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Lo Fi Pop

Marilyn Joy conjured affectionate innocence in her sticky-sweet synth-pop score. HeartSchool

HeartSchool by Marilyn Joy

Marilyn Joy’s latest single, ‘HeartSchool’, is a sticky-sweet journey back to the innocence of first loves and schoolyard romances. This London-based artist, known for her alternative pop/rock flair, has once again captured our hearts with her quintessentially quirky style.

The lo-fi polyphonic pop vignette is a sweet, nostalgic trip down memory lane, guided by tender melodies which evoke the simplicity of young love, untouched by the complexities of adult relationships. Marilyn’s playful vocal timbres weave through the melody like a gentle reminder of days gone by while bearing reminiscence to the uninhibitedly expressive air of the Legendary Pink Dots.

Marilyn’s influence in the London music scene is evident in her live performances, described as ‘exciting’ and ‘unpredictable’. The track is a testament to her ability to blend genres and influences, from Blondie to Starsailor, into her distinctive sound.

With her previous releases, including ‘Crystal D’Arke‘ and ‘Killjoy Was Here’, she has consistently demonstrated skill in crafting songs that resonate with a wide audience. ‘HeartSchool’ continues this trend, solidifying her place as a significant voice in the alternative pop/rock genre.

HeartSchool is now available to stream and purchase on Bandcamp.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Azure Kai strikes again with her illustriously authentic single, The Cakepop Song

Azure Kai cranked up the creativity in her latest imaginatively narrative release, The Cakepop Song; if anyone deserves to be revered as the Frank Zappa of this era, it is her with her quaintly endearing vignettes and visionary melodies.

80s-esque soul resounds in the atmosphere of the off-the-cuff alt-pop track that portrays the maladies of a middle school student being snubbed by his crush around the soaring Prince-reminiscent guitar solos and the crescendos that are just as consuming as the ones orchestrated by Queen.

Finding the perfect balance between theatrics and contemporary pop panache, Azure Kai effortlessly succeeded in spinning yet another superlatively synthesised tale that reaches the pinnacle of escapism music. We can’t wait to hear what follows as the Monmouth University student progresses through what is set to be an illustriously authentic career.

The Cakepop Song is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Marilyn Joy is ‘Superfine’ in her latest polyphonic lo-fi alt-pop single.

Superfine by Marilyn Joy

The matchless London-based singer-songwriter and artist, Marilyn Joy, has released her eagerly-awaited eccentrically Avant-Garde single, Superfine. She’s officially on top expressive form after her stint away from the airwaves and notable London venues.

With the same playful polyphonic tones that Grandaddy used to win over the masses in the 90s, the keys lead you through the lo-fi production that explores the weight we can take off other people before reminding you to shake it off for your sanity.

Marilyn Joy’s melody-driven, effortlessly distinctive style is always a refreshing change from the artists that veer away from their originality to find uniqueness. As always, we can’t wait to hear the confessional alchemy that follows.

Superfine was officially released on February 18th, 2022. It is now available to stream and purchase on Bandcamp.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Nick Rannikko gives us ‘More’ than we bargained for in his latest single.

Nick Rannikko

‘More’ is the latest intimately sweet indie single from the alternative artist Nick Rannikko, which dropped onto the airwaves on July 7th, bringing with it bags of catharsis and consolation as it flirts with elements of pop, rock, RnB and trap in true cloud rap/indie-pop trip-hop style.

After a prelude of tape deck static and ambient waves of shimmering reverb, the smooth melodies come to the surface to serve as the perfect platform for Nick Rannikko’s vulnerably compassionate vocals that candidly contend with raw and intimate thought. When kicking 808s come into play, there’s a surge of energy in the release that you just can’t help getting caught up in.

Check out More on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Paul Marotto showcases his new ‘Chemical Compound’

‘Chemical Compound’ is a clever little mishmash of a showcase song, starting off with some elegant picked guitar and bass parts before adding dreamy, ephemeral synths and a wonderful little phased and distorted guitar lead part, before dropping into total strummy acoustic guitar singer-songwritery-ness.

With less talent, that might all sound a little disjointed, but in the hands of Paul Marotto, it’s skilfully woven together into a cohesive, clever little whole all held together with a lazy, languorous, Plain White Tees-style vocal that perfectly fits that track. It’s reminiscent of those North-East US college radio indie-rock tracks that seem to permeate consciousness every so often – They Might Be Giants, Bare Naked Ladies, or the Presidents of the USA. That’s a very, very good group to be a part of, and Paul Marotto is in some very clever company with ‘Chemical Compound’. We can’t wait to hear more.

You can check out Paul, and his ‘Orange Crush’ recording set-up at Haunted House Studios, here; listen to ‘Chemical Compound’ on Spotify.

Review by Alex Holmes

Philp Guele has released their intimate indie-pop earworm ‘She is My Summer’.

You’d assume that a retired airline employee would have plenty of stories to tell; based on Philp Guele’s single, ‘She is My Summer’, we can confirm that is the case.

The prolific traveller got some crimps in their travel plans during the 2020 lockdown; instead of jet-setting to new locations, he revisited old memories and pulled the poetry out of them. The poetry soon ended up as lyrics to their amorous indie-pop earworms such as She’s My Summer.

The slightly lo-fi vibe amplifies the intimacy of the proclamation and shows just how torrid and intense our lives can become when a whirlwind romance starts to kick up dust. It’s a timelessly relatable release that falls nicely into the contemporary demand for folky acoustic pop.

She is My Summer is now available to stream via SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Goldë shines a light on the human experience with her latest indie pop single ‘Dodged Bullets and Close Calls’

If you share Goldë’s fascination with the human experience, you’ll undoubtedly want to dig for the introspective gold in her latest lo-fi indie-pop single ‘Dodged Bullets and Close Calls’.

While it is pretty easy to get depressed over the fact that navigating a dating pool is essentially like crawling across a minefield, the optimistic tones in the single bring a sense of comfort by affirming the collective nature of our intimately frustrating experiences.

The accordant sun-soaked production may be simplistic, but that doesn’t prevent it from drawing you into the aural experience completely.

You can check out the official video to Dodged Bullets and Close Calls via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

HONA drop stunning debut single ‘Drop In The Ocean’.

Sparse and stratospheric, ‘Drop In The Ocean’ is a moody slice of Electronic Dance Music, the debut single from Swedish pairing Valentina Ahlmark and Mathilda Ulfes; the tension is evident from the opening chords, the pain of separation and longing palpable and unmistakable and tangible throughout the three minutes ten seconds of the song.

The space in the track adds to its power, perfectly offsetting the strength of the vocal, the ambience and reverb carrying the beats and the swell of the programmed chords to perfection; ‘Drop In The Ocean’ is a stunning debut from a duo that are clearly ones to watch.

‘Drop In The Ocean’ is on Spotify; check out HONA on Facebook.

Review by Alex Holmes

Get your self-esteem back with Mitchel Logan’s latest single Don’t Really Need You

Mitchel Logan

Is there anything better than belated epiphanies which occur after you realise that other people in this world are never the source of your happiness or purpose? Mitchel Logan’s Alt Lo-Fi RnB track Don’t Really Need You perfectly captures that liberating feeling of elation.

Don’t Really Need You holds the same accordant appeal of Lou Barlow’s melodically intimate solo project, yet, any comparisons to Mitchel Logan’s sound are incredibly fleeting. What starts out as a lofty minimalist Indie production evolves into a passion-soaked intensely beautiful track which simply drips with empowerment. If your self-esteem needs a boost after a romantically tragic battering, hit play.

You will be able to check out Don’t Really Need You from October 23rd via all major streaming services. In the meantime, you can head on over to SoundCloud to check out their former releases.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Qeeran – More Than Enough: RnB-Infused Bedroom Pop

Qeeran

Even a global lockdown couldn’t stop Malaysian-born, Melbourne-based artist and producer Qeeran releasing yet another smoothly amorous RnB-infused bedroom Pop single.

Hit play on “More Than Enough” and you’ll sink into a hazy, atmospherically sweet soundscape which has plenty of familiar sentiments to share with anyone who has experienced conflict burning between insecurity and infatuation.

Any fans of The 1975, SG Lewis, Alina Baraz and ELIO will undoubtedly want to delve into this evocatively nostalgic melancholic bedroom Pop masterpiece.

You’ll have to wait a little longer before you can check out More Than Enough for yourselves. In the meantime, check out Qeeran’s equally as airy and resolving releases via SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast