Browsing Tag

Sheryl Crow

Gain the permission to live autonomously free with The Close’s 90s pop-rock single, Living It Right

With a nostalgically 90s pop-rock edge which cuts as deep as the hits from Jewel, Sheryl Crow, and Alanis Morrisette, The Close came close to perfect with the standout single, Living It Right, from their debut album, Orbit.

The debut LP pushed the introspective genre-bending outfit’s monthly listeners up to impressive heights. Now, over 36k listeners are repetitively tuning into their intricately airy melodies which transcend expectation and effortlessly share effervescent transcendence.

You’ll be torn between attempting to match the flawlessly magnetic timbres in the vocal delivery as they verse the virtues of living autonomously free and leaning into the mellifluous interplay of the ethereal synergy within the instrumental arrangements and harmonies.

Aside from the very obvious superlative song crafting which sets The Close apart, the outfit also finds distinction by employing each member as a lyricist, musician and lead vocalist, resulting in a dynamic discography, which dabbles in everything from Americana to contemporary folk to country. A commercial pop sensibility is one of the few constants within their euphonically unshackling collection of lyrically intimate releases.

Living It Right was officially released on October 27; stream it on Spotify with the rest of the Orbit LP.

Review by Amelia Vandergast  

Layla Frankel evades genre and embodies soul in her standout single, Dear Jennie.

Layla Frankel’s recent releases may evade genre, but they revolve around style and soul. Her standout single, Dear Jennie, is a stunning testament to her effortlessly uplifting sound. With her influences ranging from Bonnie Raitt to Sheryl Crow to Joni Mitchell to Bob Dylan, she found her own voice in between, and what a voice it is.

With the same ABBA-Esque piano chords that allowed the Manic Street Preachers to get to the top of the album charts when they used them in their latest album, The Ultra Vid Lament, Dear Jennie brings just as much euphoria with her complexly layered sound that indoctrinates unpredictable progressions, cathartic crescendos and sheer vocal dynamism.

Dear Jennie is available to stream on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast