Taylor Swift – folklore
Indie Folk | Pop | Baroque Pop
85%
music
Album Review: Margo Price – That’s How Rumors Get Started
Margo Price – That’s How Rumors Get StartedInterview: Tiny Castle
It’s safe to say that 2020 doesn’t have a lot going for it. That does mean however that each little oasis of joy and beauty that we stumble upon in this monumental clusterfuck of a year feels all the sweeter. There’s plenty of great new music despite everything, and one of the finest escapes I’ve stumbled across in the past six months has been the brilliant debut EP from Australian indie quartet Tiny Castle. Blending post punk rhythms, retro synths and slick indie hooks, Perspectives is the kind of record that takes everything you know and love and serves it up on a silver platter. I fired a few quick questions over to Chris from Tiny Castle to find out how their stunning first EP came to life. Continue reading
Top Tracks: Family of Things – YKB
We’re not born with hate in our hearts, it’s something that’s taught to us. When you’re young you don’t see creed, colour or class. Likewise we don’t become fixated on our own faults and perceived imperfections until later in life. We all start out with open hearts and open minds, full of love for ourselves and others, until the world tells us otherwise. But we don’t have to accept this culture of division and insecurity that is thrust upon us. As Canadian duo Family of Things so deftly tell us with the hook of their infectious new single: “you know better”. We can reject the drive to throw up walls and embrace the open and loving state of mind that we were born with. Full of vibrant carefree energy, ‘YKB’ is the perfect anthem for the better world that it preaches. With a hefty helping of Jungle, a kaleidoscopic dash of Tame Impala, and a striking video that wouldn’t look out of place projected on a skyscraper in Blade Runner, this fabulously funky slice of electropop is one of the most feel-good tracks I’ve heard this year. Packed with memorable hooks, slinky bass lines, shimmering synths and seductive splashes of sax, it’s the kind of song that makes you want to rush to the dancefloor and drag the nearest person along with you.
Album Review: Phosphene – Lotus Eaters
Phosphene – Lotus EatersSpotlight!: Tiny Castle
A lot of time and energy in the music world is devoted to finding something fresh and new. While it can certainly be a thrill to find a band that breaks the mold, I believe there is an undervalued charm in familiarity. Encountering a new act is a first meeting of sorts after all, and there are few greater pleasures in life than meeting someone new and falling into a natural rhythm. That moment when you and a total stranger are so perfectly tuned in to the same wavelength that you suddenly feel like you’ve both known each other for years. The debut EP from Brisbane based indie quartet Tiny Castle evokes that same sensation. Perspectives doesn’t feel like a first meeting, instead it’s as warm and familiar as a record that you’ve grown up listening to. It leaves you feeling nostalgic for some alternate history where the EP was the soundtrack of your youth.
‘Black Dove’ ascribes to The Cure’s school of being equal parts sweetness and sadness, reflecting on past love and enveloping the listener in gorgeous melodies, while frenetic synth driven rocker ‘World’ is the perfect soundtrack for hurtling down an empty highway faster than your demons can follow. The bright balladry of ‘Composure’ and ‘Madeline’ make you want to slow-dance around the room, ‘I’m Like A River’ is reminiscent of The Killers as it blends the synths with a dash of Americana, while closing track ‘Sentimental Holiday’s robust bass line, emphatic drums and light snappy riffs reminds me of The National. Perspectives is a swirling melting pot of everything from 80s AOR and post punk to modern indie and alternative. It never feels like a Frankenstein’s monster of styles however, rather a spectrum of colour combining into a brilliant white light as the band craft a sound all their own. Even on first listen it feels like they’ve already been one of your favourite bands for years and you just didn’t know it. This Tiny Castle just feels like home.
Fans of The National, The Cure, Holy Holy and The Paper Kites should check out Tiny Castle’s debut EP Perspectives
Top Tracks: Jacob Westfall – Burn Me Down
There is so much that is woven into the intricate fabric that is you and I. All the little daily rituals, all the cherished memories, a network of feelings and morals. We’re all little more than a jumbled mess of quirks and idiosyncrasies manning a trenchcoat and playing at being a person. It’s often difficult to separate ourselves from the pieces that make up who we are; pull too hard at one thread and the whole thing may unravel. All this can make for a daunting prospect however when it comes to the parts of ourselves that we long to change. ‘Burn Me Down’ deals with the inner turmoil that stems from addiction. Whether it’s a substance, a sensation or a person, the end result is the same – it becomes a crutch that you lean too heavily upon. The only option is to let it keep corrupting its way deeper into your spirit, or to take a torch to your darker side in the hope of building a better you from the ashes. This sublime slow-burning track from Portland based artist Jacob Westfall explores this journey in spectacular fashion. Opening with a soft and melancholic folk arrangement, with Jacob’s gritty vocals at its heart, before kicking up a gear with a lush and enrapturing Americana vibe. At its climax an emphatic drum fill launches us into a tempestuous bluesy solo to offer the release that the song has been so perfectly building towards right from the very first note.
Album Review: Haim – Women In Music pt. III
Haim – Women In Music pt. IIITop Tracks: Dizzy – Roman Candles
If there’s one adage I’ve seen proven true time and again in recent years it’s that the grass is always greener on the other side. When you’re looking at someone and wishing you had what they have, odds are they are looking at you in just the same way. People working a 9-to-5 office job will look at musicians living a creative and adventurous life and envy their freedom. It’s something we see romanticised all the time, but rarely do we see the other side of the story acknowledged. ‘Roman Candles’ flips the narrative to show that following your dreams isn’t always smooth sailing. This new single from Canadian indie pop outfit Dizzy shares the insecurity that comes from being surrounded by friends that have stability in their lives. Spending time with people who have houses and families, and generally have their shit together by the commonly accepted social standards, and fearing that you’ll never have the same on your current path. The latest cut from their new album The Sun And Her Scorch out 31st July, Dizzy’s delightful new track is packed to the brim with gorgeous melodies and boasts one of the most addictive hooks of the year. The nostalgia it evokes with its understated and bittersweet synth arrangement is every bit as warm and endearing as the golden hour glow of its charming music video. This is the first time Dizzy have crossed my radar, but if the rest of the new record is as good as this then that’s the soundtrack of my summer all sorted.
Top Tracks: Katherine Abbott – Wayward
We all feel a little lost sometimes. Those niggling feelings of doubt that make us wonder who we are, where we’re headed, and what really matters. They come and go all the time, a little moment of introspection before returning to normal. If life in lockdown has taught us anything however it’s that maybe normal isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Maybe that wayward sensation should be seen as a spur towards self-discovery, a message from the universe saying that there’s a better you and a better life out there waiting to be found. Having started out her career as a busker, singer/songwriter Katherine Abbott knows all about the transformative power of cutting the ties that hold you down and following your heart. Her new single ‘Wayward’ is a track that you can get suitably lost in; her voice like the warm glow of a new dawn, the soft and airy folk arrangement washing over you like a cool breeze, and the sublime acoustic solo at its centre feels the perfect reminder to slow down and appreciate the little things in life.
Belwood Music 