Browsing Tag

London Pop

Folk noir soulstress Echo Wants Her Voice Back has released her most evocative single to date, ‘Wife’

Posted on 3 June 2021

‘Wife’ is the latest poetically Avant-Garde single from Cypriot-born, London-based singer-songwriter and actress Echo Wants Her Voice Back. Starting with a minimalist, spiritual intro that any fans of the Cranberries will appreciate, Wife is captivating from the start. The conversationally imploring vocals lead you right into the heart of the track, and that is a trip you’re going to want to take over and over again.

With a touch of Gwen Stefani-Esque attitude to the folk-pop lyrics in the chorus, the seamlessly progressive single is proof of the alchemy that can breathe through a release created without constraint. The baroque pop outro that carries reminiscence to Emilie Autumn’s archaic sound is a haunting way that ensures Wife will stay with you long after the outro

With her second EP in the works, Echo Wants Her Voice back is well worth room on your radar.

Wife released on May 21st; you can hear it for yourselves via SoundCloud and Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Lara de Belder has made her Jazz Pop debut with ‘Turn it Over’.

Posted on 29 May 2021

Lara de Belder’s debut single, Turn It Over, is easily one of the most promising debuts made in 2021. Discernibly, the British-American artist brought plenty of her experience in the theatre to her jazzy debut single that reflects upon themes of obsession and desire.

With a voice as mesmerising as Cher’s and the endlessly enlivening instrumentals bleeding euphoria with every progression, Turn it Over is consistently captivating. The single allows you to mentally contend with the dark side of obsession as the jazzy instrumental arrangement finds a way to absolve any guilt you may be harbouring from obsessive behaviour. We have all been there.

Turn it Over is the first single to be released from Lara’s upcoming concept album that explores relationship breakdowns. Needless to say, we’re already stoked to hear it.

Turn it Over is now available to stream on Soundcloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Classically trained London singer-songwriter Libby Phippard has released her latest single, ‘Please Don’t Ask Me to Stay’.

Posted on 5 April 2021
Libby Phippard

London singer-songwriter Libby Phippard’s latest single, ‘Please Don’t Ask Me to Stay’ is the kind of revival needed to keep classical music relevant in 2021.

With her operatic training, background in classical music and tendency to draw influence from everyone from Hozier to Ariana Grande, her latest ballad is a theatrical release that doesn’t allow any of the pain of a relationship expiring to hide behind smoke and mirror. Instead, it bridges the gap between those grandiose lovesongs that have always been around and the common experience of romantic duality.

It is criminal for singles such as Please Don’t Ask Me to Stay to be relegated to soundtracks. If society can see the beauty in acts such as Daughter and Tom Odell, there’s no reason why the same affection can’t be found in Libby Phippard’s timeless sound.

Please Don’t Ask Me to Say is due for official release on March 12th. You can check it out for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud. Head over to the artist’s official website for more info.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Joe Hayes reflects on the agony and euphoria of love with their sophomore dance-pop single ‘My Mind’

Posted on 26 March 2021

London-based pop artist, Joe Hayes has followed on from their enigmatic 2020 debut with their sophomore single ‘My Mind’.

In some ways, it’s a familiar funk-fuelled perennial pop earworm. In others, it’s an eccentrically daring release that exhibits Joe Hayes’ natural born authentic talent when it comes to reflecting human emotion through hook-filled melodies and massive choruses.

My Mind is a stunning portrait of how agony and euphoria often come hand in hand with love. With palpitation-inducing breaks and energising drops, My Mind is a flawless feat of radio-ready pop that will leave any fans of Bruno Mars, Jax Jones and Charlie Puth arrested from the first verse to the last.

My Mind is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Jimmy Theo – Insane featuring A Pocket Full of Wonder

Posted on 14 March 2021

London-based Pop singer-songwriter, Jimmy Theo has released the most relatable lockdown single to date with ‘Insane’, featuring A Pocket Full of Wonder.

You’ll feel every single discernible emotion listening to Insane unfold, but mostly, the artist’s drive to sweeten the collective unstable mood with their playful indie-rock style left us unequivocally endeared.

Jimmy Theo’s sound falls nicely between Frank Turner’s and Lewis Capaldi’s, the slight off the cuff nature of the track draws you right into the theme of the single, but the simple acoustic guitar chords keep the track full of mainstream potential.

