Browsing Tag

Neo-Classic Pop

Emily Manuel is beautifully baroque in her indie chamber single, Live Forever

Posted on 17 February 2023

World-class singer-songwriter and composer Emily Manuel is beautifully baroque in her latest orchestral single, Live Forever. The chamber strings lend themselves effortlessly to the artfully timeless timbre of her silkily demure vocal lines as they explore the theme of perpetual legacy.

After Paul Simon revealed the power of lyricism to Manuel, the Denver-based artist orchestrated her distinctive indie chamber sonic signature, which carries the influence of classical scores, the deconstructed expression of jazz and a touch of Eastern flavour.

So far in her career, Manuel has spilt her sound into theatres, olive groves, and taverns. Her live performance highlight was sharing the stage with the icon Jamie Cullen. Although, evidently, he wouldn’t have been the only icon on stage that night.

Live Forever was officially released on February 3rd. Hear it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Imelda Gabs sophisticated the pop genre to the nth degree with her mournfully minimalistic neo-classic pop single, RECKLESS

Posted on 20 December 2022

‘RECKLESS’ is the latest intensely compelling single from the pop innovator Imelda Gabs. From a mournfully minimalistic neo-classic prelude of minor piano keys, the contemporary ballad that comes to terms with a disposition of recklessness seamlessly builds; utilising the dynamic vocal range of Imelda Gabs to orchestrate one of the most strident crescendos to ever grace the pop genre.

The pain exhibited borders on primal as the independent singer and producer gave an intimate view of her own shortcomings to universalise the phenomenon of letting our inner saboteur lead us to a position of self-doubt, regret, and inner hostility.

The 24-year-old Belgian and Congolese artist grew up in Switzerland, where she studied piano, violin and signing before evolving as a composer and songwriter. Since 14, she has been gracing prestigious stages amongst world-renowned artists before she started to focus on her recorded music, and my God, the airwaves were crying out for her elevated balletic grace.

Watch the cinematic official music video for RECKLESS on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

 

Alex de León counts the ‘Minutes & Hours’ in her compellingly tender piano pop narrative of lost time

Posted on 10 November 2022

London-based Mexican singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer, Alex de León has released her captivatingly tender single, Minutes & Hours. The instrumentally minimalist single captures the ephemeral nature of time, where the sands that are always pouring can leave the best of us behind.

Anyone with a proclivity towards burnout will resonate with the lyric, “I wish I could stop and smell the flowers, but all I see are minutes and hours”. It pulls you into the depth of this intimately vulnerable single which blossoms to the tune of the gentle neo-classic piano keys and her soft Tori Amos-Esque vocal harmonies.

Alex de León’s single Minutes & Hours was officially released ahead of her upcoming debut EP of the same title. Stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Find the difference between night and day in the US indie-pop artist Hyde Park’s standout single, The Insomniac’s Lament

Posted on 16 March 2022

Few new 2022 releases have resonated with us quite as much as Hyde Park’s composition, The Insomniac’s Lament. After an evocatively loaded neo-classic prelude, the cutting minor-key piano melodies flourish into blossoming progressions and the poetically-titled single transitions into an orchestrally-scored power-pop single that glistens with optimism.

The evolutionary nature of The Insomniac’s Lament marks just how significant the shifts in our psyches can be. It brings brand-new meaning to the expression “it’s like night and day”.

The Insomniac’s Lament is just one of the singles on the indie-pop singer-songwriter’s debut EP This is Just a Simple Song. Even the US-based artist’s humility leaves us excited about his potential for success.

The Insomniac’s Lament is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

 

Shir Tal-Ezer has released the most intense ballad of the year with ‘I Don’t Know How to Let Go’.

Posted on 23 July 2021

Shir Tal-Ezer tells the time-old tale of our human incapacity to let go with her phenomenal contemporary ballad ‘I Don’t Know How to Let Go’.

The singer-songwriter incorporated stabbing neo-classic keys, searing rock n roll guitar solos and stomach-churning crescendos alongside her conversational balladic vocals for maximum evocative impact. The progressive single ensures that your rhythmic pulses are intrinsically combined with the bitter-sweet melodies. The unpredictable time signatures and progressions leave you broadsided every time the soundscape takes another dramatic turn. Calling Shir Tal-Ezer’s single ingenious is far from hyperbolic.

I Don’t Know How to Let Go is now available to stream on Spotify. Or, you can check out the official music video here.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Anna Smith & Cédric Joel Ziegler catch the sands of ‘Time’ in their sem-orchestral pop ballad

Posted on 12 March 2021

Swiss pop singer Anna Smith caught the slipping sands of ‘Time’ with her semi-orchestral pop ballad, created in collaboration with film composer Cédric Joel Ziegler.

With crescendos powerful enough to bring you closer to God paired with Anna Smith’s vocals which simultaneously exude tenderness and strength as they bring an evocative charge to the lyrics which compel you to do the best with the time you have, it’s hard not to feel things fall into perspective as you drink in the celestial air.

We can only hope that there will be more collaborative work from Anna Smith & Cédric Joel Ziegler soon. Evidently, the Zurich University of the Arts, where the two artists met is doing something right. They could boost enrolment on the strength of this phenomenal release alone.

You can check out the official video via YouTube.

Or you can head over to apple music and purchase the single.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Annie Tisshaw takes us back to ‘Last Night’ with her confessionally powerful pop single

Posted on 4 March 2021

‘Last Night’ is the latest confessionally powerful pop single from Norfolk-born singer-songwriter, Annie Tisshaw, with classical piano training behind her and resounding vocals to project, it’s impossible not to pay attention to the intense indie neo-classic ballad.

In the same way Kate Nash’s ‘Foundations’ leaves you gripped by the amorous drama, Last Night suckers you in through narrative lyrics brought to life with Annie Tisshaw’s striking vocals which also carry a classical touch.

After making an unapologetically feminist debut with ‘My Body’ in 2019, Annie Tisshaw has consistently exhibited her dynamism through her discography, needless to say, we’re already excited to hear what comes next from the magnetically multifaceted artist.

Last Night is available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Hager – All at Once: Consolingly Stunning Neo-Classic Ambient Pop

Posted on 1 November 2020

Starting off with ambient neo-classic keys, Hager’s single All at Once from her 2020 album Miscellaneous Melodies takes pensive Indie Pop to a new level of quiescent ingenuity.

The melodies in All at Once may be tender, but evocatively, it hits hard enough to leave you aurally bruised. All at Once has the same effect as someone asking in full sincerity if you’re okay, when you’re really not okay. It brings torrid emotions to the surface as you listen to the melancholy in Hager’s striking vocals, but we all need outlets and I couldn’t point you in the direction of a more consolingly stunning single.

I have zero shame in the admission that the floodgates opened with All at Once, my tear ducts never stood a chance with this celestially compelling feat of Pop.

You can check out All at Once and the rest of the artist’s Miscellaneous Melodies album by heading over to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast  

ZORYA – Dreams: Ambiently Avant-Garde Dream Pop

Posted on 3 October 2020
https://open.spotify.com/track/66u3wwJhT0MXXQu4l6jEpK

“Dreams” is the recently released ambiently Avant-Garde single from London-based Alt Pop artist ZORYA. Hit play, and slip into the artfully bold, tonally cathartic layers of the devilishly progressive track which unravels with perception-shifting spiritual wisdom.

The ethereally enticing dreamscape pulls you in with baroque and gothic elements, but it is ZORYA’s vocals which will leave the tightest shackles around your synapses as they verse poetic lyrics which lead you through arcane metaphors for life.

You can check out ZORYA’s track on Spotify, SoundCloud and Apple Music.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Amber Lee reflects our melancholy back at us with “Doubt”

Posted on 25 August 2020

“Doubt” is the recently released compellingly resonant Pop single from up and coming singer-songwriter Amber Lee which perfectly captures the collective mood felt over recent months.

Saying that it is hard to see past doubt may be hard. Easing into this strikingly evocative single and finding a connection definitely isn’t.

Amber Lee’s modern and stylistic take on Neo-Classic Pop complete with sonic synth lines drips with contemporary appeal. If any voice can lead this generation of Pop artist’s, it comes from Amber Lee’s larynx.

You can check out the official video to Doubt which dropped on August 15th for yourselves by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast