Browsing Tag

Independent Pop

Fallyn weaved a cautionary tale into her debut pop track, Love Bomb

Posted on 7 December 2023

Fallyn’s debut single Love Bomb is a masterful blend of nostalgia and modernity, an ethereal journey that bridges the gap between the distinct pop sounds of the 80s and today’s contemporary landscape. The track is a melodious odyssey, laced with dreamy, choral textures that are as captivating as they are introspective.

Love Bomb opens with a celestial ambiance, immediately setting a tone that is both haunting and enchanting. Fallyn’s voice, reminiscent of icons like Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston, carries a delicate power that lures the listener into the intoxicating atmosphere of the single. Her vocal prowess is evident as she navigates through the layers of sound with ease and emotion. The genius lies in the track’s thematic depth. Fallyn delves into the complex phenomenon of love bombs, a manipulative tactic often employed by narcissists at the onset of relationships.

Fallyn and her collaborator, Trenton Michael, skilfully intertwine 80s pop elements with contemporary sounds, creating a track that feels both familiar and fresh with each element, from the ethereal synths to the layered harmonies, meticulously crafted to enhance the overall experience. Notably, she is one to watch.

Love Bomb dropped on December 1st; stream it on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Sean Daniel swept up the cosmos in his intricate tapestry of pop chords with ‘Counting Stars’

Posted on 19 November 2023
https://soundcloud.com/seandreardon/counting-stars

The Cambridgeshire, UK-hailing songwriter and composer Sean Daniel has veered away from his alt-rock inclinations to make his debut in the pop arena with his latest single Counting Stars.

Immerse yourself in a celestial experience with this starry piano-driven pop ballad from Sean Daniel and the phenomenally talented female vocalist who brought swathes of soul to the release, which uses each note to weave an intricate tapestry of chords that hint at a profound understanding of musical storytelling and showcases a maturity that belies the artist’s novelty on the scene.

The track’s dreamy star-roving atmosphere is crafted through delicate yet powerful piano melodies, perfectly paced to lift listeners into the cosmos. The artist’s skill in chord progression shines brightly, offering a transcendent journey through space and emotion. Delve in for a shot of sonic visceralism.

Counting Stars was officially released on November 7th; stream the superlative single on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Rukudzo called time in her fiery pop hit, Big Things

Posted on 6 November 2023

The Hertfordshire, UK singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Rukudzo exhibited what a perfect pop hit should sound like in 2023 with her latest hook-rife and soul-lavished single, Big Things, which allows indie guitars to weave an intricate melodic tapestry across the lush layers of reverb and the Afrobeat rhythms that give the genre-fluid track a solid backbeat.

The sonic ingenuity, which also leaves room for Rukudzo’s signature rock attitude, is only matched by the poignant lyrical message which unravels as a fiery vignette of a depiction of the necessity of knowing when to be forbearing in a relationship and when to draw the line and call time.

In every conceivable way, Rukudzo made an unforgettable impression with Big Things. You’ll be humming the melody for days and revelling in the introspection for even longer.

Big Things will drop on November 3rd, stream it on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Anike stylised the archetypal perennial pop earworm in her sophomore release, Victorious

Posted on 30 October 2023

Following the success of her debut single, Beautiful Fate, the unforgettable electro-pop originator Anike took a year to hone her sound and sharpen her sonic signature before unleashing her superlatively stylised sophomore earworm, Victorious.

With as much experimentation in her sound as Warpaint, Cherry Glazerr, and Blonde Redhead fused with a sticky-sweet bubblegum pop sensibility, Victorious bridges the gap between two pop worlds with her synth-carved melodies and rhythmically arresting progressions. The track is an overpass you’ll want to revisit time after time for the feel-good factor which has all the euphoria of a guilty pleasure and all the gravitas of an artful pop-hooked Tour De Force.

Victorious was officially released on October 20; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

tonka._.b has made her bedroom pop debut with the sticky-sweet indietronica single, Me & U

Posted on 29 August 2023

The bedroom pop artist tonka._.b has made her debut with the indietronic pop hit, Me & U. Right from the prelude you will be invited into a dreamy, almost ethereal electronically crafted universe, which shares a few proclivities with the tracks orchestrated by the likes of Shiny Toy Guns, Metric, and Kill Hannah. Just when you think the single is about to border on twee, bassier dance elements work their way into the progressive mix that delivers a barrage of curveballs to keep you on your toes right to the outro.

It may be rough around some of the songwriting edges in some parts, and transitions between the verses and chorus could be smoother, but the up-and-coming artist clearly has an ear for a melody, and there is no telling where it could take her in the future – stay tuned and keep her on your radar.

Me & U was officially released on August 21; stream it on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Gemma Felicity ignited 00s pop nostalgia with ‘Come Back to Me’

Posted on 4 August 2023
Gemma Felicity

Gemma Felicity ignited early 00s pop nostalgia with her latest single, Come Back to Me, which is set to drop on the 4th of August.The muted and choked-up guitars at the start of the single set the tone for a hair-raising feat of pop-punk. But the London-based singer-songwriter chose to run through with a moody slice of synth-pop with reverb-heavy keys and a danceable melody beneath her viscerally soulful vocal lines that will spark an evocative fire between your synapses as you lose yourself in the adrenalizingly progressive single that will leave you simultaneously wanting to hit the dance floor and wanting to drunk text your ex.

Following a mystery illness that left her physically and mentally drained, the songwriter studied for her Masters in Music Performance in Leeds before dropping her first singles, This Place and Better Without You, in 2022. Her upcoming EP was penned to explore her unhealthy romantic relationships and her journey back to herself and self-sourced peace. Keep tuned for it.

Check out Come Back to Me on Spotify and iTunes via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Dream Baby Dream with Cati Landry’s indie pop installation of etherealism, Mind’s Eye

Posted on 22 July 2023

With vocal lines that hypnotise as they harmonise, Cati Landry’s indie dream pop single, Mind’s Eye, will instantly put you under its ethereal spell. As the lead guitars bend licks of Americana into the notes, the rhythm guitars keep the 90s indie dream alive in their steady spills of instrumental romanticism.

The Canadian singer-songwriter set to create the ultimate anthem for the diehard romantics who find themselves consistently contending with the juxtaposition between dreams and reality; given that she made romantic expectations all the more unrealistic with her butterfly-releasing release, it is safe to say she succeeded in her enchanting record, which deserves to be just as revered as Swift’s latest LP. I highly recommend investing in Cati Landry’s promising career before you have to take out a second mortgage for her gig tickets too.

Mind’s Eye was officially released on July 14; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Forget Peterson; follow Ninali’s rules for life in her synthy soul pop meditation on mindfulness, Alive.

Posted on 22 May 2023

With her latest pop-dominated melting pot of genre and style, Alive, the singer-songwriter and co-producer Ninali celebrated life and gave her staunch fanbase a few lessons to live by. By eloquently alluding to the irrefutable truth that we all harness the power to choose what we expose ourselves to and ultimately, who we want to be, Ninali will undoubtedly guide countless people to the epiphany that the power to shape reality exists within us all.

The meditation on mindfulness is just as infectious as the hits from Black Honey, as poetic as the indie pop gems from She Drew the Gun, and effortlessly classy as April March. So it’s safe to say that the 18-year-old songstress is a triple threat that could easily find herself at the top of the charts if her songwriting chops remain as sharp as they were in Alive. Feel good tracks have never felt so damn good.

Ninali launched her latest single, Alive, on May 12; hear it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Gemma Felicity shared her bitter-sweet learning curve in her evocative indie pop single, Better Without You

Posted on 15 December 2022

With a guitar tone as chorally compelling as Slowdive’s in their latest album, the London-based independent singer-songwriter Gemma Felicity rendered us heartbroken by proxy with her sophomore single and official music video, Better Without You.

The steadily ascending pop artist has been refining her performative and songwriting talents since she was nine years old. After taking a hiatus for her undergrad degree and enduring mental and physical illness, she returned to music with the vow to express her deepest emotions.

Stylish, sincere and self-reflective in equal measure, Better Without You transcends the archetypal breakup song to get to the crux of tangibly resonant emotion. Unless your soul is completely defunct, you can’t help but invest in the matured indie pop masterpiece that fills you with compassion for the vulnerable powerful protagonist she portrays.

With her debut EP, Baggage, in the pipeline, we’re stoked to have her on our radar.

Watch the official video for Better Without You on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Nick Cody & The Heartache consoles Anthropocene anxiety in his single, All is Fine Until the World Goes Pop, featuring Towse

Posted on 30 September 2022
https://soundcloud.com/nickcodymusic/all-is-fine-til-the-world-goes-pop-featuring-towse/s-Cx1cPKU0Zbm?si=975686dab187470ca0639c3e3b299658&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

UK singer-songwriter Nick Cody is set to unleash his forthcoming album, All is Fine Until the World Goes Pop; the plaintive piano mockery of the state of our being at this crushing crux of humanity spills its fair share of antipathy while playfully protesting the black mirror reflection of our reality.

The standout single, featuring the glassy vocals from Towse, may not be able to brighten the corners of our contemporary insanity; it does something far more valuable. It euphonically cries out to everyone struggling with Anthropocene anxiety with a nuanced affirmation that they’re not alone in their all-consuming fear.

Artfully, lyrically, and conceptually, All is Fine Until the World Goes Pop is a multi-faceted triumph.

All is Fine Until the World Goes Pop will officially release on September 30th. Catch it on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast