Browsing Tag

Indie Electro Pop

Molly Warburton is Pop Panache Perfection in ‘Overdrive’

Molly Warburton’s latest single, ‘Overdrive‘, is permission to break free from life’s relentless rhythm and sink into a melody that floods into the soul. The alt-electro-pop manifesto will liberate anyone who knows how it feels to be at the mercy of the frenetic pace of modernity, the crucifixions of insecurity and the trappings of romantic complexity.

It is a bold step in Warburton’s evolving discography through its defiance of pop convention; Overdrive draws inspiration from the likes of HAIM, Dagny, and Self Esteem, allowing Warburton to weave a rich sonic fabric that is both nostalgic and forward-looking. The song is a masterful blend of 80s synthpop and 90s dance-pop, infused with innovative vocal effects and harmonic layering that set a new standard in vocal dynamism.

The track’s production is a testament to Warburton’s inventive approach to piercing through the plastic pop veil. The lyrics and melodies intertwine to create a poignantly exhilarating anthem, serving as a powerful reminder to step back and gain perspective on life’s journey.

Having already made her mark on renowned playlists and festival stages, the UK-based singer-songwriter is on a sure-fire trajectory to the top. Be a part of her ascent and hit play.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Jay Hofman unveiled an enrapturing self-deprecating indie electro-pop earworm with I Can’t Sing

Thankfully, the title of Jay Hofman’s latest single, I Can’t Sing, isn’t a disclaimer for the dire vocal performance that will defile your ears as soon as you hit play. Instead, the self-deprecatingly sweet funked-up indie electro-pop hit shares a dilemma that every non-muso diehard romantic will have been stung by, the compulsion to write and sing a love song despite a discernible lack of musical talent.

Maybe ironically, maybe entirely purposefully, the Polish singer-songwriter who is currently residing in the UK crafted the kind of love song that everyone who is lucky enough to be head over heels will want to put on a playlist for the objects of their desire. By switching between rap-style spoken word verses and auto-tuned harmonies in the chorus, even if there was weight to the claim that Hofman can’t sing, it would never have soured the soundscape that is as electrifying as a Daft Punk hit.

I Can’t Sing debuted on September 8th; fall in love with it via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

All isn’t fair in love and war in millar’s indie alt-electro-pop single, hunting ground

By drawing parallels between blood sports and romanticism in her indie alt-electro-pop single, hunting ground, the up-and-coming London-based singer-songwriter, millar, delivered a striking exposition of how nothing is fair in love and war when unsuspecting diehard romantics are forced to play by the rules of mind games.

As the atmospheric space progressively shifts from light to dark in the same vein as The Neighbourhood, Cigarettes After Sex and Perfume Genius around the strikingly angular indie guitar work which bears reminiscences to Slowdive and the driving backbeat that gives the single a punchily vindicating energy, hunting ground, is one of the most stunning UK indie tracks to spill up from the underground in 2023.

We can’t wait to hear where millar’s candour and inexplicable talents in euphonically visualising melancholy take her next.

hunting ground was officially released on September 1st; stream it now on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Jimmy Theo’s latest single, On My Own, is three minutes of pure indietronic pop perfection

The Sydney-born, London-based singer-songwriter Jimmy Theo is fresh from the release of his collaborative debut album, Next Step, featuring the standout single, On My Own, which is 3 minutes of pure indie electro-pop perfection.

With Flowers for Hanna enriching the hit with her magnetic harmonic timbre, which is as just as beguiling as the indietronica attitude that laces Lorde, London Grammar, and Warpaint records with stylish soul, the classic pop songwriting styling is elevated to the nth degree.

As catchy as an ABBA hit yet alternatively scintillating through the synthesised theremin, On My Own is the ultimate pop anthem for anyone who wants to hear the affirmation that regardless of how romantic uncertainty wraps up, you will always be left with the only person you need; you.

On My Own is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

IORA – Nylon: Synthesised in Catharsis Indie Electro-Pop

Ahead of her performance at Glastonbury, the indie electro-pop sensation IORA debuted her latest slice of synthy candour, Nylon, on June 7th.

Using her imploringly rich vocals that practically effervesce with distinction to allude to the torment of being trapped between two opposing forces while the upbeat instrumentals allow the track to surge with oscillating energy, conflicting emotions are part and parcel of delving into Nylon.

But by the single reaches its synthesised in catharsis outro, you will be left with the affirmation that few artists are adept in sonically visualising their torment and portraying it as universally resonant aural gold. Someone hand her a Mercury Prize already.

Nylon is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Steve Twinley – Time Has Always Been a Friend of Mine: Hear the Latest Collision in Indie Electroclash

Sunsneezer (2022 album) by Steve Twinley

Taken from his 2022 album, Sunsneezer, Steve Twinley’s standout single, Time Has Always Been a Friend of Mine, is an indie electroclash earworm awash with 90s nostalgia. With a beat that pulsates with the same ferocity of Emerge by Fischerspooner paired with melodic choral increments that allow you to appreciate Twinley’s softer side, his seminal single inspires you to delve into it time and time again to re-appreciate the seamless shifts in tone and emotion.

The DIY Alt-Rock singer-songwriter hails from the South Coast of the UK and takes his influence from the alt-90s greats, including Weezer, Radiohead, Green Day, Eels and Feeder, but clearly, their inspiration was just a fraction of the creativity of the single that concludes on a psytrance-Esque outro in the same vein of Infected Mushroom.

Stream and purchase Steve Twinley’s single, Time Has Always Been a Friend of Mine, on Bandcamp.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

 

London’s True Being pulled us from polarity and put us ‘Back on Track’ with his alt-pop jam

True Being took us back in time with their latest single, Back on Track, which reminisces on the less polarised and partisan days when we could see the world in full colour instead of through the divisive prism of black and white.

What it will take for people to get back there isn’t quite clear, but Back on Track is certainly a step in the right direction. The quirky alternative single which plays with mystical eastern rhythms and playfully polyphonic electro-pop layers is an efficacious reminder that things haven’t always been this way, and there is no good reason why they are engrained in our modern cultures the world over.

The London-based artist makes a habit of holding a mirror to the absurdist facets of our world through his assertion that artists have a role to play in the shaping of our future to take the power away from Musk and his kin, politicians and celebrities. He’s been likened to LCD Sound System, Nick Cave, Talking Heads and John Grant, but all reminiscences in his flamboyantly eccentric sound are incredibly fleeting.

Stream Back on Track on YouTube and Spotify.

Review by Amelie Vandergast

Chris Koehn processed grief following the loss of his brother in his ethereal elecro-pop single, Melancholia

Embracing the perpetual promise of change, Chris Koehn composed his most introspective single to date, Melancholia. If there’s any lyric that truly epitomises the proclivity of melancholy while advocating mindfulness, it’s the poignantly rendered line, “It’s only life, everyday we die”, that reprises through this gentle dream pop exposition of ennui.

The atmospheric layering of the male and female vocal harmonies above the swirling electronic synthetics and intense percussion creates a sobering soundtrack for reflection. But the sense of soul that matches the contemporary gravitas of Perfume Genius and Cigarettes After Sex ensures that the ultimate effect is an enlivening one.

Inspired by the death of his brother, Chris Koehn is helping others through their grieving processes while processing his own grief. As someone that has recently experienced the loss of their mother, I can attest to the efficacy of this stunning reminder to live in the moment; while we still have one.

Melancholia is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Noah and the Sound embodies the epitome of inertia in his indie-pop electro hit, Stuck

Swedish singer-songwriter Noah and the Sound has released his post-punk-tinged indie-pop earworm, Stuck. In a time when momentum is hard to find but not as hard as the grip of inertia, it has all the makings of an electro-indie pop playlist staple.

With an arty approach to cinematic production, Stuck finds the perfect balance between intimacy and intensity. Especially with the contrast between the vulnerability in the hushed and honeyed indie dream-pop vocals and the deep percussive throbs that ensure the momentum ironically remains perpetual. There’s also no aurally evading the sense of romanticism that resounds around the bitter-sweet candour.

Stuck is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Hands in Shadow has released their avant-garde indie hit, Hater, Fighter…Lover?

https://m.soundcloud.com/soundboard_music/hater-fighterlover

Hands in Shadow’s latest single, Hater, Fighter…Lover? is an ingenious mash of indie post-punk, funk, grunge and avant-garde. The prelude delivers Nirvana-Esque sludgy tones before the playfully polyphonic keys allow you to imagine the aural result if the Residents and Kraftwerk produced together.

Hands in Shadow found the perfect balance between obscurity and melody, the eerie magnetic pull of the single makes you feel at a loss when the short and sweet psychedelic indie hit suddenly comes to a close. We will definitely be keeping the Yorkshire-based artist on our radar for future releases; we advise everyone with a penchant for avant-garde indie to do the same.

You can check out Hands in Shadow’s latest single for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast