The most commonly sited advice for budding authors is to “write what you know”. It’s a good rule of thumb for songwriters too; turn those butterflies in your stomach into a love song, channel heartache into a cathartic break-up ballad etc. But rules are made to be broken, and to my mind ‘Winter Son’ follows a very different philosophy – write what you need. What you yearn for, what you’re missing. Penned in the wake of her father’s cancer diagnosis, Canadian singer/songwriter Dover Lynn Fox’s latest single doesn’t linger on the sadness and fear which comes with such revelations. Instead ‘Winter Son’ is alight with a sense of hope and comfort. The punchy rhythm section driving you forward to take each day as it comes. The breezy earworm melodies and Dover’s warm wistful vocals finding light on the road ahead. Brimming with confidence and polished to a perfect finish, this track manages to turn a time of great uncertainty into something solid and dependable to lean on.
Author: James Fenney
Top Tracks: Kohla – Sweetest Love
There’s something about ‘Sweetest Love’ that feels like listening to a vinyl record for the very first time. Flicking through an old crate full of them until a particular cover catches your eye. Sliding the record from it’s sleeve with a delicate touch, blowing away a fine coating of dust. Dropping the needle, being absorbed by the analogue hum and crackle, before some warm soulful voice spills out of the speakers like witchcraft. The tactile intimacy of the whole ritual. Hearing a piece of music that may have stirred generations of listeners before you, and yet in that moment it’s just you and the song. Between the soft record-like rustle to the production, the hushed romanticism of Kohla’s gossamer vocals, and the austere elegance of the piano arrangement which plays like a lullaby from a cherished music box, ‘Sweetest Love’ has an enamouring air of timeless beauty to it.
Top Tracks: The American Hotel System – Fire
The pen is mightier than the sword. This old adage often gets misinterpreted as just some flowery metaphor, when the truth is far more literal. Words are the most powerful tools mankind has ever created. The right combination strung together could be enough to start or end a war, incite hate or inspire love, change the way others view the world, even echo through the ages long after we’re gone. Most of us might never find the right words to change the world, but such a powerful tool at our disposal can still shape the lives of those around us. It all depends on how you choose to wield them. ‘Fire’ is a reminder of how deep something spoken in anger can cut. How instead of letting our pride, arrogance and frustration light a spark we can’t undo, we can make the conscious decision to use our words to lift up those around us and speak a better world into being. In pairing that heartening message with soaring elegant strings, alongside expressive percussion and anthemic vocals that remind me of Manchester Orchestra, The American Hotel System have said everything right to earn themselves a new fan.
Album Review: Caligula’s Horse – Charcoal Grace
Top Tracks: Amelia Coburn – When The Tide Rolls In
The English language is a marvellous mish-mash of countless tongues and traditions. We’ve inherited words from Romans, Normans, Celts, Saxons, Danes etc., and invented plenty of our own along the way. Kingdoms and empires rise and fall, and yet some part of them still lives in everyday conversation. It’s often said music is a universal language, but there’s a charm to those tracks able to show it as the same kind of diverse and storied mosaic as our mother tongue. ‘When The Tide Rolls In’ is a rich tapestry all its own. There’s a bright airy indie folk vein that weaves its way throughout, soft swells of strings that offer a sweeping cinematic feel, an undercurrent of Celtic romanticism, hypnotic Eastern flourishes bringing a mystical and exotic air, and a heartbeat percussion that echoes something ancient and primal. All that woven together provides a backdrop for Amelia Coburn’s voice, wearing her broad accent proudly and conjuring a wealth of vivid imagery, to stamp her own unique perspective and identity. This first single from her forthcoming debut album Between The Moon and The Milkman, out 8th March, see Amelia speak in a folk music dialect all her own, and I’m left intrigued to hear more.
Album Review: Daudi Matsiko – The King Of Misery
Belwood Music Awards 2023
We’re mere hours away now from 2024 – which, as it happens, is the year that Belwood will be celebrating its 10th anniversary! But before we set our sights on celebrations to come, it’s time to bid one last fond farewell to 2023. It has been a truly outstanding twelve months for new music, and it’s been a joy and a privilege to share it with you. Here’s one last look back at some of our highlights of 2023! Continue reading
Top Ten Albums of 2023
It’s almost time for our Listmas season, and indeed the year as a whole, to draw to a close. While the past twelve months have had their share of ups and downs, as all years are wont to do, I think in all seriousness 2023 has been the strongest year as a whole for new releases since the blog was founded. Reflecting and reminiscing on all the fabulous music we’ve enjoyed, it feels a little baffling that it was all crammed into such a short span of time. Narrowing down our favourite albums from such a bumper offering has been no mean feat, but getting an excuse to revisit them all again has been an absolute dream. So, without further ado, here’s our top ten albums of the past year. Continue reading
Top Ten EPs of 2023
As fun as it is looking back on the past twelve months, reminiscing about all the music that captivated us, our EP list only has one foot in the past, while the other is firmly pointed towards the future. For while this part of out Listmas festivities always finds room to celebrate work from old favourites, EPs are the vehicle through which so much up and coming talent makes its presence known, and so this list is one of our favourite ways of shining a light on promising new acts poised to make waves in the year ahead. Join us then as we delve into the EPs that left the biggest impression on us in 2023. Continue reading
Top Ten Songs of 2023
We’re halfway through this year’s Listmas, which means it’s time to give our eyes a rest from all the visual splendour and instead provide a feast for the ears as we finally dive into the best music of the past twelve months. The melodies that played on repeat in our heads, the words we kept absentmindedly singing along to each day, the tracks that most engaged, excited and enraptured us. From old favourites to sensational new discoveries, here our our favourite songs of 2023. Continue reading
Belwood Music 