream Pop

Posted on 21 October 2024

With her latest single, Gravity, London-based singer-songwriter Millar has fortified her discography with yet another fearless vignette of introspection. Drenched in raw, unfeigned emotion, Gravity offers a glassy, neon-lit dream-pop soundscape where love becomes a force of nature, pulling you into a spiral of intoxicating vulnerability. Millar’s tender vocal lines swirl in hazy, retro-futuristic synths, creating an irresistible sense of fragility that leaves you feeling exposed to both the sweetness and the inevitable scars of love.

From a young age, Millar began crafting her melancholic sound, first writing songs at 16 before honing her skills at a Stratford music college. It was there, after years of artist development, that she discovered the core of her creative identity, one steeped in the bittersweet duality of love and nostalgia. Her voice carries the weight of these themes effortlessly, with each note steeped in a chilled-out melancholy.

Gravity is a sonic collision of worlds, imagining The Weeknd and First Aid Kit sharing a sonic continuum. The ethereal quality of Millar’s vocal delivery contrasts beautifully with the retro, synth-driven instrumentation; the fragility she conveys is palpable, yet it’s clear that Millar is in control of her artistry. The synaesthesia-inducing blend of lush synths and vulnerable lyrics in Gravity demonstrates that Millar is carving out her own space in dream pop, and if she continues down this path, her success seems as inevitable as gravity itself.

gravity became a new force in the pop scene to be reckoned with on October 4th; stream the single on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Minus 2 wants to know where she is from on the retro-future hit, ‘First Aid Kit’

Posted on 16 February 2022

As we are gently launched into a vividly romantic story that will have your heart beating faster and your energy alive with the possibilities of a liaison with someone who you truly fancy, Minus 2 has our enthralled ears on a happy cruise via their much-loved single called ‘First Aid Kit‘.

Minus 2 is a Los Angeles, USA-based retro-future/alt-dance/electronic duo that was formed by ex-professional football players Collin Charles and J. Black.

”After a few years of pursuing their respective post-collegiate athletic careers, the two reunited in 2017 with music being the newly discovered foundation of their friendship.” ~ Minus 2

Bringing forth that much-need flair to our lives with their signature sound that lifts your spirits upwards no matter what situation you are in currently, Minus 2 sends us into a new stratosphere of pure appreciation for those real sisters who have the right psyche and want that vital mental stimulation before anything else.

‘First Aid Kit‘ from Los Angeles, USA-based retro-future duo Minus 2, is a groovy masterpiece that you will find hard to get out of your mind. There is a top-notch flow of the very highest standard that gets you into the mood – to find someone who looks into your eye with that cheeky look – to get your smile beaming and your hands holding as you roll into the night as one.

Check out this excellent video on YouTube and see more via the IG page.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Leo Wood – My Luck: An Unfathomably Stunning Mix of DnB, Folk & Blues

Posted on 7 March 2018

I’m absolutely stumped trying to figure out a way to describe Leo Wood’s stunning sound in her debut single My Luck. Sure, it mixes DnB with Pop, Soul, Blues and Acoustic Folk, but hearing that fusion for the first time from such a strong female voice is an experience of pure aural alchemy that you definitely will want to check out for yourself. The funk of the bass contrasts against the more synthy elements of DnB, which creates a rich, perplexing sound that you can’t help slipping into. If you mixed Scroobius Pip with The Sugababes you might get somewhere close to the idea of Leo Wood’s unfathomably stunning sound.

Leo Wood is a Bristol, UK based songwriter and vocalist that uses her sound to test the boundaries of the acoustic and electronic partnership. There was clearly no rulebook in sight when Leo Wood set out to make her debut track My Luck instead, she took her own inspirations, classical training and penchant for Blues and Soul to create a truly pioneering sound.

You can check out the stunning official video to My Luck on YouTube using the link below:

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

Follow Leo Wood on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/LeoWoodOriginal

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Check Out Chris Avetta’s Haunting Indie-Folk Track “Sway”

Posted on 15 October 2017

Chris Avetta is a singer and songwriter with a passion for haunting indie-folk melodies. Her recent track, Sway, makes me think of artists such as Fleet Foxes or First Aid Kit, just to mention a few. Her sound is versatile, direct and forward-thinking, often showcasing a really unique personality and an ability to create outstanding arrangements starting from the sheer simplicity of the core elements in a song.

Sway is a perfect example of that: the arrangement is relatively sparse, but there are many incredible production characteristics that really add space and texture to the mix. For instance, the stunning reverb tones really do a great job at adding textures and depth to the track.