Ryan Adams – Prisoner
Americana
88%
Top Tracks: East of Eli – Nowhere
Taken from his upcoming release Lost Transmission, East of Eli’s latest track is an endearingly innocent and heartfelt declaration of love. Under his musical moniker, singer/songwriter Nathan West has penned a gorgeous and cinematic Valentines gift for his wife, ‘Supergirl’ and ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ actress Chyler Leigh. With Chyler providing backing vocals, the track speaks of the limitless potential and power of true love, over a backdrop of swirling synths, folky interludes and dramatic indie pop guitar. This sweetest of love letters not only creates a surprisingly diverse and plentiful soundscape, but more importantly it has a whole lot of heart. Valentine’s Day may have been and gone for another year, but true love, and the latest charming track that it has created, is here to stay.
Interview: The Little Kicks
After taking some much needed time away to reflect and find some fresh perspective, Aberdeen indie pop band The Little Kicks are back and better than ever. Equal parts fun and finesse, silly and sophisticated, electronic and orchestral, their new album Shake Off Your Troubles is one of the most surprising and rewarding albums of the year thus far. I caught up with Steven Milne from The Little Kicks to talk about the new album ahead of it’s release: Continue reading
Top Tracks: The Black Angels – Currency
You experience ‘Currency’ in two different ways; not only do you listen to it, but you can almost feel the apocalyptic tremors of it’s heavy and menacing riffs, like the approaching footsteps of some unspeakable horror. Dealing with the inescapable power that money has over our lives, this new single is a dramatic and imposing return to form for the Austin psych rock legends after four years away. Taken from their upcoming album Death Song, out 21st April, it treads the seldom ventured middle ground between The Black Keys, Mastodon and Queens of the Stone Age, with it’s sinister, doom laden guitar and it’s hypnotic and purposeful rhythm section. Writhing like some murky rapids in the river Styx, it’s the perfect track for fans of all thing heavy and trippy.
Top Tracks: Miccoli – Idle Stranger
Sometimes, for no real reason that you can put your finger on, a song just naturally creates a scene in your mind. Listening to the latest single ‘Idle Stranger’ from this Birmingham band, for me conjures an image of someone breaking away in search of something more. Leaving their old life behind and leaping headfirst into the unknown, eager and anxious in equal measures. It’s the mark of a great song to make you feel something or tell a story in this way, even if the story is of your own making. This trio of siblings have paired bright cascading indie pop riffs with exemplary vocal harmonies to create a track that’s beautifully bittersweet. It weaves it’s way into your mind like the first light of dawn. Released 3rd March, it’s hard not to be moved by Miccoli’s melodious and soul-stirring new single.
The Grammy Awards 2017
Despite being one of the worst batches of nominations in recent memory, this year’s Grammy Awards went better than expected… for the most part. David Bowie picked up posthumous awards for best rock song, rock performance and alternative album. Cage The Elephant won the pitiful pool of nominations for best rock album for their latest release Tell Me I’m Pretty. What was expected to be an endless stream of awards for Beyoncé ended up being clean sweep for Adele, picking up album of the year, song of the year and record of the year, as well as pop album and pop performance. She dedicated her award to Beyonce (and broke it, ‘Mean Girls’ style) in a moving speech. Performance wise the night was marred by technical issues, most notably when James Hetfield’s microphone wasn’t working during Metallica’s performance of ‘Moth Into Flame’ with Lady Gaga. By far the best performance of the night was surprisingly Bruno Mars’ tribute to the dearly departed Prince.
Album Review: Rag’n’Bone Man – Human
Rag’n’Bone Man – HumanAlbum Review: Amber Run – For A Moment, I Was Lost
Amber Run – For a Moment, I Was LostTop Tracks: Lorne – Bread Alone
“Man shall not live by bread alone”; the Biblical phrase that inspired the new track from the incredibly talented London-based singer/songwriter Lorne. The refined piano balladry and soaring strings make the perfect backdrop for Lorne’s pure, crystalline vocals. With ‘Bread Alone’ he shares a message of seizing the day and not letting your past hold you back. It’s a heartfelt plea to live your life to the full, to thrive and not merely survive, something which many of us need reminding of every now and then. It is a simple yet powerful song of self discovery, perfect for those introspective late night playlists. Taken from his upcoming debut EP Maze, it is the kind of track that resonates with you all day long.
Top Tracks: Haunt the Woods – Beautiful Catastrophe
It’s songs like this that sum up why Belwood Music, and music blogs in general, come to be. Because every so often you hear a piece of music so captivating that all you want to do is broadcast it to the world in the hope that it moves others the same way that it moved you. From it’s gentle folky beginnings, ‘Beautiful Catastrophe’ grows with effortless and graceful harmonies and soaring strings, before erupting into a passionate maelstrom of sweeping guitar solos and Jeff Buckley-esque vocals. There’s something so raw and honest surrounding what this Cornwall based quartet have created. With this track from their debut EP The Line, Haunt the Woods have jumped straight up to the top of my list of “ones to watch”.
Belwood Music 