First impressions can often be misleading. From the beginning of ‘Powerless’, its gentle echoes fading away into the ether, I envisioned the song to continue as a delicate piano ballad. From the moment the chorus started I realised I was mistaken. Ksenia’s voice suddenly finds new life and confidence, swelling with power and purpose to lift the song to new heights. Her breathtaking vocals perfectly capture the mood of the song and the feeling of falling in love; what starts as something so fragile and uncertain suddenly eclipses all other thoughts, and before you know it everything has changed. As with love I find myself powerless to resist the pull of this track. Anyone wishing to recapture that incredible feeling should delve into the work of this wonderful artist.
Author: James Fenney
Album Review: Delicate Steve – This Is Steve
Album Review: After Crash – #LOSTMEMORIES
Top Tracks: Matt Blais – Set Me Free
This artful Americana artist cherry-picks all the finer points of the genre in this incredible new track. With splashes of slide guitar, bursts of blistering blues harmonica and simply fantastic gritty vocals that tell of a mis-spent youth and a life on the road, Matt Blais has pulled off a faultless song. ‘Set Me Free’ has an inescapable likeability thanks to the rich musical backdrop, the wild and rebellious vibe and Matt’s own apparent down-to-Earth nature. It’s like Neil Young’s greatest hits condensed into just a few short minutes. Looking at the video however you’ll see that Matt has something that Neil doesn’t; an air of effortless cool, wandering the desert in his shades complete with a classic car and some glorious vintage cinematography. This is roots rock at it’s finest, the perfect way to sum up what it’s all about.
Greg Lake passes away

I think 2016 will always be remembered as the year the music died, and the latest, and hopefully last, music legend to be taken from us is prog pioneer Greg Lake. This follows just a few months after the death of his dear friend and bandmate Keith Emerson. First gaining notoriety as part of the original line-up of King Crimson he was a key player on their landmark debut In The Court of the Crimson King, which is widely considered the first ever progressive rock album and influenced everyone from Pete Townsend to Kanye West. He later formed the prog rock supergroup Emerson, Lake & Palmer and went on to release such other successful albums as Tarkus and Brain Salad Surgery. His work had a powerful impact on the course of music and he will be sorely missed.
Top Tracks: Five Mile Smile – Beg Borrow or Steal
This Belfast based band deal exclusively in heady doses of hard rock heaven. Recently reformed after breaking up back in 2003, their latest comeback single ‘Beg Borrow or Steal’ is a no-nonsense, in-your-face rock anthem. Complete with chunky riffs, splashes of southern rock slide guitar and hints of ‘Sympathy for the Devil’ in the backing vocals, Five Mile Smile have all the right classic rock influences pulling their strings. The band stick to their guns on this down-to-Earth and dependable track. It does exactly what it says on the tin and provides a full-blooded foray into an energetic back to basics approach with nods to The Who, The Rolling Stones and Oasis. A simple yet effective formula that seems to be working wonders.
Top Tracks: Caleb Nichols – Close My Eyes
With a lengthy and enviable resume that includes working with such Bay Area bands as Port O’Brien, Release The Sunburst and WATERS, Californian singer/songwriter Caleb Nichols has recently released a new solo EP. Entitled 90 Days in New York, it is a 4 track voyage through an honest and autumnal folk landscape, all based around his experiences of going to, and eventually leaving, The Big Apple. It is a gorgeously rural ode to city life. Belwood Music is proud to premiere Caleb’s latest video for ‘Close My Eyes’. A cover of a track by oft-overlooked experimental singer/songwriter Arthur Russell, it stands as a heartfelt message from one LGBTQA artist to another and fits perfectly with the poignant and peaceful atmosphere of the EP.
Album Review: Childish Gambino – “Awaken, My Love!”
Playlist: Welcome to the World of Tomorrow

Delicate Steve – This Is Steve
After Crash – #LOSTMEMORIES
Childish Gambino – “Awaken, My Love!”