music

Belwood Music Awards 2021

/ James Fenney

Before we come together to usher in the new year, it’s time for one last look back in the rear-view mirror at 2021. It’s a year that has both flown by and felt like a lifetime all at once. The ongoing pandemic dragging its feet has left us feeling more tired and weary than ever, but a few rays of sun have managed to break through the clouds in the past twelve months. We’ve seen a return of live music, alongside some stunning releases to cling on to when times got hard. Here are some of the moments that most defined our 2021. Continue reading →

Top Ten Albums of 2021

/ James Fenney

With the hours ticking away until we usher in the new year, it’s finally time to take a look back at the finest albums released in the past twelve months. 2021 is a year that left a lot of us feeling tired,  confused and frustrated; reflected I think in what feels like a rather lacklustre roster of new releases compared to the past few years. While not quite the hotly contested category it normally is, there were still some absolutely spellbinding albums vying for the top spot. Here are the ten records that burned brightest, touched our hearts, and breathed the most life into this past year. Continue reading →

Top Ten EPs of 2021

/ James Fenney

Delving into a given year’s finest EPs often feels like gazing into a crystal ball for a brief glimpse of the future. It’s with releases such as these that many up and coming artists first make their mark on the world and become the name on people’s lips. It’s often here that the brightest stars of tomorrow are forged, and so this list in particular is one of our favourite ways to sing the praises of the wealth of talented new artists on the scene, alongside outstanding projects from old favourites. Continue reading →

Top Ten Songs of 2021

/ James Fenney

Hitting the mid-way point in this year’s list season, and it’s time to leave the industry’s most stunning visuals behind and dive headfirst into the music that most delighted our ears in 2021. The tracks that had us hitting repeat; the most anthemic singalong choruses, the most memorable earworm melodies, and the biggest bops that had us up and dancing. Here’s Belwood’s most loved songs of the past twelve months. Continue reading →

Top Ten Videos of 2021

/ James Fenney

Before our list season dives into the year’s marvellous music, it’s time for one more list celebrating 2021’s most stunning visual splendour. We’re talking the acts that utilised the medium of music videos to its fullest potential with their delightful dance moves, creative concepts, and cinematic storytelling. So, without further ado: lights, camera, action! Continue reading →

Top Ten Album Covers of 2021

/ James Fenney

How has it been a year already? Somehow the last twelve months have just flown by! But before we get thrust forward into the brave new world that is 2022, we have just enough time left to look back on some of the dazzling artistic highlights of this past year. That’s right, list season is upon us! And as ever we’ll be kicking off our week of celebration and reflection by delighting in some of the most visually arresting album artwork of 2021. Continue reading →

Live Review: Lanterns on the Lake, Rescue Rooms Nottingham, 21st Nov 2021

/ James Fenney

I don’t know about you, but the pandemic has completely messed up my understanding of the passage of time. With so long spent where the days just bleed together, it’s hard to get your head around it again when for a while it lost all meaning. At times the whole thing feels like a blur, and you’re surprised to discover a moment that felt like yesterday was nearly two years ago. And yet sometimes you register just how long you’ve waited to see some light at the end of the tunnel, how much you’ve yearned for some normality, that you can scarce believe when it finally arrives. There was certainly a lot of the latter at play when it came to this gig. I was already long overdue to catch Belwood favourites Lanterns on the Lake when I first bought the ticket, and that day feels like an age ago. Now, after being rescheduled so many times I actually lost count, came the surreal experience of actually seeing them live and in person when for so long it felt like it was never gonna happen. Continue reading →