This track is full of 80s goodness! What do I mean? Well, this track has what I reckon is a LinnDrum machine – very much that synth pop vibe, combined with synth chords with a touch of vibrato, and that bass line is part of the Yamaha DX7 playbook – Lately Bass at least? This …
Single Review: “Hard Down Low” – Loa
This track is slow and based around piano and vocals, but very atmospheric. It’s very moody with no harmonies, as Rick Leigh’s piano playing and Genevieve Dawson’s vocals blend together effortlessly over a music arrangement that’s kept really simple. It’s a beauty of a track calling on folk influences, especially Celtic undertones. This song encourages …
Single Review: “Baby Blue” Dutch Criminal Record
This has such a psychedelic feel to it, especially thanks to the jangly guitars and the laid-back vocals. First this begins with a broken beat but all falls into place when the guitars, bass and synth come in. This has a poetic feel in the lyrics and this is evidenced by my favourite part of …
Single Review: “Here, There And Everywhere” – Pat Metheny
I’ll be honest, Beatles songs to me are sacred texts. It’s almost sacrilegious to cover a Beatles song, because you have to make sure you get it right, or at least bring something new to the table for it. Thankfully most of the covers I’ve heard have been approached with reverence by true fans that …
Single Review: “You Are Not Nosferatu” – C-Beem X The Fantom Man
I picked this song as my track of the day because the synth sounds are instantly recognisable to me. The harsh clap (It’s not a snare funnily enough) is a synthetic sound that Cameo have used on “Word Up” and of course the orchestra hit sound was what I judged my synths by back in …
Single Review: “So We Find Ourselves” – Fink
Well this is a beauty of a track to start the month off with! This starts off so simply, just a piano and what sounds like a muted floor tom playing triplets. But it’s the vocals that come in low that sets it off because when the harmonies come in it’s spine tingling. They come …
Single Review: “Retrospective” – Charlotte Adelle
The thing that struck me about this song was the atmospheric production of it. It’s epic, the single note on the piano keeping time, along with the swirling synths. This is beautiful. The chorus is where it got me though both lyrically and musically. The song starts off with the acceptance that no amount of …
Single Review: “Queen Of Every Night” – Cassandra
This song combines opera with pop. POPERA! The operatic vocal at the beginning will fool you – but when that beat drops? You’re in trouble. This is a banger, and it’s done so well! Probably my favourite track of the year so far! I like opera, and the crossover for me works, it’s combining classical …
Single Review: “Bigger Than The Song” – Brittney Spencer
This track caught my ear because of the passion with which it’s sung, especially in the chorus. The chorus name checks Reba, Aretha, and Dolly, and you feel their influence in this because the vocals can be delicate as well as powerful and I love it! This track mixes country, with a slight sprinkle of …
Single Review: “Ruby” – Offing
This is the new single from my friend Offing. It’s not your run of the mill indie pop song, it’s a different time signature to most, 6/8 time with a slight swing to it. I love the stops and starts and the synths deployed here – having looked at her instagram I think she’s using …