Browsing Tag

Psych Pop

Scott Cook – No Bones: Heart-warmingly morose jazzy-indie-pop

Posted on 2 November 2021

Montreal-based guitarist and songwriter Scott Cook launched his jazzy, spacey debut EP, Topics, on October 22nd. Beyond the perceptible Bowie reminiscences, the flair in the guitar flourishes and the panoramic orchestration of the heart-warmingly morose singles bring Scott Cook into a league of his own.

In the standout single, No Bones, the magnetically deadpan vocals that will be a hit with fans of Pavement refuse to leave you anything but endeared by the delivery of the elegantly poetic lyrics. I think I officially fell in love at the line “There’s no bones in here, “I’m just a sad sack of skin”.

Scott Cook’s PhD in classical music theory and time spent performing in jazz and rock ensembles discernibly paid off when writing, performing, recording and producing his debut EP. We can’t wait to hear what comes next.

No Bones is available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Life gave James Sebastian lemons, and he made Lemon Sunshine.

Posted on 9 October 2021

60s psych-pop and 70s rock collide in the latest single to be released by the Exeter-based newcomer James Sebastian. ‘Lemon Sunshine’ is a stridently impassioned single that is viscerally flooded with raw vocal emotion but the dreamy vintage tones of the consistently ascending instrumentals take all of the sting out of the vocal defiance.

If you can imagine the point where the Beatles and the Stone Roses meet in the middle, you’ll get an idea of the kind of refreshing nostalgia James Sebastian is serving here. Lyrically, Sebastian delivered the ultimate post-breakup track that captures that bitter-sweet moment when you’re reminded of your own power and make no bones about taking it back.

Lemon Sunshine is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Indie alt-folk artist Rhett O’Connor has released his sonorously colourful double A-side, Galactophagist/Untitled 31 Retry.

Posted on 8 October 2021

If you recognise Neutral Milk Hotel’s In the Aeroplane over the Sea as one of the greatest albums of all time, you will want to get acquainted with up and coming indie folk-rock singer-songwriter Rhett O’Connor.

Through his latest two-track single, I’m a Galactophagist/Untitled 31 Retry, O’Connor revives familiar folk-punk tones while adding plenty more accordance to the instrumentals while his dreamy vocals lull you into the visceral emotion caged in the acoustic soundscape.

Galactophagist and Untitled 31 Retry are just as sweet as the most honeyed singles from the Maccabees to add yet another layer to his colourfully sonorous sound; there is a slight cosmic kick in the melodies.

Rhett O’Connor’s new singles will be available to stream from October 8th via SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Phony Bedtime left us in a haze with their indie psych-pop single, Sundays.

Posted on 26 September 2021

Any fans of The Zombies will find themselves instantly enamoured by the hazily blissful tones in the standout indie psych-pop single, Sundays, from Phony Bedtime’s self-titled sophomore album.

Starting with gentle accordant guitars, intricate percussion and the low reverberating hums of the basslines, Sundays is as easy as breathing to slip into. Once the ethereal vocals drift into the bright and melodious soundscape, your soul would have to be defunct not to be captivated by Phony Bedtime’s sticky-sweet candour. Not every band can get away with being on the twee side of indie pop, but Phony Bedtime could give Neutral Milk Hotel a run for their money.

Sundays is now available to stream on Spotify along with the rest of the album.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Ayrton Jimenez introduces us to Downton BA in his debut single.

Posted on 10 September 2021

Up and coming Singer-songwriter Ayrton Jimenez has released his debut single, Downtown BA; if the Doors used Spanish guitars and there was more sugar-coating to Jim Morrison’s vocals, their singles would run in the same psych-pop vein as this sultrily paced acoustic pop earworm.

Debut singles aren’t often as promising as this sweet, sensual and tonally rich single; we’re already eager to hear what Ayrton Jimenez has in store for his sophomore release. His authenticity is only matched by his accessibility. Given the chance, his radio-ready sound will become A-list material.

Downton BA will be available to stream on all major platforms from September 10th; check it out for yourselves on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Avant-garde experimentalist Dan Devon has released his summer reggae-pop track, Party Dancer

Posted on 4 September 2021

Singer-songwriter, producer and composer, Dan Devon, has released his sophomore single, Party Dancer, as part of his psychedelic soul experiment that fuses elements of RnB, soul, rock, hip hop and electronica in avant-garde fashion. While it probably isn’t to everyone’s taste, anyone who appreciates an unadulterated shot of high vibes will soon feel their souls warm to this tropic summer reggae-pop single.

After garnering over 10,000 streams with his short and sweet debut single, Kitty Cat Song, which is somewhere in between Nada Surf’s Meow Meow Lullaby and Frank Turner’s Plea from a Cat Named Virtue, Dan Devon’s sweet and affable style has more than earned its space on the airwaves.

Party Dancer is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Kalteaux – Could Have Been an Email: Anti-Capitalist Folk-Pop

Posted on 7 August 2021

‘Could Have been an Email’ is the latest upbeat folk-pop single from NYC and songwriter Kalteaux which spills the lockdown blues while enamouring you through the unifying sentiment. If Karl Marx existed in this era and released folk-pop tracks, we’re fairly certain that they’d sound a little like Could Have Been an Email.

Kalteaux may have pushed himself into a niche market branding himself as a musical comedian but his talent as a songwriter and as a radio-ready artist easily parrels his all too relatable wit that brings his psych pop-tinged colourful melodies to life.

Check out the quarantine music video that premiered on June 3rd via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Owen Hamlin gives us the Green Light in his debut garage rock single.

Posted on 1 August 2021

‘Green Light’ is the melodic psych-pop-tinged debut single from the breaking garage rock artist Owen Hamlin; any fans of The Strokes, The Kooks and The Libertines will want to experience the vintage tones for themselves.

With the inventive use of the wah pedal, we can guarantee that the guitar solos in Green Light hit like no other. Owen Hamlin’s use of brash and kaleidoscopic textures resulted in a soundscape that is as scuzzy as it is soulful.

With his debut album Right as Rain in the pipeline, you will want to save space for Hamlin on your radar.

Green Light is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

KennethWayne laced the airwaves with indie lo-fi psych-pop soul with ‘Sound of Regret’.

Posted on 31 July 2021

US alt-indie artist KennethWayne’s experimental sound is constantly in flux; taken from his LOOK UP mixtape is the best introduction to his eccentrically affable style. Sound of Regret is a sweetly kaleidoscopic hit of lo-fi psych-pop that retains soul despite the retrospective melancholy.

Between the kicking percussion, accordant guitar chords and the masterful straight-off-the-tape-deck vibes, if Sound of Regret fails to leave you feeling endeared, you can assume your soul is defunct. Fans of Elliott Smith, the Beatles and Nick Drake definitely won’t want to miss out on this release.

Sound of Regret is now available to stream on SoundCloud.

Follow the artist on Instagram. 

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Jane Allison proves why she’s the next soul-folk sensation with her single, ‘Don’t Spill Water’

Posted on 23 July 2021

Soul-folk sensation Jane Allison has released her latest single, Don’t Spill Water; with disco, funk, psych-pop and blues-rock written into the mellifluous mix, it’s impossible not to get swept up by the vibrant energy.

The Welsh singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and actress seems to emanate as much magnetism on screen as she does through her captivatingly narrative singles. She may stay true to the storytelling roots of Folk, but when it comes to her sonic style, that is where the bold experimentalism grips you.

Through the choppy staccato chords and rich ABBA-Esque vocals, Don’t Spill Water is an intoxicating invitation to strip yourself of the resentful weight you carry through life. That’s a reminder that we all need from time to time.

Don’t Spill Water is now available to stream on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast