The blues doesn’t concern itself with forging new paths or radical reinvention. “New” is anathema to the blues – and know that I say this with the utmost love and adoration. As a society we nailed the perfect blues sound early on, and from that point on every artist has carried the weight of tradition in their work, like a campfire story that lives on through generations of retelling. To play the blues is to walk down a well worn road, hitting all the familiar stops, and in doing so inviting comparison with all the greats who came before. ‘Bottom of a Bottle’ is proof enough for me that Jovin Webb can walk that road with his head held high. Taken from his debut album Drifter, out 18th October, it’s the perfect example of what makes the sound so enduring. Grounded by a shuffle as sturdy as an old oak, we’re treated to the soulful cries of guitar, the wails and warbles of harmonica, and the gravelly growl of Jovin himself as he seems to tear every last note from the depths of his very being. The blues isn’t about doing something new, it’s about doing the familiar so damn well that it feels like hearing it again for the first time.
top tracks
Top Tracks: Rose Cousins – I Believe in Love (and it’s very hard)
Have you ever watched any behind the scenes studio footage which shows a songwriter at work piecing a new track together? It’s interesting getting to hear each individual instrument being recorded one by one. Each one a separate piece of a wider puzzle, and the true artistic vision doesn’t reveal itself until all the pieces are assembled and suddenly a song just springs into existence. Except, listening to ‘I Believe in Love (and it’s very hard)’, I don’t get that same impression of jigsaw pieces forming a picture. Hearing this new single from Canadian singer/songwriter Rose Cousins, I keep breaking it down into its constituent elements in my mind, and each piece feels like a work of art in its own right. The intricate expressive nuances of the drum work, the deep rumbling bass tone that you can feel in your gut, the bright and elegant piano playing lending so much presence and refinement, Rose’s heartfelt vocals channelling the golden age of singer/songwriters. Each component tells a beautiful story in of itself. ‘I Believe in Love’ is no jigsaw, it’s a collage taking existing works of art and using them to create a bigger picture.
Top Tracks: Hannah Grace – The Moon
Much of what I have to say about a piece of music depends on when it finds me. A sun-kissed Americana anthem may not feel as potent in the dead of winter, while a break-up ballad may resonate deeper in the wake of heartache. You need the right frame of mind, the right angle of approach, to experience a song at its best. Occasionally however you find songs like ‘The Moon’ which can be approached from a different perspective and suddenly take on a whole new meaning. This latest single from Belwood favourite Hannah Grace is a reassuring love letter to a friend in need; a reminder that you’re there to lean on even when it feels like life is spinning out of control. While it naturally connects with anyone seeking to comfort someone in need, it touches a very different part of your heart when you’re the one that’s struggling. When that anxious voice in the back of your mind insists that your loved ones aren’t as invested in you as you are in them, ‘The Moon’ becomes a soothing balm to quell the self doubt. With Hannah’s most tender and effortless vocals to date, ‘The Moon’ is equally moving whether its words are ones you long to share, or the ones you desperately needed to hear.
Top Tracks: Luvcat – He’s My Man
I adore a good murder ballad. The sinister storytelling, carving out a clear identity for some villainous character, a wicked darkness that feeds the part of your brain that delights in morbid curiosity. It’s a time honoured tradition which nonetheless manages to feel underexplored; all the more reason to champion one of the rare shining examples when it strolls so magnetically into the spotlight. Having already begun to curate a seductively gothic sound with the sublime debut single ‘Matador’, Luvcat play to their strengths beautifully by weaving that same darkness into a bewitching murder ballad. With a soft western twang as rich and heady as a fine red wine backing up Sophie Morgan’s velveteen vocals, ‘He’s My Man’ tells the tale of of an obsessive housewife slowly poisoning her husband to ensure that he stays by her side forever. Whatever captivating concoction Luvcat have poured into this track has left me unable to leave its side also. Combining the fervent fanaticism of Annie Wilkes from Misery, with a beguiling air of twisted romanticism, ‘He’s My Man’ is a sterling sophomore outing for this entrancing ensemble.
Top Tracks: Fiona-Lee – Nothing Compares To Nineteen
It’s said that everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about – and all too often, it remains unknown. We struggle to find the words to describe what we’re feeling, are afraid to risk letting our defences down in the hope of finding a sympathetic ear, and wonder if anyone will truly understand the pain we’re feeling. Drawing a line between a conversation with her father about how “boys didn’t talk about feelings“, and the loss of a dear friend who took his own life, Fiona-Lee resolves to be open with her own struggles with anxiety and depression on her new single ‘Nothing Compares To Nineteen’. The track feels like a much needed and welcome push towards asking for help when you need it, rather than suffering in silence. Fiona’s frank and insightful lyricism manages to walk the line between being as intimate and confessional as a diary entry, while at the same time as real and down-to-earth as a conversation with a friend. All that is paired with emphatic drums and light breezy guitar work that spirals ever faster, ensuring her battles ring out loud and clear, and building more of that anthemic Sam Fender-esque sound that we’ve come to know and love.
Top Tracks: Sixten – Atlantic
The heart wants what it wants, and sometimes our efforts to quash our feelings only ends up fanning the flames even further. We think that cutting someone out of our lives is a sure way to move on, but sometimes absence merely makes the heart grow fonder. With their new single ‘Atlantic’, Swedish sibling duo Sixten explore how long distances can often serve to amplify the longing of unrequited love. Taken from their sophomore EP Misemotional, the track’s nostalgic swells threaten to sweep you away, much the same way as when your thoughts turn to someone you thought you were finally over (“You’d think I learn my lesson, It’s been a year or two, But all of my obsessions, They’re pointing straight at you“). Throwing distance into the mix before resolving your feeling for someone just adds a world of new questions into the ether. Beyond all the same ‘what-ifs’ you keep replaying, imagining a scenario where it all worked out, you now also have to contend with the dizzying notion of the life they’re building without you in it. ‘Atlantic’ feels like a longing for closure that keeps slipping further away; how much harder it is to tie up loose ends when they stretch across oceans.
Top Tracks: Deliriously Serious – Time
While great music can come from anywhere, certain styles seem to attract specific kinds of greatness. The best drummers play jazz, the best bassists play funk, that kind of thing. If it’s great vocals you’re looking for however, my money is on soul. Sure, there’ll be plenty better singers out there on a technical level in other fields. Belting out higher notes, hitting wider ranges with more consistency and clarity. But music, like all art forms, ultimately comes down to expression. A great soul performance just channels a raging river of feeling into every note. Joy burns like a fever, sorrow cuts like a knife. It’s not about perfection, it’s about pouring every fibre of your being into each word as though you’re pleading for salvation at the pearly gates. I can’t quite recall the last time a vocal performance grabbed me the way ‘Time’ does. Christopher Escarega here captures the helplessness of feeling the years rushing by you as you fight against the current with fervent intensity. What’s more – great guitarists play the blues – and just as that stunning voice has drawn you in, a bewitching bluesy solo flares into life, burning with every bit as much passion and feeling. No matter how quickly time feels as though it’s slipping through your fingers, I promise this song is worth a moment of yours.
Top Tracks: Sparxsea – Daylight
Life is too short to not allow ourselves to feel as deeply as possible. Why restrain what’s in your heart when you can bask in the inherent beauty of the world around you, and surround yourself with others who do the same. It’s all too easy to become guarded and jaded these days, but imagine if we all had the courage to tell the people who inspire us, comfort us, and make our lives brighter exactly how much knowing them has enriched our time on this Earth. We see the best in others that they may not see in themselves, what a waste to leave it unspoken. Beneath the rock solid rhythm section and bright jangle pop melodies of Sparxsea’s ‘Daylight’, lies just such a reassuring confession of faith and appreciation. The sentiment behind its radiant chorus (“I see a daylight burning bright in you, and rays full of golden truth, seeding creation in my heart“) embodies the spirit of what we all long to hear from another, yet are too scared to offer in turn. Between the sense of community and solidarity being fostered, and the fact that the track’s proceeds are raising money for Ever After Mustang Rescue horse charity, it’s hard not to be moved by the love and compassion poured into this project.
Top Tracks: Francesca Louise – Waiting For You
We all need a little push once in a while. Someone to spur us on to take the leap when presented with new challenges and opportunities. As heartening as it is to have people in our lives who embolden us to be better and step out of our comfort zone, often the only encouraging voice at hand when we need one is our own. It’s all too easy to dismiss that inner voice as a hypocrite; the one that built the comfort zone you’re so scared to step out of in the first place, the one most afraid of failure. Yet take a moment to trust in yourself and you’ll find no one more understanding of where you’re at, of what you’re capable of, and of what it would mean to succeed. ‘Waiting For You’, the gorgeous new single from Belwood favourite Francesca Louise, plays as an encouraging reminder to herself to take the plunge into the unknown. Fittingly Francesca’s vocals sound more comforting and assured than ever, and clips of her own travels and adventures featured in the charming lyric video echo the promise of brighter days ahead. The warm folk arrangement shimmers like golden hour sun on rippling water, before building towards a triumphant, uplifting finale that feels like feeling that same sun warm your skin as you begin truly believing your own encouraging words.
Top Tracks: Ren Lawton – Charlotte
Sometimes the best creative breakthroughs are born through approaching your art from a different angle. A fresh perspective works wonders, and occasionally the best way to find one is by adding constraints to a project and treating its creation as a puzzle to be solved. The charming folk of ‘Charlotte’, the latest single from Belwood favourite Ren Lawton, is the product of just such a creative conundrum. It’s the first track from an upcoming EP Harry’s Poems (from the loft), out 23rd September, which sees him interpret the work of his uncle Harry Owen, inaugural Poet Laureate for Cheshire. Not all poetry lends itself to musicality, nor can a lot of songs claim to be truly poetic. Exploring where the overlap lies, playing Elton to his uncle’s Bernie Taupin, and finding inspiration in another medium, has clearly worked wonders for Ren’s creative spirit, if the entrancing fingerpicking and serene melodies he lends to ‘Charlotte’ are anything to go by.
Belwood Music 