Though they don’t often make an appearance on the site, I listen to a lot of long songs. I’ve lost count of the number of times someone I know has been baffled as to how someone can come up with enough ideas to fill a song that’s ten, even twenty minutes long. In a bizarre twist of fate however, Swedish band Overjoyed have given me a taste of my own medicine, and have left me wondering just how they can pack so much content into a mere two minutes. ‘Taxi Driver’ takes everything you need for a compelling indie hit – bright uplifting riffs, relatable lyrics, oodles of energy and an infectious chorus – trims it all down and refines it, leaving us with this pure and concentrated indie anthem. This diamond of a track is a real crowd-pleaser in the making, and I doubt you’ll hear a more engaging two minutes of music all year.
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Spotlight!: Lokki
If there was any music trend that particularly stood out for me in 2017 it was that of members from established bands branching out and releasing solo work every bit as engaging, and sometimes even more so, than their previous work within the band. The debut release from Lokki seems a sure sign of that trend continuing well into 2018. This new project from Drew McFarlane of Glass Animals fame sees him exploring new horizons with the debut EP Cirrhi. The title track has a mystical feel to it, and you can just imagine the tune being carried through a forest on the mist, daring you to delve deeper. The timeless elegance of ‘Breathe A Breath Of Me’ has a few hints of The Beatles and is fleshed out beautifully by the addition of a choir, and the sweet and simple style of ‘I Catch You’ is reminiscent of the golden age of singer/songwriters, recalling the likes of James Taylor and Carole King. The androgynous inflections found in closing track ‘The Night’ really serves to showcase Drew’s range and versatility, and supplements his piano work with a smooth swell of strings. Even down to the artwork, everything points to Lokki being a project that is here to delight us for a long while to come.
Fans of Sampha, The Last Dinosaur, Flyte and London Grammar should check out Lokki’s debut EP Cirrhi
Top Tracks: River Fury – Jewels Of The City
Radio airplay does its best to wear us down through a war of attrition, hoping that if they play a song often enough that the hook will stay with you. Sometimes it works, but the truth is that a good hook doesn’t need it, after just one listen you’re… well, hooked! The debut single from London based indie pop outfit River Fury does just that, delivering a killer chorus that is sure to leave you wanting more. The band cites a wide range of influences, and I myself hear hints of early Kasier Chiefs in the verses, Matthew and the Atlas in a few of the melodies, and even the lighter side of Coheed and Cambria in the backing vocals. The band are clearly keen listeners, embracing new ideas and sounds and feeding them back into their own music. In doing so they have crafted a debut single that carries universal appeal and an infectious positive energy. It’s one hell of a first impression and I look forward to seeing where their music goes next.
Top Tracks: Native – Don’t Forget Me
Do you ever find yourself doing the “soundtrack test”? You stumble across a song that feels like it should play a part in something important and your mind starts to wander. You imagine how it would fit in your favourite show, you create your own story in your head as you listen to it while watching passers-by. Songs like ‘Don’t Forget Me’ make the dull drudgery of the everyday feel extraordinary, make even the quietest introspective nights seem like part of some greater plan. This track from Swiss artist Native, with its bittersweet vocals, chilled out vibes and dramatic build towards an emotional climax, doesn’t whisk you away from your life to some other place like so many of the songs that tug at our heartstrings. Instead it pulls off a more difficult feat; it makes you feel like right here, right now, is a place worth being and an adventure worth taking.
Album Review: Black Foxxes – Reiði
Black Foxxes – Top Tracks: Woods End – Lanterns/Allhelgona
There’s something special about bands that capture the very soul of their homeland, whether it’s Americana artists embodying the sparseness of the desert or surf rock bands sharing the playfulness of the waves. Swedish band Woods End are one of the finest examples of this that I have ever come across. With ‘Lanterns/Allhelgona’ they paint a scene of the frozen north at twilight. The sparse folk arrangement conjures an image of somewhere isolated and at the mercy of nature, the harmonies rise and fall like they are echoing across the frozen expanse for only the mountains and forests to hear. The haunting melancholy of this track has a timeless feel, like it has been shared by the fireside for as long as there have been people to sing it. There’s an ancient magic at work here, as this song draws you in and you find yourself never wanting to leave.
Top Tracks: Edenthorn – Mind Like A Minefield
Some sounds are just built to last. The tried and tested alt rock approach of Durham quartet Edenthorn tears it up with simple yet solid riffs, proving that you don’t need to reinvent the wheel just so long as you give it everything you’ve got to compensate. ‘Mind Like A Minefield’, taken from their new album Exist out 20th April, certainly doesn’t hold back. The driving intro riff is reminiscent of Metallica while the whirlwind solo has Pearl Jam written all over it. The energy of this track alone is more than enough to make this worth your time, but the lyrics take this song to another level. Dealing with the trials within that many of us face on a daily basis, fighting against your own thoughts as you overthink every little detail. This song perfectly captures that feeling and at the same times makes you feel like you can one day overcome it.
Top Tracks: The Martyn Crocker Band – Everything They Want and More
In this more politically aware time that we find ourselves in, it’s easy to forget that for most people it isn’t about drawing battle lines or making moves on a chess board, for most of us it’s simply about keeping on keeping on in the hope that brighter days are on the way. With this latest single Belwood favourite Martyn Crocker and his new band have perfectly captured the struggle; slaving away to make ends meet while those at the top live the high life, all the while wondering how long this crooked system can last. From the slick production to the trenchant lyricism, Martyn has really upped his game with this uncompromising indie powerhouse. ‘Everything They Want and More’ is the kind of track that everyone, no matter their background, can unite behind as they commit to moving towards a better future, one step at a time.
Album Review: Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats – Tearing at the Seams
Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats – Tearing at the SeamsTop Tracks: Andy Cook – Swirl
This is just the track that your roadtrip playlist has been missing. The latest single from Minneapolis based singer/songwriter Andy Cook is sure to set off your wanderlust and leave you longing for adventure. ‘Swirl’, taken from his upcoming EP Modern Man out 13th April, is about being stuck in a digital age and the burnout that comes with maintaining the online facade of a perfect life and being surrounded by people doing exactly the same thing. It’s fitting then that this Americana gem compels you to leave all that overthinking behind and just hit the open road with ‘Swirl’ as your sole companion. Opening with hints of the Grateful Dead’s ‘Touch of Grey’, and culminating in guitar work reminiscent of The War On Drugs, this is the most enthralling example of Americana I’ve heard thus far this year.
Belwood Music 