A perfectly pensive track for these quiet winter nights, the aptly named ‘Slow Burn’ is just one of those songs that incites introspection. The kind of song that plays in your head as you watch the rain patter on your window, or the flames dancing in the fireplace. It has such a deeply cinematic feel that it can make even the most mundane setting feel like a movie scene. You almost seem to see the world differently with this song playing. Like the big things we all stress about don’t matter anymore, and instead you start to see more meaning in the little things that you wouldn’t normally even notice. Canadian born singer/songwriter Jenny Kern has made one hell of an impression with her debut single. I just want to listen to it on repeat until the world around me turns to dust.
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Album Review: Miccoli – Arrhythmia
Miccoli – ArrhythmiaTop Tracks: John Adams – Flames
Welsh singer/songwriter John Adams is the kind of artist that you can’t help but root for. Part of that is down to the fact that he’s worked his way up from busking, his years of hard graft playing a key part in making him the artist he is today. But even without any back story, his new single ‘Flames’ is more than enough to win you over. Taken from his new EP No White Lies out 8th February, this soulful breakup ballad carries that rare universal appeal that most artists can only dream of, thanks in no small part to John having the kind of voice that just melts your heart. The simple but effective video further adds to the song’s charm, showing the threads that unite us getting more and more tangled over time, and in the end leaving us trapped in a web of our own making.
Live Review: Árstíðir, Rebellion Manchester, 25th Jan 2019
Generally the start of a new year is a time for looking forward, but I thought it would be an equally good time to momentarily look back. Surely there’s no better way to spend my first gig of 2019 than checking out the band behind one of the best releases of 2018. We stumbled across Icelandic indie folk outfit Árstíðir shortly after they released their latest record Nivalis. It impressed us so much that it snuck its way into our end of year list, and also ensured that I would be in attendance for one of their UK dates. Continue reading
Album Review: The End Of The Ocean – -aire
The End Of The Ocean – -aireTop Tracks: Astralingua – Space Blues
Personally I’ve always found solace in insignificance. Thinking about how we are but a tiny speck in an incomprehensibly large universe always seems to put my own problems into perspective. It’s easy to say that with your feet firmly on the ground, but I can imagine it can feel very different witnessing it all first hand. This new track from introspective folk duo takes a look at the other side of it all. The aptly named ‘Space Blues’ explores the loneliness and isolation of a life in space, and the feeling of looking out at an endless expanse and wondering if there’s any meaning in it all. Not only is a refreshingly unique subject for a song, but the duo have also executed it perfectly. With softly spoken vocals, mournful strings and eerie woodwinds offering a mystical feel, it’s the kind of song that makes the whole world seem to stand still and listen with you.
Interview: Natalie Shay
Photo by Max Giorgeschi
We don’t throw around the term Belwood favourite lightly, and rising star Natalie Shay more than deserves the title. This indie pop singer/songwriter released two brilliant singles last year, and her 2019 is already off to a flying start with her brand new single ‘Yesterday’. Proving a real on-to-watch, we though it was high time we have a chat with her for our first interview of the year. Continue reading
The Pros and Cons of Bandcamp
Ah yes, the unsung hero of music platforms. It might not have the big userbase of the major platforms, but it has long held a high degree of respect in the industry thanks to its artist friendly business model. But does it deserve its glowing reputation? Continue reading
Top Tracks: Sun K – High In The City
Sat here on a bitterly cold night in January, snuggling close to a hot water bottle to try to keep the chills at bay, ‘High In The City’ is just the song I needed. A song to remind me that the summer sun, and the carefree adventures it brings, aren’t all that far away, even if it doesn’t feel like it right now. Canadian band Sun K have loaded this track with gritty vocals and vintage guitar tones in this superb slice of old-school no-nonsense rock’n’roll. The band aren’t reinventing the wheel here, but then again if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. Wheels are very much still in use and that classic rock sound is just as potent as it ever was. Everything about this song, from the throwback vibes to the nostalgic visuals, aims to recall the summers of the past. But there’s something inexplicable about it that makes me want to go out, have adventures and make new memories… when the weather warms up that is.
Top Tracks: Marlene Oak – Come Home
I’ve never heard another voice quite like this. In Swedish singer/songwriter Marlene Oak I can hear hints of Jeff Buckley, a fair bit of Dolores O’Riordan, and a whole heap of old school soul, all blending together into a pretty unique concoction. Vocals that are equal parts forceful and fragile, which end up being the perfect match for a song like ‘Come Home’. Taken from her upcoming EP Silver Moon, out 15th February, it’s a track all about finding your soulmate. Finding an all-encompassing love that fills an empty space inside that you perhaps never even knew was there. A love so deep feels much like Marlene’s vocals on this track. Something so powerful that it consumes your entire being, that you forget all else exists, and yet in turn leaving you so open and vulnerable, quivering on the edge of breaking point. They say that love is giving someone the power to destroy you and trusting them not to, and Marlene imbues that same raw emotion into this song.
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