The official lyric video is now available to stream via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Sam Pearce has stormed the airwaves with their forcefully visceral dance pop debut, ‘On & On’

Posted on 14 March 2021

South London’s Sam Pearce stormed the airwaves with his forcefully visceral debut dance-pop single, On & On’, created in collaboration with Denmark’s acclaimed Pop producer, Fred Millar.

The energy emitted by the strong synth lines and bass kicks is phenomenal, but Sam Pearce’s vocals easily match the veracity as they verse lyrics inspired by all too relatable post-relationship anxiety. There’s potentially nothing more frustrating than being haunted by the past when your conscious mind tells you that you’re ‘over it’, On & On perfectly captures those emotions, but ultimately it proves that they can be overcome.

With debut releases, there’s usually a slight sense of tentative creative uncertainty, but the level of assured confidence in On & On lets you know that Sam Pearce is one to watch.

On & On is now available to stream via SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Zeli has left the indie electronica scene enraptured with her debut single ‘Almost’

Posted on 1 March 2021

‘Almost’ is the dreamy darkwave debut single from Zeli, an 18-year-old artist and producer who has already left the indie electronica scene enraptured with her intimate approach to production and lyricism.

Billie Eilish comparisons are easy to make but capturing the evocative sensuality behind this moody electro-pop hit is infinitely harder.

The entrancingly dark synth-led melodies groove at a steady tempo, ensuring that each syllable projected into Almost leaves you arrested until you reach the ethereal outro which will undoubtedly leave you feeling as eager as us to hear the London-based artist and producer’s sophomore release.

Almost is available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Soul-pop singer-songwriter Ella McCready has made her cultivated debut with ‘You Saved Me’

Posted on 14 February 2021

Lifelong London-based artist, Ella McCready, made her solo debut in January 2021 with the graciously poised soul-pop single ‘You Saved Me’ which uses infectious melodies to make sure that the deeply personal and bold introspection hits hard around the intoxicatingly mellifluous grooves.

There’s nothing more beautiful than seeing someone realising their own power once they let go of the person who they thought they couldn’t live without. That’s exactly what you’ll be able to witness in You Saved Me. The sense of realism runs deep, reassuring you that this stunning feat of neo-soul came from a hard-learned lesson. We might all learn from our own mistakes, but having tracks like You Saved Me in our aural arsenal could be the difference between self-apathy and empowerment.

Needless to say, we’re already eager to hear what Ella McCready has in the pipelines for her sophomore release. Her classy cultivated vocals combined with the stunning radio-ready production in You Saved Me will undoubtedly see her go far.

You can check out Ella McCready’s debut single via SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Ooberfuse show us just how sweet liberation can sound with ‘Set Me Free’

Posted on 14 February 2021

While the UK collectively clawed at the walls in confined frustration, London-based electro-pop duo, Ooberfuse, were gearing up to drop their latest single ‘Set Me Free’. If you’re in the mood for some aurally-inspired liberation, feel your shackles lose their grip to the danceable drop.

With a touch of Tori Amos to Cherrie Anderson’s vocals, beats which will allow you to imagine what it would sound like if you fed a Portishead record ecstasy and a production which drips with electro-pop modernity, if Set Me Free was any more on-trend it would be writing the future. The track perfectly captures the emotions which come to fruition when you finally remove yourself from someone else’s control and it feels like nothing is out of reach. Liberation has never sounded sweeter.

The official music video was released on January 4th, you can check it out for yourselves via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

MATEI is set to release their atmospherically ensnaring alt-trap pop single ‘Omen’

Posted on 28 January 2021
MATEI

London-based singer-songwriter, MATEI’s nuanced approach to RnB Pop allows you to find strong emotion within gentle progressions, sensual vocals and poetic imagery-conjuring lyrics. Their deeply self-aware sound  ascended to new heights with the release of their single ‘Omen’.

Dig deep in the atmospheric electronic pop track and you’ll pull up raw unabashed vulnerability and discover the eccentricity within MATEI’s sound which blends elements of commercial pop with a touch of new wave trap to ensure that Omen runs through with a contemporary feel. In spite of the authenticity of Omen, there was perceptibly no compromise when it came to the commercial potential of the single. It’s a radio-ready hit which the BBC should be considering for their A-lists.

Omen is due for release on February 1st, 2021. You’ll be able to check it out for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud. Follow MATEI on Facebook to stay up to date with new releases.

Review by Amelia Vandergast