Browsing Tag

singer-songwriter

kidd noir – gravitational; a séance of semi-lucid seraphic reverie

Posted on 28 November 2024

kidd noir’s single ‘gravitational’, taken from her hotly anticipated debut EP ‘Year 19’, is a séance of semi-lucid seraphic reverie with a palpable sense of emotional turbulence woven within its ambient aesthetics. In contrast with the transgressions in the indie dream pop production, kidd noir’s honeyed-in-harmony vocal lines never falter from their soft, almost reticent register.

As intimate as a nocturnal diary entry, ‘gravitational’ pulls you through the corridors of kidd noir’s psyche as the instrumentals caress you with their candid touch and the stream-of-consciousness vocal delivery reaches the epitome of unfeigned expression. Her ability to console coming-of-age pain within her debut EP abstracts the alienation commonly associated with trying to figure out the world and where you fit within it. Yet, the appeal of kidd noir’s sound extends beyond a younger audience; the meditations within gravitational speak a universal language.

The singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist picked up her first guitar at age nine and never looked back; by 18, she earned her stripes as a producer, ensuring that no one else’s touch graces her sound, which synthesises alt-RnB, pop and indie influences with personal experience. With Year 19 as the crowning point of her career so far, there’s never been a better time to sink into her discography.

Stream kidd noir’s EP, Year 19, on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Cormac is a conduit of pure poetic longing in his Broadway-esque cover of ‘Days Like These’

Posted on 27 November 2024

Cormac’s cover of ‘Days Like These’ sounds as though it has been simultaneously torn from a Broadway musical and a heart-wrenching 80s blockbuster. Adding to the dynamic appeal of the poetically meditative release are the tinges of alt-country, which wind their way into the scintillating production through guitars that wrap around Cormac’s arcanely pure harmonies.

As a conduit of poetic longing, there are few artists who can arrest your psyche with as much intimacy as Cormac. There’s also no escaping the festive nuances, made tangible through the twinkling glimmers in the single; it is as though the progressions are guided by a north star.

As the youngest singer ever to sign with the global label Decca four years ago, Cormac Thompson has continued to be one to watch. Having forged his path as an independent artist, he won ‘Artist of the Year’ (Young Adult) at Nashville’s Josie Music Awards in 2023, and he’s nominated again for 2024. Cormac has continued to enthral audiences, releasing two albums, amassing over 2.2 million Spotify streams, and racking up over 8 million views on YouTube.

Days Like These is now available to stream on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Candour cascades in John O’Brien’s acoustic folk-pop ballad, Can’t You See That It’s Me

Posted on 25 November 2024

With all the emotional intricacy of Buckley, the spacey etherealism of Bowie and ELO’s tender hits, and the all-encompassing soul of Tom Waits, John O’Brien’s latest single ‘Can’t You See That It’s Me’ pulls you into its evocative core.

The acoustic folk-pop ballad invites you to live vicariously within the lush layers of this stripped-back exposition of the heartache which ensues when romantic expectation forces us to feel as though we’ve fallen short despite giving our all to fulfil desire and sate our own.

if you don’t feel a cascade of emotion fall over you to the tune of John O’Brien wearing his heart on the acoustic guitar strings that drift into the euphonic atmosphere, you can probably consider your soul defunct.

As a performer, recording artist, and songwriter with over four decades of experience, O’Brien has graced stages worldwide—from the US to Madrid, Amsterdam, the Caribbean, Japan, Australia, and beyond. Equally as successful on the airwaves and radio waves, hits from his acclaimed LPs have amassed millions of Spotify streams, while his 2022 UK tour saw his hit ‘The Spider’s Love Web‘ climb to #2 on the UK radio charts.

Can’t You See That It’s Me was officially released on November 15; stream the single on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Sylvie’s Songs & Bryon Harris stir the soul with strings and sympathy in their affecting folk symphony, Heart Break Like Mine

Posted on 25 November 2024

‘Heart Break Like Mine’ by Sylvie’s Songs feat. Bryon Harris enmeshes animal activism with affecting artistry. Dedicated to the 1.7 billion animals confined in factory farms each year, the single urges listeners to become more ethical consumers, and to part with their dollars through empathy.

From the first pull of the classical strings and the opening lyric, “I want your heart to break like mine,” the track makes no bones about pulling all the evocative punches. In the same vein as The Smiths’ ‘Meat is Murder’, this classical folk ballad grounds you in the atrocities we often turn a blind eye to; it’s an aching reminder of the suffering we perpetuate.

Sylvie, a highly accomplished musician and songwriter with a deep passion for folk and Americana music, brings her wealth of experience and accolades—including Gold Medals for Best Lyrics and Best Songwriting from the Global Music Awards—to this powerful piece. Her classical guitar training from the prestigious Hartt School of Music and the New England Conservatory shines through her intricate playing. Having performed at esteemed venues and festivals throughout New England, Sylvie’s dedication to her craft is unmistakable.

Bryon Harris complements the track with his emotive depth, exemplifying his commitment to using music as a medium for awareness and change. With a background in classical music, Harris adds a rich authenticity to the song. Now based in Austin, Texas, he is at the forefront of a new wave of protest music addressing issues like factory farming and climate change.

Together, they have crafted a fervent call to action and catapulted a catalyst for change onto the airwaves which demands your conscience.

The official lyric video for Heart Break Like Mine is now available to stream on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Music Video Review: Alana Monteiro’s RnB pop aesthetic in ‘High’ is a lesson in Voguish seduction

Posted on 23 November 2024

Three weeks after releasing the official music video for her first hit single, High, the NYC singer-songwriter, world-renowned supermodel, writer and actress Alana Monteiro. shot past the 1 million stream mark, creating a new addiction to her sound that harnesses more style than a copy of Harper’s Bazaar.

The cinematically shot 4k official music video is an extension of the sleek sophistication which envelops the track, establishing Alana Monteiro as so much more than just a serious contender in the RnB pop scene, but an icon in the making of her own Vogueish image. Blazing in no one but her own trail, Alana Monteiro’s scintillatingly seraphic sonic signature knows nothing of assimilation, it scribes nothing but the Alana Monteiro aura which is taking the industry by storm.

With the outtakes following the final note of the track, the growing army of Alana Monteiro fans get a glimpse of the girl next door behind the glamorous façade, giving the seductively aphrodisiacal sonics even more relatable weight.

High was officially released on November 1st; stream the official music video on YouTube now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Saint Senara are harbingers of chaos in their Southern Gothic Blues Folk vignette,  There’s a Storm Coming

Posted on 23 November 2024

Saint Senara invoked a tempest in their latest single, ‘There’s a Storm Coming’. Following a hauntingly hymnal opening, this slice of American Gothic Folk Blues allows a surge of melody to break through the sonic overcast.

Imagine a soundtrack to a gritty southern drama, where each note and lyric wrestles rhythmically with the heavy, discordance-spilling guitars that pour over bluesy percussion, and you’ll get an idea of what Saint Senara delivered here as a departure from their celebrated debut and the well-received ‘Under My Skin EP’,

Teaming up with the innovative producer Lex Raymond at White Noise Studios in Weston-super-Mare, the band ventured into darker, moodier territories with There’s a Storm Coming, which repurposes whips and chains as percussion and projects spectral vocal lines which oscillate through the mix, underpinned by Andrew Bate’s Gretschy guitar alchemy.

This neo-noir blues release is a declaration of the band’s readiness to take on higher echelons of the music industry. Be a part of their ascent by immersing yourself in the panorama of tempestuous yet melodious chaos.

There’s a Storm Coming was officially released on November 15; stream the single on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Charlotte Forman is a voice of resilience and reason in her piano-driven power ballad, Don’t Change Me

Posted on 21 November 2024

In ‘Don’t Change Me,’ which is featured on Charlotte Forman’s EP of the same name, the artist pours her heart into a piano-driven ballad that magnifies her arcane control over pitch and register within a refined and emotionally charged production.

