Lo Moon – Lo Moon
Synthpop | Alternative
58%
music
Top Tracks: FINNO – Do Not Move
The revolution of the youth is nigh, and tempestuous trio FINNO have come out with all guns blazing on their dauntless debut single ‘Do Not Move’. With young people leading the charge for a better society on both sides of the Atlantic, and showing a damn sight more common sense than most of those in government, it stands to reason that their ire seeps through into the medium of music. With a heavy stomp like some encroaching doom, sly snaking guitar solos to lure you in deeper, and lyrical visions of a world lost to hate, ‘Do Not Move’ is like the scrappy younger sibling of Black Sabbath’s ‘War Pigs’. It’s an unflinching mission statement of a new band eager to leap into the fray and fight the good fight for what they believe in, and I’m eager to see what their next salvo has in store.
Album Review: All The Luck In The World – A Blind Arcade
All The Luck In The World – A Blind ArcadeTop Tracks: Aphrose – Move On
They say that the best revenge you can enact against those who wronged you is simply to get up, dust yourself off, and live your best life irregardless. That is just the scene depicted in the new single ‘Move On’ from Canadian artist Aphrose. With her smooth soaring vocals and the understated instrumentation, it recalls the golden age of soul when a great voice was something that you felt as much as heard. ‘Move On’ is as much a message to the one who hurt her to say that living with their actions and seeing themselves for who they really are is punishment enough, as it is a reminder to herself, and anyone listening, that you can’t let loss, regret and anger hold you back. There’s always a chance for new life to bloom from the ashes given the proper care and nurturing, likewise there is always happiness to be found for those that learn from the past and grow as person.
Spotlight!: TALMA
Great things rarely happen all at once, often it’s down to a multitude of little inconsequential factors that gather over time and end up knitting together perfectly. TALMA’s music grabs you in much the same way, all those little elements gel together to create something greater than the sum of its parts. With their second EP Out To Sea, this London based outfit offer a mature and elegant sound. ‘In Circles’ dabbles just enough in both retro and futuristic sounds to create a timeless feel, the bright dancing guitar tones on ‘Starless Skies’ imbue a sense of childlike innocence and nostalgia, while the hook heavy ‘Lifeline’ feels like a blend of Joy Division and Spandau Ballet with its pulsing post punk rhythms and soaring new wave vocals. It’s on the title track however where everything really comes together. The guitars wind a path through bluesy licks and indie riffs to reach a majestic climax, the bass line carries the very lifeblood of the song, and Henry Adams’ exceptional crooning vocals somehow steal the spotlight even more than usual. These artful alt rockers stand on the precipice of greatness with their refined and debonair approach.
TALMA’s new EP Out To Sea is out 23rd February and is ideal for fans of The National, Marlon Williams, The Smiths and Isaac Gracie
Album Review: Lowtide – Southern Mind
Lowtide – Southern MindTop Tracks: Kindo – Return To Me
After what feels like forever, The Reign Of Kindo are finally back with new music (albeit with a shortened name), and it’s like they never left. Bringing together sultry smooth jazz, dazzling prog intricacies and spellbinding pop melodies, their incomparable signature sound feels just as fresh as ever. This new offering ‘Return To Me’ depicts creative inspiration as an absent lover, and deals with the paranoia of her not returning. Clearly their muse isn’t going anywhere as they are on fire as usual on this track, proving to be the very epitome of slick and precise. With a new record entitled Happy However After due for release this spring, Kindo have just shot up to the top of my list of most anticipated albums of the year. If the rest of the record is as good as then it’ll have all been worth the long wait!
Album Review: Brian Fallon – Sleepwalkers
Brian Fallon – SleepwalkersTop Tracks: Avec – Youth
I think we all have a part of us that is drawn to music that incites introspection. Like how our bodies need sleep to rest and heal to keep going, so too do our minds need some care and attention. The latest single ‘Youth’ from Austrian artist Avec, taken from her debut album What If We Never Forget, is the perfect soundtrack for your own journey inward. With her affecting and unique vocals, and haunting folk soundscape, this song just seems to clear the fog from your thoughts to reveal a vast unspoiled wilderness holding a whole new world of possibilities. When you feel spent and empty, this is just the kind of song you need to offer perspective, understanding and a breath of fresh air. Add this to your playlist, give the album a few spins, do whatever you need to do to let it work it’s magic on you.
Top Tracks: Stay Inside – Fever and Jealousy
We all need to shut out the world for a time every now and then to keep us from falling apart at the seams, but often it’s your own voice that’s the hardest to drown out. All those paranoid little insecurities that gnaw away at you from within, all that overthinking poisoning relationships and experiences. Deep down you know that it’s just your mind playing tricks on you, but that doesn’t stop you jumping at shadows in the dark recesses of your thoughts. The new single from Stay Inside, taken from their superbly titled new EP The Sea Engulfs Us and the Light Goes Out released 23rd February, perfectly captures that feeling and offers a chaotic and electrifying sense of catharsis. The combination of passionate post-hardcore vocals and expansive post punk soundscapes feels like a shrill call out to the void, a search for answers where there are none to be found.
Belwood Music 