Oh my word. On first hearing this track I thought it was a long forgotten track from the 60s left in the archives of some studio in Memphis. The vocals are rough, and full of blues and soul, Ben l’Oncle Soul’s voice does not show his 41 years of age he sings with a power …
Single Review: “Raised Around Queens” – Eva Lazarus
This track is pure poetry from top to bottom! The beat prowls, it starts off with a guitar playing a tasty little riff but it switches up around 0:11. Eva comes in good and strong, loud and proud about her family history, from Jamaican descent to Bristol and busking with her crew. She lets you …
Single Review: “Time Is Overdue” – Alex Tyche
What I like about this song is its ability to switch from steady paced dance floor banger to a jazzy ballad in the blink of an eye. This starts off with a lovely glassy fender Rhodes, the shakers fade up and then the drum beat comes in at 0:20, giving that Afrobeat vibe. The chord …
Single Review: “A La Mode” – Jazz Emu
Now this is so cool! This simmers along at the beginning, with instruments that sound about ready to explode – but the energy is held back for the vocals and it switches between rock and theatrical. I could imagine this being a treat live! The lyrics reference the high life – ala mode meaning in …
Single Review: “The Way That I Love You” – The 7:45s
First up, I want to say it’s obvious where the influences are for this band. Is that an homage to Motown with the logo? Very possibly. The intro cements this even further – the piano playing the melody is higher on the scale giving it a fun playful feel, adding an octave under. This is …
Single Review: “Never Been The Best” – Jason Lapierre x Walker
This is a great combination of jazz and acoustic soul. I’m all chilled out from listening to it and it’s setting my Sunday afternoon off perfectly. This is an acoustic led track with percussion, and I could be wrong but sounds like an acoustic bass plus keyboards. The harmonies are solid, nicely layered. What caught …
Single Review: “Get Better” – Dusty Boots
This is pretty appropriate given that we are in that dull part of the year where it’s still dark when we get up in the morning, pay day is still a decade away, and it’s the winter blues. This song is a bit of a statement to say, it’s going to get better no matter …
Single Review: “Let Us Be” – Mr Billy Fitzgerald
Big drums? Phil Collins style? Jangly guitars with that 80s sheen like Nile Rodgers David Bowie era vibes? Big voice delivering a not unpleasant vocal? Go ahead.I’m listening. This song is about standing up against people they can’t stand to see someone happy. It’s a fun listen, with a great danceable track – I feel …
Single Review: “I’d Like To Teach The World To Sing” – The New Seekers
This song came out in 1971, and I thought I’d revisit it. It was a song that was written in a time of turmoil – Vietnam War, the Cold War,, economic crisis and while World War II was long over, the message still needed to be heard. Earth Songs were being written to illustrate that …
Single Review: “Catch The Door” – Liza Lo
This has such a tasty groove to it! You have bass, drums, percussion and guitar, giving great vibes, it had me bopping my head to it from the get go. Add to that the piano that’s playing along with Liza’s deep and rich vocals – there’s a nice touch of reverb on it at 1:08 …