Author: James Fenney

Live Review: Holly Humberstone, The Engine Shed Lincoln, 10th March 2024

/ James Fenney

One live music hill that I’d be proud to die on is that more acts should play gigs in forgotten corners of the country instead of just the same handful of big cities. Creative minds don’t just make music in London and Manchester, nor are they the only places where music lovers reside. Music lovers and makers can be found in every town across the country, so why should live music be any different. That philosophy is just one of the myriad of reasons why I was excited to see that Belwood favourite Holly Humberstone was playing Lincoln as part of her latest UK tour. Not that the show would have been all that surprising to anyone that’s been following her career. Holly’s always been proud of her home and family in Lincolnshire, never forgetting where she came from and the people that have been by her side. In fact one of the greatest strengths of her delightful debut album was how it felt so earnestly true to herself. Freshly armed with an album full of heartfelt homegrown alt pop, her gig at The Engine Shed seemed like a triumphant, home-turf victory lap in the making. Continue reading →

Top Tracks: Ålesund – Thrive

/ James Fenney

Nostalgia is deeply woven into human nature. Maybe it helps us build a home, a sense of the familiar to pull us back to safety, or maybe looking back at better times helps keep us grounded when times get tough. Whatever the root, we’re all prone to reflecting and reminiscing; perhaps moreso now than any other time in history, given how much of our lives we’re able to document. We can pull up a picture and bask in memories of brighter days contained within with the mere swipe of a finger. Yet given that we never know when a new happy memory is waiting just around the corner to be made, it’s all too easy to miss it entirely by dwelling too long on the past. ‘Thrive’, the latest single from Bristol band Ålesund, offers a warning not to coast through life daydreaming about days gone by, but to instead live each new day to its fullest. ‘Thrive’s compelling, pulsing bass lines and snappy drum work echoes a relentless march forward to seize the day, while Alba Torriset’s soaring vocals strive to reach new heights of grandeur. A welcome reminder that when we make every day one worth reminiscing on, then we’re “not just living, or surviving, but we thrive”.

Top Tracks: Gown – In Your Head

/ James Fenney

Running a site dedicated to highlighting new music, you would think it would feel exciting being ahead of the curve, discovering something special before it takes the world by storm. While I have been lucky enough to experience that sensation a few times, more often such discoveries leave me strangely frustrated. Imagine hearing a transcendent piece of music that truly connects with you, followed by the sudden realisation that you might be one of just a handful of people in the world to have heard it. Nice as it is to have a little oasis all your own – and it’s a beautiful notion that every piece of art, no matter how obscure, will mean the world to someone somewhere – I want the art that resonates with me to reach as many people as possible, so that they might share the same connection I feel. Enter ‘In Your Head’, the debut single from LA based outfit Gown, an astonishing piece of dream pop far too beautiful to be wasted on me alone. Its wistful haze, the tender plaintive vocals, the cathartic release of emphatic drums and haunting guitar that it all builds toward. It is a perfect paragon of the genre at its best, and it deserves to be heard the world over.

Top Tracks: Charm of Finches – Clean Cut

/ James Fenney

Probability has no memory. It doesn’t matter how many times a coin may have turned up tails, the next flip has just as much chance of showing heads as any other. Every flip of the coin, every roll of the dice, is a world unto itself; what happened before has no influence on what comes next. When times get tough, we can view our lives in just the same way. Every day has the chance to be a fresh start if we wish, free of all the baggage that preceded it. ‘Clean Cut’, the new single from Melbourne based sister duo Charm of Finches, applies a similar way of thinking as a way to move on in the wake of a break-up. Leaving the misfortunes of the past behind, and letting the new day bring with it a fresh roll of the dice. Taken from their forthcoming album Marlinchen in the Snow, out 19th April, its rich harmonies, understated strings and bold emphatic drums make this one truly charming slice of baroque pop. With its memorable self-directed music video, interpreting the cut ties as the strings of marionettes come to life, further deepening the track’s bewitching appeal.

Top Tracks: Oliver Hohlbrugger – Velveteen

/ James Fenney

Thrilling as it is to hear something entirely new, music that makes you think “I’ve never heard anything like this“, sometimes it’s just as thrilling to hear music that makes you think “I didn’t know they still made music like this anymore“. Hearing a track that so perfectly embodies the vibe of a by-gone era, while still managing to add its own unique twist, you can almost imagine being flung back in time to hear a classic song for the very first time. With his new single ‘Velveteen’, Norwegian artist Oliver Hohlbrugger astutely captures the protopunk spirit of acts like Iggy Pop and The Velvet Underground. Raw and rough around the edges, boasting unrelenting energy and unassailable swagger. Its gutsy driving pace, akin to Bowie’s ‘Suffragette City’, ignites something within you with a kind of zeal that almost feels like a forgotten art. And just when you think the tank must be running on empty, it pulls a spirited sax solo out of reserve as one final parting gift.

Top Tracks: Exploring Birdsong – The Collapse

/ James Fenney

Much as we love to hear about works of art born in mere minutes in a sudden rush of inspiration, I think there’s a similar romanticism to be found in projects that need fresh perspective from an older, wiser self in order to be fully realised. Maybe the artist needed time to hone their craft before they could realise their vision, or there was some missing piece in need of discovery, or maybe fate was just intent on saving the final form for a special occasion. Sometimes great paintings can go years between brushstrokes, noteworthy novels can go through many drafts before going to print, and in the case of ‘The Collapse’ sometimes bands can breathe new life into old demos. Spellbinding progressive pop trio Exploring Birdsong – reflecting first on where they started, before looking forward toward their debut album – have taken what started life as a piano demo and reimagined it as one of their most heavy and fierce outings to date. With its gut punch bass and towering chorus, the final destination is well worth the journey.

Why Grassroots Gigs Are Live Music At Its Best

/ James Fenney

Every music lover has been there. The buzz of finally seeing your favourite band being amplified ten-thousandfold by an arena full of likeminded fans. A sea of people swept up into a frenzy when the music drops, the lights dim, and a flurry of distant motion in the darkness signifies the start of something special. The lights, the crowd, the scale of it all. The masses gathered in a vast cathedral in worship of music itself. There’s an inherent electricity that comes with the grandeur of arena sized gigs, a thrill unlike anything else. And yet, with each passing year, I find myself returning for another hit less and less. These days I get my buzz elsewhere; backrooms of bars, dingy basements, church halls in forgotten backwaters. And you know what?… It’s a change I feel all the better for. Continue reading →