Indie pop powerhouse Natalie Shay sure has remarkable knack for turning drama into euphoria. I don’t know how she does it; taking all of her anger, pain and frustration and using it to fuel some of the most upbeat and effervescent bops around. Her latest display of emotional alchemy, ‘Figure of 8’, details the vicious circle of being stuck in an addictive toxic relationship. How no matter how many times they hurt you and let you down, they keep finding a way to reel you back in. Each time they try and convince you that things will change, that this time will be different, some part of you believes them despite all evidence to the contrary. ‘Figure of 8’s relentless energy turns that downward spiral into a rollercoaster; that stomach drop moment may be inevitable, but may as well enjoy the adrenaline rush while it lasts. The cathartic singalong chorus compels you to channel all your hurt into it and let it all get lost in the joyous whirlwind. Replace that lead weight holding you down for something shimmering and golden.
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Album Review: Holly Humberstone – Paint My Bedroom Black
Live Review: The Last Dinner Party, The Welly Hull, 15th Oct 2023
In some ways I can understand why the term ‘Industry Plant‘ has been thrown around in conversations surrounding The Last Dinner Party. After all, it’s human nature to search for a plausible answer in the face of something that defies explanation. They just seem too good to be true. Releasing an instantly iconic debut single that oozes such effortless charisma, and then exploring new horizons with the tracks that followed while still maintaining that same astonishingly high standard. Their entrancing costume drama aesthetic, the theatricality of their music videos, the wild cathartic revelry of their live performances… hell, even the band’s logo is glorious! I get how someone may listen to their inner cynic before believing that the universe would gift us with a new band who are so assured, engaging and stylish this early into their career. They say seeing is believing, so I felt the need to catch The Last Dinner Party in Hull on their UK tour to see them for myself. Continue reading
Top Tracks: Manpreet Kundi – Something
Often the heaviest burden to bear after a break-up is the sheer weight of all the unknowns and uncertainties. We’re perhaps the most sure of ourselves when we’re in love. We know what’s in our heart, we know the life that we want to build and share, and so it’s understandable to assume that the other person in the relationship would share the same level of conviction and devotion. We’re so focused on the path our own heart leads that we take for granted our faith that the other person is following two steps behind. But when the day comes when we turn around and they’re not there, we have no way of knowing how long they walked that same path with us before their heart wandered elsewhere or turned back, or even if they were ever on the same path at all. The gorgeous new single from singer/songwriter Manpreet Kundi captures that feeling of retracting your steps in search for answers. With the wistful elegance of Lizzy McAlpine, and the haunting melancholy of Lana Del Rey, the tender piano balladry of ‘Something’ is an affecting reflection on what you truly meant to someone who once meant the world to you.
Album Review: Matthew And The Atlas – This Place We Live
Top Tracks: Sophia Alexa – Stones
A great song deserves to have an equally great story behind it, and this latest track from rising singer/songwriter Sophia Alexa does just that. We all have our own burdens to bear, our own emotional baggage to carry. All the doubts and fears, insecurities and regrets, that drag us down like stones in our pockets. Sophia’s uplifting new single ‘Stones’ was born from an interaction with her father that provided a fresh perspective. A moment when she was given a stone and told that it represents the love that others have for her, and that it’s the only stone she need carry. A beautiful exchange, whose sentiment is now immortalised in song. I adore how the frail, delicate folk of ‘Stones’ opening moments gives way to a subtle swell of guitars, Sophia’s most strong and assured melodies, and a propulsive driving drum beat. That surge in energy truly captures the sensation of a weight being lifted, of a helping hand lifting you out of the darkness and pushing you forward towards a brighter tomorrow.
Album Review: Bleach Lab – Lost In A Rush Of Emptiness
Top Tracks: The Kindest People – The Valley
A little perspective can make a world of difference. I know from experience that taking a step back from writer’s block, putting a little distance between you and the problem, is often the best way to reignite a creative spark. For me ‘The Valley’ represents the same idea on a larger scale. When a style or scene becomes stagnant, rehashing old ideas like an ouroboros eating its own tail, sometimes it takes an outsider’s perspective to inject fresh ideas. I feel like I’ve been hearing uninspired photocopies of 90s Britpop for half my life, and yet it took until hearing Tennessee band The Kindest People’s take on the sound to truly rekindle my interest. The hallmarks are there, plenty of hints of Supergrass especially, intentional or otherwise, but the band also brings so much of their own energy and enthusiasm to the table. The effervescent arrangement has such depth to it, the rhythm section always having something worthwhile of their own to say even when the breezy riffs are in the spotlight. The earnestness of the vocals, and the fabulous way they’re layered, delivers such a larger-than life feeling. Given some of the best Americana comes from far outside the US, I suppose having one of their own make some of the best Britpop I’ve heard in years is only fair!
Top Tracks: Sleep Walking Animals – Rossignol
I tend to shy away from covering established acts that I’m not familiar with. Context is important, and the time it takes to delve into a band’s back catalogue could be better spent covering up-and-coming talent. I nearly passed on covering this track from Manchester band Sleep Walking Animals for that very reason – everything about it told me this had to be a band several albums into their career. The music video, with its stunning cinematography and imaginative watercolour animation. The faultless precision of its elegant baroque pop, the Bon Iver-esque falsetto backed by an intricate choral arrangement, the climactic soaring guitar solo that could have been plucked straight from The Bends era Radiohead. Even down to the way it integrates snippets of lyrics in Sri Lankan Sinhala. Everything about ‘Rossignol (සිප ගන්නා විට)’ feels like a band at a creative peak that they’ve been working towards for years, yet the story of Sleep Walking Animals is still very much in its infancy. To hear an up-and-coming band so polished, so inventive, so assured in their identity, and at times even surpassing their influences, is a truly thrilling prospect.
Top Tracks: Kohla – Golden
I love a song that practices what it preaches. Listening to ‘Golden’, the sensual new single from Scottish singer/songwriter Kohla, it would be all too easy to wax lyrical about the moments where her gossamer vocals soar. There are points where it feels like you’re listening to the most faultless new voice in modern soul. Yet at its heart ‘Golden’ is a song about self-love, body positivity, and holding the highest standards when it comes to love. A longing to connect with someone who isn’t just enamoured with an idea, with the finely tuned façade we try to present to the world, but who’ll trace a finger across your skin and find every line, pore and imperfection as equally worthy of worship. The arrangement here, as lush and tropical as it feels, is often as soft and subtle as a summer breeze, leaving Kohla’s voice exposed for the world to hear. Moments of almost imperceptible breath, the delicate tenderness of her whispers, or the way she almost seems to hang on to certain words to savour them before letting them leave – these are the moments where the song truly shines. The lover-like intimacy of this track asks you to worship and adore every second of it – and the only answer is yes.
Belwood Music 