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 …

EP Review: “Modern Artifice” – Freyja Elsy

Freyja is here and she’s brought four stunning tracks! Let’s get into it. Sad Girls This track opens up with ethereal sounds, bells and what sounds like an arpeggiated muted guitar. The drums are quite complex once they get going – hi hats switching between 8th note rhythms to 32nd rhythms, the rim shot playing …

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 …

Single Review: “First House On The Left” – Katherine Priddy

What I like about folk music is that as you listen you can close your eyes and see the story unfollowed as it’s sung, it’s essentially a way to pass down family and local lore through the generations – Molly Malone, Eleanor Rigby, and so many more. This song is no different. Katherine sings of …

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 …