Top Tracks: Pearla – Somewhere

Following on from her debut EP If You’re Not Alright Now, New York based singer/songwriter Pearla is back with her new single. ‘Somewhere’ talks about feeling lost in this crazy world, and about having little control over the course of your life. With its music box melody and Pearla’s delicate vocals it begins with an air of childlike innocence, with the haphazard electronic drums echoing in the background like it’s part of another world that we are mostly oblivious to. The track soon builds into a full cacophonous wall-of-sound, like facing the harsh realities of the world, before it all settles down again by the track’s closing moments. It’s like a journey through the course of a lifetime in a single song, and like life it is made to be savoured.

Critic’s Choice: Peanut Mixtape

peanut mixtapeThis month’s edition of “Critic’s Choice” brings you five fresh picks from Dale from Peanut Mixtape. Music writers are music fans first and foremost, and all the best reviews are written lovingly. Browsing through Peanut Mixtape you find reviews written with a whole lot of heart, and a dash of humour to boot. When someone connects with the music, they in turn are better equipt to get you to form a connection with it, and it soon becomes clear reading the site that here is someone who really believes in the music. So, without further ado, here’s a selection of some of PM’s most loved bands:  Continue reading

Top Tracks: Satellite Citi – Undead

Songs offering a message of empowerment are usually a tender musical embrace, occasionally building up to some soaring triumphant climax. While any tracks that send a positive message are to be applauded, one can’t help but wonder why we can’t have some that are a little more, well… badass! LA based duo Satellite Citi certainly deliver on that front, with ‘Undead’s thunderous riffs recalling Royal Blood and Wolfmother, and its spiralling solo offering hints of Iron Maiden. Taken from their upcoming debut EP Negative Space, it also boast an equally fierce and uplifting video, as a LGBT youth who has hit rock bottom is given a new lust for life with a little help from a mystical arcade game. It rocks your socks off and offers a powerful message; what’s not to love.

Top Tracks: The Hemingways – More Than This

Don’t let their youth fool you, The Hemingways are a bunch of wonderfully skilled musicians that show great chemistry and even greater promise. This London based five piece offer a fresh and modern twist on a classic rock sound with their new single ‘More Than This’. With keyboards reminiscent in places of Led Zeppelin’s ‘Misty Mountain Hop’, and with James Burrage’s gruff vocals perfect for fans of the late great Chris Cornell, they draw influences from all the right places but still manage to put their own unique stamp on it. Striking a fine balance between raw and refined, between vintage and contemporary, I know of bands with many more years of experience under their belt that would give their right arm to sound this good.

Top Tracks: Tom Lumley – Just Like The Light

Our Spotlight star Tom Lumley is back and better than ever. Following on from his debut EP Dream City earlier in the year, he’s already at it again with his latest single. ‘Just Like The Light’ shows a whole new side to Tom, mixing in some classic blues rock elements to give his own brand of indie a more natural feel. Tom has really come into his own with this track, rocking harder and showcasing the kind of massive hooks that put even a great release like Dream City to shame. Having supported the likes of The Hunna, Coasts and The Sherlocks, and now with fresh and addictive tracks like this to his name, the next chapter in Tom’s career looks set to take him a step closer to the big leagues.

Top Tracks: WALLA – Into The Gray

Songs that carry a deep and honest message to them always tug at my heartstrings, and ‘Into The Gray’ which was written for “the ones we love, the ones we’ve lost and those who feel like no one is listening” just makes time stand still. Taken from their upcoming EP Body Language, this is a song that speaks to you, offering comfort and reassurance moreso than any other song that springs to mind from 2017. The rich and refined arrangement on this acoustic version in particular really lets Jean Marc Tardieu’s raspy soulful vocals shine. This warm and moving track is the only pick-me-up you need when the world is getting you down, and it simply becomes a little more charming with each listen.

Top Tracks: Titus Makin – Ropes

It’s very easy to look down on pop, but even the most hard-hearted among us can find ourselves giving in to temptation when the right song comes along. ‘Ropes’ is firmly rooted in pop, but with its soulful undertones and Titus’ effervescent energy, it’s a track that is hard to resist. Better known for his work as an actor on such hit US shows as Pretty Little Liars, Glee and Star-Crossed, this latest song from his upcoming second EP Lean shows him to be a man of many talents. With ‘Ropes’ Titus is unreservedly lovable and undeniably cool. When pop music is this good, able to make a room full of people anywhere in the world crack a smile, you realise there is a kind of magic at work. It’s a dose of wholesome feel-good fun that is sure to brighten your day.