Single Review: “Time Rift” – inSINcere

What I like about this song is that it easily switches gear. It starts off with a rhythmic acoustic guitar riff over hi hats, then the bassline comes in after a tom and snare hit signalling It but there is more to come…. I want to talk about one thing that drew my attention in …

Single Review: “Aurora” – MEUTE

A mix of electronica and a brass band? From Germany you say? Go ahead. I’m listening! This track fuses horns and drums with electronic sounds on the bed of a steady beat… there’s a marimba too. The percussion mixed in is down so well, shakers highlighting the hi hats… this is a banger! The thing …

Single Review: “Unfinished Sympathy” – Massive Attack

This track is just beautiful! Why did I pick it for the throwback track of the day? Well back in 1998 listeners for BBC Radio 1 voted this number 1 in the 100 national anthems. For me this track has got everything, lush strings, scratching, a breakbeat with hypnotic bells in there too. The vocals …

Single Review: “Air, Part 2” – Lycio.

What I like about this track is the use of synthesisers on it, it’s nice and spacious overall! The crackle of the vinyl at the beginning gives you the feeling this could have been recorded in the 80s, and this is reinforced with the way that the drums have a bit of a swing to them …

Single Review: “December, Forever” – Big Society

December, forever by Big Society This is a gorgeous song and it’s for charity too! I’ll come back to that in a second….  This is an acoustic number, with a folk leaning. The bass is being played lower down in the neck so it’s more melodic and higher. This sits comfortably within the arrangement of …

Single Review: “It’s Never Been Better” – The Goa Express

I like the way this begins, the phases in straight into the jangly guitars.. you don’t expect it! This song is a reflection on a summer relationship of some sort, now it’s the winter it’s great to look back on the summer of 2023 now the year is almost over My favourite par of the …

Single Review: “Somebody’s Daughter” – The Deep Blue

This song….  It got me through my morning cuppa and emails. It then got me through my walk around sainsbury’s. It got me through putting my shopping away.  I’ve been sat at the keyboard playing around with the chord progression too.  What a beauty! The electric piano is what did it for me, especially in …

Album Review: “Green Park” – Benet McClean. Words: Sammy Stein.

It’s the energy that grabs you. I reviewed Benet Mclean’s ‘The Bopped and The Bopless’ back in 2016 and have not tired of it. So, it was a little trepidation I pressed ‘play’ on Mclean’s latest release ‘Green Park’. I mean, how can you top ‘The Bopped and The Bopless’? Mclean does not even try …

Single Review: “Witness Me” – Jacob Collier, Kirk Franklin, Stormzy, Shawn Mendes.

Well, this is…. HUGE. A multi instrumentalist with prodigious amounts of talent. A gospel music legend. A British rapper who is larger than life. An incredible singer songwriter from Canada who’s killing it right now… Plus a 500 voice choir no less. This starts off with Jacob’s signature tones, rich in sound, backed by finger …

Single Review: “Master Narrative” – Barbara

Well! This is a stonker of a track from Barbara. Electric piano put through a slight phaser for the intro, it comes at you with the feel of a musical theatre song, you can just imagine the gaudy colours and big gestures. Just to add to that the big vocals with harmonies panned left and …