In The Spotlight: Sammy Stein Talks to… Kym Vincenti

Kym Vincenti on music and life Kym Vincenti is a songwriter and vocalist who has featured in major publications and on BBC Radio. Her music draws on life experiences and the world as she sees it. Her songs are evocative and emotionally charged with lyrics that explore themes including love, loss, and self-discovery. A trail-blazing …

Album Review: “384,000” – Terence Collie. Words: Sammy Stein

Terence Collie is a talented pianist, composer, and leader. At age seventeen, he joined a band in Jersey, Channel Islands which led to a weekly gig at the Blue Note Bar in St Helier, where he experienced playing supportive concert slots for visiting artists including Teddy Edwards, The Average White Band, Georgie Fame, Andy Sheppard, Jason Rebello, and Digby Fairweather. In …

Single Review: “PWMS1” – Robi Theophilus

This track is short and sweet! Clocking in at 0:56 it still has an impact. There’s a lot here. It starts off with a vocal that I suspect Robi’s sampled and is playing back on the keyboard. The voicing of the chords are so cool! Add to that 808 drums, guitar, bass and a piano …

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 …

EP Review: “The Darkside Of Christmas Ch. 2” – Collette Cooper. Words: Sammy Stein.

Multi-talented performer Collette Cooper is signed to independent label, Thelonius Punk Records. She has been featured on BBC radio, Jazz FM, and Soho radio as a musician. She has also been the subject of interviews in books and is an actor, recently undertaking a role portraying singer Janis Joplin, in the play (that she also …

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 …

Album Review: “Admiratio Magna” – Frank Clare. Words: Sammy Stein.

Frank Clare is a neoclassical pianist and composer. His debut album ‘Admiratio Magna’ is inspired by his appreciation for 19th-century classical music, philosophy, science, and mindfulness. The album explores themes including the cycles of creation and the power in stillness, and curiosity. Clare began playing piano when he was 15. Finding he was better at composition …

Single Review: “Accordion Song” – Mae Karthauser

A waltz! Something for double bass, vocals, cello, flute and piano. It’s gorgeous, the only thing that surprised me was the lack of an accordion! You can just hear it. This is listed as alternative folk, but it has a little bit of a jazzy flair in the arrangement. You can just imagine this being …