With a voice that rivals the raw, affecting power of Amy Winehouse and Adele, Charlotte Forman opens not just industry doors but windows into her soul. The lyrical narrative offers a profound exhibition of the expectations placed on female artists in an industry often swayed more by aesthetics than by talent. This piece is an unflinching declaration of self, a protest against the misogynistic undertones that often undermine genuine artistry. Forman’s lyrics roar with the strength and fortitude of a woman unyielded.

As the single progresses, it boldly veers into an Avant-Garde territory with a cabaret-like flair, as dissonant piano keys build into an artful climax before settling back into Forman’s swanky vocal reprise. This audacious turn mirrors the thematic resistance of the song, asserting Forman’s artistic identity in the face of industry conformity.

Stream the Don’t Change Me EP on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Sasha Sky found her place in a niche of style and grace with her indie RnB single, Outside of Us

Posted on 20 November 2024

Sasha Sky, a seraphically sublime soulstress emerging from County Durham, reached the epitome of sophistication with her indie RnB release, ‘Outside of Us’. As her lines weave through organically magnetic harmonies that embed the emotions of the lyrics into the listener’s psyche, the melodies carry just as much ease with their mellifluous loungey gentility.

With warm, distinctively embellished textures and intricately stacked layers that don’t merely sum to a whole but open a panorama of soulful experience, the track invites you to immerse in the colour and sincerity of its composition, grooving against your emotional impulses and leaving a lasting mark.

This single stands in stark contrast to the modern charts’ disregard for genuine grace as it vindicates the romantically scorned, showcasing Sasha as the embodiment of the refinement she portrays in her music.

Since beginning her music career during the 2021 lockdown, Sasha has drawn upon her lifelong love for music, songwriting, and poetry, a venture emboldened by her studies in Performing Arts and Music at New College Durham. This background honed her ability to weave sonic narratives that speak directly to the soul. As the crowning point of her career so far, Outside of Us is the perfect opportunity to introduce yourself to a superlative voice in contemporary indie RnB.

Outside of Us was officially released on November 7th and is now available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify and SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Emmett McGrath revisited 70s folk-pop with visual lyricism and achingly panoramic sonics in ‘Outlaw’

Posted on 18 November 2024

Cali singer-songwriter Emmett McGrath is a testament to the power of lyrical storytelling in his latest single, Outlaw. The orchestrally embellished 70s folk pop vignette is driven by Elton John-esque piano keys which let you feel the heart in every note and enlightened by McGrath’s intensely evocative harmonies that put him in the same league as Cat Stevens.

With lyrics as poignantly poetic as Paul Simon and Bob Dylan, it’s impossible not to feel like you’ve found a diamond in the rough with Outlaw; the way it sweeps you up in the tenderly orchestrated panorama as it traces the steps of a woman on the run towards refuge is a cinematic triumph.

Between his visual lyricism, ability to pay homage to the greats while staying true to his sonic blueprint and the lush reverberations of his sepia-tinged compositions, there’s no denying that Emmett McGrath has one of the most impactful voices in modern folk-pop.

Outlaw was officially released on November 2nd and is now available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Laura Mock took her listeners from poetic depth to ethereal heights in her standout single, Acadia

Posted on 11 November 2024

After two years of pouring her poetry, candour and sublimely affecting unique aura into her debut EP, home//body, the NYC-residing songstress, Laura Mock has finally unveiled one of the most sensuous sounds of 2024.

The standout single, Acadia, starts with tenderly warm piano chords which echo Nick Cave’s ‘Into My Arms’ before the single veers into stylistically seraphic easy listening territory and concludes following an arcane neo-classic folk pop crescendo which reaches the epitome of sonic serenity.

Despite the diaphanous propensities of each of the motifs in Acadia, the artfully composed, orchestrally laced progressions are strong enough to carry the weight of the heaviest souls as Mock uses the organic reverie within her vocal register to wrap you up within a vignette where naturalistic beauty resounds in equal measure to the divine nature of her talent.

Stream Laura Mock’s debut EP, home//body, on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast