There is no sensation in the world that compares with the rush of being intimate with the one you love. Of holding them close and being so in love and connected that you are like one spirit. So interwoven in mind and body that you lose your grasp of where they end and you begin, and beyond that connection all else just falls away forgotten. A serene surrender in the face of a force of nature that can just blot out the whole world. It’s the greatest escape a person can experience, and one that indie pop singer/songwriter Alice Ella captures perfectly on her new single ‘Somewhere Else’. It’s a sensation that is equal parts peaceful and overwhelming, and it inhabits the very essence of this track. With crystalline vocals and nuanced electronics perfect for fans of London Grammar, she manages to find the words to describe the feeling better than just about any other songwriter I’ve heard.
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Live Review: Hozier, Sheffield City Hall, 20th Sept 2019
What artist most exceeded your expectations when you saw them live for the first time? For me it was Hozier. I saw him live in London just as the hype surrounding ‘Take Me To Church’ was reaching a fever-pitch, after following his meteoric rise right from his first EP. In a sold out show in Shepherd’s Bush there was an electricity in the air which I’ve only experienced a handful of times, the kind that makes just another date on a tour feel like something special and unique. To this day it remains one of my favourite gigs. Several years down the line, and with a new album under his belt, I decided to see if the magic was still there. Continue reading
Top Tracks: Wojtek The Bear – Slow TV
You often hear complaints about songs sounding the same, about acts following trends instead of playing around with new sounds. One complaint that you don’t hear nearly as often, but which is every bit as relevant and pressing, is how the same rule applies to lyrics. There are so many bands out there addressing the same old subjects in much the same way as many others before them. The upside however is that it makes songs like ‘Slow TV’, that catch you off-guard with their outside the box thinking, all the more refreshing. This latest single from Glaswegian quintet Wojtek The Bear takes a creative view of how people can go from being your entire world to being complete strangers. It posits how someone you were once close to could die suddenly and you’d be none the wiser. The band then takes this curious train of thought and injects it with a heaping helping of wry wit and adorns it in light-hearted melodies. With an endearingly macabre video to boot, ‘Slow TV’ is one of the most unique and interesting tracks I’ve heard in 2019.
Top Tracks: Kita Menari – Into The Dark
It’s hard to find meaning in routine. It’s hard to feel a sense of purpose when you keep experiencing the same patterns in life, no matter how hard you try to break away and do things differently. Humans are creatures of habit, we live our lives according to cycles and habits, often without even realising it. ‘Into The Dark’ details a desire to break free from the system, but ultimately being too caught up in it to see a way out. However I’d be thankful to be stuck in such a loop if it meant repeat listens of this track. Amsterdam based indie pop artist Micha de Jonge, under his moniker Kita Menari, offers shimmering synths, an infectious groove and a chorus so aglow with glorious melodies that it could make even the most mundane of days feel extraordinary. This first single from forthcoming EP Dreaming All The Time is a song which, contrary to its message, you will find yourself coming back to like clockwork.
Album Review: Sam Fender – Hypersonic Missiles
Sam Fender – Hypersonic MissilesTop Tracks: Liv Harris – Hideaway
We all need somewhere safe to retreat to when the world is getting us down. A sanctuary to call our own when life gets hard. Whether it’s somewhere physical, curled up under the covers with a hot chocolate and your favourite film, or a haven within your own mind to escape to, like a cherished memory to bring you solace and comfort. The debut single from promising singer/songwriter Liv Harris doesn’t just describe such an escape, but also provides one for the listener. ‘Hideaway’ starts with little more than Liv’s airy vocals and a bright and elegant piano, but soon builds into something far more anthemic and uplifting with its nuanced and atmospheric electronica. What begins as merely light shining through the cracks soon grows into a dazzling beacon to banish the darkness that clouds your mind. It’s the kind of song where you don’t know whether you want to broadcast it to the whole world or keep it all for yourself as your own little secret escape.
Top Tracks: Simon Alexander – Move Steady
We all have a touch of wanderlust in our youth. A thirst for adventure, a yearning for a change of scenery, a longing to see more of the world than just the same familiar patch we see every day. It’s easy to see the appeal, but the reality of seeking new endeavours often isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Swedish singer/songwriter Simon Alexander leads you down just such an uncertain path on his new single ‘Move Steady’, taken from his forthcoming EP In The Rust. Channeling a bit of Mumford & Sons’ Wilder Mind, this fine piece of folk pop details the toll that comes with leaving your life behind. Not only are you diving headfirst into a strange new world, you also leave behind a big part of what made you who you are. Even with someone by your side to share the experience it can be a challenging road to follow. There are plenty of songs out there that revel in the allure of the open road; it’s refreshing to hear an artist be so open and honest about the doubts and struggles that come with it.
Top Tracks: Ryan McMullan – Rebellion
There are songs out there to express every conceivable emotion. Songs about a new love that makes you feel like you could fly, songs venting ire at a broken system that make you want to take to the streets, songs about feeling broken and alone for when you just want to curl up in bed and escape reality. Whatever emotion that makes you want to cry out to the world, there’s a song to cry out with you. But what about the times when a cathartic release is beyond reach? The times when you have to hold back the fire inside and put on a brave face, when you have to force a smile to hide the tempest in your mind threatening to tear you apart. That’s where singer/songwriter Ryan McMullan comes in with his new single ‘Rebellion’, taken from his forthcoming debut album due next year. This poignant dose of pop not only deals with all the pent-up frustration, but does so with a mastery of infectious hooks and earworm melodies to rival the likes of Ed Sheeran and Shawn Mendes. It’s a brilliant release from a real breakout star in the making.
Album Review: Foy Vance – To Memphis
Foy Vance – To MemphisSpotlight!: Fidelity Freak
More new music gets released in this day and age than at any other point in history. While in decades gone by the key to getting noticed was to latch on to a trend and ride the wave of popularity, these days you’re often far more likely to simply get lost in the crowd. Why carry on down the same road as everyone else when you can take the path less travelled and lead your listener to something different. While Fidelity Freak don’t venture deep into the wilderness, you can find them operating at an unfamiliar crossroads between otherwise familiar styles. At the nexus of dancefloor ready funk, the warm glow of classic soul, and light and airy indie melodies, you’ll find their eponymous debut EP. The resulting blend of positive vibes is a refreshing twist on the modern indie sound.
‘Illusion’ starts proceedings in fine form with an irrepressibly infectious groove that channels the likes of Chic, before flowing into a dreamy chorus. ‘Losing My Mind’ takes the band’s dreamy side a step further, dealing in the kind of sun-drenched soulful glow that makes you want to just lie back and forget about the world. That is, before ‘Nightmare’ drops you back in at the deep end. This funky firebrand of a number takes a scathing look at the state of modern politics and wraps the band’s ire in an engaging and accessible package. Closing track, and EP highlight, ‘I’m Gone’ shines in spite of it stripping away a lot of the soulful sheen found elsewhere on the record. With its simple yet striking chorus and the beautiful slow-building breakdown, it shows that even without their fresh fusion of styles they still have what it takes to stand out from the crowd.
Fans of Red Hot Chili Peppers, Paolo Nutini, Mac DeMarco and Local Natives should check out Fidelity Freak’s eponymous debut EP.
Belwood Music 