Browsing Tag

Leonard Cohen

LEE DAVEY has painted a stark meta portrait with their swampy demonic folk rock single ‘Incubus’

Posted on 24 December 2020
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiW5g_71WHY&feature=youtu.be

We’ve all had spare time to spend with our demons in recent months, Alt Rock artist LEE DAVEY spent plenty of time mentally frolicking demonic spirits before penning their darkly hypnotic single ‘Incubus’.

Nick Cave comparisons are easy to make, especially with the ‘red right hand’ lyrical reference but allowing you to believe that Incubus is solely an assimilative work would be nothing short of criminal. The mythology-laden lyricism allows LEE DAVEY to transcend the Murder Folk genre and enter the realm of Demonic Folk Rock. Expect slithering rhythms, tinges of swampy Americana Alt Folk and searing solo work which affirms that LEE DAVEY’s prowess as an instrumentalist parrels their abilities as a lyricist. The dark imagery he paints with does more than just leave a macabre canvas behind. It exposes the darkest corners of our minds, the ones we can barely look into ourselves, let alone invite others to see.

You can check out Incubus for yourselves by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Scott Albert Johnson offers an invitation to transcend the 2020 chaos with their Americana Alt Folk single ‘Float’

Posted on 17 December 2020

Mississippi-hailing artist Scott Albert Johnson lays down old school bluesy soul in their latest single ‘Float’ which unfolds as a timelessly cathartic feat of Alt Folk Americana. I’ll never quite get used to hearing Covid times references in a track which sounds like Cohen could have released in the 70s, but I’ll remain eternally grateful for the resolve all the same.

It’s hard not to believe Scott Albert Johnson when he tells you that the clouds are going to break someday. For your sanity’s sake, add the celestially-produced, chorally-upraising single to your playlists.

You can check out the official music video to Float which was released on November 30th via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Michael Golden gives us a glimpse into his psyche with captivating new single ‘The Rhine’

Posted on 29 November 2020

Bloomington, Indiana resident Michael Golden began his songwriting career at the age of 16; now, after twenty years of honing his craft, he drops his debut album ‘Some Kind Of Holiday’, a self-produced 12 tracks of classic, folk-rock inspired eclecticism in the singer-songwriter tradition of the 1970’s.

Raw and heartfelt, autobiographical in the Leonard Cohen way, new single ‘The Rhine’ is a vaguely psychedelic, folksy little three minutes of earnest, sincere whimsy; it’s profound, pretty, like a trip back into the world of Cat Stevens and Donovan, naked and laid bare and altogether truthful. Golden has assembled a stunning collection of musicians across ‘Some Kind Of Holiday’, with swelling cello, organ, and guitars all underpinning his deep, rich vocal.

‘Some Kind Of Holiday’ is out now; view the video for ‘The Rhine’ on YouTube, and follow Michael Golden on Facebook or via his website.

Review by Alex Holmes

Get high with Michael Golden’s intoxicating Alt Folk single “Mr. Ecstasy”

Posted on 8 October 2020

Slip into the soul contained in US singer-songwriter Michael Golden’s debut album Some Kind of Holiday, it’s a candidly compelling narration of the artist’s experience navigating life, you’ll find plenty of familiar moments staring back at you.

The perfect introduction to their melodically haunting style is irrefutably “Mr. Ecstasy”. Any fans of Leonard Cohen and Tom Waits are going to get stung by the melancholy. Just like dropping a pill, there are blissfully radiant highs and soul-scraping lows. Yet, Mr. Ecstasy is able to offer far more than narcotics could.

The tender nostalgic comfort contained in Mr. Ecstasy is worth its weight in gold. Michael Golden has palpably succeeded in recreating the 70s sound with a modern digital folk edge.

You can check out Mr. Ecstasy for yourselves by heading over to YouTube now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

PB Ruck lays down some haunting soul with their latest single “One-Man Rodeo”

Posted on 1 September 2020

Up and coming singer-songwriter PB Ruck released his latest single One-Man Rodeo on August 24th. It’s pretty much safe to say that it may just be the most pensively raw single we’ve heard so far in 2020.

The hauntingly mellifluous soundscape possesses a timeless Alt-Folk feel which is sure to be a hit with any fans of the likes of Cohen, Waits and Dylan, but it’s anything but archaic. Thanks to the clever contemporary nuances in One-Man Rodeo, it rings with modernity, resonance and connectivity.

You can check out PB Ruck’s single One-Man Rodeo for yourselves by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Blonde Lion has released their enrapturing ennui-laden Alt Folk single “Ordinary Day”

Posted on 5 August 2020

Folk-Pop singer-songwriter Blonde Lion released their latest single “Ordinary Day” on August 5th. Elliott Smith may not be with us anymore, but Blonde Lion’s melancholic style is just as efficacious at drawing pensive emotions from you and offering aural resolve.

Obviously, I didn’t make it to the end of Ordinary Day with dry eyes. The delicateness of the atmospheric and intricate acoustic instrumentals was one thing, the resonance in the lyrics was quite another.  Ordinary Days was inspired by the days where you wake up and struggle to find anything which offers any meaning. The jaded ennui was all too relatable and it’s safe to say that after the global lockdown, plenty more people will see themselves in this sublime soundscape which serves as the perfect introduction to Blonde Lion’s compelling style.

You can check out Blonde Lion’s latest release by heading over to SoundCloud now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Knox Bronson – I Want to Know: Delicately Orchestral Alt Folk

Posted on 5 August 2020
https://soundcloud.com/knox-bronson/i-want-to-know-what-you-told-the-sun

Oakland, US Folk Singer-Songwriter Knox Bronson has recently released their latest single “I Want to Know (What You Told the Sun). If Cohen has a tendency to make you teary, so will this sublimely orchestrated release.

The delicately inviting semi-orchestral arrangement possesses plenty of choral depth and creates the perfect platform for Knox Bronson’s gravelly yet harmonic quiescent vocals. And the nostalgic feel of the release gives I Want to Know plenty of instant accessibility from the first hit. Yet, there’s plenty of distinction to be found within the atmospheric soundscape along with sheer amorous mesmerism.

You can listen to I Want to Know for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud now.

Keep up to date with Knox Bronson’s latest releases via Facebook.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Fade – Cinderella’s Fancy Eyes: Romantically Bitter-Sweet Neo-Classic Indie Pop

Posted on 26 May 2020

From the first vocal note in the standout single “Cinderella’s Fancy Eyes” from Fade’s debut EP “After Midnight” the arrestive pull of the soundscape takes its firm grip. From there on out, the bitter-sweet Neo-Classic Indie Pop melodies kick up an evocative storm whilst keeping the progressions poised and piercing.

The lyrics in Cinderella’s Fancy Eyes poignantly and deftly capture the darker side of romanticism – the side which any fans of William Blake and Jack Kerouac will appreciate. While the playfully dark tones will easily enamour anyone who finds themselves drawn to Nick Cave’s artfully bleak approach to songwriting.

Cinderella’s Fancy Eyes is a tender masterpiece which we certainly won’t forget about in a hurry.

You can check out Cinderella’s Fancy Eyes along with the rest of Fade’s debut EP which dropped on May 8th for yourselves via Spotify.

Keep up to date with new releases from Fade via Facebook.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Prepare to be captivated by B.W. Johnson’s artfully pensive Alt Folk Pop single “I Can’t Row for Two”

Posted on 19 April 2020

B.W. Johnson’s stripped-bare, emotively haunted standout single “I Can’t Row for Two” had us transfixed from the prelude. As you can see, the track title alone offers pensive poetry. Yet that linguistically bruising wit is just a drop in the ocean compared to what this artful Lo-Fi Folk Pop single contains.

If you can imagine what Radiohead would sound like if Thom Yorke took their sound in a slightly folkier direction and used warmer organic tones, you’ll get an idea of the kind of exploratively emotive alchemy which spills from this timelessly striking soundscape.

I Can’t Row for Two is just one of the singles which feature on B.W. Johnson’s second album French Kiss Lessons, the entire record will undoubtedly enamour any fans of Elliott Smith.

You can check out the album for yourselves by heading over to Spotify now.

Keep up to date with the latest releases from B.W. Johnson via Facebook.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Max Seidman – The Key: Ethereally Magnetic Americana Folk

Posted on 10 April 2020

Any fans of Kurt Vile will want to get acquainted with the pensively captivating latest single “The Key” from up and coming Americana Folk artist Max Seidman.

There’s a contemporary spin on the timeless genre through the ethereal polished production. Yet, the organically sentimental track shares the same beguiling magnetism as tracks by the likes of Cohen, Waits, and Elliot Smith.

The melancholic keys find perfect synergy with the stripped-back delicate fingerpicked acoustic guitar notes and create an immersive soundscape to lie under Max Seidman’s powerfully resounding vocals which will leave you hanging on every neatly-pitched vocal note in the Key.

Tracks don’t often come as narratively arrestive as the Key. Max Seidman is undoubtedly one to watch.

You can check out The Key along with Max Seidman’s earlier releases by heading over to Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast