We’ve all done it: sat on public transport, rain falling upon the window as you look out into the world, listening to a song you’re so completely absorbed in that you forget everything else exists. When that perfect song comes up at the perfect time it feels like you’re at the centre of a movie and are filming some bittersweet montage where you reflect on all that’s happened, and all that’s still to come. This cinematic new single from South African band Veladraco is just such a song. Walking a fine line between introspective and anthemic, it’s a song to hold you up and keep you moving forward when you just don’t know how to feel anymore. Wherever your journey leads, whatever comes next in your story, ‘Coldest Winter Day’ is just the companion you need.
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Top Tracks: Tancred – Reviews
‘Reviews’ is my first experience of Tancred, but it certainly won’t be the last. This first single from forthcoming album Nightstand, out 1st June, showcases an astounding interplay of light and shade. With the imposing bass tones and sombre, introspective lyricism juxtaposed against bright flashes of indie guitar and keyboards, and infectious pop melodies, this track is a paragon of bittersweet brilliance. There are two whole worlds captured here in a mere three minutes, the perfect musical yin and yang. The music is equal parts lush and lo-fi, and the contrast between the downcast lyrics of the verses to the heartwarming hints of optimism in the chorus says something of the two sides at war within all of us. Both the storm cloud and the silver lining, this is truly a song for every occasion.
Album Review: Sunflower Bean – Twentytwo In Blue
Sunflower Bean – Twentytwo In BlueSad Songs Make The Sweetest Remedy
“What came first, the music or the misery? People worry about kids playing
with guns, or watching violent videos, that some sort of culture of violence will
take them over. Nobody worries about kids listening to thousands, literally
thousands of songs about heartbreak, rejection, pain, misery and loss. Did I
listen to pop music because I was miserable? Or was I miserable because I
listened to pop music?”
Top Tracks: Dessie Magee – Bandit
With a voice so gritty as to wear down your defences and warm even the coldest of hearts, Irish singer/songwriter Dessie Magee leaves a lasting impression with his new track ‘Bandit’. From its gentle acoustic origins it soon builds towards a cathartic climax that reminds me of Seafret’s ‘Oceans’. Yet even as the track expands layer by layer, delving beyond its folk beginnings into a more rock orientated release, Dessie’s unique vocals remain the finest instrument on display. Tackling the important subject of mental health, and how we’re pressured into keeping our pain bottled up to fester within by society, makes ‘Bandit’ all the more compelling. Any song that shares such an important message is worth sharing, but when a performance is as powerful as this, where you can feel an artist pour their very soul into their work, you know you have something special that needs to be heard.
Top Tracks: Rich Krueger – The Gospel According To Carl
There’s something incredibly compelling about a song that can tell a story, and while dystopian futures and deals with the devil are all well and good, often the best tales (if told well) are about ordinary people. In ‘The Gospel According To Carl’, taken from Rich’s debut album Life Ain’t That Long, we follow the downfall of a crooked used car salesman as he has a crisis of faith, finds a conscience, and subsequently loses all his ill-gotten gains. To sum up Carl’s story in one sentence though does this song a great disservice, as there are scores of Oscar-winning movies that lack the kind of depth and character development that this song excels in. With the droll humour and brilliant storytelling of Randy Newman, and the soulful passionate delivery of Van Morrison, Rich Krueger can weave wonderful tales with the best of them.
Album Review: Jack White – Boarding House Reach
Jack White – Boarding House ReachIntroducing… the Temple Sessions
A top secret project has been under way, and the time has now come to reveal all! It’s been one of my major goals for this site to start featuring video content, and I’m delighted to say that it’s finally come to fruition. There are a few features that I’d love create for you all on the site’s brand new YouTube channel, but chief among them has always been live sessions. It’s one thing talking about music you love, it’s another thing entirely sharing it firsthand. For our inaugural video I got the chance to film Ophelia perform a couple of acoustic tracks (as well as take part in a little challenge). There’s plenty more great content from Ophelia, and the channel in general, on the way soon, but here’s your first ever Temple Session: ‘Fading’, from their debut album Blackbox Memories.
Top Tracks: Anne Haight – Clarity
This new song from Berlin based songwriter Anne Haight really lives up to its name. ‘Clarity’, the title track from her new acoustic EP, is as clear and pure as the finest crystal. Her angelic vocals are the kind that could instil silent awe in any crowd, and her delicate yet definite fingerpicking folk guitar catches your attention as notes fall like water droplets in some serene mountain stream. In fact, it’s hard not to picture mountains, footprints in the snow and the feel of the icy breeze as her rich lyricism is enough to take you away if you simply close your eyes and get lost within the song awhile. This song is simply beautiful from start to finish and perfect for those quiet cosy nights.
Top Tracks: Elemantra – Low Dose Of Irony
This alt rock quartet from Salamanca, NY have captured the reckless abandon of youth with this track from their forthcoming third album. Recalling the likes of Slowdive and The Smashing Pumpkins, ‘Low Dose Of Irony’ embodies everything that made rock in the 90s so keenly relatable to a lost and angst-ridden generation, but at the same time giving it a modern indie twist. The central breakdown, conjuring up emphatic bass tones, adventurous drum fills and soaring guitars, really shows what Elemantra can do. As well as being the highlight of the track, it’s the epitome of what songs like this are all about. There’s a unique kind of freedom woven into the fabric of the music that makes you feel like there are endless possibilities all within your grasp if you’re willing to take the plunge, and this is the soundtrack that will take you there.
Belwood Music 